Worker Protection Act Becomes Effective & Visa Application Charges and Fees Increase

Published on June 23, 2009 8:52 AM
The forthcoming introduction of the Worker Protection Act will effect a number of legislative changes for employers including:

- More specifically define the sponsorship obligations of Australian employers

- Permit information sharing between government agencies, such as the ability of the Commissioner of Taxation to disclose information to a taxation officer

- Expand the powers of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to monitor and investigate the possible non-compliance of Australian employers

- Introduce civil penalties for Australian employers found in breach of the sponsorship obligations.
If your company includes temporary and/or permanent skilled entry in Australia, please ensure that you have a sound understanding of these legal and regulatory changes as it will be essential to correctly explain the sponsorship obligations and monitoring regime to Australian employers who wish to sponsor a skilled overseas worker.

Some visa application charges and fees will increase from 1 July 2009. These charges apply to applications received by DIAC on or after 1 July 2009, including those application sent by mail prior to, but received on or after 1 July 2009.

An incorrect form and a wrong VAC or fee may render an application invalid.

For more information please contact your InterStaff consultant on 08 9221 3388 or email enquiry@interstaff.com