what’s news in immigration?

latest news 30 September 2008

6 illegal workers detained in Adelaide

18 September 2008
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship said it is illegal for people from overseas to work in Australia unless they have work rights on their visa. People with information about illegal workers or visa oversteers should call the Immigration Dob-In Line. more...

Swift given 10 days to explain 457 visaallegations

25 September 2008
Executives at Dinmore meatworks, Swift Australia, have been given 10 days to respond to questions from the Department of Immigration on allegations it is standing down Australian workers in favour of foreign labour following accusations by the Australian Meatworkers Union that local staff are being stood down at the same time that foreign workers on 457 visas are being handed more work. The Department has the power to revoke the rights of Swift to use 457 visas if it does not provide evidence that it has exhausted avenues to source local workers. more...

Meatworks in talks with Immigration over 457 visa controversy

23 September 2008
Bureaucrats from the Department of Immigration are meeting with the owners of Dinmore abattoir Swift Australia to overcome mounting concerns over the use of overseas labour. The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, says concerns have been raised that local workers have been denied shifts at the meatworks. He says the Government will not tolerate employers continuing to access foreign workers on temporary skilled migration (subclass 457) visas while denying local workers job opportunities. more...

Growers to receive pacific workers by end of the year

24 September 2008
Australia’s horticulture industry is expected to receive its first round of seasonal workers before the end of the year after the Federal Government’s Pacific Island pilot scheme was given the green light. Over the course of 3 years, the pilot - which is an expansion of the existing subclass 416 (special program) visa - will allow up to 2500 seasonal workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu to work in the horticultural industry in regional Australia for up to 7 months each year.

Rental crisis linked to migration boom

25 September 2008
Australia's biggest migration boom is exacerbating the rental crisis, while house prices are overvalued by between 5% and 15%, the International Monetary Fund has said. Immigration added a record 199,064 people to Australia over the year to March, the biggest annual rise in history according to figures released by the Bureau of Statistics. more...

Blueprint for Immigration’s strategic direction

24 September 2008
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has announced its strategic direction for the next 3 years with the launch of the DIAC Strategic Plan 2008-11. The department’s secretary, Andrew Metcalfe, said the document is a blueprint of how DIAC intends to manage its policies, programs and service delivery. The plan was available on the department’s website at www.immi.gov.au

Skilled migrants exploited on "recruitment"fees: Union

17 September 2008
The manufacturers union says employers should pay for the costs of bringing workers to Australia on 457 visas as skilled migrants are pursued for "recruitment" fees. 4 Filipino 457 workers recruited to Townsville are being sued by ABC Global Services for neglecting to pay “recruitment” fees totalling $6,600 for each worker, despite the employer having already paid the recruitment fees in full. The AMWU is backing their case before VCAT. more...

New laws to protect overseas workers

24 September 2008
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, will today introduce a Bill into the Senate that sets out a new framework to better protect temporary overseas workers in Australia. The amendments proposed in the Bill outline 4 main measures to protect overseas workers from exploitation. Employers found in breach of their obligations under temporary working visa arrangements will face fines of up to $33,000 under new laws. more...