Letters to Editors

Vanstone wants strike team to tackle visa rorts, 20-07-06

Letter to the Editor - Australian Financial Review

Dear Sir/Madam

Steven Scott (Vanstone wants strike team to tackle visa rorts, 20/07/06 ) is wrong reporting that a “West Australian government survey found 80 per cent of employers [using skilled migrants] had breached [the conditions of] the visa” on which their workers travelled to Australia . In reality, the actual figure is about 3.5 per cent.

For the record, of 35 cases referred by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) to the West Australian Department of Consumer and Employment Protection (DOCEP) over a two-year period, about 80 per cent were found by DOCEP to have breached DOCEP legislation.

In all but a couple of instances, employers rectified their breaches and so DOCEP did not issue sanctions; of those who did not, some were sanctioned by DOCEP, others were sanctioned by DIMA. These 35 cases were within a WA caseload of more than 1000 employers who use the 457 visa every year.

The vast majority of employers who use this program fully abide by the conditions of their sponsorship.

Sandi Logan
National Communications Manager
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs