Obligation to Keep Records

Sponsors of Subclass 457 visa holders must keep records of their compliance with their sponsorship obligations. All records must be kept in a reproducible format and certain records need to be capable of being verified by an independent person.

From 14 September 2009, records that must be kept, in addition to records that must be kept under other Commonwealth, and State or Territory laws, include the following:

• records of written requests for payment of outward travel costs for primary and secondary sponsored persons, including when the request was received
• records of how the outward travel costs were paid
• records of notifying the department of an event required to be reported to the department, including the date and method of notification and where the notification was provided
• records of tasks performed by the primary sponsored person in relation to the nominated occupation and the locations at which the tasks were performed
• records of money paid to the primary sponsored person
• records of money applied or dealt with in any way on behalf of the primary sponsored person or as the primary sponsored person directed
• records of non-monetary benefits provided to the primary sponsored person, including the agreed value and the time at which, or the period over which, those benefits were provided
• if there is an equivalent worker in the sponsor's workplace, a record of the terms and conditions that apply or did apply to the equivalent worker, including the period over which the terms and conditions applied

• if the sponsor is a party to a labour agreement, records required to be kept under the labour agreement.

Additional information on sponsorship obligations is available.
See: Employer Obligations

Further information on other Subclass 457 reforms is also available.
See: What's New for Employer-Sponsored Workers