Home About Our Blog I didn’t know she was an illegal immigrant from Venezuela!

However, If the department of immigration comes knocking on your door to check the work rights of your employees, do you think they will accept your excuse - "I didn’t know she was an illegal immigrant from Venezuela!"? Employing an illegal worker is an offence. Illegal workers are non-Australian citizens who are working in Australia without a visa, or who are unlawfully in breach of their visa conditions.

 

You should not employ anyone without verifying their right to work in Australia. We live in such a wonderful multicultural society, that you can not tell if someone was born here, has become a citizen, is studying here or just arrived on a boat yesterday.

 

 

When interviewing all prospective employees, ask them to bring proof of identity and work rights in Australia.  This can be as simple as an Australian passport or birth certificate, citizenship certificate or a Permanent Residents visa in their passport.

 

Make sure you read the visa carefully as different visa’s have different work restrictions or work rights applicable. Some student visa’s allow the holder to work only certain hours.

 

The key is to actually check for this. We have all heard stories of inspectors turning up at restaurants, farms, factories etc to check the work rights of the employees. Ignorance is not an excuse.

 

The department of immigration has numerous ways that you can also check your employees work rights, including an online system through their website.

 

If you make work rights a basic part of your interview methodology, you will always be sure that you can not be caught out. If you feel that it is all too much for you, give us a call and we will be only to happy to help! 1300 923 000

 

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