Under the 457 visa (closed to new applications) and TSS Visa program, Australian businesses that are approved as Standard Business Sponsors are subject to sponsor obligations. Sponsor monitoring occurs when the Department of Home Affairs conducts visits or inspections on the approved sponsor’s business. Sponsor monitoring can also occur when information has been provided to the Department of Home Affairs by a third party.
Alarmingly some approved sponsors are not familiar with the sponsor obligations and by the time the are subject to an audit, random visit or an investigation, the failure of the sponsor obligations may already be significant to the point where sanctions and administrative action can be taken. If you are an employer you can seek advice on your sponsor obligations with a registered Migration Agent. An audit of operations and record keeping can be conducted and any shortcomings can be identified and addressed before a significant breach occurs.
If you are already subject to a sponsor monitoring exercise, and have received a request for further documents or invitation to comment from the sponsor monitoring unit, you should consider seeking advice and assistance from a registered Migration Agent that has experience in this area.
We have successfully assisted sponsors with monitoring requests and can provide initial consultation and further assistance if you require a self audit or need to respond to a formal request from the Department of Home Affairs.
If you want some further information and assistance, please contact us via our online enquiry form.
