New Immigration Booklet Produced By DIAC Was Launched For Workers

11 Oct 2010

A new information booklet was produced by DIAC specifically for workers. This booklet will assist workers from overseas to know about their rights and help reduce the incidence of exploitation.

The booklet entitled Your rights and obligations – immigration facts for workers was produced by Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for the first time.

The booklet covers basic protections and entitlements, work rights, visa choices, employer obligations and using a migration agent. The department presented the booklet to union organisers in western Sydney and would present to a range of other organisations in the coming weeks.

The booklet also includes contact details for the department, Unions Australia, Fair Work Australia, the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA) and the Translating and Interpreting Service.

A departmental spokesman said the booklet was targeted at educating both overseas and Australian workers as well as employers and addressed some common misconceptions on work sites.

“One misconception is foreign workers take Australian jobs because they are paid less,” the spokesman said. “The booklet explains that sponsoring employers must not give foreign workers less pay or provide poorer conditions than Australians doing the same work at the same workplace.

A one-stop easy reference guide, it has been written in plain English and translated into six other languages based on the main nationalities of vulnerable or illegal workers in Australia.