New Online Tool Launched For Australian 457 Visa Holders

24 May 2013

A new online resource has been formed for overseas employees in Australia who are holding 457 visas to notify them their privileges and obligations in the workplace. Immigration and Citizenship Minister, Brendan O’Connor, said that a multilingual audio visual tool will be valuable for sponsors to use in induction programs for the overseas workers.

‘The 457 visa, when used properly, is a very good tool to provide skilled labor on a temporary basis for those businesses and sectors of our economy that clearly have shortages,’ O’Connor said. However, he told that there is some proof about the employers who are not using 457 visas by the way they intended. ‘No one wants to see workers exploited and our workplace laws provide protection for all workers in Australia, including those from overseas,’ explained O’Conner.

‘Employers of 457 visa holders are required to adhere to a number of sponsorship obligations, including providing overseas workers with the same pay and conditions of employment as Australians who perform equivalent work in the business,’ he added. ‘This online video will help to mitigate the exploitation of overseas workers in Australia by ensuring access to clear information on their rights and obligations in their primary language,’ said O’Conner.

This online tool is an information booklet introduced by the DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) with the ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Unions), the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations.