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Major immigration visa fraud investigation underway
Whistleblowers have sparked what is believed to be one of Australia’s biggest inquiries into the sc457 working visa ‘fraud’, with immigration investigators conducting a series of raids on a multi-national firm working on major Australian mining and infrastructure projects, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Murphy Pipe & Civil (MPC), which is a major Australian pipeline company that provides the energy water and mining sectors with ‘pipeline solutions’ has reportedly had their offices raided by immigration investigators with documents and other material seized.
The SMH reports that the firm has allegedly assisted dozens of Irish workers to fraudulently obtain 457 temporary skilled and other visas to work on key national projects, including the multi-billion dollar Queensland Curtis Liquefied Natural Gas project and Western Australia's Sino Iron project.
The raids are likely to be the first of many on major companies in the infrastructure and mining industry with questions now being raised ‘about whether some of Australia's biggest infrastructure and mining players, including the company managing the Curtis LNG project, QGC, have failed to conduct thorough due diligence on the workforces supplied by sub-contractors such as MPC. (QGC did not respond to questions),” reports The SMH.
The chief executive of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Roman Quadvlieg, told Fairfax Media a new investigations division was being created to target "entities seeking to commit visa fraud here in Australia". It will also investigate transnational organised crime syndicates. It remains unclear what sanctions these companies are expected to face if found guilty.
The SMH reports among the allegations being investigated, are how “dozens of overseas workers employed by MPC may have lied about their qualifications or job role in order to get a skilled migration visa.
“MPC internal documents obtained by Fairfax Media reveal that the company knew that dozens of overseas employees had told the immigration department they would be working in skilled roles, such as a project administrator, when their actual role involved a menial or unskilled job.
“Among the most alleged egregious examples of migration fraud by MPC is the company's role in continuing to sponsor a female Irish worker even though she had left the company, to help her get permanent residency. In another case, an unskilled Irish labourer submitted a handwritten resume only to have it typed up and rewritten. He was then employed on a 457 visa as a ‘project administrator’,” notes the report.
Comments
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Thursday, 05 February 2015I think the key word in the questionable sentence is "unskilled".
Program and Project Administrator is meant to be a skilled position. Not an unskilled position which is simply box-ticking.
The assessment authority says that the position should require project management quals. -
Saturday, 07 February 2015
This is the second time this story has reached the national media within 12 months.
Look at the original articles from Aug 2014 and you will see examples. -
Thursday, 05 February 2015Is there any indication whether this application had the assistance of an RMA.
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Thursday, 05 February 2015
This is just another show of muscle flexing at a time where we need our attention to be somewhere else, that is, this government really looking after local workers being shafted by greedy multinational companies employing fraudsters to get into Australia for 'unknown' purposes... pleeeaaaaaseeee.... just imagine, if hundreds of Irish are committing immigration fraud, what are other 'less desirable groups up to', one has to ask! let's just play the 'foreing worker' card again and deflect the attention from the real issues driving the economic and social commentary.
IF DIPB really wants to target "entities seeking to commit visa fraud here in Australia", it should look at overseas recruitment companies in the area of education... but no, wait, THAT's a billion dollar investment in OZ - it will never happen... as I doubt that the Reinhardt equivalents of this world will ever get any real punishment, other than a wrap on the wrist with a feather. The 457 scheme is always easier to demonize since the ones that pay the price are the often vulnerable temp visa holders to whom Australia has no obligation, other than suspect, investigate and cancel. along with demonising those well meaning small-to-medium business trying to get established in this dog-eat-puppy transnationally-run economy. No probs with a fair investigation but problems with the reporting and yes, it is snobbery on all sides. -
Saturday, 07 February 2015
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Friday, 06 February 2015
It seems the 457 program is always the easy target for the media, the unions and whoever happens to be in opposition at the time. As most in the general public have no idea how the 457 program works, it is very easy to demonise with shoddy reporting and half-truths.
As with any other program, there is no doubt that there will be people who try to exploit it and no one has any issue with going after the people who are doing the wrong thing. That is why there are “Sponsorship Obligations”, “Monitoring” and “Sanctions”.
The truth is that the vast majority of sponsors do the right thing and abide by their obligations.
The other reality, which is always overlooked or not mentioned, is that the Australian economy would collapse overnight if all 457 visa holders packed up and went home tomorrow. -
Saturday, 07 February 2015
You can add workplace bulling to their "alleged" visa fraud.
Ask them why staff were "encouraged to sign their new contract" when they already had a valid contract in place.
When you've done that then ask them why staff who didn't sign the new contract are were dismissed / made redundant within a month. -
Sunday, 08 February 2015
Hi am anwar i have been seeking for student visa many years but i didn"t get till now so i need ur help please because australia is my dream country
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Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Have seen this first hand it it is absolutely correct, unskilled Irish workers on 457 visas on major projects in roles that don't reflect their visa. Fairfax, the unions and commentators on this issue are missing the point! Workers on these projects are paid extremely well!!! This is not a case of bringing in a cheap workforce to save a buck - this is a means of fraudulently taking a well paid job away from a Australian worker and giving it to a paddy from back home... Before anyone else has a rant think about the Australian labourers, operators, project administrators, engineers etc out of work or in lower paid positions and ask why a Irish 457 visa was needed to fill that role?
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Tuesday, 10 March 2015
You ask a question: "ask why a Irish 457 visa was needed to fill that role?" Perhaps it is an employer choice based on experience of cultural working habits. Who knows? If you have "seen this first hand," please give us a little more information. It would be very interesting to all of us who missed out on that experience.
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Monday, 23 March 2015
What conclusion would you draw if the "whistle blowers" came from the HR department and not the field?
Immigration blog
"In another case, an unskilled Irish labourer submitted a handwritten resume only to have it typed up and rewritten. He was then employed on a 457 visa as a ‘project administrator’,” notes the report."
I know these two sentences mean something, but I am not sure what. Aside from government applicants, many people--Australians and others--do exactly this on a regular basis in the mining, meat, and construction industry. Not everyone who gets assistance in getting a job application done correctly is involved in fraud. Project administrators often work entirely from tick box lists and need not possess highly developed writing skill. Many aboriginal (indigenous people) are in the same general group.
Was there a crime here?
Or is this simple snobbery?
I agree with the rest of the post--just objecting on principle to journalists sounding like Pharisees.