The Department of Home Affairs has announced a new data-matching initiative with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to monitor employer compliance under the Subclass 482 visa program.
Through this program, the Department will compare visa records with ATO Single Touch Payroll (STP) data to identify whether:
Employers are meeting sponsorship obligations, including paying the correct salary, adhering to nominated roles, and providing lawful employment conditions.
Visa holders are working only for their approved sponsor, as required by their visa conditions.
This data exchange will review over 58,000 visa holders and their employers across three financial years, and may form the foundation for ongoing cross-agency compliance monitoring.
What This Means for Your Business
With this level of oversight, even minor discrepancies between what was approved in a visa nomination and what’s recorded in payroll could trigger an investigation.
You should immediately consider:
Reviewing employment contracts and payroll systems to ensure accuracy in job titles, duties, and salary levels.
Auditing sponsorship records, including the occupation nominated, work location, and hours of employment.
Assessing your current use of labour hire, contractors, or internal secondments – even where roles haven’t formally changed.
Ensuring HR and payroll teams are aligned with migration compliance requirements, not just Fair Work obligations.
Why This Matters
Non-compliance – even if unintentional – can result in serious consequences including:
- Visa cancellation for the employee
- Loss of sponsorship status
- Civil penalties
- Reputational damage and increased scrutiny from the Department
How We Can Help
At Crystal Migration, we assist employers with:
- Internal compliance audits for sponsored workers
- Drafting and reviewing compliant employment contracts
- Responding to notices from Home Affairs or the ATO
- Training HR teams on visa compliance best practices
Compliance is no longer just expected, it’s being verified.
Contact us to ensure your business remains in full compliance before an issue arises.