The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) issued recently a reminder to community employers and companies to check that their staff are entitled to work in Australia.

“Checking work entitlements make good business sense,” a DIAC spokesperson said. “The last thing a business owner wants is to lose a worker because they do not have a valid visa to work in Australia.”

DIAC said that employers in the retail and hospitality industries are among those at the highest risks of hiring illegal workers.

Employers convicted of these offences could face fines up to $13,200 and two years’ imprisonment per illegal worker hired. Companies face fines up to $66,000 per illegal worker.

DIAC has an internet-based Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) facility where employers can check work entitlements.

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