The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will commence a data matching program with the Department of Immigration & Border Protection (DIBP) from 1 September 2015. Information that will be acquired by the ATO for the periods 2012-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 includes:
- Employer Sponsor details for 457 visa holders
- Address and contact history for visa holders, their sponsors and migration agents
- Visa grants and subclass
- All international travel undertaken by the visa holders
- Education provider details for student visas
The purpose as stated by the ATO is to ensure compliance of the relevant taxation laws by visa holders and their sponsors, such as registration, lodgement, reporting and payment responsibilities. This information will also identify sponsorship obligation breaches under immigration legislation. Click here for further details.
We recommend that you review your company policy and procedures as they relate to visa’d employees with particular attention to the sponsorship obligations. Remember, Expat International’s visa team are here to help and will provide valuable advice and solutions to assist with maintaining compliance as a Standard Business Sponsor. For an overview of the sponsorship obligations can be found here.
