Sufficient evidence of 457 misuse: govt - Sydney Morning Herald

AAP

People have been hired under 457 visas as "program administrators" but work as security guards, while others hired for "human resources" in IT have ended up making pizzas.

The federal government says there's enough evidence of rorts within the temporary skilled work visa program, the 457 scheme, to warrant new powers aimed at cracking down on dodgy employers.

Under changes announced by the government, Fair Work inspectors will for the first time be able to investigate matters of migration law.

Legislation to be introduced to parliament as soon as possible would give greater powers to the office of the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO).

The government says there are problems with the overuse of 457 visas, especially in the health and information technology sectors.

"There is sufficient evidence of misuse for us to ensure greater oversight so that we can determine the scale and deter people from acting in that manner in the future," Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

"This is really about improving confidence in the scheme under question."

While the full scale of the 457 rorts was hard to determine, conservative estimates suggested thousands of breaches were occurring under the current system.

Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten said in the last financial year the FWO collected $33 million in underpaid wages and fielded 157 complaints in relation to 457 visa holders.

The changes would ensure local workers didn't miss out on jobs and prevent people on 457 visas from being exploited, he said.

It would also make sure those employers doing the right thing weren't being disadvantaged.

Mr Shorten said FWO inspectors - who already undertake 10,000 inspections of workplaces a year - would be able to match migration paperwork with job descriptions and actual work undertaken.

He said the laws were about ensuring there was one body responsible for compliance.

"In terms of our workplace relations, it's about making sure the jobs that people perform, the training opportunities that people are promised - both for Australians and for visitors and guest workers in our country - that the promises are being kept," he said.