Business Sponsors and “Self-Audit”

Ajuria Lawyers frequently reminds Business Sponsors of their obligations for the duration of the  sponsorship period.

Annual monitoring of ALL Business Sponsors for the purpose of assessing compliance with sponsorship obligations, has been a feature at different times in the past. This is obviously a very time-consuming and administrative-intensive process for the Department of Home Affairs. Given that the Home Affairs staff budget is reported to be under significant pressure, and significant staff reductions mooted to achieve savings of $150 million over the next 4 years, the practice of annual monitoring of Business Sponsors may not be sustainable.

Ajuria Lawyers expects that compliance will continue to be a focus of the newly-elected Morrison Government. However, even prior to the election, there were indications that going forward, the onus would be on Business Sponsors to “self-audit”, with random checks by Departmental officers to confirm compliance. This model has been used by the Australian Taxation Office for many years.

It is early days for the new Government, however, Ajuria Lawyers predicts that with more “accredited” Business Sponsors benefitting from faster and streamlined processing of visa applications, the Department will expect Business Sponsors to be more accountable and take greater responsibility for adhering to sponsorship obligations.

Ajuria Lawyers will follow this closely and provide updates via this newsletter.

DISCLAIMER This information is current as of 28 May 2019 and subject to change. The information contained in this publication is of a general nature only. It should not be used as legal advice. To the extent permissible by law, Ajuria Lawyers and its associated entities shall not be liable for any errors, omissions, defects or misrepresentations in the information or for any loss or damage suffered by persons who use or rely on such information. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.