County Court of Victoria has sentenced a 47-year-old Melbourne woman to 18 months’ jail and a three-year good behaviour bond with a $2000 fine, after being convicted of visa fraud.
The woman was charged with one count of dishonestly influencing a Commonwealth Official following an investigation by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
She was among a group of people charged with providing students on temporary visas with false work references for their permanent skilled migration applications.
According to the Australian Border Force investigation, false work references had been submitted to Trades Recognition Australia for assessment of more than 100 skilled visa applicants.
“This type of fraud is not only unscrupulous, it’s unfair. It gives some people an advantage in the visa application process over others who abide by the law," Australian Border Force Commander Anthony Seebach said.
“Visa applicants who engage in this type of fraud against the Commonwealth are likely to have their visa refused and be subject to an exclusion period restricting them from returning to Australia," he added.
