Painting Trades Worker 332211

Cook 351411

Accountant General 211111

Management Accountant 221112

Taxation Accountant 221113

Eternal Auditor 221213

Agricultural Scientist 234112

Engineering Manager 133211

Construction Project Manager 133111

Architect 232111

Civil Engineer 233211

Structural Engineer 233214

Transport Engineer 233215

Electrical Engineer 233311
Agricultural Engineer 233912

Software Engineer 261313

Analyst programmer 261311

Developer programmer 261312

Systems Administrator 262113

The Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) is responsible for policing the behavior of companies in our country. 

This also includes foreign companies who set up a business presence in Australia with the intention of taking money from Australian residents.

When foreign companies come here to trade they must register with ASIC and obtain a foreign company registration number. They then must appoint an Australian company to act as its Agent. The Australian company then must register with ASIC as the foreign companies agent. To read more about this on ASIC's web site read here.

The point of all this is to ensure there is a legal entity in Australia that is taking responsibility for the manner in which the overseas company operates. If there is a legal dispute regarding any financial matters or any other regulatory requirements then the Australian registered Agent bears the responsibility. The registered Agent also has the responsibility to handle the money collected and pay the appropriate tax payable to the Australian community.

Remember we are talking about foreign companies who are operating and have a presence here, such as an office set up. We are not discussing overseas companies which sell items on the internet and payments are made overseas.

Beware of Payments to Foreign Companies

There is one simple rule you should always remember in life. Never make a payment to a foreign company that is not registered in Australia with ASIC. 

Such companies which set up operations here obtaining money from Australian residents without registration and without a registered agent to represent them, are likely to be untrustworthy and possibly breaking the law.

It has been brought to our attention that one foreign company has set up in North Sydney to specifically target foreign nationals who are here on temporary visas. Further investigations into this company are currently being carried out. If anyone has information about an overseas company collecting money regarding immigration applications, please contact our office.

Correction on our last edition

A cut and paste error mistakingly indicated that ELICOS and the Schools Sector are not required to monitor international students attendance.  

The corrected version reads as follows;

Condition 8202 is part of the Migration Regulations that requires students maintain satisfactory attendance. 

Under standard 11 of the National Code, education providers are required to monitor students' attendance but the that depends upon what education sector they fall under. The rules for the different sectors are as follows;

Higher Education sector- is not required to monitor attendance

ELICOS and Schools sector-

Students are reported if their attendance falls below 80%, unless the provider determines that:

the student's lack of attendance is due to compelling and compassionate circumstances and

the student is attending at least 70% of the course

and this is set out in the provider's policies and procedures

VET and non-award sector-

Students are reported if their attendance falls below 80%, unless the provider has determined that:

*      the student is maintaining satisfactory academic progress

*      the student is attending at least 70% of their course

        and this is set out in the provider's policies and procedures.

Thank you to our readers who contacted our office this morning pointing out the error. 

For the more recent ones published by AILS and now by IMMIGRATION NEWS Pty Ltd, they can be found here