'No payslips, Cash-in-hand, Underpaid: Temporary visa holders in Australia face severe abuse, report shows

Young adult traveling abroad Credit: Suspended Image/Getty Images

According to the Migrant Justice Initiative, two in every three migrant workers are underpaid, while international students alone lose an estimated $3.18 billion in wages each year due to wage theft. The report also reveals that some employers use various tactics to conceal labour exploitation.

A 2024 study by the Migrant Justice Initiative gathered responses from nearly 10,000 migrant workers across Australia, including international students and other temporary visa holders.
Data released in the first week of May showed that international students alone are underpaid by an estimated $3.18 billion per year.
The study also found that one in four migrant workers are underpaid by at least $10 per hour.
According to Bassina Farbenblum, the survey shows not only widespread underpayment and job insecurity among migrant workers, but also how some employers allegedly hide workplace exploitation.
The study also found that some employers reportedly misuse ABNs as a key way to hide wage theft and other workplace violations.

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