Taskforce to investigate visa fraud

Businesses who hire illegal workers risk criminal conviction as a taskforce investigates the exploitation of foreign workers and visa fraud.

A federal government taskforce has been announced to target contractors who exploit foreign workers and engage in visa fraud.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection will establish the taskforce following allegations of labour-hire companies underpaying people on 417 working holiday visas in the horticultural and chicken processing sectors.

"By hiring illegal workers, businesses are risking more than their profits. They risk their livelihood, and are gambling with a possible criminal conviction," a department spokesman said.