One million visa holders will have their records cross-checked by the tax office in a bid to crack down on fraud and dodgy training companies.
The Australian Taxation Office has been given the green light to check the names, addresses and other details of visa holders, their sponsors, and migration agents for four financial years from 2013/14.
The details checked will also include all international arrivals and departures undertaken by visa holders and records of education providers.
The ATO estimated it would obtain the records of at least one million individuals.
The records will be electronically matched with ATO data to "identify non-compliance with registration, lodgement, reporting and payment obligations under taxation laws", the office said in a government gazette notice.
The ATO warned of an "elevated level of risk" especially among visa holders lodging tax returns for the first time.
"Given the complexity, frequency, volatility and widespread effects of fraud ... it is considered prudent to continue to undertake this data matching program to monitor compliance behaviour," it said in its reasons for the crackdown.
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