Guest The Pom Queen Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 This is an old article I found today,but just thought it may give you all an heads up that they do check so be warned. In 2010, an Irishwoman was forced to leave Australia after being found to have falsified details on her application for a second working holiday visa. Aoife (not her real name) told the Irish Echo about the experience and what led to her deportation. “I arrived in Australia in March 2009 on a one-year visa. I really liked it and I decided I wanted to stay for the second year. I had completed five weeks of regional work in Bundaberg, but work dried up and I left. “I went to Ayr to complete my three months’ regional work. “When I got there, there was a waiting list a mile long and I had pretty much run out of cash. I needed a job asap, so I went to Melbourne at the end of August. “I started working in an office and I didn’t get around to doing the rest of the regional work. A friend of a friend told me about this farmer who would sign off my forms saying I had worked for him, for a small fee. I did that and got my second year visa. “I decided to go to Fiji for a holiday in August 2010. On the way back, I was going through Sydney airport en route to Melbourne when immigration called me in. They started grilling me about the work I had supposedly done in Victoria. After hours of questioning, they found a memory card from my camera in my suitcase. “It showed that I was bungy jumping in Cairns when I was supposed to be picking berries in Victoria. I tried to fob them off by saying that I only went to Cairns for the weekend but they saw photos that were taken over a three-week period, and I was caught. “They wanted me to tell them about the farmer that signed me off but I didn’t think it was of any benefit to get him into trouble. “They said I’d have to go home. I was gutted – I couldn’t believe it was happening. I pleaded with them and asked if I could go to New Zealand to stay with my brother and they said no, they wouldn’t want me either. “They said if I didn’t have money for a flight back to Ireland, I would have to go to a detention centre, which freaked the hell out of me. “Luckily, I had been saving to travel the west coast and I had the money. A one-way flight to London cost nearly $2,000 but I didn’t care at that stage. “I didn’t get to say any goodbyes or get to collect any of my stuff. “I was escorted onto the plane by a man from British Airways and two security guards, which I thought was a bit much. I know I broke the rules but I was hardly a danger to anyone. “It was horrible coming home, as I loved living in Australia so much. I had a good life there and I was not ready to come home, but c’est la vie … “When I came back, I tried to get the one-year working holiday visa for New Zealand but they wouldn’t give it to me.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 This is so common I'm surprised it even made the papers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dojapan Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 The regional work requirement seems quite ridiculous. Everywhere I've been this year in Queensland there is very little need for workers or LONG waits in working hostels that charge job bonds to catch you in their web. There isn't enough work for backpackers in general, let alone work that meets regional requirements. Most backpackers that I met in QLD this year have been discouraged by the lack of jobs and seem to be leaving Oz after spending most of their savings and earning almost nothing. Why can't they just give us our 2nd year visas and leave us alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 The regional work requirement seems quite ridiculous. Everywhere I've been this year in Queensland there is very little need for workers or LONG waits in working hostels that charge job bonds to catch you in their web. There isn't enough work for backpackers in general, let alone work that meets regional requirements. Most backpackers that I met in QLD this year have been discouraged by the lack of jobs and seem to be leaving Oz after spending most of their savings and earning almost nothing. Why can't they just give us our 2nd year visas and leave us alone? As I understand there is talk of adjusting or doing away with this stupid policy. The system is open to fraud and abuse and far from only back packers on the take. It opens the door to corrupt practices by employers as well. Fact being numbers have grown in WHV to such as extent that there are too many chasing to few jobs. It looks with further countries being added to the already considerable tally it will become all the more unworkable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 The regional work requirement seems quite ridiculous. Everywhere I've been this year in Queensland there is very little need for workers or LONG waits in working hostels that charge job bonds to catch you in their web. There isn't enough work for backpackers in general, let alone work that meets regional requirements. Most backpackers that I met in QLD this year have been discouraged by the lack of jobs and seem to be leaving Oz after spending most of their savings and earning almost nothing. Why can't they just give us our 2nd year visas and leave us alone? I agree to a point with regards the second year visa. My concerns would be the very big numbers competing with locals for jobs. We are no longer talking tens of thousands but many more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 This is so common I'm surprised it even made the papers. Perhaps the Irish paper was trying to get a public message over , on behalf of government, to Irish nationals with regards to flaunting the immigration laws in OZ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny842003 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 The same thing has been televised a few times on Nothing to declare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Just out of interest, I know that the whole of South Australia counts as "regional" for some visas - does the WHV require specifically "rural" or does it say "regional" work? And if rural, what is their definition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blossom Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Just out of interest, I know that the whole of South Australia counts as "regional" for some visas - does the WHV require specifically "rural" or does it say "regional" work? And if rural, what is their definition? All of sa counts for the whv too, but it has to be certain types of work. We had an English lad come work with us for three months about three years ago to get his second year visa. He was TERRIBLE and I think the only thing stopping him getting fired was that they knew it was only for three months lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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