Tougher sanctions and penalties are imposed on employers and individuals engaging non-Australian citizens and non-Australian permanent residents, who do not have appropriate work rights.

The onus is on employers to establish a statutory defense by proving they have taken reasonable steps at reasonable times to verify the work rights of their foreign national employees.

The immigration department operates a real-time and free-to-use visa verification tool called the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system.

The VEVO system allows businesses registered with the immigration department to verify the work rights and immigration status of foreign national employees. Employers are required to obtain written consent from individuals prior to conducting VEVO checks.

Student visa holders are permitted to work for up to 48 hours every two weeks while taking classes and work full-time during their break. However, certain student visa holders, who are completing either a master's in research or a doctoral degree may be employed full-time.

In addition to the employer-sponsored permanent residency visa program, there are independent permanent residency pathways for eligible foreign nationals.

The family visa program facilitates Australian temporary or permanent visas of the spouses, children and other eligible dependent family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents.

Australian permanent residents are eligible to apply for citizenship by conferral if they have been residing in Australia on valid visas for at least four years immediately before applying for Australian citizenship. The four-year period must include one year as a permanent resident and they must not have been absent from Australia for more than one year in total during the four-year period and no more than 90 days in the year immediately before applying for Australian citizenship by conferral.

Australian permanent residents that do not wish to become Australian citizens must continue to satisfy specific residency requirements to maintain their permanent residency status. A prolonged period of absence from Australia often jeopardizes permanent residency status.

Australian permanent residency visas usually have the travel facility of five years from the date of visa grant and allow the visa holders to travel to and from Australia multiples times until the travel facility validity expires. Permanent residents are required to obtain a Resident Return visa to continue to travel to and from Australia past the last day of their travel facility.