Regional work: Postcodes still in use?

Vertakill

Just been talking to a friend and he's working in a tree planting farm that's not in a postcode that's deemed regional.

He says that he'd heard from people that postcodes were not necessary anymore and that he'd double checked with his current farm and they're able to sign him off as regional.

Not entirely sure what to believe at the moment.
I can't find anything to back that up online and the immigration site hasn't got anything to verify it.

Anyone got any ideas?

hussey

Source of truth: http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/postcodes.htm

Specified work must actually be done within an eligible regional Australia postcode area. Work that is completed in a non-eligible postcode area for an employer, whose office or post office box is in a regional Australia postcode area, does not meet the requirement.

So what is this postcode/area?

Vertakill

Yeah, makes no sense to me how they could regulate regional work if postcodes were no longer used.

It's possible that the employer has a site that actually IS in a regional postcode and that they're just signing people off as if they were working in the regional area rather than this particular one.

The postcode of this place is 6033 which is clearly not on the list.

Batgurl

Vertakill wrote: »

It's possible that the employer has a site that actually IS in a regional postcode and that they're just signing people off as if they were working in the regional area rather than this particular one.

Quite possible. However what will happen to your poor friend when he applies for his second year visa is that the Dept will check his bank statements or mobile records and see a load of transactions or calls from 6033 postcode and he will be stung.

It has happened. Just look at this article here

sponge_bob

Batgurl wrote: »

Quite possible. However what will happen to your poor friend when he applies for his second year visa is that the Dept will check his bank statements or mobile records and see a load of transactions or calls from 6033 postcode and he will be stung.

It has happened. Just look at this article here

Pffftt Amateur
photographs or films that carry digital dates and times can easily be proved to be wrong, it only shows the date and time that you set the camera too. most likely scenario was that immigration got suspicious about the vast quantity of WHV'ers this guy was signing off on and pulled her up at the airport when his name showed up as being associated with her passport and she panicked and cracked under the pressure.
If I was a betting man (which Iam) I would put my money on the farmer getting greedy and started putting to many people through his business and immi became suspicious and most likely pulled anyone that was associated with him.

Batgurl

sponge_bob wrote: »

If I was a betting man (which Iam) I would put my money on the farmer getting greedy and started putting to many people through his business and immi became suspicious and most likely pulled anyone that was associated with him.

Possibly but they honestly have started checking way more applicants than in the past. I worked three months on a farm that had only ever had three backpackers working there. It was a family farm and they only used people when it was busy.

I still got checked (phone call to farm when applying) and hauled into the office upon return to the country for verification and all that jazz. I had pics of me on the farm, a letter from the farmer, bank statements to show I was there etc.

Ditto 5 other people I know who all worked on separate farms.

In fairness, is three months mucking it really so hard that people are willing to defraud a country??? Some people are cissy's.

markymark21

Batgurl wrote: »

In fairness, is three months mucking it really so hard that people are willing to defraud a country??? Some people are cissy's.

Unfortunately lot of people can't see past the next session in PJ O'Briens and are just too lazy to do the 88 days!


Aussie bloke who's farm we're working on at the moment says he heard through the grapevine that immi are paying particular attention to Irish applicants for the 2nd year. Not too sure if that's nonsense or not but I reckon the Irish back packers are more likely to chance their luck then some other nationalities.

Batgurl

markymark21 wrote: »

I reckon the Irish back packers are more likely to chance their luck then some other nationalities.

Because so many of them got away with it for so long, I reckon so. It's a shame really because the Irish have a bad enough rep over here without that hanging over us as well.

It's frustrating as well when you talk to someone who got away with it. They seem so smug in their ability to cheat the system...what they don't realise is that if they ever go for PR or citizenship, their WHOLE history in Australian will be checked with a fine tooth comb so even if they didn't leave the country and thus didn't get questioned on their return; they will if they apply for a permanent visa.

Mellor

Batgurl wrote: »

Quite possible. However what will happen to your poor friend when he applies for his second year visa is that the Dept will check his bank statements or mobile records and see a load of transactions or calls from 6033 postcode and he will be stung.

That won't happen.
Immi can request a bank statement from him, but they just click a button and find out his bank, acc. number, details etc.
Also mobile records will show numbers, not locations, its not something they can check easily.

Not relevant to whether its a good idea or not. I just dislike those kind of rumours.

sponge_bob wrote: »

Pffftt Amateur
photographs or films that carry digital dates and times can easily be proved to be wrong, it only shows the date and time that you set the camera too.

Yeah true. But once she said "it was only a weekend" her story fell apart. She could hardly turn around and say "em, maybe the date was wrong on the camera"

Batgurl

Mellor wrote: »

That won't happen.
Immi can request a bank statement from him, but they just click a button and find out his bank, acc. number, details etc.

Assume you meant can't just click a button.

And while they can't just click a button, they can request he log into his online banking there and then in the room.

I've BEEN in that room - I have seen what facilities they have at their disposal. They took my phone from me and went through it. Sure they asked my permission but I could hardly say no could I? Besides I had nothing to hide.

Look, I'm not saying you will be caught, I'm saying why would you take the risk? It's 88 days ... suck it up. A lot of those who are doing it were complaining about being bored doing nothing at home so they can't really complain about then having to do something.

Mellor

You could always say you haven't got online banking set up if you needed to. But why are you talking about being lock in a room? In the OP he specifically made reference to not flying to avoid that situation.
Again not condoning anything, just avoiding painting immi as some secret intelligence organisation.

They requested a bank statement from me. I didn't give it to them, I had nothing to hide, it's just none of their business imo. Visa was granted no problem.

Pisco Sour

I did the 88 days and left the country a couple of months ago for a month while on my 2nd WHV. On my return, I had all my receipts and everything in my carry on bag, ready for the questioning I was expecting to get re-entering the country. They didn't ask me a thing. Was actually raging after going to all that trouble of keeping my receipts and everything safe for the previous 8 months. I guess it's Murphy's law that only the ones who cheat the system tend to get stopped. They must have some sort of radar.

Esse85

Why are bank statements the issue, couldn't you easily say it was volunteer work in return for food and accommodation.

hussey

Esse85 wrote: »

Why are bank statements the issue, couldn't you easily say it was volunteer work in return for food and accommodation.

If you were taking money out in Sydney for 3 weeks, you can hardly say you were in Wagga Wagga doing farm work

Mellor

Esse85 wrote: »

Why are bank statements the issue, couldn't you easily say it was volunteer work in return for food and accommodation.

As hussey says its to verify your location, not to check your wages