Australia Renews Its Immigration And Tax Data Matching Program

Interstaff is an Australian owned and operated migration agency specialising in providing employers with strategic immigration advice to engage global talent for work in Australia. With over 35 years of Australian visa and immigration expertise since being established in 1988, Interstaff’s Registered Migration Agents assist a wide array of businesses – from small to medium sized enterprises to large multinational corporations across diverse industries such as Oil and Gas, Mining, Engineering and Construction, Information Technology, Government Departments, Agriculture, Health and Education. We adopt a customer-centric approach to all our services, enhancing the experience for both employer sponsors and their employees at every stage of the visa journey. Headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, Interstaff’s team of Registered Migration Agents provide Australian immigration services both domestically and globally, combining the advantages of a local presence with global reach.

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Under the program, the ATO will obtain visa-related information from the Department of Home Affairs for approximately 9 million individuals each financial year to closely monitor reporting and regulatory obligations.

Australia Immigration

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has renewed its visa data-matching program with the Department of Home Affairs for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 financial years.

The initiative is designed to strengthen compliance among employers, sponsors, and visa holders while enhancing the integrity of Australia’s migration, tax, and superannuation systems.

Interstaff explores the types of data that will be shared and what to consider.

What visa data will be shared?

By cross-checking tax and employment records, the ATO will have visibility of a person’s immigration status, work rights, sponsorship arrangements, and travel history.

Data shared with the ATO may include:

Visa applicant and sponsor contact details and address history
Migration agent contact and address history and other agent information
Visa grant history and visa status information
Visa subclass details and related visa conditions
International travel movements, including arrivals and departures
Sponsor information for relevant visa categories
Education provider details (for Student Visa holders)

The ATO has confirmed that the program will operate in accordance with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s Data Matching Guidelines and the Privacy Act 1988.

What to consider

Employers and sponsors

While the data matching program is primarily focused on tax and superannuation compliance, the ATO has stated it will also assist in identifying migrant exploitation and fraud risks. As a result, visa and sponsorship-related compliance issues may be identified.

In Australia, all employers of visa holders must comply with employment, tax, and superannuation obligations, regardless of whether they sponsor workers.

This involves ensuring:

Payroll reporting is accurate and up-to-date
Employees are correctly classified as employees or contractors
PAYG withholding obligations are being met
Superannuation contributions are paid correctly and on time

Additionally, sponsors of overseas workers must meet specific ongoing obligations, including:

Ensuring sponsored workers work in accordance with their visa conditions and receive equivalent pay and employment conditions to Australian workers
Maintaining accurate visa and sponsorship records
Complying with immigration laws

Sponsors should review their compliance processes to ensure sponsorship records, payroll data, tax reporting, and visa information remain accurate and consistent across government entities.

Aside from tax and superannuation penalties, non-compliance with sponsorship obligations can lead to suspension or cancellation of sponsorship, fines, or being barred from sponsoring future visa holders.

View our Insights section below on ‘Managing Standard Business Sponsorship Obligations’ for further information.

Visa holders

Visa holders should ensure that:

Tax returns accurately reflect all sources of income
Residency status for tax purposes is correctly reported
ABN (Australian Business Number) registrations are valid and appropriate for the circumstances
Employment arrangements comply with Australian taxation requirements
Superannuation contributions are being paid correctly by employers
Contact details and addresses are kept up to date with both the ATO and Home Affairs

Individuals who operate as contractors or hold an ABN should pay particular attention to whether their business registration remains appropriate and compliant.

Sustainable people strategy: Global talent

Government entities are increasingly using data analytics and cross-agency information sharing to monitor compliance.

For employers, sponsors, and visa holders, this highlights the importance of reviewing tax, payroll, superannuation, and visa-related records to ensure they are accurate, consistent, and compliant.

Early compliance reviews can help minimise risk and avoid potential issues arising from future ATO compliance activities.

As part of the data matching program, migration agent information will also be reviewed. Migration agents assisting your case also need to ensure their records, client engagements, and business reporting are accurate and up-to-date.

Getting advice

Interstaff’s Registered Migration Agents support employers requiring sustainable global talent strategy to strengthen workforce capabilities.

Access our immigration insights to explore:

Migrant workforce and labour market updates
Work rights and visa conditions
Temporary and permanent visa pathways

Immigration insights

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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