Work-related contraventions

Information on employing overseas workers is available at Employing overseas workers.

Work-related contraventions under the Migration Act 1958

It is a criminal offence to employ, refer, coerce or contract a non-citizen who does not have the right to work in Australia.

Employers face penalties for allowing illegal work. This includes workers that recruitment or labour hire companies source. All penalties are for each worker. These work-related contraventions + to ‘persons’. A ‘person’ includes a body politic or body corporate, as well as an individual. An example of an individual would be a sole trader, and a body corporate would be a company.

The current value of one penalty unit is A$364 as of 1 July 2026. This value is used in the table below. Before 1 July 2026, the value for one penalty unit was A$330.

Penalty Provisions and Penalties for Work-related contraventions under the Migration Act 1958

Penalty Provisions	Penalties
Section 245AAA: Coercing or exerting undue influence or undue pressure on a lawful non‑citizen to work in breach of work‑related conditions	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AAB: Coercing or exerting undue influence or undue pressure on an unlawful non‑citizen to work—adverse effect on presence in Australia	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AAC: Coercing or exerting undue influence or undue pressure on a lawful non‑citizen to work—adverse effect on status etc.	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AB: Allowing an unlawful non-citizens to work	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AC: Allowing a lawful non-citizen to work in breach of work condition	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AE: Referring an unlawful non-citizens to work	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AEA: Referring a lawful non-citizen to work in breach of work condition	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AEB: Aggravated offences if person refers another person to a third person for work	Individual 5 years imprisonment or 900 penalty units (A$327,600) or both Body Corporate 5 years imprisonment or 4500 penalty units (A$1,638,000) or both
Section 245AD: Aggravated offences if person allows, or continues to allow another person to work	Individual 5 years imprisonment or 900 penalty units (A$327,600) or both Body Corporate 5 years imprisonment or 4500 penalty units (A$1,638,000) or both
Section 245AYL: Prohibition on allowing additional non-citizens to begin work	Individual 2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both Body Corporate 2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both	Individual 240 penalty units (A$87,360) Body Corporate 1200 penalty units (A$436,800)	Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)
Section 245AYN: Former prohibited employers to give certain information		Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)	Individual 9 penalty units (A$3,276) Body Corporate 45 penalty units (A$16,380)
Section 245AYP: Not complying with a Compliance Notice issued		Individual 48 penalty units (A$17,472) Body Corporate 240 penalty units (A$87,360)	Individual 9 penalty units (A$3,276) Body Corporate 45 penalty units (A$16,380)
Section 487B: Not complying with a s487B Notice issued	Individual 30 penalty units (A$10,920) Body Corporate 60 penalty units (A$21,870)

Penalty Provisions

Penalties

Criminal

Civil

Infringement

Section 245AAA: Coercing or exerting undue influence or undue pressure on a lawful non‑citizen to work in breach of work‑related conditions

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AAB: Coercing or exerting undue influence or undue pressure on an unlawful non‑citizen to work—adverse effect on presence in Australia

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AAC: Coercing or exerting undue influence or undue pressure on a lawful non‑citizen to work—adverse effect on status etc.

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AB: Allowing an unlawful non-citizens to work

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AC: Allowing a lawful non-citizen to work in breach of work condition

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AE: Referring an unlawful non-citizens to work

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AEA: Referring a lawful non-citizen to work in breach of work condition

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AEB: Aggravated offences if person refers another person to a third person for work

Individual
5 years imprisonment or 900 penalty units (A$327,600) or both

Body Corporate
5 years imprisonment or 4500 penalty units (A$1,638,000) or both

Section 245AD: Aggravated offences if person allows, or continues to allow another person to work

Individual
5 years imprisonment or 900 penalty units (A$327,600) or both

Body Corporate
5 years imprisonment or 4500 penalty units (A$1,638,000) or both

Section 245AYL: Prohibition on allowing additional non-citizens to begin work

Individual
2 years imprisonment or 360 penalty units (A$131,040) or both

Body Corporate
2 years imprisonment or 1800 penalty units (A$655,200) or both

Individual
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Body Corporate
1200 penalty units (A$436,800)

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Section 245AYN: Former prohibited employers to give certain information

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Individual
9 penalty units (A$3,276)

Body Corporate
45 penalty units (A$16,380)

Section 245AYP: Not complying with a Compliance Notice issued

Individual
48 penalty units (A$17,472)

Body Corporate
240 penalty units (A$87,360)

Individual
9 penalty units (A$3,276)

Body Corporate
45 penalty units (A$16,380)

Section 487B: Not complying with a s487B Notice issued

Individual
30 penalty units (A$10,920)

Body Corporate
60 penalty units (A$21,870)

Paying an employer or sponsor infringement notice

You can use BPAY to pay an infringement notice. For more information, see Paying an employer or sponsor infringement notice.

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