VEVO checks (right to work check) in Australia

A VEVO check or Visa Entitlement Verification Online is the service for Australian employers, organisations, and other institutions to verify and validate visa conditions and work right details for workers in Australia. A VEVO check is commonly referred to as a "right to work check" in Australia.

If you are not an Australian citizen or a permanent resident and choose to work or volunteer in Australia, you will generally need to undertake a VEVO check. A VEVO check helps employers confirm that your visa status permits you valid working rights.

Before an organisation/institution offers employment to an individual, such establishment must confirm through legitimate checks whether such individual is legally allowed to work in Australia. There is no better and accurate method to do this than to request the individual's VEVO Check

While a police check shows the criminal history of the individual and helps you make the right employment decisions, it does not reveal a person's right to work in Australia. Though police checks are important before employing an individual, every employer must generally also request or carry out a VEVO Check result from the applicant.

How to get a VEVO Check?

Australian National Character Check provides VEVO checks along with a nationally coordinated criminal history check. If you start a nationally coordinated criminal history check application, you can also add a VEVO check (right to work check) as an optional add on. Please access the online application form to commence the process.

VEVO check (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) is an official check of Australia which shows if a worker or employee has legal rights to work in Australia. Simultaneously, it is a Check that protects employers, organisations and industries from employing people who it is illegal for them to work in Australia.

Regulations in Australia forbid any organisations/institutions in Australia from discriminating during employment. However, the employer must ensure that they have fulfilled all legal requirements before engaging in employment, and one of such is obtaining a VEVO Check

A VEVO check supplies useful information that would affect employment and duration. These include;

• Nature and expiry date of the applicant's Visa
• The "must not arrive after the" date of the Visa holder.
• Legal conditions of the Visa and the period of stay
• Limitations to a Visa
• Hours the applicant is allowed to work depending on the visa type

A VEVO check of all employees in your organisation, including potential workers, can save your brand from litigation and stiff penalties from the authorities. Also, employing an illegal immigrant poses a risk to the safety and image of your organisation.

Any company found to have hired employees working illegally, will be subjected to fines of around $315,000, including other penalties.

Furthermore, persons found working illegally in Australia will also receive fines of around $63,000, or imprisonment, or both.

Fines of defaulting parties (organisation or person) are handled by the Department of Home Affairs in Australia.

A VEVO check is an important requirement for all employees and potential employees.

However, Australian/New Zealand citizens have unlimited rights to work in Australia and don't need a VEVO check. A copy of the Australian citizenship certificate or an Australian passport that verifies their citizenship will do.

Nonetheless, all non-Australian citizens have to undertake a right to work, or a VEVO Check before employment.

As long as you choose to work in Australia, it does not depend on the sector where you work, you must undertake a VEVO check. Some of these include and are not limited to;

• Lawyers and solicitors
• Medical practitioners
• Public Vehicle Drivers
• Accountants
• Engineers
• Artisans
• Technicians
• Therapists
• Child care services
• Chefs and waitresses

If you want to request for your VEVO, you will need to provide some information like;

• √ Your date of birth
• √ Your passport/ImmiCard number
• √ Your passport's country of issue

• Visa grant number: you will find it on the notification advising you about the success of your visa application
• Transaction Reference Number (TRN): if you have applied for your visa online, or applied your ImmiAccount where you were a primary applicant
• Visa Evidence Number: Where you have obtained the hard copy of your visa, rather than an electronic one.
• VEVO Password: You will have a VEVO password if you have contacted VEVO since arriving in Australia.

A person who holds a visa that is not "in-effect" will be unable to get details on their VEVO. A Bridging visa where the substantive visa has not expired will not produce any information on the VEVO. Also, an expired visa will not produce any VEVO details. Try to renew your visa before expiry or get a BV (Bridging Visa).

Australia National Character Check (ANCC) offers a VEVO check service for individuals and businesses.

Organisations and employers can obtain VEVO checks for their employees in a seamless manner through our business portal.

Most people who migrated to Australia before 1990, and have not travelled out of Australia within that period, usually don't have a record with VEVO. In such cases, you have to apply for your record to be created, and then use your VEVO to validate your Permanent visa status.

There are many perks you enjoy when you apply for a VEVO check. You can apply for a VEVO check at any time, and not until it becomes urgent. Some of the benefits are;

• √ You no longer need a visa label on your passports.
• √ You can check your visa details anytime you have internet access.
• √ It becomes easier to check the progress of a visa or citizenship application online.
• √ Reduce your hiring time and process by providing employers with your VEVO check results.

It has become imperative for any organisation and institution to make more than the required background checks before employing an individual. At Australian National Character Check, we help companies, businesses and individuals get reliable employment background checks including right to work checks (VEVO) and National Criminal History Check certificate.

To comply with all Australian Laws about immigration and employment, you will need

• A nationally coordinated criminal history check (can be obtained online from Australian National Character Check). Background checks are mandatory in sectors like aged care.
• A right to work check or VEVO Check for non Australian citizens.