Over half, or 65% of temporary visa holders in Australia have experienced wage theft and one in four have experienced other forms of labour exploitation, according to a report from The Migrant Workers Centre.

The report was based on a survey of more than 700 temporary visa holders.

According to the report, 98% of survey participants came to Australia through one of the temporary migration programs. The survey showed that 13.5% managed to acquire permanent residency after arrival and it took them 5.1 years on average.  

One key finding from the report showed that temporary migrant workers reported ‘extremely high’ levels of stress, with the highest being amongst those on employer sponsored visas.

There was also a link between workplace exploitation and temporary visa status whereby 91% of workers who experienced wage theft arrived on a visa with no pathway to permanent residency

The Centre says that loopholes in visa programs such as employer sponsored visas leave workers vulnerable to exploitative bosses and visa scams, and often tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Matt Kunkel, CEO, Migrant Workers Centre, said, “Temporary is a misnomer, we’re talking about workers who’ve given up years, sometimes over a decade, of their lives in Australia with the hope of settling down and securing a life with their communities and family.”

“We need an overhaul of the visa system so workers’ lives don’t rest solely in the hands of a single employer, and all long-term migrants have an opportunity for permanent residency,” Kunkel added. “Workers on temporary visas experience workplace exploitation because the system creates barriers to reporting industrial wrongdoing. Visas expire before lengthy court processes can be completed, or the loss of employment can lead to the disruption of many years of settlement.”