Data Matching between the DIBP and the ATO

What is the Data Matching Programme?

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and Australian Tax Office (ATO) share information regarding businesses and individuals.

The sharing of information has now been codified in the Gazette Notice of 21 October 2015 which has created a Data Matching Programme and formalised the process of information sharing between the DIBP and the ATO.

Which information will be shared by the DIBP and ATO?

The Gazette Notice of 21 October 2015 provides for Data Matching stipulations.  Specifically, the DIBP will provide the ATO with names, addresses and other details of visa holders, their sponsors and migration agents for the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 financial years.  The data items that will be provided are:

  1. Address history for visa applicants and sponsors;
  2. Contact history for visa applicants and sponsors;
  3. All visa grants;
  4. Visa grant status by point in time;
  5. All migration agents;
  6. Address history for migration agents ;
  7. Contact history for migration agents;
  8. All international travel movements undertaken by visa holders (arrivals and departures);
  9. Sponsor details (subclass 457 visa);
  10. Education providers (educational institution where the student visa holder intends to undertake their study); and
  11. Visa subclass code and descriptor. It is estimated that records relating to approximately 1,000,000 individuals will be provided.

These records will be electronically matched by the ATO to identify non-compliance with registration, lodgement, reporting and payment obligations under taxation laws.

How can you protect your business?

It is crucial that information provided by business sponsors and visa applicants to the DIBP is consistent with information provided to the ATO.  This is a crucial way to protect businesses and ensure that Data Matching does not cause any concerns.

It may be wise to obtain professional advice when preparing and lodging sponsorship, nomination and visa applications with the DIBP.

For Australian immigration assistance and advice, please feel free to contact the author by email at rebecca@hartmanlawyers.com.au or by telephone on +61 3 9021 0986 or +61 (0)423 701 747.

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