Fraudulent second year working holiday visa applications were at the forefront of Australian TV program Border Security on Sunday with the show airing an Irish backpacker’s failed attempt at re-entering the country on a fudged second visa. 
The program, which documents the day-to-day proceedings of Australian airports’ customs and immigration departments, showed the backpacker being interrogated by an immigration official after trying to re-enter the country.
After examining the traveller’s application for the second year visa and contacting the farmer who the backpacker claimed to have worked for, the backpacker admitted to paying $1,000 for the farmer’s ABN and subsequently had his visa cancelled and was sent home.
An immigration duty manager featured on the program said: “Our investigation branch is very interested in anybody who is selling these ABN numbers or who is involved in this kind of fraud to assist people in getting the second working holiday maker visa . I’m aware that there have been a number of advertisements on the internet offering this kind of service and there has been a big crackdown by the department having those advertisements removed or further investigated.”
To watch the episode, click here.
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