Recently, you might have read of Operation Fortitude, the new Australian Border Force’s (ABF) plan to patrol the Melbourne CBD with Victoria Police and other agencies. A press release issued beforehand stated an intention to check the immigration status of “any individual we cross paths with”.
Due to significant public backlash, the operation was aborted, with ABF commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg stating that the press release had been “clumsily worded” and “misconstrued”. Be that as it may, the message underlying the press release was stated unambiguously: “You need to be aware of the conditions of your visa; if you commit visa fraud you should know it’s only a matter of time before you’re caught out”.
With the re-shaping of the Immigration Department to include a “Border Force”, Operation Fortitude may be a harbinger of things to come. This being the case, if you (or someone you know) has any doubts as to your visa status, it is imperative that you seek professional advice. Once caught by the ABF, and likely placed into detention – a situation that is unfortunately on the rise – normalising one’s visa status becomes much harder.
For assistance with issues relevant to those highlighted above, and other any immigration related matters, do not hesitate to contact us via phone or email, or submit a booking enquiry online at https://erskinerodan.com.au.
Telephone: (03) 9329 8744
Email: info@eskinerodan.com.au
