Legal and training guidance reviewed: 15 October 2026.
VEVO, the Visa Entitlement Verification Online system, helps employers check current visa conditions. It is a useful part of a work-rights process, alongside the correct evidence of citizenship or permanent residence and a record of who reviewed the result.
What is VEVO?
Home Affairs' VEVO guidance explains what the system can show and its limits. It provides current information about visas available in the system; it cannot confirm Australian citizenship. Some people who migrated before 1990 and have not travelled may need an electronic visa record before a searchable result is available.
A result is evidence at the time of the check. Read the work conditions, not just the visa's name.
Who needs which evidence?
Follow Home Affairs' hiring checklist:
- Australian citizens have unlimited work rights and do not need a visa. Use the citizenship evidence in the checklist; an Australian birth certificate alone does not establish citizenship in every case.
- A permanent resident's evidence includes their overseas passport and Australian permanent visa, which can be checked through VEVO.
- Other visa holders need a visa in effect that permits the actual work and hours proposed.
Use a consistent process. A Medicare card, tax file number or driver's licence alone is not enough evidence of a non-citizen's work entitlement.
How to run and record a check
- Obtain the worker's permission to use VEVO, or ask them to share their current VEVO details.
- Follow Home Affairs' VEVO instructions for the relevant document details and access method.
- Read the current result, expiry information and work conditions.
- Compare those conditions with the proposed duties and hours.
- Keep a record of the result, check date, reviewer and any follow-up.
A no-match result needs investigation; it is not itself proof that the person lacks work rights. Recheck the identifying details and the applicable Home Affairs process. Equally, an old grant letter is not a substitute for resolving uncertain current status.
How often should you re-check?
Home Affairs says to check within two days of visa expiry or if you know the person's visa circumstances have changed. For bridging visas without an expiry date in VEVO, it specifies checks every three months.
Your venue can choose extra internal reviews, but do not label a universal monthly or quarterly schedule as a legal safe harbour. Assign responsibility for actual expiry and change triggers, including workers who move between roles or locations.
If a previous visa has expired, check the current status, including any bridging visa and its conditions, before deciding what work is permitted.
What reasonable steps means
Evidence of checks and follow-up can help show what the business did. The applicable legal exception depends on the provision and facts; there is no guaranteed defence merely because a checklist or reminder was completed.
Avoid relying only on verbal assurances, outdated documents or assumptions about citizenship. Make sure the people assigning duties can see any confirmed work restrictions.
Penalties for unlawful work
Home Affairs' current offence table separates infringement notices, civil maximums and criminal penalties, with different rules for individuals and companies. Allowing unlawful work and allowing work in breach of conditions are distinct provisions. Aggravated exploitation offences have separate elements; a previous warning alone does not establish them.
Use that table for current amounts and the relevant provision, rather than an undated per-worker slogan or an automatic total for the whole roster.
How VenueShield helps
VenueShield helps managers organise credential evidence, recorded dates and configured reminders. Review the underlying evidence and the requirements for the venue and duties. A dashboard or reminder does not certify legal eligibility, guarantee a legal defence or establish that every shift is covered. See how VenueShield can help.