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Australian Religious Worker visas - does Scientology use them?

OTBT

Patron Meritorious
Australian government document for your perusal:

http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/pdf/chapter_11.pdf

Some interesting stuff in here, such as the very last item in this doc:

11.53
Religious workers like other temporary
residents are not eligible for Medicare or
any other social security benefits and should
therefore take out private health insurance.
Their sponsors are required sign an
undertaking to be responsible for all
financial obligation to the Commonwealth
arising during the applicant’s stay in
Australia. In addition, the sponsors must
sign an undertaking that they will meet all
travel expenses incurred by the visa holder
in returning to their home country and not
seek to recover these from the visa holder.
Greater efforts could be made to ensure
that such recovery action does not occur
by making the religious worker aware of
the sponsoring organisation’s written
undertaking in this regard.

Hmmm, that doesn't sound anything at all like the standard Billion-year Sea Org contract.


More details from Aussie gov't regarding their Religious Worker visa program:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/specialist-entry/428/


Before I start digging around more, can anyone confirm or deny, or provide any info, if scientology uses the Religious Worker Visa program in Australia, for importing non-Aussie Sea Org into Australian Orgs?

I don't want to be wasting my time researching this, if it is not applicable.
 

cantsay

Patron Meritorious
I have heard of this, I know there were several OOT staff from Class V orgs that I met in Sydney that were on these visas - from the Philippines, Japan, and other asian countries.
 

Carmel

Crusader
Yes they do, or at least I know for a fact that they did.

A couple of years ago, I was speaking to young man about a problem he had. His parents were Sea Org, and came out here on religious visas years ago, when this young man was a very young boy. He grew up here in Sydney, and had little or no recall of life in the country he was from. Now at age 25, the Aussie immigration dept were going to deport him (and send him back to the country he left when he was very young), because he and his parents were here on religious visas the whole time (a couple of decades). Now that he was out of the Sea Org, and was wanting to work, he was going to be sent back to his "home" country. He ended up getting a working visa here, but the last I heard, the matter is still not fully resolved.
 

OTBT

Patron Meritorious
Cantsay and Carmel, thanks for the confirmations. I'll do some more digging around then.
 

OTBT

Patron Meritorious
Since ANZO seems to be having difficulties, I thought it would helpful to add to their legal headaches... Right now, this is a fishing expedition, pulling the line, trying to snag a General Sherman Tank in Scientology Australia's legal department. Any advice and input is appreciated.


Info from Aussie gov't Immigration regarding the Sponsoring Religious Organization (obviously, Church of Scientology in this instance):

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/specialist-entry/428/eligibility-organisation.htm

Sponsors must meet the following eligibility requirements.

Who can be a sponsor

The sponsor must be a recognised religious organisation in Australia.

Sponsors must be able to fully support you and any accompanying family members. The sponsor must have a good financial and professional status in Australia.
Sponsorship requirements

To be eligible for approval as an temporary resident sponsor the organisation or person must:

* be a lawfully established and actively operating organisation in Australia
* make, and have the capacity to comply with, sponsorship undertakings
* have a satisfactory record of compliance with the immigration laws of Australia.

Supporting documentation

The sponsor should provide:

* evidence that they are a recognised religious organisation
* financial evidence of capacity to meet sponsorship obligations, such as financial information from the sponsor's accountant, bank or auditor
* evidence of sponsor's professional standing in Australia
* a statement that you will be undertaking full time work in Australia that directly serves the religious objectives of the religious organisation
* the exact duties of the position and the number of hours per week for each duty performed
* copy of your curriculum vitae
* copy of your qualifications or religious training relevant to position
* a written undertaking that confirms they will meet all travel expenses to a place in a foreign country on whichever is the earlier:
o the expiry of the sponsorship
o the expiry of the visa, and
o confirmation they will not seek to recover from you any expenditure by the religious organisation in relation to your travel to or from Australia, or in relation to financial support of you in Australia.

Please forgive my woeful ignorance on Aussie version of Sea Org and OOTs. A few questions:

Is Scientology officially considered a religion in Australia, i.e. a "recognized religious organisation?
Are there a maximum numbers of hours per week that employees (or "volunteers") are allowed to work per week?

If I recall correctly, when I visited factories in Sydney a few years ago, I was told that labor law only allowed employees to work a maximum of 35 hours per week; is this correct?
Would Sea Org work week of 90 - 110 hours per week violate immigration labor laws?

=============================

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/specialist-entry/428/obligations-sponsor.htm

Sponsor Obligations

If you are granted this visa your sponsor must meet the following obligations:

* meet all financial obligations to the Australian government incurred by you and your family arising out of your stay in Australia
* meet all travel expenses for you and your family to a place in a foreign country when your visa expires, or the expiry of the sponsorship, whichever is earlier
* not seek to recover from you and your family any expenditure by the sponsor in relation to your travel to or from Australia
* not seek to recover from you and your family any expenditure by the sponsor in relation to financial support of you in Australia
* ensure you and your family comply with the conditions under which you were allowed to enter Australia
* ensure you comply with all relevant legislation and awards in relation to any employment entered into by you in Australia.

Does the Freeloader's debt break any of these obligations above?

============================

Info for visa holders (not the sponsoring organization)

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/specialist-entry/428/obligations-applicant.htm

Taxation requirements

You must meet Australian taxation obligations if you work or engage in employment in Australia.

If you intend to engage in work or employment in Australia, you will need to read information on the Australian Taxation Office's website.

Do foreign Sea Org staff pay Australian taxes?
If so, can this tax information be found anywhere, or is it confidential?
How does Church of Scientology in Australia escape minimum wage requirements for Sea Org staff?
 

OTBT

Patron Meritorious
They do. But then you're on your own after it expires.

Lemme see, a standard Sea Org contract lasts for a billion years, and the current Teegeack meat body lasts roughly 100 years. So assuming the foreign OT Sea Org staff member is able to evade Aussie immigration law enforcement during this lifetime, that means there only 9.999.899 years left to outsmart primitive Aussie wog immigration dullards for the duration of the contract.

Not to worry mate, we'll buy a few pints for Aussie senators next lifetime (Tommy Davis will be paying).
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
You have an MU, see your MAA for lowers. It's RICE and BEANS. Your agonized eternity dependz on it. 10% IAS discount applicable in approved countries / CLUs

I found it was termed "beans and rice" in the UK, and "rice and beans" in the US. Not joking. I don't know about other countries.

Paul
 

Iknowtoomuch

Gold Meritorious Patron
Lemme see, a standard Sea Org contract lasts for a billion years, and the current Teegeack meat body lasts roughly 100 years. So assuming the foreign OT Sea Org staff member is able to evade Aussie immigration law enforcement during this lifetime, that means there only 9.999.899 years left to outsmart primitive Aussie wog immigration dullards for the duration of the contract.

Not to worry mate, we'll buy a few pints for Aussie senators next lifetime (Tommy Davis will be paying).


That should be easy.:no:



Placing "beans" or "rice" first makes one taste better than the other?
 
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