How to spot fake candidates and documents when hiring

1. Work rights: check VEVO, not the paperwork

For anyone already in Australia on a visa, check their work rights through the Department of Home Affairs' free VEVO service, with the worker's consent, before they start and again before the visa expires. A grant letter, a passport sticker or the worker's own description is not evidence. Employing someone without the right work rights is a serious breach for the employer, whatever the worker told you. See employing visa holders already in Australia for how the check works.

Candidates overseas have no Australian work rights until a visa is granted. A candidate who claims a current Australian visa but cannot give you the details to run a VEVO check is a warning sign.

2. English results: verify with the test provider

Do not rely on a PDF or a photo of a score report. IELTS results can be checked free through the IELTS results and verification service for organisations, using the Test Report Form number; the IELTS partners ask organisations to verify every result and to report any that do not match. PTE Academic scores are checked on Pearson's Score Report Website using the candidate's Score Report Code or a shared report, and Pearson says not to accept paper or PDF copies. Check that the photo, name and date of birth on the verified record match the person you interviewed.

Sources: IELTS: verifying IELTS results (organisations) · British Council: IELTS Verification Service · Pearson: verify PTE scores

3. Registration and licences: search the public register

Doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and the other Ahpra-regulated professions must be registered to practise, and every registration is on Ahpra's public register. Search it by name and registration number and check the registration type, conditions and expiry. A pending application is not registration.

For licensed trades such as electricians and plumbers, the licence is issued by the state or territory regulator, and most regulators publish an online licence check. An overseas trade qualification is not an Australian licence.

Source: Ahpra: registers of practitioners

4. Skills assessments and qualifications: go to the issuer

A skills assessment outcome letter is issued by the assessing authority (TRA, VETASSESS, ACS, Engineers Australia, ANMAC and others). If a letter looks wrong, contact the authority through the contact details on its own website, not the ones on the letter. For qualifications, ask the candidate for consent and contact the university or training provider directly. Watch for qualification dates that overlap full-time work claimed in another country, and for job titles that match the ANZSCO description word for word.

5. Employment history and references

• Find the referee's number yourself. Use the employer's public website or switchboard, not the number on the CV.
• Check the business exists. For Australian employers, ABN Lookup shows whether an ABN is active and the business name; for overseas employers, the company's public registration and website.
• Ask about the work, not the dates. A real supervisor can describe the candidate's daily duties, equipment and team. Generic, scripted answers are a warning sign.
• Compare documents. Payslips, tax records and service letters should agree on dates, title and pay.

Source: Australian Business Register: ABN Lookup

6. Identity: one person from first contact to visa

Hold at least one live video interview with the candidate showing their passport photo page, and keep their name, date of birth and passport details consistent across the CV, test reports, assessment letters and the visa application. Be cautious when someone other than the candidate, such as an "agent" or relative, answers all your questions or asks you to pay them. Under Australian law an employer cannot pass sponsorship or nomination costs to the worker, and no one should be charging the worker for the job itself.

Why it matters to the candidate too

If a visa application relies on a bogus document or false information, the Department can refuse it on public interest grounds, and the applicant can be excluded from further visas for a period. A candidate who submits a false English result or experience letter puts their own future applications at risk as well as your nomination. That is a good reason to check early and to say plainly to every candidate that you verify documents.

What SponsorTalent does and does not check

Candidate profiles on SponsorTalent are self-reported unless a badge says otherwise. A Verified Onshore badge means the candidate's visa document has been checked automatically; it does not verify qualifications, experience, English results or registration. Run the checks above yourself before you offer a job, and use a registered migration agent for the nomination.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if an IELTS result is genuine?

Use the IELTS results and verification service for organisations with the Test Report Form number, and check that the name, photo and date of birth match the candidate. It is free for organisations that accept IELTS.

How do I check a PTE score?

Use Pearson's Score Report Website with the candidate's Score Report Code or a report shared with your organisation. Pearson advises not to accept paper or PDF copies.

How do I check a nurse's or doctor's registration?

Search Ahpra's public register of practitioners by name or registration number, and check the registration type, any conditions and the expiry date.

How do I check a worker's work rights?

Through the Department of Home Affairs' free VEVO service, with the worker's consent, before they start and again before the visa expires.

Does SponsorTalent verify candidates?

Profiles are self-reported unless a badge says otherwise. The Verified Onshore badge means the visa document was checked automatically; qualifications, experience, English and registration are for the employer to check.