Carpentry giant barred from sponsoring foreign workers

The Australian Border Force (ABF) has banned one of the country's largest carpentry companies from sponsoring foreign workers for two and half years amid accusations of wage theft.

A far-reaching A Current Affair investigation can reveal Top Knot Projects has been barred from sponsoring work visas under the Temporary Work Visa Program until July 2024, while the CFMEU told A Current Affair it has managed to claw back more than a million dollars on behalf of Top Knot employees.

Top Knot appeared to offer a fantastic work-life balance to UK carpenters keen to swap the cold, dreary days for blissful blue skies Down Under.

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But more than a hundred foreign Top Knot employees who packed up their homes and families to move to Australia, now face being expelled after the ABF notified them about the shock sanctions it placed on their employer.

"The letter says that your visa may be or will be cancelled so those words just ring out straight away," Top Knot insider George told A Current Affair.

George said he and his family now face an uncertain future while the ordeal has cost him approximately $16,000 in fees he paid toward a visa that never materialised.

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Another employee told A Current Affair that Top Knot forced him to reimburse it $5000 for a visa levy that was the company's responsibility to pay.

Top Knot managing director Eoin Daniels said the company was appealing the ABF decision and denied his workers had been forced to reimburse the company its portion of employee visa fees.

"We are an honourable company, we are an honourable business," Mr Daniels told A Current Affair outside his Top Knot office in Botany, Sydney.

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National CFMEU boss Dave Noonan said the union had managed to claw back $1.2 million in wages, superannuation and entitlements from Top Knot on behalf of the company's New South Wales employees.

A Current Affair understands the CFMEU is preparing another wage claim against Top Knot's Queensland's operation.

"It's unfair on companies that are in competition doing the right thing and it's unfair on young Australians who aren't getting the chance to get apprenticeships,' Mr Noonan said.

Visa immigration lawyer Nigel Dobbie's view of the situation is that it's akin to modern-day slavery.