The '457 visa scheme' is the Orwellian-sounding term given to Australia's programme for temporary guest workers. Last year nearly 40,000 of them - including just over 2,000 from mainland China - came to Australia to help alleviate the country's chronic skills shortage.
Life has been surprisingly tough for some of these mainlanders. Just ask 38 of them employed in Sydney by a company called Hunan Industrial Equipment, which makes factory parts for a tissue manufacturer in Australia.
It turns out that the firm has been underpaying the workers by between A$15,000 (HK$90,290) and A$30,000. Last week it was ordered to make up the shortfall by paying them a total of A$650,000, by the Office of Workplace Services, the Australian government's workplace regulator.
That was not an isolated case. Melbourne printing firm Aprint was charged with underpaying four Chinese workers hired under the 457 visa scheme. Aprint owed them A$94,000 for unpaid overtime and weekend work.
The agents in China who find potential workers for Australian companies are also exploiting the 457 visa system.
Take the case of Fu Zhihong, a printer, who was brought to Australia on a 457 visa last year. Parliament was told last week that Mr Fu had to pay his agent, the Shanghai Overseas Employment Service, the exorbitant sum of A$21,000 - and buy his own plane ticket - so he could take up employment in Australia.