Working in Australia
What do I need to work there?
An Australian Working Holiday Visa allows you to stay in Australia for 12-months from the date you first enter the country and to be able to work in Australia for up to 6-months with each employer. You have to be aged between 18 and 30-years (inclusive) at the time of applying and be without dependent children. You have to begin your trip to Australia within 12-months of the visa issue date.
It is also possible to get a one-year extension to a Working Holiday Visa subject to completing 3-months of seasonal work or volunteering in regional Australia, which excludes Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Central Coast of New South Wales.
How do I apply for a visa?
The Visa costs AUD$190 and you can apply online via the Department of Immigration and Citizenship of the Australian Government, www.immi.gov.au . The amount will be directly charged to your credit card and is not refundable.
It is important to be aware that you must have access to sufficient funds to support yourself for the initial stages of your holiday. Generally, AUD$5,000 may be regarded as sufficient, but the amount may vary depending on your intended length of stay and extent of travel. You should also have a return or onward ticket or the funds for a fare to depart Australia. You may be required to produce evidence in the form of a certified copy of a bank statement and an air ticket out of Australia in order to satisfy the authorities that you have sufficient financial support in the unlikely event of an emergency and the need to leave the country at short notice.
Who is eligible to apply for a working holiday visa?
The Australian working holiday visa is available to citizens of the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Malta, Japan, the Republic of Ireland, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Republic of Cyprus. It is also now possible for tertiary-educated passport holders from Thailand, Chile and Turkey to apply for a special 'Work and Holiday Visa' (different from the Working Holiday Visa).
A relatively new work and holiday style visa agreement between Australia and the United States of America also came into effect towards the end of 2007.
At the present time JOB Australia in conjunction with Frankfurt-based Sprachcaffe offers a Darwin-based Starter Package to young people from Continental Europe and job seeker registration, resume' creation and log-in access to the jobs database for citizens of the other countries with a reciprocal working holiday visa agreement with Australia. See Full Access to Jobs Network.
There are other types of working permit visas in Australia, including the business (Long Stay) - Standard Business Sponsorship. This is the most commonly used program for employers to sponsor overseas workers to work in Australia on a temporary basis between 3-months and up to 4-years. Some Student Visas also have working rights in Australia.
JOB Australia are not registered Immigration Agents and as such supplies information on Immigration and the Working Holiday Visa, as it appears, for information purposes only.
Australian Tax File Number
Australian tax file number (TFN) is not compulsory, but it is something that is highly recommended.
You can only apply for a TFN at the Australian Tax Office and only if you do hold a valid Australian visa. This can now be done online after arrival in Australia. Approval of the application can take up to four weeks. You can, of course start working legally before the application is approved.
Income tax, which employers are required to deduct from your pay, will reduce from almost 50% of your income to around 30% with a TFN, most, if not all of which you might be entitled to get back as part of an income tax refund when you leave the country.
You may also be entitled to get a superannuation refund if you were a non-resident in Australia. Many working holiday makers are unaware that their employer has paid up to 9%, on top of their wages, into a fund that they can reclaim upon leaving Australia.
Australian Bank Account
Having a local bank account opened before arrival in Australia has many advantages including the fact that your employer is able to directly pay your salary into your account, and you are able to access your money from almost everywhere.The benefit is that you can directly access your money without having to pay extra fees for access to your normal accounts whilst overseas.
Job Australia opens personal bank accounts at an established, highly reputable banking institution with an extensive national branch network in Australia as part of the Starter Package. These accounts, with a 3-month maintenance fee free period, enable job seeking clients to transfer money into the account before arrival in Australia. The account can be fully activated at a specified branch of the bank and only requires a passport for identification purposes. You are then able to withdraw money and obtain an ATM access card.
Some employers require you to have an international driving license, not only at work, but for getting to and from the workplace, not to mention private travel. It is compulsory for you to carry an international passport in Australia.