Working in Australia Travel Information Pack
Finding a job in Australia
It is vital that you are aware of your job prospects in Australia prior to your departure. Our international team can provide you with personalised feedback on your options, based on your resume, skills and experience, as well as provide you with salary trend information and a greater understanding of your expected salary levels.
The team can also advise you on how to tailor your CV for the Australian market, provide advice on interview techniques and, most importantly, set you up with an interview with one of our relevant consultants prior to your departure.
To view some of the live roles that are currently available, use the search function and select Australia. Or for more specific information, please contact our international team at international@hjb.com.au.
Visas
Before Hamilton James & Bruce’s international team can assist with your career in Australia, it is essential that you acquire a relevant visa.
For further visa and passport enquires and important information on immigration rules, log on to www.immi.gov.au.
Working Holiday Maker Scheme
Australia offers young commonwealth citizens aged between 18 and 30 the opportunity to work and holiday in Australia for up to one year. The Working Holiday Visa allows you to work with one organisation for up to six months.
Skilled Migration
This program is for people who are not sponsored by an employer and who have skills in particular occupations required in Australia. Applicants must be over 18 and under 45 years of age, with good English language ability and recent skilled work experience, unless they recently completed an eligible Australian qualification.
Tax
If you are working in Australia for the first time, you must register for a tax file number (you will pay more tax than necessary without one). This can be done at any main tax office and will take approximately four weeks to process and receive your tax file number. In the meantime, you will be issued with a registration notice. Upon receipt of your tax file number, you should notify your payroll consultant immediately. To locate your local tax office and to find out more about the Australian tax system, visit the Australian Tax Office’s website at www.ato.gov.au.
Filling in a tax return
Australian taxation law requires all wage earners to submit an annual tax return showing all income earned and tax paid in that tax year. The Australian tax year starts on 1st July and ends on 30th June. Before you leave Australia, you should obtain ‘Group Certificates’ from your employers, which you will need in order to complete your final tax return. Tax return forms are available from all Post Offices, or download one from the Australian Tax Office’s website at www.ato.gov.au.
Bank accounts
Whilst you are working in Australia, you will need to have a bank account set up in your name to ensure you receive your weekly earnings. These are relatively easy to open; however you may be requested to provide the following information:
- Proof of identification (e.g. passport, driving licence)
- Proof of address in Australia (e.g. telephone or utility bill)
- Copies of recent bank statements from your bank in your home country
For more information on Australia’s leading banks, please visit their websites:
Healthcare
Medicare is Australia’s health insurance scheme and was introduced to provide affordable treatment for all permanent residents of Australia funded through income tax. The Australian Government has signed reciprocal health care agreements with a number of countries including the UK, Republic of Ireland and New Zealand. This agreement allows temporary visitors from these countries to take advantage of certain benefits of the Medicare scheme. However, if you are travelling to Australia from a country that has no reciprocal medical arrangements with Australia, you are strongly advised to take out full travel insurance to cover the cost of any potential treatment once you are here.
For more information on Medicare, visit www.hic.gov.au/medicare.
Health and Travel Insurance
You should obtain adequate travel insurance before arriving in Australia and ensure that it covers loss of passport, baggage, money and any out of pocket medical expenses.
Hamilton James & Bruce has partnered with HBA to offer our contractors a discount on a range of health plans. To find out more, call HBA on 1800 649 406 or visit your local HBA sales centre.
Accommodation
Finding accommodation when you first come to live in Australia can be a job in itself. It is more cost effective to rent a house or a share a flat than stay in a hotel or hostel once you have settled in an Australian city. The following websites are good for finding share accommodation or an apartment/house rental:
Or there is the other approach to finding accommodation, which is purchasing a copy of Saturday’s local paper such as the Sydney Morning Herald, The Melbourne Age or the Brisbane Courier Mail. All of these newspapers advertise lists of available properties to rent and flats to share. Real estate agencies can also be a source for finding accommodation in a particular area. Like the UK, there is strong demand for properties so you must move quickly and have a deposit and references ready to secure a place.
Typical weekly rates for accommodation for a flat/room may vary from anywhere between A$100 and A$200. A three to four bedroom house will cost anywhere from A$400 and up per week. Real estate agencies will publish lists of available accommodation within most areas; all you need to do is establish where you want to live and how much you want to spend!
Questions you may consider asking a potential landlord to save you unnecessary stress might include:
- Find out exactly how much landlords are charging per month as some advertisements mislead you by giving a weekly rate
- Find out if the property is furnished or whether you will have to provide any or some of your own furniture
More Information
If you require further information or a personalised response please email international@hjb.com.au.
