Working in Australia

Visas Banks Money Transport Healthcare Places of Interest
To assist you with information on working in Australia, we have outlined the following:

Visas
There are several different types of visas and the one you should apply for will vary according to your country of origin, age and your skills. It is best to contact the embassy of the country you are wishing to work in order to get the full details. Below is a brief summary of some of the visa types available in Australia.

Working Holiday Visa
Residents of the UK, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Canada, Japan, The Republic of Korea and Malta are eligible for a Working Holiday Visa for Australia. To obtain that visa you will need to be aged between 18 and 30, and not have children. The visa allows you to travel and work in Australia for 12 months, but only work for 3 months maximum with each employer. To stay in the country longer requires your employer to sponsor you or for you to seek permanent residency through the points system or spouse system.

Employer Sponsored Visa
For professionals, it is possible that your employer can arrange a visa for you to work in another country where they have an office. It is best to approach your company to discuss this possibility and their guidelines with regard to overseas secondments.

Temporary Residence Visa
It is also possible for professionals with specific qualifications and experience to be sponsored by an Australian firm or company for up to 4 years.

More detailed information on visas for Australia can be found at the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs website (DIMA).

Setting up a bank account
It is relatively easy to set up a bank account in Australia. However, you will need to provide several forms of ID such as your passport, a utilities bill with your local address on it, another credit card, bank card or a driver’s licence. Travellers cheques are readily accepted and it is easy to access your money through ATMs (cash points) located in all areas.
Most employers will pay by Electronic Fund Transfer in to your account, so it is essential that you set one up before you start working.

Money and Costs
Australia is a very affordable country, especially if you are bringing Euro, British pounds or US dollars to set up, as there is a very favourable exchange rate at the moment. Most tourists tend to head for the major cities of Sydney or Melbourne, with Perth being a close third. Generally speaking, the cost of living is around 10% cheaper in Perth.

Accommodation
Most major cities in Australia especially Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane have an abundance of accommodation which ranges from the very cheap hostel accommodation to rental accommodation. In Sydney, the main places to find good value hostels are around Kings Cross, Bondi, Coogee, Manly and the inner city area. There are always numerous travellers wishing to share or procure six-month leases, although you must be prepared with a bond (usually 4 weeks rent unfurnished or 6 weeks furnished) and the first week’s rent in advance before you can sign a lease.

If you are looking for share accommodation or listings for Sydney, try the Sydney Morning Herald and for Melbourne, The Age newspaper. Saturdays and Wednesdays are best for listings. Also, search through shop, Internet café and hostel notice boards.

For temporary accommodation in all capital cities, you would expect to pay per night:

Top-end: $100 and upwards
Mid-range: $40-$99
Budget: $20-$30

Residential accommodation in Sydney is the most expensive in Australia, especially the City, Northern and Eastern suburbs. Flat sharing in Sydney costs approximately $80 - $120 per week and in Melbourne $70 - $100 per week. Visit the City Search website for more information at City Search.

Food
Due to our heritage of both European and Asian food, Australia has an enviable and eclectic mix of restaurants, cafes and the traditional take-away. Many restaurants are BYO (bring your own wine or beer) and a quaffable wine can be purchased at bottle shops for around $10 per bottle.
For a restaurant meal without drinks in most capital cities, you would expect to pay per person the following:

Top-end: $30 and upwards
Mid-range: $15-$29
Budget: $7-$14

For good, inexpensive cafes and restaurants visit Cheap Eats for Sydney and City Search for Melbourne.

The main supermarkets are Coles and Woolworths, although many areas have fresh fruit stores, delicatessens, bakeries and butchers where bargains can be found.

Tipping is expected in Australia, particularly in cafes and restaurants in the bigger cities – 10 to 15% is the usual. However you won’t be looked down upon if you don’t tip. Taxi drivers are always grateful if you leave the change, which will generally be rounded up i.e. your fare is 14.50, so you leave $15.

Public Transport

SYDNEY
Buses/Trains: approx. $2.50 for a one-way trip from an inner city suburb
Ferries: approx. $4.00 for inner harbour, city area

For further details, please visit Transport Info line.

Getting to and from the Airport
Taxis – A taxi from the airport into the city will cost you around $25.
Taxis Combined

Buses – The Airport Express bus goes to either King’s Cross or the City. They run every 10 – 20 minutes and costs $7 one way and $12 return. The Kingsford Smith Airporter will collect you from the airport and drop you off at your hotel and vice versa and it costs $8 one way or $13 return. Both buses will pick up outside of the terminals in the coach designated areas, which are posted with signs.

Sydney Buses

Train – the fare to and from Central / Town Hall Station to the airport is approx $10.

City Rail
For further details regarding airport transportation, please visit the Sydney Airport Website.

MELBOURNE
Buses/Trains/Trams: approx. $4.00 for a one-way trip from an inner city suburb

Getting to and from the Airport
Taxi – As Melbourne is quite a bit further in to the city than Sydney, the fare will be around $40.
Yellow Cabs
Silver Top

Buses – Express buses to the city centre run approx every 20 – 30 minutes with Skybus Public buses also operate from the airport to various areas in Melbourne.

Train – No train is yet linked from the airport to Melbourne city centre.

For further details regarding airport transportation, please visit the Melbourne Airport Website.

Tax
In Australia, it is essential to register for a tax file number (TFN) before you start work. This can be done through any major tax office and will take around 2-4 weeks. As soon as you have registered, you will be issued with a temporary registration notice that allows you to work and enables you to be taxed according to your visa status. Once you have received your TFN, you should inform your employer immediately and complete the employee declaration. If you don’t quote your TFN, your employer will charge you at the maximum tax rate! The Australian Tax Office (ATO) addresses for Sydney and Melbourne are:

Sydney
Australian Taxation Office
Podium Level, Centrepoint Tower
100 Market Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Melbourne
Australian Taxation Office
Casselden Place
2 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

For all Australian tax offices, the telephone number is 132861 and answered from 8.00am to 6.00pm on Mondays to Fridays. The office hours are from 8.30am to 4.45pm on Mondays to Fridays.

GST
A Goods & Services Tax (GST) of 10% was introduced on 1st July 2000, which is included or added onto any purchase.

Superannuation
In Australia, it is compulsory that your employer makes superannuation payments on your behalf. These are paid at a minimum of 8% of your gross salary. Unfortunately, you cannot claim back these payments and they stay in the superannuation fund in Australia until retirement age.

For more information, please visit the Australian Tax Office Website.

Healthcare
Australia has a free medical service called Medicare for citizens of certain countries with reciprocal programs, which include: United Kingdom, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, Malta and Italy. To register with Medicare, take your passport and healthcare card or certificate from your own country to any Medicare outlet, which are based in the city and most suburban areas. For citizens from the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand, you are entitled to free treatment as in-patient or out-patient at public hospitals only and subsidised medicines and will be required to present your passport. For more information call Medicare on 132011 or visit the Medicare Website.

You can apply for private health cover in Australia. Medibank Private is a popular option.

Places of Interest
Both Sydney and Melbourne have many sights and places of interest to visit. In Sydney, you can climb the Harbour Bridge, take a tour through the Opera House, head out to view the Olympic Stadium, visit the many beaches or head 2 hours west of Sydney to the Blue Mountains for bushwalking and spectacular scenery. In Melbourne, you can shop at the variety of stores, join in the festive spirit with the numerous sporting events through out the year, enjoy all the different restaurants and cafes or the wine country is only a few hours from Melbourne and the ski fields a similar distance.

Outside these cities, it is recommended you visit Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory, Brisbane and the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Uluru (Ayres Rock) and Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, Adelaide and Barossa Valley in South Australia, Cradle Mountain and Wineglass Bay in Tasmania, and Margaret River and Perth in Western Australia. Visit Australia's Tourist Commission for further details.


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