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A working holiday in Australia could likely be one of the best things you’ll ever do. With so many opportunities to live, work and travel as a working holiday maker across an expansive range of locations and industries, the possibilities are endless. It isn’t quite as easy as boarding a plane, finding work, and staying forever; you will need a few things to gain working rights in Australia. But don’t worry; as always, Sven is here to help.
We’ve put together this quick guide on working in Australia as a non-citizen and what you need to do to gain legal employment on your working holiday.
The first thing you will need to secure is a visa from the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs. Many different working visa options are available, so we recommend researching and deciding which Visa is best suited for your circumstances.
The Australian Government currently offers the following working visa types:
If you want to travel and work in Australia as an extended holiday, you should consider either the subclass 417 or the subclass 462 visa. The rest of the Visas offered are best suited to immigrants, skilled workers, or students - so for the most part, working holiday makers will not need to apply for any visa other than a 417 or 462.
Look at this questionnaire to help get a better idea of what other visa options are suitable for you, or check out this website to view all available working and skilled Australian visas!
All work completed in Australia must be recognised by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for tax and superannuation purposes. Thus, the next most important thing for working holiday makers to acquire after securing their Visa is a Tax File Number (TFN).
All work completed in Australia must be recognised by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for tax and superannuation purposes. Thus, the next most important thing for working holiday makers to acquire after securing their Visa is a Tax File Number (TFN).
A TFN allows working holiday makers to be appropriately paid by their employers and at the correct rate of taxation. It also provides for official tax records to be kept for superannuation and immigration purposes. You can apply online for a TFN here once you have arrived in Australia. However, we highly recommend that you secure your TFN before you commence work, as, without a TFN, you will be charged tax at the highest rate – 45 per cent!
For more information, check out our “How to apply for a TFN” here.
In Australia, a legal requirement is that any staff member of a venue or store that sells alcohol (restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, bottle shops) holds a valid Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate.
RSAs can be acquired online or in-person and usually cost between AUD 50 and 185. During the RSA training, you learn how to serve alcohol responsibly as well as how to identify customers who are drunk and underage drinkers. In addition, you will be taught how to measure standard drinks and legally sell/serve alcohol, all while gathering an understanding of the laws and regulations regarding alcohol in Australia.
Given the abundance of employment opportunities in hospitality businesses and the likelihood of working holiday makers working in some form of hospitality whilst in Australia, it is highly recommended that you get an RSA certificate.
Click here to view our full RSA article, which talks you through obtaining your RSA for each state of Australia.
If you want to work in the construction industry in Australia, we recommend getting a White Card.
White Cards are used as proof of attending a basic safety course on the construction industry, which equips people with basic knowledge of work-site safety. White Cards are similar to RSA certificates in that you are not permitted to work on a building site without one, they are easy to acquire. They cost no more than 300 AUD. Unlike RSA certificates, White Cards are accepted across all states. You can undertake the White Card training course online in all states. However, we recommend using this link to secure your White Card, as it offers online White Card training courses for every state.
In Australia, we have a program known as superannuation (super) which acts as a means of forced savings for when you retire.
By law, under the superannuation guarantee, employers must pay an additional 10.5% of wages to their employees, which are then automatically sent to a superannuation provider of the employee’s choice.
For Australian residents, the super provider holds on to your money until you are at least 65 years of age before you can access it. Luckily, temporary visa holders can access their super balance as soon as their Visa expires.
Employers can organise a super provider for you once you provide them with your TFN and personal details. However, if you want to choose your own provider, that is completely fine. All you need is a TFN, your personal information and the details of your super provider. It is often much easier to have your employer create a super account for you, so if you want to choose your own provider, research extensively.
If you work for more than one employer, be sure to use the additional employers pay super into the original super account that you or your first employer created rather than starting separate super accounts. Having more than one super account makes withdrawing your super when you leave Australia difficult.
To claim your super, you must meet the following requirements:
If you meet all of these requirements, which most working holiday makers do, you can withdraw your super from your super balance. However, we recommend that you request your super money within the first six months of your Visa termination and your departure from Australia, as in some instances, you may lose access to your super for many years.
If you're looking for a flexible way to pick up casual work and avoid some of the challenges and annoyances that come with it, consider downloading the Sven Jobs app. Our nifty app allows you to pick up one-off shifts that fit around your schedule, in industries and locations that are specific to you - giving you more control over your work life.
Start making money on your own terms! Download the app (NSW + VIC) for FREE on the Apple Store and Google Play, or jump on the waiting list (all other states + territories) at svenjobs.com.au.
