Working Holiday In Australia

A visit to Australia is a unique experience and often can’t be fulfilled within the three-month holiday visa. If you’ve come here and fallen in love with the laidback culture, sunny climate and inspiring landscape, why not apply for a working holiday in Australia and extend your stay for a further 12 months? There are several things to consider, so let us take you through what you need to know to get you started.

Working Holiday Visa

Australia is one of the top places in the world to work abroad, and the only way to do this is to apply for a working holiday visa. To do this, you have to be out of the country when you apply and if/when the visa is granted. For many, this is the perfect time to take a trip to Thailand, Singapore or Vietnam, to wait out the application process, or you can of course head back home to say goodbye to everyone properly. To ensure your application is accepted, you should make sure you’re eligible. Things you need to check include:

• You must be from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, or other eligible countries
• You must not have visited Australia previously on a working holiday visa subclass 417
• You must be between 18-30 years of age when applying for your visa
• You must have sufficient funds in your account to prove that you can find work, travel and accommodation e.g. $5000 AUD
• You must meet the health check criteria
• You must fit the character profile

To check in more detail of your eligibility, head to: www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/eligibility-first.htm

If you meet the criteria and are granted a visa, you will have permission to work and travel Australia for 12 months. You can almost work anywhere you want and will certainly build up your CV within the time allowed, with great opportunities in urban and rural areas. However, there are restrictions, including you cannot work for one company for longer than six months, and you will need to have the correct certification to work in a bar or gambling premises.

Tax File Number

After you arrive in Australia on your working holiday visa, one of the first things you need to do is apply for a tax file number, or TFN, from the Australian Tax Office. This is a unique nine-digit number, basically the Australian version of your National Insurance Number back home, and will be given to any employer you have so that they can pay tax on your behalf. If you don’t have the tax file number 30 days after beginning work, your employer is legally obliged to tax you at an emergency-tax rate of 50%. Other people and organisations that may ask to see your TFN during your time in Australia include the Australian Tax Office regarding your records, your superannuation fund, tax agents when you request your tax back, and your bank.

The easiest way to apply for your TFN is online at www.ato.gov.au, where you’ll have to fill in a form and supply details such as your passport number and date of birth. You’ll need to provide a residential address, where your TFN can be sent, but, if you’re not too sure about which hostel you’ll be staying in or are planning to move around a bit, you can always have it sent c/o to your local post office.

Once you’ve applied for the number, you’ll need to print off a receipt and reference number (just in case there are any problems with its arrival). You’re advised to allow 28 days for it to arrive, but it’s usually with you within two weeks.

Banking

Even if you’ve secured a new job (congratulations!), you won’t be able to receive your wages if you don’t have an Australian bank account. It’s no good waving an English bankcard at your employer – if you want to get paid over here, it’s essential! Don’t panic – it’s extremely easy to set up – you’ll just need to visit a branch and supply all the usual details along with your passport and relevant documentation, and hey presto, you’ve got another moneybag to control. The main banks in Oz are Commonwealth, National, ANZ, St George and Westpac, and you’ll need to shop around in order to get the best deal. To find a bank account that best suits your needs, the Australia Bankers Association provides helpful information. Visit www.bankers.asn.au to start looking.

Things you need to watch out for are transaction fees (some banks limit the number of free withdrawals you can have per month) and monthly account-keeping fees, which are the Aussies’ way of charging you for looking after your money. Also note you’ll probably be charged for making withdrawals from other banks’ ATMs (‘foreign’ ATMs) and that over-the-counter withdrawals will cost you. Don’t worry if you lose your pin number – unlike back home where you have to wait a zillion working days before you can get a new one, out here you can simply reset the number in your nearest branch.

Medicare

The final application you’ll need to make is for a Medicare Card. This is to cover you under the Australian equivalent of the NHS, for the duration of your approved visit to the country. The Australian Government has what’s known as a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with the UK, which entitles British travellers to limited subsidised health services for immediately necessary treatment. “Immediately necessary” treatment translates as any ill health or injury that occurs while you’re here in Australia and requires treatment before you return home.

As a Medicare Card holder, you will be entitled to receive free treatment as a public in-patient or outpatient in a public hospital, at a private doctor’s practice, and also for subsidised medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Medicare does not cover several things including dental treatment, hearing aids, glasses/lenses and ambulance services, so you’ll need private heath insurance to cover these services.

To enrol for Medicare, you can either fill out the Medicare Enrolment Application form online at www.medicareaustralia.gov.au, or head to your nearest Medicare Centre or DHS Service Centre, for which you will need your passport to prove eligibility. Don’t panic if you need medical treatment before you receive or have even applied for your card – you’ll have to pay for your treatment initially, but if you keep the receipt, it’s easy enough to claim the money back when your card does come through. If you’re worried about costs, make sure you check that the practice you’re visiting does bulk billing – otherwise you’ll have to pay for your consultation on the spot and then claim the money back later.