Working in Australia

Working in Australia

As mentioned before, finding a job in Australia as an international student is not easy. Also, it is usually few months before students are able to settle down properly in Australia. Therefore, it is recommended that international students don’t rely on finding a job in Australia as their main source of funding their stay.

Any money that you may earn in Australia should be regarded as a bonus rather than a necessity. Students should also be aware that their visas carry some conditions in relation to their ability to work in Australia.

Every international student is only allowed to work up to 20 hours in a week. This limit includes unpaid work or the work performed on a voluntary basis too. These conditions also don’t allow you to commence work before your course starts. However, you are allowed to work unlimited hours during holiday periods when your course is not in session.


Types of jobs

The jobs that are commonly available to international students are in retail and hospitality industries. Many international students also find job in administration.

The money you will earn will depend on the type of work and your age. Minimum wage in Australia is administered by the government and even international students are eligible for the same wages level as Australian residents.

If you work on weekends, you may be entitled to a loading on your normal wage such as 50% extra on your normal hourly rate. Though the exact terms will depend on your contract and should be discussed with your employer when you start work.

Many international students also earn money by tutoring younger students in your field of study.


How to find a job?

Job search websites and newspapers are the most commonly used sources for available jobs in Australia. Websites such as www.seek.com.au and www.mycareer.com.au lists all the part-time, full-time, casual jobs that are available to potential candidates. Many local newspapers also dedicate one day of the week to outline all the jobs that are available in the area.

You should search for a job that will not make you breach your visa conditions. Once you select few jobs that are of interest to you, you should apply for them according to the instructions given in the job advertisement. Although sending a cover letter is not mandatory for many jobs in Australia, nonetheless it is a good way of informing your potential employer of your relevant past experience and the strengths that will help you achieve expected results in the role. It is also not a bad idea to follow up your application with a phone call after few days.

Other very effective source of finding about a job for international students is their friends who are working on casual or part-time basis somewhere.
Often when businesses look for additional staff on casual basis, they refrain from advertising to save costs. The employers or the managers then spread the word around to their existing staff that a position is vacant and they should refer anyone they feel right for the role.

Thus, through your friends, you may be able to find out about a job that will never list on websites or in newspapers.

International students can also contact their education institute’s career office. The office may know some local businesses that are known for hiring international students.


Taxation and superannuation

Australian Taxation Office (ATO) handles all the tax related matters for Australia. It gives a unique number to each person who wishes to work and generate income. This unique number is called a Tax File Number (TFN). Before you start working in Australia, you should obtain a TFN from the Australian Taxation Office. It is not mandatory to obtain a TFN but if you work without a TFN, higher tax might be deducted from your salary as compared to those people who have a TFN.

You would be able to apply for a TFN either online on the ATO’s website or in paper using an application form available at Australia Post outlets. The application will require details such as your name, passport number, visa details, date of arrival in Australia etc.

Once you obtain a TFN and provide it to your employer, the employer will deduct a certain amount of tax (as applicable to other Australian residents) from your salary. This tax is paid to the ATO by the employer on your behalf.

Earning income also means that you will need to file a tax return for every financial year (starting 1 July). You can either file your tax return through software provided by the ATO called eTax or through a registered tax agent. When you file your tax return, you will get a credit in your tax account of the amount equal to the tax paid by your employer on your behalf.

If you have paid more tax than what you were supposed to (after allowing for any possible deductions), you will be entitled to the overpaid tax in the form of a tax refund.

Preparing and filing a tax return is not a simple task and many international students prefer to go to a registered tax agent who does all the formalities on their behalf. Although, many students try to save as much costs as possible and they try to file their tax return themselves on eTax. If you plan to do it yourself, you can get help from the ATO by contacting them either on 13 28 61 or on their website www.ato.gov.au.

Employers in Australia are also obliged to pay superannuation to every employee who meets certain conditions. One of the conditions is that superannuation only has to be paid for employees who earn more than AUD450 a month.

Superannuation is paid as a percentage of the employee’s salary. This minimum requirement to pay superannuation for employees is called Superannuation Guarantee.

You can request this superannuation payment to go into any superannuation or retirement savings account for you. If you don’t have a preference, you can ask your employer to pay it into the default fund.

Although it may seem less, over the years superannuation can become a decent savings. Therefore, you should keep proper records of all the correspondence you receive in relation to your superannuation account.

When you leave Australia permanently, you may be eligible to receive the superannuation saved on your behalf. This payment is called the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP).

ATO’s website will give you more information on this.


Your rights as an Australian employee

Every employee, whether Australian resident or not has certain rights. These rights are also valid for international students. Your employment contract should have information about your rights and where you should go in case you have any queries or a complaint.

If you are not comfortable about your rights or require more information about them, you can contact the Workplace Ombudsman on 1300 363 264 or through their website www.workplace.gov.au.


Pay

As mentioned earlier, Australia has a minimum wage policy which requires the employer to pay at least the basic rate of pay to everyone. You may be paid higher rate than the basic rate but it all depends on the type of work you do and your employment contract.

During your employment interview, if the following questions haven’t been covered by the interviewer, you must raise them:

• How frequently will you be paid (weekly, fortnightly or monthly)?
• What are the normal working hours that will be applicable to your job?
• Will you be given extra hourly pay if you are asked to work outside your normal working hours (especially weekends and/or public holidays)?
• Will you get breaks (unpaid or paid) during your shifts?

International students should also be wary of employers trying to abuse their vulnerability. If you come across an employer who is not ready to acknowledge your rights because you are an international student or one who doesn’t pay you for trial work, you need to contact the Workplace Ombudsman on 1300 363 264.