Working in Australia
Australia is a wonderful place to live and work. It is a unique and diverse country in every way - in culture, population, climate, geography, and history.
WORKING IN
Its culture is as broad and varied as the country's landscape. Australia is multicultural and multiracial and this is reflected in the country's food, lifestyle and cultural practices and experience.
Australia has an important heritage from its First Peoples, which plays a defining role in the cultural landscape.
To work in Australia, you are required to have a valid Australian visa with work rights. There are a number of temporary and permanent skilled visas you can apply for. Australian laws provide all employees with basic rights and protection in the workplace.
LIVING
IN SA
LIVING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
South Australia has made a name for itself as a relaxed region full of wine, wildlife and natural wonder. Its capital of Adelaide is home to a sophisticated art and dining scene, and the ‘Festival City’ knows how to celebrate, with a calendar full to the brim with events. Beyond the capital city, undulating wine regions produce classic Australian drops, migrating whales glide along rugged coastline and koalas snooze among the treetops on wind-swept islands.
For more information about this wonderful state visit southaustralia.com
ACCOMMODATION
There are various accommodation options available in Adelaide.
Owners advertise houses and flats for rent on websites and at real estate offices. The staff members of real estate offices will assist you find, inspect and decide on a suitable place to rent. You can find places via national websites or via individual real estate offices’ websites. Places in Adelaide are traditionally rented unfurnished, however increasingly you can find partially furnished places with some whitegoods such as fridges and washing machines. Put 'furnished' in your search filters.
You will be required to supply some paperwork before you can rent a property. Often, you will need to pay 2 week’s rent in advance. The first payment will include a bond (usually 4-6 weeks rent) that is refundable at the end of the rental. A lease is an agreement to rent housing. It is a legal contract. Tenants usually need to connect services (like electricity, gas and internet) and pay those bills. Landlords prefer to offer leases of 12 months but 6-month leases are also commonly available.
RENT
Domain
Property
Realestate
Realestate View
Rent
SHARE
A share house can often be more affordable and gives you a chance to make friends outside of work.
Visas
To work in Australia, you are required to have a valid Australian visa with work rights. Explore visa options in Australia.
RSP's People and Culture team will have significant correspondence with you prior to any visa application being lodged.
RSP uses an external Registered Migration Agent.
For a successful application have the following scanned and ready to send:
- Resume – your full employment for at least the last 5 years, dates and positions held, include names of the films you have worked on, and your educational history.
- Passport – scan biographical pages open and pressed flat. Dual citizenship - scans of both passports.
Note passport expiry – ensure your passport has more than 6 mths validity from your expected return date. - University degree – scans of your under-graduate degree and any post-grad degree or diplomas.
- No degree – references from previous employers for the past 5 years on company letterhead, listing the details of your position and dates employed. Increasingly, we need at least two of these even with a degree, as proof of your experience. We can supply a template if you need.
- Health Insurance – You will need to supply proof of health insurance for the duration of your time in Australia in order to submit your visa application.
- Name Changes – only if applicable. Differences in names or dates of birth between documents will require a deed poll certificate or statutory declaration.
Character Requirements
Part or this visa means you must pass the character test, and remain of good character. This may require police clearances from any country you've lived in for a year or more. Find out more.
Partners & Family
Working visas usually allow you to nominate dependents at the time of application. This is more cost effective than later. However due to COVID this is currently challenging.
Nominated dependents will have the right to work in Australia while the sponsored individual remains sponsored and employed by RSP.
A marriage certificate scan will be required. Otherwise you must provide third party evidence to meet the Australian Government’s requirements for de-facto partners.
Health Requirements
You and family members may need to have health examinations to prove you meet the health requirements. This could be if you come from a country where there are public health concerns . Find out more.
Visa holders are responsible for their own health costs incurred in Australia, per their visa requirements. For Working Visa holders, this will include accompanying family members for the duration of their stay in Australia.
English Proficiency
For some work visas, such as the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482), visa applicants must demonstrate they meet certain minimum standards of English language proficiency by taking and achieving a specific result in an English language test. Please see us re your eligibility for this visa. Find out more.
You may be eligible for:
Working Holiday visa (417)
Work and Holiday visa (462)
To be eligible you must:
- be at least 18 but not yet 31 years of age at the time of applying
- have a passport from one of the eligible countries.
- have not previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday (462) visa
- have not previously entered Australia on a Working Holiday (417) visa (unless applying for a second Working Holiday visa).
- Apply for these visas yourself.
- You must be outside Australia when you apply for your first Working Holiday visa and remain off shore until the visa is granted.
- This visa allows you to stay and work in Australia for up to 12 months from the date of first entry into the country.
- Work is limited to no more than 6 months for each company.
New Zealand Citizens Special Category Visa (subclass 444)
This temporary visa allows you to visit, study, stay, and work in Australia, if you are a New Zealand citizen and meet the eligibility criteria. It is usually granted automatically when you enter Australia.
Tax & Super
Taxation - Coming to Australia
If you earn money in Australia you will pay tax and may need to lodge an Australian tax return. To work in Australia you need a work visa and should have a tax file number (TFN). We can help you apply for one.
Employers withhold taxes from the pay of their employees and send it to the Australian Taxation Office during the income year.
The Australian income year is 1 July to 30 June. Find out more.
Superannuation
Super is money set aside over your lifetime to provide for your retirement. For most people, super begins when you start work and your employer starts paying super for you – these payments are known as super guarantee contributions.
Super funds invest your money in many things, such as shares, property and managed funds. Find out more.
On departure from Australia, temporary workers have the option to access their superannuation. Find our more.
HEALTHCARE
If RSP are sponsoring you to work in Australia, we or our migration agent will help you with the healthcare requirements of the visa.
Medicare
Medicare is Australia’s universal health insurance scheme. It provides access to:
- free treatment as a public (Medicare) patient in a public hospital
- free or subsidised treatment by practitioners such as doctors, including specialists, participating optometrists or dentists (specified services only)
Contribution to the health care system is made through taxes and the Medicare levy, which is based on taxable income.
The Department of Human Services administers Medicare.
Private Health
In addition to Medicare, many Australians choose to take out private health insurance. The levels of cover range from basic to full hospital cover and you can add on extras (eg. for dental and optical treatment).
The Australian Government has made changes to the tax structure in order to encourage people to take out private health insurance.
Find out more about Private Health.
Working Visa Holders
Working visa holders are responsible for their own health costs incurred in Australia, including accompanying family members, for the duration of their stay in Australia.
It is a requirement of the working visas that applicants have made adequate health insurance arrangements. Find out more.
Australian health insurers offer a range of Overseas Visitor Covers that comply with visa requirements. The products are generally called Overseas Visitors Health Cover (OVHC). Some international insurers also offer health policies that meet visa requirements.
Reciprocal Health Care Agreements
The Australian Government has signed Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with some countries including the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand.
These agreements entitle you to some subsidised health services for some medically necessary treatments for ill-health or injury which occur while you are in Australia and require treatment before you return home.
RHCA’s are only for medically essential treatment. They are not designed to replace private travel health insurance for overseas travel. For example they don’t cover dental checks and glasses or contact lenses.
The amount of RHCA cover and the duration of cover varies depending on which country you’re from. See full list.
If you are eligible for an RHCA you will still need to arrange Overseas Visitors Health Cover for your first month, until you can get your medicare card.
You can only enrol with Medicare once you are in Australia. Once you’ve enrolled in Medicare you should provide evidence to RSP’s migration agent that you have been issued with a Medicare card. Being enrolled with Medicare is usually sufficient to comply with the working visa health condition.
