Visas , Working & Tax in Australia

Lets Travel Australia - Visas, Tax & Working in Australia

Visas-

Before you begin your trip, check the visa requirements. All travellers to Australia need a valid passport and everyone, except travellers with Australian or New Zealand passports, require an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or visa to enter Australia. You must hold an ETA or visa before travelling to Australia.

There are two visa options when visiting Australia – a Tourist visa or a Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa.
• A Tourist visa allows a stay of three or six months, without working.
• A WHM visa enables visitors to work with some restrictions and must be issued before arriving in Australia.
• The WHM visa usually allows a 12 month stay and is for people between the ages of 18 and 30 wanting to see Australia while working to support their travels.
• Backpackers from Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK can apply for WHM visas.

An ETA is equivalent to a visa, but there is no stamp or label in your passport and there is no need for you to visit an Australian Visa Office to submit an application. ETAs are issued for short stay tourists and short stay business travellers to Australia. All other travellers, including working holidaymakers, students and long stay tourists must carry a visa.

To make it easy for you the Australian Government has made it possible to arrange for an ETA and a number of e-visas via the internet - no application forms and no contact with an Australian Visa Office is necessary.

To apply for an Internet ETA you will need a current valid passport for each traveller and a valid credit card. Your application will be processed whilst you are on-line and the ETA is issued electronically within seconds. You will be informed of the result of your application before you leave the Internet ETA system.

Electronic Travel Authority. Apply online at- http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/

Since November 1, 2005, Working Holiday Makers can apply for a second WHV. If they have done a minimum of three months seasonal harvest work in Regional Australia. This can extend your Australian experience for up to two years instead of 12 months, and you can apply for your second WHV from within Australia.
You must prove you have done three months seasonal harvest work and need to fill out a WHV employment verification form (form 1263). This form is available from the ATO website , (this link is to a PDF file). Seasonal work can also be proven by payslips, group certificates, tax returns and employer references.
In the WHV employment verification form, seasonal work is defined as “harvesting and/or packing of fruit and vegetable crops, pruning and trimming vines and trees, thinning and trimming flowers and bunches and general maintenance crop work.”
'Regional areas' can be determined by postcode. Postcodes can be foundon the Department of Immigration website.
Three months work can be cumulative as, due to the nature of seasonal harvest work, hours of work can vary. The WHV employment verification form is set out so cumulative employment can be recorded accurately and simply.

Tax -

AustralianTaxation Office information phone line on 13 28 61.
Australian Taxation Office Website www.ato.gov.au

To work in Australia it’s necessary to obtain a Tax File Number (TFN) as soon as you arrive. You must provide every employer with your TFN.
• If you start work without one you will pay a higher tax rate of 48.5% and must provide your TFN within 28 days.
• A TFN can be obtained online at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website (www.ato.gov.au) under ‘Online Individual TFN Registration’. You will need a valid passport and must be in Australia.

Taxation - Working Holiday Makers are classed as Australian residents for taxation purposes. A non resident pays tax on every dollar earned in Australia and is defined as someone whose usual home is overseas and who isn't planning to remain in Australia permanently.
• Be sure to check you are being taxed as a non resident.
• The tax rate is 29% for weekly earnings up to $383 and increases progressively above this amount.

Tax Refunds - In Australia the income year ends 30 June so if you earn an income you must lodge an Income Tax Return by October 31 of that year.
• When you leave a job, your employer will give you a payment summary showing your total income earned and tax deducted.

Getting Your Tax Back- To get your tax back it is important to keep your PAYG (Pay As You Go) forms from each employer, this document is a summary of your pay and tax information for the time of your employment. If you have trouble getting these documents, or have lost them, TAXBACK.COM can retrieve them for you.

If you have spent any money on work related expenses such as training courses or uniforms keep your receipts as these are classified as a tax deduction and may entitle you to a larger tax refund.

Tax Back guarantee the highest possible refunds, provide you with a free quote and if you have any tax or superannuation queries and offer a free 24 hour help line, even better, it is available in 19 languages!

You can apply for your tax refund now if you worked anytime before June 2006 or if you have finished working for the duration of your stay in Australia. Alternatively, why not register with us now to get your application started! Just click www.taxback.com to register and we will give you a quote within 24hours (if we can’t give you one straight away).

Getting Your Superannuation Back-
If you earn over $450 a month then your employer is usually required by law to pay 9% on top of your wage into a Superannuation Fund. Taxback can help you get this money back when you’re ready to depart Australia. Get your superannuation refund started today! www.taxback.com

You can also obtain an instructional TaxPack from Australian newsagents to lodge your tax return or log on to the ATO website and use ‘E-Tax’ to complete your return online.

Bank Accounts - It is quite easy to open a bank account in Australia. You should open a bank account before you start working, as most employers like to pay directly to your account. Without a bank account, your employer will have to write a cheque, and may charge a fee for the service. When you open an account, you will need two items of identification, definitely your passport and a valid drivers licence will suffice plus they will ask for your Tax File Number though will allow you to provide the TFN later if you do not yet have one. You also need an Australian address where statements can be sent, Trail Mail is a service worth considering as an address to use- http://www.trailmailaustralia.com/.

Working in Australia -

It is possible to find work before entering Australia but is easy to search once here as most large hostels have job desks for their guests. You can obtain a free backpackers handbook also, such as the TNT guide, they list all the recruitment agencies etc. Also look in the local city papers.

The Seek website is a great place to start looking too, it will give you an idea of work availability and wages in Australia.

Also browse available jobs on the mycareer website- http://mycareer.com.au/

Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a form of cultural exchange in which WWOOFers live and work as family with host farms.
WWOOF Australia and their hosts can make travelling in Australia even more interesting for both Australian and Overseas visitors.

Work in exchange for your keep
Get full board and accommodation, usually in the family home
Learn about organic growing and about Australia
Choose from 1,200 Organic Farms offering to teach you aspects of:
Organic growing
Bio-dynamics
Permaculture
http://www.wwoof.com.au/

Working in the Australian Outback! Go to- http://www.visitoz.org

Conservation Volunteers- http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au/

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