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Where to find information about work rights when you arrive in Australia

Soumaya Benyassine • Feb 24, 2017

Australia is a beautiful place to live, work and travel. To work in Australia, you have to apply for and be granted a valid Australian visa with work rights. A number of different temporary or permanent skilled visas are available to apply for.


Let’s talk about the 4 most common working visas in Australia:

Working holiday Visa 417 (WHV)


The WHV is a temporary visa for people under 31  who want to work and travel around Australia.


  • Price to apply: $420
  • You have to be outside Australia to apply for the visa
  • Your visa is valid for 1 year when you enter the country
  • You are allowed to work 6 month for the same  employer
  • You can apply to  extend your visa for one more  year  by completing 3 months, or 88 days of specified work in regional Australia

Student visa (subclass 500)


This Student visa allows you to study and work in Australia.


  • Price to apply: $550
  • You will also have to pay the cost for the study course
  • ​No age limit to apply for a student visa
  • The duration of your visa will depend on your study programme
  • During your Student visa, you will be able to work 20 hours a week. Note that you can work full time during your holidays

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)


The Skilled-Independent visa is a permanent residence visa for points-tested skilled workers who want to work and live in Australia as a Permanent Resident.


  • To apply for this visa, you would have to submit an expression of interest and then be invited through SkillSelect.
  • Your nominated occupation has to be on  the relevant skilled occupation list   Interested in which occupations are listed? Click here  to see the skilled occupation list.

Partner & Spouse visa (subclass 820 and 801)


  • The spouse visa allows you to be under the visa of your husband or wife.
  • You will need to provide proof of marriage.
  • The partner visa is quite similar however you will need to prove that you have lived together for a period of 12 months or more.

Note that when you start a job in Australia, you will need the following documents:


  • Tax File Number(TFN) – the TFN is your personal number in relation to tax purposes click here to apply for your TFN
  • Superannuation Details – the superannuation is 9.5% of your salary and is a contribution for your retirement. Ask your bank or employer to open a superannuation account. To avoid high fees, we advise to keep the same superannuation account during your whole stay in Australia.
  • Bank account – Easy & Free! It will take about 10 minutes to open a bank account with for example Commonwealth, Westpac and NAB. You can either do it from home online or in person when you arrive.
  • Insurance – don’t underestimate the importance of insurance in Australia. Even for a simple injury, it can cost a lot of money.
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