Work in Australia as an international student (TFN and ABN)

Can you work in Australia? This is the most recurrent question among international students who are looking to study in Australia and it is surely one of the first ones you’ve asked yourself.

And the answer is YES. Legally, you can work in Australia for (40) biweekly hours, equivalent to a part-time job. Apart from this, it is fortunate that when you´re on vacation you’re allowed to work full time.

If you have a good level of English you can find better paid jobs and, if not, you can perform operative tasks where the payment is lower. Read the following article if you want to find out what types of English courses you can find in Australia.

What do I need to do to start working in Australia?

ato - tfn australia

The first thing you need to do is to request the TFN (Tax File Number), which is a number to identify yourself as a taxpayer and that each person working under the order of an employer in Australia must have.

Do this task as soon as possible since the Australian tax office has up to twenty-eight (28) days to send the number to your address.

The information requested will be:

  • Passport or travel document number
  • Country of origin as it appears in your passport
  • Name as it appears in your passport
  • Other names if applicable
  • Information about your partner
  • Your address and zip code
  • Contact information (Phone number and email)

Once you have your TFN you can work in Australia without any problem. Pages like seek.com and gumtree.com can help you find a good job opportunity.

Request your TFN clicking here

Is there another tax identification number different from the TFN?

abr - abn australia

Just as there is a TFN that is for people who are employed by private businesses, there is also ABN (Australian Business Number), which is a number to taxly identify businesses, independent workers or contractors.

This identification number is not usual for international students, but it’s important that you know how it works if in your free time you also want to work in Australia.

For example, if you offer a professional or technical service and you have done provided services to a client. The legal procedure is to generate an invoice that contains your ABN number so that the client can make the payment.

Unlike the TFN, with the ABN you must deduct taxes and declare them in the period indicated by the Australian tax office.

Read the following article if you want to know which ones are the most relevant careers for the Australian market and in order to get the Australian residence permit.

Request your ABN by clicking here

Can I use an ABN and TFN at the same time?

To work in Australia, there is no problem if you use both tax IDs. Of course, you have to keep a fairly ordered accounting so that there’s no inconvenience in the annual statement. Remember that international students still need to comply with the work limitation during the schooling season to work up to 40 hours per fortnight, even if combining ABN and TFN.

What’s the minimum wage in Australia?

work in australia - minimun wage australia
Photo by Unsplash

The minimum wage in Australia is $19.49 AUD per hour and if you work 40 hours formally you can earn from 779.60 AUD per fortnight. If you want to have a better salary you can take vocational courses to certify your skills.

Note: If your work has been legal and you are earning a salary below the minimum established, do not hesitate to go to the Fair Work Ombudsman, international students, due to lack of knowledge don’t do this, but this government organisation is responsible for promoting harmonious, productive and cooperative workplaces. They provide information and advice; they investigate complaints in the workplace and enforce the laws of common good in the workplace.

If you are looking to study and work in Australia, consider Sofiri. With Sofiri, you can get free advice on courses, help with your application and even assistance with the student visa. You will get guidance throughout your trip and answers to your questions every step of the way.

And the best of all: Using Sofiri is completely free. If you accept an offer at a university or college, you will pay the same fees as if you were contacting the university directly.

You can start right now by clicking on the next button.

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