It’s no surprise that Australia is still one of the most popular destinations to experience the adventure of a lifetime. What better then, to be there seeing the sights and earning a wage as well to fund yourself? Well if you’re 18-30 (up to your 31^st birthday – In Ireland and Canada up to your 35^th birthday) you should firstly apply for a 12 month working holiday visa, and if you then complete a successful 3 month term in your first year within a specified workplace you can apply for your second 12 month visa. Your working holiday visa is valid for a year from the date you enter Australia, and you must work for one employer for a maximum of 6 months.

With a population of 24.6 million living within 7.7 million sq. kms, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world and the world’s largest island. However, because of its hot and barren interior (popularly known as the Outback) a majority of 85% live just 50km of any coastline. So where do you start with such a vast place to explore?

If you have committed any past offences and not disclosed them, they will show on your criminal record and you can be refused entry through the normal ETA route. Some serious offences (such as a prison term of 12 months or more) can stay on your record even after their “conviction spent time” is over, usually 7 years. Even if a warrant was issued against you and you have been in some way associated with criminal activity you must declare it also. If you knowingly withhold such information, then your visa application will be denied and you can risk deportation. Furthermore, if this is the case you will not be able to apply again for another 3 years.

A Tax File Number (TFN) is an unique 9 digit number issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to all taxpayers ie: individuals, businesses and partnerships. All individuals have a TFN and businesses have both a TFN and a ABN (Australian Business Number).

Since the 1930’s TFNs have been issued by the Australian Tax Office system to collect income and information for all taxpayers commonly known as “data matching” this was further enhanced in 1988. When claiming your income tax return you need not quote your TFN, but in doing so you can delay the process, the ATO can match your income statement against payments reported by all paying bodies.

If you intend to visit Australia to work you will probably need a bank account set up rather than pay International rates and transfer fees from your resident country. The account can be set up prior to leaving for Australia.  We can assist you in opening a bank account prior to you entering Australia.

Once you land in Australia you can visit a branch and all you will need is either a Passport, or, Birth Certificate, together with a copy of the Visa Grant to fully activate your card and access the account.

You can then transfer funds and deposit wages etc. without paying service fees, normally $5 per month for the first year. Students pay little or no fees as their accounts are usually quite simple, this will be either a Cheque or Current Account.

After that whirlwind romance you’re now serious about settling down with your antipodean partner on their home turf. You will require proof of the on-going relationship. But did you know that there are various visa types for differing relationship statuses? These are commonly known as Spouse, De-facto (meaning although not legally married you are in a permanent relationship as a couple) and Fiancé (prospective marriage). 

For every visa submission you must provide a minimum of 12 months evidence of your relationship. There are 2 parts to this application (sponsorship and visa). The Australian citizen/permanent resident acts as your sponsor and must agree to certain commitments