Information for New Overseas Employees

Australia has strict quarantine regulations.

To find out more about what you can and cannot bring into Australia see: www.daffa.gov.au/aqis/travel/entering-australia

You should also ensure that you do not bring anything into Australia that is prohibited or may cost you duty.

See: www.customs.gov.au

Travellers entering and departing Australia are required to report any currency they are carrying of $10,000 or more in Australian dollars, or the foreign currency equivalent.

You will be asked to make a declaration about carrying currency when going through Customs on arrival and departure.

If you are arriving on any temporary visa, you will not have full access to Australia’s public health care system called Medicare, and you will need to organise for private health insurance before your arrival.

All temporary visa holders should be covered by health insurance in Australia.

This is generally known as Overseas Visitor’s Cover.

Click on the links below for some of the major providers of overseas visitor cover:

• Medibank Private
• HBA
• MBF
• Australian Unity
• IMAN
• HICA

Some temporary visa holders from certain countries can access limited reciprocal health care under Medicare. Reciprocal rights under Medicare are generally limited to immediately necessary treatment in public hospitals and does not cover elective health care services or private treatment.

For details of reciprocal cover under Medicare, see: www.medicareaustralia.gov.au

The Australian government website www.australia.gov.au provides a wide range of information about Australia.

For more information about Victoria, see: www.vic.gov.au and www.visitvictoria.com.

A very detailed guide for migrants to Victoria is Welcome to Victoria which provides some useful information about settling in Victoria.

To find out what is happening in Melbourne, go to: www.citysearch.com.au.

If you are a resident of Australia for tax purposes, you will need to pay tax. If you are working in Australia on a temporary visa your tax liability will depend on a range of things including time spent in Australia, your visa status, and the source of your income. In some cases a certain portion of your income may be exempt under a Double Tax Agreement.

As a temporary resident, you may also be able to claim Living Away from Home Allowance (LAFHA).

General advice about taxation for temporary residents is available on the ATO website at: http://ato.gov.au.

Tax law is complex and you should seek independent tax advice from a qualified taxation adviser in relation to your personal tax situation in Australia.

The financial year in Australia runs from 1 July to 30 June and tax returns should be lodged by end October each year.

Applying for a tax file number

To receive an income in Australia, you need a Tax File Number (TFN). You should arrange this as soon as possible after your arrival in Australia.

You can telephone the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) on 132 861 and have a TFN application form sent to you. Alternatively, you can apply for a TFN over the internet at: http://ato.gov.au

In the event that you do not provide your employer with a tax file number you will not be eligible to receive the tax free threshold which will mean that in effect you will pay more tax.

Medicare Tax Levy

All residents pay a tax levy of 1.5%. Most temporary residents cannot access Medicare (see Health Insurance) and must have their own private health insurance.

Temporary residents may apply for a Medicare levy exemption when lodging tax returns. Consult your tax advisor about claiming a refund.

Superannuation

In Australia, superannuation is compulsory for most employees. Generally, Australian employers are required under law to pay a minimum of 9% of your earnings into superannuation. However, most employees in the higher education and research sector are employed under awards or agreements that require the employing university to make higher contributions into UniSuper.

You will be advised of the terms and conditions that apply to your employment when you negotiate your employment with the University. You may also seek advice from Unisuper or a financial advisor referred by them. If your terms and conditions do not require Swinburne University of Technology to pay contributions to UniSuper, then you will have a choice of superannuation funds to choose from.

Please see: www.ato.gov.au. It is possible to arrange with your employer’ agreement that a percentage larger than 9% of your salary is directed into superannuation.

There are limited exemptions from the requirement to pay the 9% levy for temporary visa holders who remain covered by their home country social security systems where Australia has an agreement with that country. You should consult a tax adviser for further information.

On departing Australia, temporary residents may claim any superannuation they have accumulated. The payment will be subject to withholding tax.

See: UniSuper or www.ato.gov.au . In order to access your funds, you need to have departed Australia and your visa must be inactive or cancelled.

Opening a bank account

You should open a bank account within six weeks of your arrival, as you usually need only your passport as identification. After six weeks you will need extra identification to open an account. Useful information about the banking system and major banks is available from: www.bankers.asn.au

Financial planning

Taxation, superannuation, and your options about what you do with your money will be different to what you are used to in your home country.

There is a lot to be considered and depending on your personal situation you may wish to think about obtaining professional planning advice.

Some names of financial advisors are provided at the end of this fact sheet but Swinburne University of Technology accepts no liability for any decisions you make on the basis of any advice or information provided by any financial advisers listed in this fact sheet.

Temporary visa holders may drive in Australia on their overseas licence or International Driving Permit provided it is a current and valid licence.

Your licence must be in English or you should arrange for a qualified NAATI  translator to translate it for you.

One such translation provider in Melbourne is VITS. If you are granted permanent residence status in Australia you will need to apply for an Australian drivers licence within 3 months - information on drivers licencing in each State or Territory is available at: www.immi.gov.au.

Under Australian law, children must attend school until the age of 15. There are public (government) and private schools.

Information about Victorian State Government schools can be found at: www.study.vic.gov.au .

Contact the Association of Independent Schools Victoria about private schools in Victoria.

See also: www.eduweb.vic.gov.au and www.education.vic.gov.au 

for information about all schools and education institutions in Victoria.