Permission To Work - New Rules:

If you were granted a Student visa on or after 26 April 2008, you and your dependent family members will already have Permission to Work automatically included with your visa.

No Need For Visa Label:

You do not need a visa label to be placed in your passport as evidence of your work rights. Your visa information is held electronically and you can access it at any time using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system. Employers, banks and government services can also check details about your visa entitlements on VEVO once they have your consent to do so. Further information on how to access VEVO is available.

See: Visa Entitlement Verification Online

Further information about on the conditions that apply to working while studying is mentioned in the table below.

Permission To Work - Old Rules:

If you were granted a Student visa before 26 April 2008 and have not yet applied for Permission to Work, you and your family members may only apply for Permission to Work after you have started your course in Australia.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR VISA

Once you got Work Visa then you have to follow rules mentioned in the table as there are some restriction of working hours per week.

Apply For Tax File Number (TFN):

A Tax File Number is a unique number that is issued to individuals and organizations to help administer tax and other Australian Government systems. TFN is issued during lifetime, even if there is some change in circumstances such as name or residency status; TFN should be kept secure at all times and advise Australian Taxation office to change name or address so all details can be updated.

Being a student you are not allowed to work without a Work visa and TFN. If you intend to earn money in Australia you will generally be required to have a TFN. Whenever you get a job, your employer/boss will ask you to fill a form requiring details like passport number, date of birth, TFN and some other information. Without TFN your form won’t be accepted, so it’s better for you to get it as soon as possible.

The purpose of TFN is that all the tax you pay is associated with your unique number; so in June/July you will get back your tax. In the first year you will get 100% of tax returned to your account. Like if you have paid $2000 as tax while working in first year then exactly $2000 will be returned. But for the second year the return ratio decreases to half. Still if you want to get more then I suggest you to contact a Tax agent, who will charge some fee but will ensure that you may get maximum return.

How To Apply For TFN:

It is very easy to apply for Tax File Number; all you need is a computer, an internet connection and a browser.

Click on the link below, a page will be open; then click on the link ‘Apply for tax file number’ and another page will open. Read all the instruction carefully and provide required information. Once submitted you will get a mail to you home address provided in form containing your TFN. Make sure you keep that mail in safe location as it is an identification of your address which you can use for various purposes.

http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/38760.htm

Buy A Mobile Phone Connection/SIM:

Life in Australia is very fast and mobile phone is a major demand of every Australian. Being a student mobile phone will help you in various ways. It will keep you in contact with your friends and you can discuss study related stuff with them. Being an employee it will keep you in contact with your employer; you will be updated about your shifts, any changes in roster and so on. Well I think I should straight away move to my point rather then explaining importance of mobile phones because every one knows that

In Australia the leading mobile companies are Optus and Three, you will also find people using Vodafone and Telstra. Mobile calls to same network is always cheaper in any country so its better to select the network that is widely used, this suggestion is especially for students who want to save money.

Whether To Buy Optus Or Three:

Both Optus and Three provide various plans that has its own significance, some provide free calls to same network while other provide credit for international calls. It’s up to student what plan they select, but my suggestion is to go for a network that is used by their friends. I have seen many Pakistani students using Optus connection while students from India use Three connections. So, if you are an Indian go for Three while if you are student from Pakistan then go for Optus. Both networks provide free calls to same network, so you can be better in contact with your friends.

Changing Plan:

When you get a connection then still you have the option to change the plan, simply while recharge selects a different plan. If you want to switch between connections like moving from Optus to Three, then again you don’t need to buy another connection, simply go to any franchise and they will help you out. You will be able to use the same number for Three.

Mobile With A Plan:

I suggest you to bring a mobile phone from your country because electronic equipment is expensive in Australia. You will find the same mobile at cheaper price in your country. However, if you don’t have any mobile then you can get it in Australia either with a plan or can buy it separately. Both networks, Optus and Three offer some packages in which you can get a mobile with connection and then you have to pay a little every month.

Where To Buy Mobile Connections:

You can easily get a mobile connection from any franchise just like in your country. Almost in every suburb you will find franchise of every mobile network. In order to buy a connection you have to carry your passport with you. You may be surprised but its mandatory to carry passport otherwise you won’t get a connection.

Where To Recharge A Connection:

You can recharge your mobile connection from franchise, service station, any superstore. You can also find many shops selling recharge card, so recharging is not a big deal.

Below are the links for both mobile networks, so you can have an idea of their services, difference in plans.

http://www.three.com.au/ – Three Mobile Australia

http://www.optus.com.au/ — Optus Mobile Australia