In order: check you can work, get paid properly, find and apply for jobs, know your rights and
dodge the scams. Each card links to the official page it comes from.
Checked 16 October 2026. General information, not migration or legal advice.
Your visa decides whether you can work, and how much. Check before you apply.
Which visas can work
Visa
Only Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens on a Special Category (444) visa have no conditions on working. Other visas, such as Student and Working Holiday Maker, carry conditions on the work you can do and the hours.
A Visitor visa or ETA does not allow you to work. Working on one is illegal.
VEVO shows your exact conditions, and lets you send proof of them to an employer.
You can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. You cannot work before your course starts unless another visa allowed it.
Conditions can vary. Confirm yours in VEVO or on your visa grant letter before you start or change jobs.
Visa condition 8547 limits how long you can work for one employer to six months, unless an exemption applies or Home Affairs gives permission. It covers any work: full time, part time, casual, shift or voluntary.
Since 1 January 2024 the exemptions include plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia, and the same employer at different locations, as long as work in any one location stays under six months.
A tax file number (TFN) is your tax ID. It is free to apply for on the ATO website, and there is a separate application path for permanent migrants and temporary visitors with a valid work-rights visa.
Sort a super fund and an Australian bank account early. The ATO has a tool to compare super funds, and MoneySmart explains how to choose an everyday account.
Seek and Indeed are well-known commercial job boards. Scamwatch warns that a job ad is not real just because it sits on a trusted platform, so use the scam checks at the bottom of this page on every ad.
Be careful about putting your physical address or date of birth in a resume. Never send your passport or identity documents to an employer or recruiter unless you are certain they are genuine.
Some jobs need a licence or recognised qualification before you start.
Overseas qualifications
Check early
What you need depends on the occupation. Some occupations need registration, licensing or professional membership before you can start working, and the law can require it. In every occupation the employer decides who to hire.
For a regulated occupation, ask the registration, licensing or professional authority for that job.
For jobs with no specific requirements, Australian citizens and permanent residents can ask a state or territory Overseas Qualifications Unit how their qualification compares.
Workers must have a construction induction (white card) before they can start work on a construction site. White cards are recognised across Australia.
You get one by completing the course “Prepare to work safely in the construction industry”. Your state work-safety regulator has the details.
These apply to you whatever your visa. Ask the Fair Work Ombudsman if something looks wrong.
Same rights, any visa
Fair Work
Visa holders and migrant workers have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees in Australia. Your visa will not be cancelled if you contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for information or help.
Free advice: 13 13 94. For an interpreter, call 131 450 and ask them to call the Fair Work Infoline.
Every employee is entitled to a minimum wage, and the Fair Work Pay Calculator finds the right one for your job. Employers must give you a pay slip within one working day of pay day.
New employees must get the Fair Work Information Statement before, or as soon as possible after, they start. New casuals also get the Casual Employment Information Statement.
An unpaid trial is only lawful to show you can do the skills the job needs, and under direct supervision. That can range from about an hour to one shift. Anything beyond what is reasonably needed must be paid at least the minimum rate.
An employer who wants to assess you for longer could employ you as a casual or on probation, and pay you for every hour.
Contractors generally set their own fees, use their own equipment, choose their hours and can work for more than one client. Describing an employee as a contractor to avoid paying legal minimums is called sham contracting, and it is against the law unless the employer can prove they reasonably believed the person was a contractor.
Read any agreement before you sign, keep a copy, and do not feel pressured to sign. If you do, call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.