Australian Researchers’ Mobility Portal

Living in Australia

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Living in Australia website has information about settling here and what to do upon arrival, such as applying for a tax file number, Medicare, drivers’ license, etc.

Living in…

Visas / work permits

In order to work in Australia you will need to apply for, and be granted, a working visa permit. These are processed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Many different types of visas are available, and you should contact your nearest Australian embassy for help in determining the most appropriate for you. Below is a shortlist of those visas most applicaple to people wanting to pursue research in Australia.

If you will be bringing family members with you, make sure that you enter all of their details on your visa application. Your employment sponsor will also need to enter your family members’ details with their sponsorship forms. Once you begin work in Australia, your family members are then free to pursue work or study opportunities of their own without restriction.

Tourism

Education

See the main article about education in Australia.

Accomodation / housing

The following commercial websites have listings of private dwellings available for rent or for purchase:

For more short-term accomodation, such as hotels, the following sites enables you to search a wide variety of properties:

For private accomodation swapping/sharing for students and academics, see:

Medical

Medical insurance is advisable when travelling to any destination and Australia is no exception. Before departing for Australia you should arrange medical insurance for you (and your family).

Australia has well established public and private health care system. However, as a foreign visitor, you should check with your closest Australian embassy to determine if, and what, entitlements you may be elligible to receive. A small number of countries have limited reciprocal health arrangements with Australia. These include Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Taxation

If you undertake any work in Australia you will be required to pay income tax. In addition, you need a Tax File Number (TFN). To learn more about personal income tax and how it applies to you, see the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) International tax essentials.

Pension funds

Everybody employed in Australia is required to contribute to a pension fund, or superannuation.