Can I work in Tasmania?
Working part time while you are studying in Tasmania is a great idea. Not only will it improve your financial situation, but it will give you another chance to practice your English and to learn more about Tasmania.
If you intend to work in Tasmania, it is very important that you understand the information on this page. If you break the law while you are working, you may find your student visa is cancelled. If you follow these simple steps and ask for help when you are not sure about something, you will be fine.
How much can I work?
Most people who are on a student visa in Australia are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week while studying, and full time during the holidays. Students often find work in the hospitality or service industries, or in unskilled labour earning approximately $14-$20 per hour.
This means that part time work alone will not be enough for you to live on while you are in Australia, but if you are caught working beyond the maximum amount of hours there will be penalties, including the cancellation of your student visa.
Before starting work, think carefully about how it will affect your study and your social life. Can you find a good balance between all three? Remember that your main reason for being in Tasmania is to study and if your studies suffer because you are working too much, there will be consequences.
Finding work in Tasmania is just like finding work anywhere else. The availability of jobs is never guaranteed. There is plenty of assistance around to help you in your search, but it will be up to you find a job and to present yourself to employers.
Your rights
Everybody who works in Australia has basic rights and protections under the law. This includes laws against discrimination or abuse in the workplace, as well as minimum wage and working conditions.
If you are concerned that you are being underpaid or unfairly treated, you can contact the Australian Goverment’s workplace relations tribunal, Fair Work for advice. Find them at www.fwa.gov.au.
Taxation
If you have a job in Australia, you will need to pay tax to the Australian government. This means you will need your own personal Tax File Number. This is a unique nine digit number that is given to you by the Australian Taxation Office. You can apply for one and find out more on www.ato.gov.au.
Tax is automatically taken from your pay each week. The exact rate of tax will vary depending on how much you are earning, but if you have a tax file number, you can expect to pay 30% of your wage in tax. Without a tax file number, you may end up paying more.
Sometimes, an employer might offer you cash payments. This is illegal for both you and the employer, and if you are caught your visa can be cancelled.
Before starting work, you should complete a Tax File Number Declaration form for your employer. On the form, you should:
Tix the box to claim the ‘tax free threshold’ from your employer, but be aware that you can only claim this from one employer per financial year.
Download and complete a Medicare Levy Variation Declaration and give it to your employer. Overseas students do not have to pay into Medicare, which is the Australian Government’s national health system for Australian citizens.
Superannuation
In Australia, if you are over 18 and earn more than AU$450 per month, your employer is required to make superannuation payments for you. These payments are a way for workers to save for their retirement and are made by every employer over a person’s working life. The money is deposited into an account that is held by a superannuation fund, then it is claimed when a worker retires.
Like most people working in Australia, international students can have superannuation payments made for them. Because you won’t be retiring in Australia, you may be able to claim these after you leave Australia.
Your employer will be able to tell you which superannuation fund is keeping your money. You contact the fund to claim your money after you have left the country. Help is also available from the Australian Taxation Office at www.ato.gov.au.
To help with your claim, you should have any documents relating to your employment copied and certified. This means that your copies will be legally verified with the signature of a trusted professional. There are plenty of professionals who can certify documents, including barristers, doctors, judges and ministers of religion. The easiest way is to take your copies to a police station and ask for the police officer on duty to certify the documents.
Tax returns
In Australia, all taxation and earnings are calculated according to the Australian financial year, running from 1 July until the end of June in the following year. At the end of each financial year, every worker in Australia is required to lodge a tax return. This is an assessment that determines whether you may need to pay more tax or if you have paid too much and some will be returned to you.
Your employer will issue you a payment summary, which details how much money you have earned through the year and how much tax you have paid. You must use this information to complete your tax return. If you prefer, you can pay an accountant to complete one for you, they are not expensive.
You will need to complete a tax return for every financial year you have worked in Australia, even if you have only worked for part of the year.
Finding work
Looking for work in Tasmania is just like looking for work anywhere else. You will need to have good personal presentation and performance at job interviews, preferably have strong English language skills, and an up to date curriculum vitae with written references from past employers.
Jobs are usually advertised in newspapers every Saturday, but there are also many websites devoted to job searching in Tasmania and Australia.