Australia - Frequently Asked Questions

We collected the most frequently asked questions below

Q. What fees do Canstaff charge?

None, there are no charges or fees for any services provided by Canstaff.

Q.Do Canstaff offer Sponsorship/Job offers?

Yes, Canstaff operates a large contracting division and offers permanent contracts/sponsorships in many situations.

Q.Will my relocation costs be paid for by my employer in Australia?

No, unless your occupation is in a very specialised area. In most cases relocation costs are paid by the individual, ie flights, immigration etc.

Q.What does it cost to fly to Australia?

As these vary with seasonal fluctuations we are unable to give an exact cost. When a job offer is given, we provide contact details for our Trusted Business Partner in travel, as they are able to provide competitive, flexible flights, extra baggage allowance and free personalised assistance.

Q.How do I find accommodation?

We are able to assist with arranging initial accommodation, ie Digs, to help you get settled when you first land in Australia. This can be either part board or full board with a host. This means you are not having to find somewhere to live while settling in to a new city and work. You can decide with your host if you choose to stay long or short term. You are free to find your own accommodation if you wish to move on.

Q.How old can my Police Certificate be?

For immigration purposes a police certificate is deemed to be valid for 12 months from the issue date.

Q.Can I bring my tools?

Depending on your trade you will need to provide your own tools i.e. carpenters, joiners, plasterers, painters. You can either bring them with you, freight them, or alternatively you can buy them in New Zealand. A tool list is provided once a job offer is in place. Most tools are universal and can be used here, however with electrical tools you will need to buy an Australia adaptor. Our electrical current is 220 – 240 volts, AC 50Hz. The Australian three-pin power outlet is different from some other countries, so you may need an adaptor.

Q.Can I buy a property in Australia, and if I do, will it entitle me to Austrlaian residency?

It is possible for you to buy property in Australia but it is highly likely that you will first need to gain permission from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB). Once the application is made the FIRB will normally give an answer within 40 days although it is permitted to allow up to 130 days. You may still start your property search and even proceed to exchange of contracts before receiving the above approval but it is imperative to make sure that the contract drawn up is conditional on receipt of the approval. If you are buying a new-build property however you are less likely to have to seek permission from the FIRB. If your spouse is an Australian national, even if he or she lives away from Australia, FIRB approval will not be required.

To find out more on how to get started on your Australia property buying journey, request a copy of The Overseas Guides Company's Australia Property Buying Guide.

Q.Immigrants - Where Have They Come From?

Despite many changes to Australia’s immigration program, the United Kingdom still tops the list of arrivals, with 123,600 arriving in the last 5 years, continuing to represent around 15% of Australia’s migration intake.

The UK migration alone is almost twice the total humanitarian stream and about ten times the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat.

The UK is closely followed by India (114,000) and China (111,000), then it’s a long way back to the next two countries, the Philippines (43,000) and South Africa (41,000).

Q.Police Force and Emergency Services

The emergency number for police, ambulance and or fire brigade is 000.

Australia has 9 different Police jurisdictions. They are:

  1. Australian Federal Police
  2. New South Wales Police: (www.police.nsw.gov.au) the largest Police force in Australia
  3. Victoria Police
  4. Queensland Police Service
  5. South Australia Police
  6. Western Australian Police
  7. Tasmanian Police
  8. Northern Territory Police
  9. The Australian Federal Police in the Australian Capital Territory (responsible for "regular" policing in that territory).

All forces in Australia require members on operational duties to carry operational equipment which includes firearms.

Although Australian crime rates are not low, they are significantly lower than, for example, USA. Also violent crime is relatively rare – the average Australian will not suffer a mugging, see a stabbing or shooting or otherwise have to worry about such things during his/her life. It is a Gun free country. One side effect of this however is that the occasional violent crime that does take place tends to receive a disproportionate amount of media publicity making it seem as if Australia has a worse problem than it really does. House and car break-ins are more common but if you adopt common sense precautions such as not leaving valuables on display in your car then you are unlikely to be affected.

Q.Population Density

Higher population densities can be seen throughout the major cities which are throughout Australia. The population density in Australia was last reported as 2.91 /km2 (7.5 /sq mi). The density was 2.8 /km2 (7.3 /sq mi) in 2008 and 2.86 /km2 (7.4 /sq mi) in 2009. That made Australia the 3rd least densely populated country in the world, after Namibia and Mongolia.

Q.Population Size

The most recent Australian census was held in 2016 and the results confirmed that the population of Australia was 23,401,892. In 2017 it was estimated that the population has reached 24,697,8

Q.How do I open a bank account in Australia?

Many Australian banks allow you to open a bank account before you arrive. You will need to provide your passport, a second form of ID, i.e. driver’s license and confirmation of an address, in order to open the account. When a job offer is given, we provide contact details for our Trusted Business Partner in Banking.

Q.Can I bring my pet?

Cats and dogs can be imported to Australia under strict conditions designed to manage biosecurity risks. You will not require a permit to import a cat or dog from New Zealand, however conditions apply. Different conditions apply for the importation of assistance dogs. If you wish to import reproductive material or animals other than cats or dogs, view the Live Animals and Reproductive Material page.

Q.Tell me more about Retirement in Australia.

To be eligible for Age Pension you must satisfy residence requirements.

You must be:

  • an Australian resident on the day you lodge your claim, and
  • be physically present in Australia on the day you lodge your claim

You also need to have been an Australian resident for a continuous period of at least 10 years, or for a number of periods that total more than ten years, with one of the periods being at least five years, unless you:

  • are a refugee or former refugee, or
  • were getting Partner Allowance, Widow Allowance or Widow B Pension immediately before turning Age Pension age, or
  • are a woman whose partner died while you were both Australian residents, and you have been an Australian resident for two years immediately before claiming Age Pension

If you have lived or worked in a country with which Australia has an international social security agreement, it may help you meet these residence requirements.

Your eligibility for Age Pension depends on when you were born.

Women born before 1 January 1949 reach qualifying age at 64 and a half, and women born between 1 January 1949 and 30 June 1952 at age 65.

Qualifying age for men born before 1 July 1952 is age 65.

From 1 July 2017, the qualifying age for Age Pension will increase from 65 years to 65 and a half years. The qualifying age will then rise by six months every two years, reaching 67 by 1 July 2023.

For more information on retirement in Australia visit http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/age-pension

Q.Timezone

Time in Australia uses more than three time zones, including Australian Western Standard Time (AWST; UTC+08:00), Australian Central Standard Time (ACST; UTC+09:30), and Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST; UTC+10:00).[1] Time is regulated by the individual state governments,[2] some of which observe daylight saving time (DST). Australia's external territories observe different time zones.

Q.Do Australian employers take Workplace Health & Safety seriously?

Occupational safety and health (also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety) is an area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. The goals of occupational safety and health programs include to foster a safe and healthy work environment. OSH may also protect co-workers, family members, employers, customers, and many others who might be affected by the workplace environment.

All organisations have a duty of care to ensure that employees and any other person who may be affected by the companies undertaking remain safe at all times.

As an employee, you have responsibilities under work health and safety law. You must act responsibly, take care of yourself and others and cooperate with your employer in matters of health and safety. This applies to all workers, whether they have a disability or not.

If you don’t do these things, you could be disciplined by your employer under your conditions of employment. You could be prosecuted under the work health and safety laws in your state or territory.

Employer responsibilities

Employers are required to provide a safe and healthy workplace to protect employees against potential health and safety risks. Your employer has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are covered by workers compensation insurance and, in the event of a workplace injury they must assist an injured employee return to work safely.

Safe Work Australia

Safe Work Australia is responsible for improving work health and safety and workers' compensation arrangement across Australia. It is funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments. It works with governments, unions and industry to reduce death, injury and disease in the workplace.

Safe Work Australia

Q.Immigration Guidelines regarding References for Self-Employed Applicants

If you are self-employed, you will need to provide contact details for at least two client referees you have done recent and relevant work for. You can also provide contact details for your Accountant as they can confirm the amount of time you have been self-employed.

When we have decided to move forward by offering you a contract, as part of the immigration process you will need to complete a declaration stating you were self-employed for ‘X’ amount of years doing ‘X Trade’. This will need to be witnessed & signed by an authorised person (a list of authorised people will be on the form). You do not need to do this now but you need to be aware of this for later on. You will be given further information and helped with this when the time arrives.