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First things to do after arriving in Australia: a 30-day plan for Indian professionals

Tips · 2026-10-09 · 10 min read

The first things to do after arriving in Australia are simple but time-sensitive: confirm your visa conditions, apply for a tax file number (TFN), open a bank account, sort out health cover, secure a rental with a properly lodged bond, and check that your first payslip is correct. Do them in roughly that order and your first month runs smoothly. Leave them late and you may be taxed at the wrong rate, paid in cash with no record, or caught without the health cover your visa requires.

Thinking about a visa route that does not depend on a sponsoring employer? Indian graduates from NIRF Top 100 institutions in the right fields may qualify for the MATES visa, which gives up to two years of work and study in Australia.

This checklist is written for Indian professionals and tradespeople starting a new job, whether you are an accountant from Pune, a CNC machinist from Chennai or a chef from Kochi. It sticks to official Australian government guidance and tells you where to check the rest.

Still at the planning stage after years in the Gulf? Start with how Gulf return jobs in Australia differ from a Gulf move, from police certificates to proof of experience.

Your 30-day plan at a glance

Most of these tasks take an hour or two each. The trick is the sequence: some of them unlock the next one.

Week one: visa conditions and your start date

Before anything else, look up your visa in VEVO, the government's online visa check. ImmiAccount is the only official website for applying for an Australian visa, and Home Affairs warns that a grant you cannot find in VEVO is probably fake. Save a copy of your conditions; employers, landlords and banks may ask about your work rights.

If you are on the Skills in Demand visa, note the clock. A subclass 482 holder who was outside Australia when the visa was granted must begin employment within 90 days of entering Australia. Our planning guide to the subclass 482 visa explains the other conditions in detail, and if you are still budgeting for the move, read our breakdown of visa application charges after 1 July 2026.

Getting your tax file number (TFN)

Temporary visitors with a valid work rights visa can apply for a TFN online through the ATO's Individual Auto-Registration system. It costs nothing, and the ATO says the number should arrive within 28 days. Apply on the ATO tax file number page for foreign passport holders as soon as you have an Australian address.

Think of the TFN as the Australian cousin of your PAN: give it to your employer and your bank, and to nobody else who asks out of the blue. Treat a stranger asking for it on WhatsApp the same way you would treat someone asking for your Aadhaar OTP.

Opening a bank account

Moneysmart, the government's money guidance service run by ASIC, says a new arrival can walk into a bank branch, ask for an everyday transaction account with no fees, and show proof of identity such as a passport. Its guide to money and working in Australia is available in several languages and is worth ten minutes of your time.

An employer usually pays wages into your bank account and gives you a payslip showing earnings, tax paid and super contributions. That is why the account should be open before your first pay day, not after.

Health cover and the Medicare question

This is the area where new arrivals from India most often assume rather than check. Here is what is confirmed:

• Subclass 482 visa holders must maintain adequate health insurance for their whole stay in Australia. It is a condition of the visa, so keep the policy active and keep proof of it.
• Permanent visa holders, such as subclass 186, 189 and 190, can enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme.

If you hold a temporary visa, do not assume either way about Medicare. Eligibility for temporary visa holders depends on your circumstances, so check it directly with Services Australia, which runs Medicare, before you cancel or downgrade any private cover.

Renting your first place: bonds by state

Many professionals spend the first weeks in short-term accommodation before signing a lease. When you do sign, the bond rules protect you, but only if the bond is lodged properly.

If you are heading to Western Australia, South Australia or another state, look up that state's tenancy authority before paying anything. The principle is the same: get a receipt and confirm the bond has been lodged.

Your first payslip, super and workplace rights

Pay slips must be given within 1 working day of pay day, in electronic or hard copy form. Read the Fair Work rules on pay slips so you know what yours should contain. Check three things on the first one: the hourly or annual rate matches your contract, tax has been withheld, and super is shown.

The general super rate your employer must pay is 12.00% for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Super goes into a retirement fund rather than your bank account, so it is easy to overlook until it is missing.

From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 per hour, and most employees are covered by an award that may set a higher minimum for their industry or occupation. The National Employment Standards are the floor that no contract can go below.

Visa holders have the same workplace rights as everyone else in Australia, including pay, leave and protection from discrimination. An employer cannot cancel your visa; only Home Affairs can do that. The Fair Work Ombudsman's page for visa holders and migrants sets this out clearly.

Step by step: the order that works

1. On arrival, check your visa in VEVO and save a copy of your conditions.
2. Within your first few days, apply for your TFN online with the ATO.
3. Open an everyday bank account at a branch, taking your passport.
4. Give your employer your TFN, bank details and super fund choice before your first pay run.
5. Confirm your health cover is active; if you are on a temporary visa, ask Services Australia about Medicare before changing anything.
6. When you rent, pay the bond through the official channel and keep the receipt.
7. On your first pay day, compare the payslip against your contract and the minimum rates.

You are joining a large community

The 2021 Census counted 673,352 people in Australia who were born in India. Their median age was 35, 51.4% were Australian citizens, and 34.8% had arrived between 2016 and 2021. In practice, that means temples, gurdwaras, grocers and community associations in most major cities, and plenty of people who have done this same 30-day routine recently.

Lean on them for local tips such as which suburbs suit your commute, but take rules on tax, visas and pay from official sources only.

Common mistakes Indian new arrivals make

• Working before the TFN is sorted. Starting work is fine, but give your employer the TFN as soon as it arrives so you are not over-taxed.
• Accepting cash with no payslip. Without payslips you have no record of pay, tax or super. Ask for them from the first week.
• Paying to keep a job. Cashback schemes, where an employer requires you to pay them in exchange for a job, are illegal in Australia.
• Long unpaid trials. An unpaid trial may be unlawful if it lasts longer than needed to show your skills, usually somewhere between an hour and one shift.
• Assuming Medicare covers you. Check with Services Australia rather than relying on what a friend was told.
• Handing over your passport. Scamwatch advises never sending passport or identity documents to an employer or recruiter unless you are certain they are genuine.

Still looking for the right role? Browse manufacturing jobs in Australia, including this CNC Machinist role in Sydney, or the Tandoori and Curry Chef job in Sydney.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for a TFN before I fly out of India?

The ATO online route described here is for people who are already in Australia on a visa with work rights, so plan to apply in your first few days after landing. It is free, and the number should arrive within 28 days.

Can I enrol in Medicare on a temporary work visa?

This guide does not cover Medicare rules for temporary visa holders, because they depend on your situation. Permanent visa holders such as subclass 186, 189 and 190 can enrol; if you hold a temporary visa, check your own eligibility directly with Services Australia before you assume anything.

What should my first Australian payslip show?

Your payslip should show what you earned, the tax taken out and the super your employer paid. It must reach you within 1 working day of pay day, either electronically or on paper, and you should keep every one.

How much bond will I pay when I rent a flat?

It depends on the state. In NSW and Queensland the bond is capped at 4 weeks rent, and in Victoria it is usually no more than one month of rent. In each case the bond is lodged with a government body, not kept by the landlord.

Who can I call if my employer underpays me?

Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94. If you prefer to talk in Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi or another language, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 first and ask them to connect you.

Key takeaways

• Check your visa in VEVO and, on a 482, start work within 90 days of arriving.
• Apply for your TFN online in your first days; it is free.
• Open a no-fee everyday account before your first pay day.
• Keep adequate health insurance on a 482 and check Medicare with Services Australia.
• Get a bond receipt and check every payslip for tax and 12% super.

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