Hi! I’m Lilly. I’m an American girl from Boston, and I just arrived in Australia on a work & holiday visa this month. Having never lived abroad, figuring out a new city and country has been a challenging, humbling and hilarious experience. Friends were nice enough to share tips and info from their time here in Oz, but even so, I’ve had no shortage of surprises. Here are a few from my first two weeks here in Sydney.
1. You have to apply for an Australian tax file number (TFN) in order to get paid.
For work & holiday people like me, you can’t receive your first paycheck without a TFN. It’s basically your social security number here in Australia. The application is quick. You only need your passport, visa and a mailing address, but it can take up to five weeks for you to receive it. It’s best to do it before you arrive once you’ve figured out a mailing address. Otherwise, you can try to find a place that’ll pay you cash while you wait for your TFN. :)