Things you need to do as soon as you arrive in Australia

Things you need to do as soon as you arrive in Australia.

1. Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN)
- You need a Tax File Number (TFN) to receive an income in Australia.
- You can apply for a TFN over the internet at the ATO website.
- ATO is equivalent of BIR in the Philippines

Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website
http://www.ato.gov.au/

2. Register with Medicare
- The Australian Government provides help with basic medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare.
- To enroll in Medicare, you should go into a Medicare office 7 to 10 days after your arrival in Australia and bring your passport or travel documents.

Medicare Australia website:
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/


3. Open a bank account
- In Australia, most income including salary or wages and government benefits are paid directly into a bank account.
- You should open a bank account within six weeks of your arrival, as you usually need only your passport as identification. After six weeks you will need extra identification to open an account.

4. Register with Centrelink
- Centrelink contributes to the social and economic outcomes set by government by delivering services to assist people to become self-sufficient and supporting those in need.

Centrelink website:
http://www.centrelink.gov.au/


5. Enrol Your Children in School
Under Australian law, children must attend school until they are 15 years old.

6. Look for job
- Most job application can be done only

Example website:
seek.com.au
mycareer.com.au

7. Apply for a Driver's Licence
- If you are a permanent resident visa holder and have a current driver's licence from another country, in English or with an official translation, you are allowed to drive for your first three months after arrival.
- After the three months, if you want to drive, you will need to have the appropriate driver's licence. This will usually require you to pass a knowledge test, a practical driving test, and an eyesight test.

RTA website:
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/

Additional tip: Get a certificate copy of first issuance with LTO specially if you already got a drivers license in the Philippines for more than 3 years so that you can go straight to FULL license once you pass the practical driving test.