Last reviewed
Jobs and side income
Pay, breaks, and pay slips come from the Fair Work system, including when your visa is temporary. An employer cannot cancel your visa. Delivery and rideshare work is often contracting, not a job, and the Tax Office treats ride-sourcing as a business, with an ABN and GST from the first fare.
Pay and rights
Does a temporary visa cancel your workplace rights?
Workplace laws apply regardless of visa status, and an employer cannot cancel your visa. Minimum pay, breaks, and pay slips come from the Fair Work system, and rates change, so use the Pay Calculator rather than a number forwarded in a chat.
- Fair Work OmbudsmanChecked 24 Oct 2026International students at workMinimum pay and conditions, the difference between an employee and a contractor, and where gig platforms fit. (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work OmbudsmanChecked 24 Oct 2026Visa holders and migrant workersWorkplace laws apply regardless of visa status. An employer cannot cancel your visa. (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work OmbudsmanChecked 24 Oct 2026Minimum wagesThe national minimum wage and why most people are paid under an award instead. Rates change. (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work OmbudsmanChecked 24 Oct 2026Pay CalculatorThe Fair Work Ombudsman’s calculator for award rates. Use this rather than a number forwarded in a chat. (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work OmbudsmanChecked 24 Oct 2026Pay for students and young workersPay and conditions written for students, including the warning that an ABN does not make you a contractor. (opens in a new tab)
Gig and contract work
How is gig and rideshare work taxed?
Delivery and rideshare work is often contracting, not a job. The Tax Office treats ride-sourcing as a business, with an ABN and GST from the first fare, unless you are an employee.
- Fair Work OmbudsmanChecked 24 Oct 2026Independent contractorsHow contracting differs from employment, and where to start if a platform calls you a contractor. (opens in a new tab)
- Australian Taxation OfficeChecked 24 Oct 2026Ride-sourcing and taxABN and GST apply from the first fare if you drive passengers through an app, unless you are an employee. (opens in a new tab)
- Australian Taxation OfficeChecked 24 Oct 2026Super and the sharing economyWhen a platform must pay super, and when you are left to contribute yourself. (opens in a new tab)
Finding work
Where do you look for work help?
Workforce Australia is the national employment service, and eligibility for help depends on your visa and circumstances.
Sources
The answers above use these official pages. If a page and Life in Australia disagree, follow the official page.
- International students at work (opens in a new tab) — Fair Work Ombudsman
- Visa holders and migrant workers (opens in a new tab) — Fair Work Ombudsman
- Minimum wages (opens in a new tab) — Fair Work Ombudsman
- Pay Calculator (opens in a new tab) — Fair Work Ombudsman
- Pay for students and young workers (opens in a new tab) — Fair Work Ombudsman
- Independent contractors (opens in a new tab) — Fair Work Ombudsman
- Ride-sourcing and tax (opens in a new tab) — Australian Taxation Office
- Super and the sharing economy (opens in a new tab) — Australian Taxation Office
- Workforce Australia (opens in a new tab) — Workforce Australia