--- title: "Australia Hiring Guide 2026 | VEVO Check to First Payslip" description: "Hire in Australia 2026: VEVO check, Fair Work Statement, written contract, super. Notice from 1 week. Teamed handles all five steps." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/australia/hiring-guide --- Australia · Hiring guide child Served by Teamed-owned entity: Teamed Australia Pty Ltd, Sydney # How do you *hire an Australian employee* in 2026? Every Australian hire requires a VEVO visa-entitlement check for non-citizens before day one. On day one itself, the Fair Work Information Statement must be handed to the new employee. Miss either and you are exposed to a Fair Work Act breach from the first shift. Last reviewed 13 Jun 2026 · Australia guide ![A sunlit street in Sydney with modern office buildings and clear blue skies.](/images/country-guides/australia-hiring-guide.webp) Illustration · Sydney, Australia Answer.cite this The Australia hire process has five steps. Offer letter, visa-entitlement check, written contract, onboarding admin, first payday. The Fair Work Information Statement must reach the new employee on or before day one. This is a legal requirement under the Fair Work Act 2009. Non-citizen hires need a VEVO check before they start. Probation runs up to 6 months by convention. Notice from the employer is at least 1 week under the NES. ![Hands reviewing a printed employment contract at a desk in a modern Australian office.](/images/country-guides/australia-hiring-guide-polaroid-1.webp) Day one paperwork ## What does the end-to-end Australia hire process look like? Five steps take you from accepted offer to first payslip. Offer letter, visa-entitlement check, written contract, onboarding admin, first payday. The day-one deadline matters most. The Fair Work Information Statement must be given to the new employee on or before their first day of work. | Step | What happens | Owner | Timing | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, salary, start date, and key terms | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept | | 2. VEVO visa-entitlement check | Online VEVO check for non-citizens; Australian and New Zealand citizens require document sighting only | Teamed | Before the employee starts | | 3. Written contract and Fair Work Information Statement | Signed employment contract and Fair Work Information Statement handed to employee | Teamed (legal employer) | On or before day one | | 4. Onboarding admin | Tax File Number declaration, superannuation fund choice, bank details, MyGov super stapling check | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | 5. First payday | First payslip issued, PAYG withholding lodged, super contribution confirmed | Teamed | End of first pay period | 1. Issue the offer letter Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, salary, start date, probation of up to 6 months by convention, notice during probation of 7 days, and any conditions such as visa status or references. 2. Complete the visa-entitlement check Run a VEVO check online for non-citizens before the employee starts. Sight and copy original documents for Australian citizens and permanent residents. Save the result as your compliance record. 3. Issue the written contract and Fair Work Statement The employment contract and Fair Work Information Statement must be given on or before day one. Teamed's standard Australian contract meets all NES requirements. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer. 4. Complete onboarding admin Lodge the Tax File Number declaration with the ATO, confirm the superannuation fund (or run the super stapling check), collect bank details, and register for PAYG withholding. This runs across days one to seven. 5. Issue the first payslip and lodge super Run the first payroll at the end of the first pay period. Lodge PAYG withholding with the ATO and pay the superannuation guarantee contribution to the employee's chosen fund by the quarterly due date. ## What must an Australian offer letter include? The offer letter is not the contract. It is the document the candidate decides against. Include role title, reporting line, start date, base salary, working hours, location, probation period of up to 6 months by convention, notice during probation of 7 days, and any conditions such as visa status or reference checks. Three traps to avoid in Australian offer letters: - **Quoting the wrong base.** Australia uses gross annual salary as the standard quote. Some employers accidentally quote a figure inclusive of superannuation guarantee contributions (currently 12%). Make clear whether the quoted figure includes super or is paid on top of it. - **Overlooking Modern Award coverage.** Many Australian roles fall under a Modern Award that sets minimum pay rates and conditions. If the employee is award-covered, the offer letter must not commit to terms below the award floor. Teamed checks award coverage before drafting. - **Promising discretionary items as entitlements.** Bonus or commission language that implies guaranteed payment can become a contractual entitlement if the employee reasonably relies on it. Keep discretionary items clearly labelled as discretionary. Teamed's standard Australian offer letter covers all required ground without overcommitting. Clients customise commercial elements. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues the Fair Work Information Statement alongside the contract. ## Australia work-entitlement checks (VEVO and document sighting) Every employer must check that a new employee has the right to work in Australia before they start. Australian citizens and permanent residents are checked by sighting a passport, birth certificate, or similar document. Non-citizens are checked online via VEVO, the Visa Entitlement Verification Online system. ### VEVO check for non-citizens VEVO is a free online tool provided by the Department of Home Affairs. It returns a real-time result showing whether the person holds a valid visa and whether that visa permits work. The employer runs the VEVO check before the employee starts and saves the result as their compliance record. Common visa categories that permit work include the Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482), the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186), the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 or 462), and various graduate and partner visas. Each category may have work conditions: check them on the VEVO result. Department of Home Affairs · VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) Employers can use VEVO to check whether a person has the right to work in Australia and any conditions that apply to that right. A VEVO check before employment begins provides evidence that the employer took reasonable steps to verify work entitlement. Source: [Department of Home Affairs: VEVO for visa holders and employers](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/already-have-a-visa/check-visa-details-and-conditions/check-conditions-online/visa-holders) ### Australian citizens and permanent residents For Australian citizens and permanent residents, there is no online check system. The employer sights an original identity document (Australian passport, birth certificate, or citizenship certificate) and retains a copy. New Zealand citizens who enter under the Special Category Visa (subclass 444) are checked the same way. ### Follow-up checks for time-limited visas Employees on temporary visas have an expiry date. Teamed tracks each expiry and triggers a reminder ahead of renewal. A lapsed visa with no renewal is a compliance breach from the day the visa expires. Teamed manages the calendar so no renewal falls through. ## The Australian written contract: what must it contain? Australia does not have a single national law that requires a written contract of employment in the UK sense. But every employer must give the employee the Fair Work Information Statement on or before day one. And if a written contract exists, its terms must meet or exceed the National Employment Standards and any applicable Modern Award. What a sound Australian employment contract should include: - Names and contact details of both parties - Start date and, if applicable, end date (for fixed-term roles) - Job title and brief description of duties - Place of work and any requirement to work at multiple locations - Base salary or hourly rate; confirmation of whether super is included or paid on top - Hours of work: ordinary hours up to 38 hours per week under the NES - Annual leave entitlement of 20 days for a five-day week under the NES - Personal and carer's leave entitlement - Notice of termination: minimum employer notice as set out in the Fair Work Act; minimum employee notice as agreed in the contract or applicable award - Probation period terms, if agreed - Whether a Modern Award or enterprise agreement applies - Superannuation fund details - Confidentiality and intellectual property terms where relevant The Fair Work Information Statement is a separate document. It must accompany or precede the contract. It covers the NES, Modern Awards, agreement-making, right to request flexible working, and how the Fair Work Commission operates. Key source: [Fair Work Ombudsman: National Employment Standards](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/national-employment-standards). ## Onboarding admin in the first week Days 1 to 7 cover Tax File Number declaration, superannuation fund choice, super stapling check, bank details, and Fair Work Information Statement confirmation. Teamed handles the payroll and super side. The client handles the cultural and operational side. | Onboarding task | Who does it | Day | | --- | --- | --- | | Written contract signed | Employee and Teamed | Day 0 or 1 | | Fair Work Information Statement issued | Teamed | Day 0 or 1 (mandatory) | | VEVO check completed (non-citizens) | Teamed | Day 0 (before start) | | Tax File Number declaration lodged | Employee submits TFN; Teamed lodges with ATO | Day 1 | | Superannuation fund choice | Employee selects; Teamed registers | Day 1 | | Super stapling check via ATO | Teamed | Days 1 to 2 | | Bank details collected for pay transfer | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | PAYG withholding registration | Teamed | Days 1 to 3 | | Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 | | Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 | | 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 | ## How does Teamed handle Australian employment for you? Teamed becomes your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in Australia for [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency. VEVO checks, Fair Work Information Statement, super registration, PAYG, and the full Australian employment law stack run on **one platform**. **Real HR and legal experts** handle your Australian hires, from the first offer letter through every PAYG lodgement and superannuation contribution. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice. EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on **one platform**. An Australian contractor who converts to permanent employment keeps their record. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see the month your Australian hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Australia hiring overview; each guide here takes one layer of Australian employment law. Key sources: [Fair Work Ombudsman](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/), [Department of Home Affairs VEVO](https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/already-have-a-visa/check-visa-details-and-conditions/check-conditions-online/visa-holders), and [Australian Taxation Office](https://www.ato.gov.au/). ## Frequently asked questions How long does it take to hire someone in Australia through Teamed? Teamed can onboard an Australian citizen or permanent resident within a few business days. The critical path is the visa-entitlement check for non-citizens (run via VEVO before the start date) and the Fair Work Information Statement, which must be given on or before day one. Superannuation and PAYG registration runs in parallel across the first week. Employees on temporary visas will need the VEVO check completed first; the visa must permit work before the start date. What is the Fair Work Information Statement and when must it be given? The Fair Work Information Statement is a document published by the Fair Work Ombudsman. It explains the National Employment Standards, Modern Awards, agreement-making, right to request flexible working arrangements, and how the Fair Work Commission works. Every employer must give it to each new employee on or before their first day of work. There is no grace period. Teamed delivers it with the employment contract so the obligation is met before day one. What is the VEVO check and who needs one? VEVO is the Visa Entitlement Verification Online system run by the Department of Home Affairs. It gives a real-time result showing whether a person holds a valid visa and what work conditions apply to it. Every non-citizen new hire needs a VEVO check before they start work. Australian citizens and permanent residents do not use VEVO; their right to work is established by sighting a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship certificate. What notice period applies during probation in Australia? During probation, the minimum employer notice under the Fair Work Act is 7 days for an employee with less than one year of service. Teamed's standard Australian contract sets the same minimum for employee resignation during probation. Probation runs up to 6 months by convention, though the Fair Work Act does not set a statutory maximum. After 6 months of service, unfair dismissal protection applies for employees of businesses with 15 or more staff. What is the minimum annual leave entitlement for an Australian employee? The minimum paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards is 20 days for a full-time employee on a five-day week. Australia has 8 national public holidays each year under the Fair Work Act; state and territory governments add further public holidays on top of those. Leave accrues from the first day of employment. Part-time employees accrue leave on a pro-rata basis. Teamed Legal Operations The Fair Work Information Statement is the step that catches new employers out. It is not optional, it is not a nice-to-have, and it has to be in the employee's hands on or before day one. We deliver it with the contract so the compliance box is ticked before the person walks in the door. A note from Tom Price-Daniel Australia puts two compliance items on day one: the visa-entitlement check and the Fair Work Information Statement. Get both right before the first shift and your onboarding record is clean. That is what Teamed builds into every Australian hire. Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed ## Related Australia guides - Hiring in Australia, overviewparent - [Australia termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/australia/termination-and-severance)sibling - [Australia employer cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/australia/cost-breakdown)sibling - [UK hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/united-kingdom/hiring-guide)sibling - [Germany hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/germany/hiring-guide)sibling - [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core - [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator)tool - [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA A note on this page. This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify current requirements with the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Department of Home Affairs for Australia, or speak to a qualified professional, before relying on any specific framework.