Your visa may let you work part-time, but you can’t legally be paid properly until you have the right tax or work number for that country. It’s quick admin, but getting it wrong — or skipping it — can mean wrong tax, underpayment, or trouble. Here’s the one task to sort in your first weeks.

What these numbers are

Each country has a personal identifier that links you to its tax and (sometimes) benefits system. You generally can’t be paid correctly — or at all — without it:

• check_circle United Kingdom — National Insurance (NI) number: used for tax and social contributions. You can usually start work before it arrives, then give it to your employer once you have it.
• check_circle Australia — Tax File Number (TFN): apply online after you arrive; without it your employer taxes you at the highest rate.
• check_circle Canada — Social Insurance Number (SIN): legally required to work; apply after arrival once your study permit allows work.
• check_circle New Zealand — IRD number: needed so you're taxed correctly rather than at the no-declaration rate.

Apply after you arrive — but quickly

You generally apply for these once you’re in the country, with your passport, visa/permit, and proof of address. Make it one of your first administrative tasks, alongside opening a bank account and registering with your university. The sooner you have it, the sooner you can be hired and paid correctly.

Know your work-hour limit — and respect it

Your student visa caps how much you can work, usually during term, with more allowed in holidays. The exact limit varies by country and changes with policy. Breaching it is a serious visa violation that can affect your studies and future applications:

• check_circle Know your country's current term-time hour limit before you take a job
• check_circle Count *all* jobs together against the limit, not each separately
• check_circle Keep your own record of hours worked each week
• check_circle Never work cash-in-hand 'off the books' to dodge the limit — it risks your visa and leaves you with no protection

Protect yourself from being underpaid

International students are sometimes targeted for underpayment. The tax number is also your protection — it means you’re on the books with rights:

• check_circle Know the legal minimum wage for your country and age
• check_circle Insist on payslips and being paid through proper payroll, not cash with no record
• check_circle Be wary of 'jobs' that ask you to work before any paperwork
• check_circle Keep records of hours and pay so you can challenge errors

A simple first-fortnight checklist

• check_circle Open a local bank account
• check_circle Apply for your NI / TFN / SIN / IRD number
• check_circle Confirm your exact term-time work-hour limit
• check_circle Prepare a simple local CV
• check_circle Only then start applying for part-time roles

Next steps

Working part-time can ease your living costs and build experience — but only when it’s done legally and your studies come first. Book a free session and we’ll make sure you understand the rules for your destination before you take that first job.