How References and Referees Actually Work in Australia

Referee, Not Reference Letter

In much of the world, a written reference letter from a previous employer, sometimes on official letterhead and quite formal, is the standard document. In Australia, that document is rarely asked for and, if offered unprompted, is often treated as weaker evidence than a phone conversation — a letter is easy to have written by anyone the applicant chooses, on their own terms, whereas a phone call lets the checking employer ask specific, sometimes unscripted questions and judge the tone of the answer as much as the content. If you have a written reference from overseas, it's fine to mention it exists, but expect an Australian employer to still want to speak to the person directly wherever practical.

How Many, and Who

Two referees is the common expectation, occasionally three for more senior roles. The strongest referees are a direct manager or supervisor — someone who actually oversaw your day-to-day work and can speak specifically to it — rather than a senior figure who knows your name but not your work in detail, or a colleague at the same level as you. A reference from your most recent role, or your two most recent roles, generally carries more weight than an older one.

Why 'References Available on Request' Doesn't Work Here

Writing 'references available on request' on your resume, rather than naming your referees, is treated in Australian hiring as a non-answer that just adds a delay step to a process the employer would rather move through quickly. Australian employers routinely check references before making a formal offer, and building in an extra round of back-and-forth to first ask for names is friction most hiring managers would rather avoid. Name your referees directly on the resume or in your application, with their role, how they know you, and current contact details — after getting their permission first, always.

What Employers Can and Can't Lawfully Ask a Referee

A referee check is generally limited to job-relevant matters: your performance, conduct, reliability, reason for leaving, and whether you'd be re-employed. What an employer (or anyone checking a reference on their behalf) generally shouldn't be asking about, or basing a hiring decision on, are the attributes the Fair Work Act's discrimination provisions cover for prospective employees — race, sex, age, religion, family responsibilities and the other attributes listed in s351 among them. If a referee check veers into questions about your personal life that have nothing to do with how you did the job, that's worth noting, though it's often more useful to focus on making sure your chosen referees will speak to your actual work than to police the exact wording of every question they're asked.

Handling No Local Referees

This is common and manageable, not disqualifying. Overseas referees are used routinely — the practical friction is time zones and the employer having no easy way to verify an unfamiliar overseas company or your relationship to the referee, not that overseas references are inherently distrusted. Where possible, warn your overseas referee that a call might come, at what time zone it's likely to land, and brief them on the specific role you're applying for so their answers are relevant.

If you've done any Australian work at all — a short contract, an internship, volunteer work, even informal work for a community organisation — that person is worth including alongside an overseas referee, since it gives the employer at least one contact they can reach easily and in a familiar context. Being upfront that you're newly arrived and building your local network, rather than hoping the gap goes unnoticed, tends to read better.

Statutory Declarations — A Different Purpose Entirely

A statutory declaration of employment is a formal, witnessed legal document used for a specific purpose: proving your employment history and duties to a skills-assessing authority (for example, as part of a skilled migration skills assessment) when your previous employer won't or can't provide a standard reference letter. It's a legal instrument with penalties for false statements, sworn or affirmed in front of an authorised witness — a completely different thing from the informal phone-call reference check a hiring employer runs, and it isn't a substitute for having real, contactable referees when you're actually applying for a job. Our guide to skills assessments covers where a statutory declaration fits into that separate process.

Next Steps

Get permission from your intended referees before listing them, brief them on the specific role, and list names and current contact details directly rather than writing 'available on request'. If you don't have a local referee yet, be upfront about it and lean on any Australian work experience, however short, alongside a well-briefed overseas referee. Our guide to writing an Australian resume covers exactly where and how referees should appear on the document itself.

Do I need a written reference letter to get a job in Australia?

Not usually. Australian employers generally prefer to phone a referee directly rather than rely on a written letter, which is treated as easier to arrange favourably and harder to verify. A written letter doesn't hurt to mention, but expect a phone check as well.

How many referees does an Australian employer usually want?

Two is the common expectation, sometimes three for more senior roles — ideally direct managers or supervisors from your recent roles who can speak specifically to your work.

Should I write 'references available on request' on my resume?

No. It's treated as a non-answer in Australian hiring and just adds a delay. List your referees' names, roles and current contact details directly, after getting their permission.

What can an Australian employer legally ask my referee?

Generally job-relevant questions — your performance, conduct, reliability and reason for leaving. Questions based on protected personal attributes (covered by the Fair Work Act's discrimination provisions, s351) generally shouldn't factor into the hiring decision.

What do I do if I don't have any referees in Australia yet?

Use overseas referees and brief them on the specific role and likely time zone of the call. If you have any Australian work at all — even short-term, volunteer or informal — include that person too, since an employer can usually verify it more easily.

Is a statutory declaration the same as a job reference?

No — a statutory declaration of employment is a formal, witnessed legal document used mainly to prove your work history to a skills-assessing authority for migration purposes. It's a different document for a different process than the phone-call reference check an employer runs before hiring you.