Immigrants arrive with well-prepared CVs — by the standards of their home country. Professional photo, date of birth, marital status, sometimes even ID or tax file numbers. In Australia, all of that gets removed. The Australian CV follows a different logic, and sending the wrong format isn't just an aesthetic issue — it can make you look out of touch with the local market.

This article explains the structure, what to include and what to never put in. At the end, you'll find ready-made templates for the 6 areas with the highest demand for immigrants — with instructions in Portuguese, English, and Spanish to make it easier to fill in.

What to never include in an Australian CV

These details are standard in Brazilian and Latin American CVs — and are a mistake in the Australian context:

Do not includeWhy
PhotoCan lead to discrimination claims — Australian employers avoid it to protect themselves
Date of birth / ageAge discrimination is illegal — employers don't want this information
Marital statusIrrelevant and not requested
Document numbers (passport, tax file, national ID)Never include these in documents sent to third parties
Full addressInclude only suburb and state
Career objective (in the style of "seeking an opportunity to...")Replaced by a Professional Summary — more concrete
References in the CV itselfReferences go separately or with "available upon request"

Anti-discrimination in hiring

Australian legislation prohibits discrimination based on age, gender, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, and other factors. The absence of a photo and personal data in a CV is not just a custom — it is a legal protection that employers take seriously.

The structure of an Australian CV

1. Header — name and contact

Full name prominently at the top. Below, on one line:

  • Suburb and state (not full address) — e.g. Footscray, VIC
  • Australian mobile number (+61 4XX XXX XXX)
  • Professional email (avoid nicknames)
  • LinkedIn (optional, but recommended for roles above entry level)

2. Right to Work — visa declaration

This section doesn't exist in a Brazilian CV, but it is expected in Australia. The employer needs to confirm you can legally work before calling you for an interview.

Choose one of the options below according to your situation and place it under the header:

  • Australian Citizen
  • Australian Permanent Resident
  • Valid Working Visa — [subclass], expires [month year]
  • Valid Working Holiday Visa (417/462), expires [month year]

Do not mention your country of origin. It's not necessary and can introduce bias.

For temporary visas with full work rights

Some temporary visas allow work without restrictions on hours or sector (e.g. student visas with full work rights, certain skilled visas). In those cases, you can use Full work rights instead of specifying the visa subclass — which avoids an employer dismissing your CV due to unfamiliarity with your visa conditions. If applying for a fixed-term contract, noting that your visa covers the contract period can help.

3. Professional Summary

Three to four lines describing who you are professionally: your field, years of experience, and two or three strengths relevant to the role. Write in the implicit third person — no "I am" or "My name is".

Good example: "Experienced barista with 3 years in high-volume café environments. Skilled in specialty coffee preparation, POS systems, and delivering consistent customer experiences. RSA certified."

Avoid:

  • "Proactive and dynamic professional seeking new opportunities"
  • Generic adjectives with no substance

4. Key Skills

A list of 8 to 12 skills in bullet points. This section is for listing, not describing. Use terms that recruiters and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) search for: tool names, systems, certifications, and technical competencies for your field.

5. Work Experience

Order: most recent first (reverse chronological).

Format for each entry:

Job Title  |  Company  |  City, State  |  Month Year – Month Year (or Present)
• Bullet describing a responsibility or result — start with an action verb
• Another bullet
• Another bullet (2 to 5 bullets per role)

Action verbs: Prepared, Managed, Coordinated, Delivered, Assisted, Trained, Operated, Maintained, Implemented, Achieved...

Does overseas experience count? Yes. Australian employers understand that immigrants have work history outside Australia. What matters is that the role, responsibilities, and achievements are clear. If the company is not well known, a line of context helps: "High-volume café in São Paulo — 120+ covers per day".

Tip for those without Australian experience yet

Include relevant informal experience: volunteering, internships, childcare, household maintenance, community work. For entry-level positions, Australian employers value these experiences when described professionally.

6. Education

Reverse order: most recent first. Include qualifications from your home country — use the course name in English. Formal recognition is not required to list it; the employer may ask about equivalence at the interview if relevant.

Format: Course / Qualification | Institution | City, Country | Year of completion

7. Certifications & Licences

This section makes a real difference in many fields. It includes:

  • Professional certifications (RSA, White Card, Certificate III, First Aid)
  • Operational licences (forklift, EWP, dogging)
  • Mandatory checks (NDIS Worker Screening, Working with Children Check)
  • Australian driver's licence (for roles that require it)

Each sector has its own specific certifications — the templates below already list which are mandatory and which are optional.

8. References

Two references with name, job title, company, and contact details. Preferably Australian. If you don't have any yet, "References available upon request" is accepted.

Let your references know before you send the CV

In Brazil, it's common to list references without telling them. In Australia, the recruiter calls or emails them directly. Always let the person know in advance — and make sure the contact details are up to date.

Length — how many pages?

ProfileRecommended length
Entry level, no Australian experience1 page
1–5 years of experience1–2 pages
Experienced professional or technical roles2 pages
Academic or medical roles (academic CV)More than 2 — but this is an academic CV, not a resume

If in doubt, 2 pages is the safe standard for most immigrants with overseas experience.

Create your CV with the free tool

Use ArrivoAU's free tool to build your Australian CV with Right to Work already included. Fill it in your language — the result comes out in English, ready to download as a Word file.

Choose your area below and go directly to the tool:

Café / Barista

For those who work or want to work in cafés. Includes specialty coffee skills, grinder calibration, and POS systems. Certifications: RSA (mandatory), Food Safety, First Aid.

→ Create my CV for Café / Barista — free ArrivoAU tool

Restaurant / Front of House

For those working in restaurants — waiter, table service, host, bar. Includes wine service, POS, reservation systems. Certifications: RSA (mandatory), Food Safety Supervisor.

→ Create my CV for Restaurant / Front of House — free ArrivoAU tool

Aged Care / Disability Support

For those who work or want to work in aged care or supporting NDIS participants. Certifications: NDIS Worker Screening (mandatory), First Aid (mandatory), Certificate III Individual Support.

→ Create my CV for Aged Care / Disability Support — free ArrivoAU tool

Retail / Customer Service

For work in shops, supermarkets, and customer-facing roles. Includes POS, cash handling, visual merchandising. Generally no mandatory certifications — RSA is useful for liquor retail.

→ Create my CV for Retail / Customer Service — free ArrivoAU tool

Construction Labourer

For work on construction sites — general labourer, bricklayer's assistant, site hand. Certifications: White Card (mandatory and essential), driver's licence, optional licences for forklift/EWP/dogging.

→ Create my CV for Construction Labourer — free ArrivoAU tool

Childcare / Early Childhood Educator

For those working in childcare centres, early childhood education centres, or family day care. Certifications: Working with Children Check (mandatory), HLTAID012 with paediatric CPR (mandatory), Certificate III Early Childhood.

→ Create my CV for Childcare / Early Childhood — free ArrivoAU tool

Build your Australian CV for free

ArrivoAU has a free tool to create your CV in the Australian format — with Right to Work already included, in English, ready to download as a Word file.

→ Create my CV now

Official sources