Up till 2015, we referred to as Australia our second residence. Max relocated to Queensland, Australia again in 2009 to pursue his MBA, and Oksana moved in 2012 looking for a contemporary begin and a brand new starting.
We navigated the murky waters of shifting to Australia firsthand and discovered so much concerning the course of over time. At the moment, we need to share our data with others by debunking the 5 most typical myths and misconceptions about shifting to Australia.
Sydney, Australia
MYTH #1. I Want To Get Sponsored By A Firm To Transfer To Australia
Whereas it might make issues so much simpler, it’s not essential. In case you are between the ages of 18 to 30 (UPDATE: now 35 for these from sure international locations!), the simplest and most typical method to enter Australia is on a Work and Vacation visa.
Subclass 417: For folks from Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Eire, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK.
Subclass 462: For candidates from Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, the USA and Uruguay, on vacation and work visas in Australia.
So long as you meet the age and citizenship standards, you’ll be able to apply for the working vacation visa on-line and be accredited inside just a few days, or generally even hours! The Australian visa utility course of may be very streamlined.
This work visa will permit you to keep in Australia and work for as much as 12 months, research for as much as 4 months, depart and re-enter Australia any variety of instances whereas the visa is legitimate. You may as well reapply for this Australian visa as much as 2 further instances (so long as you meet the visa standards).
The visa does have limitations, although. Since you’re solely allowed to work with every employer for six months at a time, you’ll almost definitely find yourself in a service or hospitality sort of job (hostess, bartending, promo employees, fruit choosing, and many others), which isn’t essentially a nasty factor if you’re on the lookout for a change and need to spend most of your yr in Australia travelling and solely working to fund your travels.
Hospitality jobs in Australia pay actually good cash. A bartender will on common earn $25 an hour, some will even earn further cash in suggestions (though that’s not quite common). That works out to be about $54K a yr, not a lot lower than you’d get working at an workplace job again residence. It’s also attainable to enter the nation on a working vacation visa, and attempt to safe a sponsorship as soon as you’re right here in Australia. An organization can rent you on a 6 month probation interval, and if they’re joyful together with your work, they’re much more more likely to sponsor you on the finish of the 6 month interval, then they’re when you’re nonetheless again in your house nation. You probably have good work expertise and discover a job at a big group – you’re in luck, as they are going to almost definitely course of your sponsorship for Short-term Work Expert Visa Subclass 457 immediately, permitting you to remain within the nation for the size of your contract.
Don’t fear should you’re out of the age vary that qualifies for the Working Vacation Visa, you’ve gotten a lot extra choices! There are a number of totally different Australian visas you’ll be able to apply for, relying in your scenario. Over 20 totally different Australian Work Visas can be found for these with expertise in various kinds of expert labour, these which might be enterprise house owners, and even buyers. You don’t even should discover a job in Australia! You’ll be able to qualify for a Customer Visa that can permit you to keep within the nation for as much as 12 months. Sure necessities are tied to a lot of these visas – you’ll want to show that you’ve got sufficient funds in your checking account to finance your journey, for one factor. In fact, there’s the Pupil Visa, however that comes with its personal set of necessities. No matter your scenario could also be, the Australian authorities has a really useful web site with all your choices, and a migration agent may help with any questions on visas, and the potential of making use of for Australian citizenship down the highway.
On board the Spirit of Queensland practice
MYTH #2. Value Of Dwelling In Australia Is Actually Excessive
Lots of people fear that in the event that they transfer to Australia and may’t discover a job immediately they’ll run out of cash actually rapidly and have to return residence. Sure, Australia shouldn’t be an affordable nation to journey and dwell in, however it’s as costly as you enable it to be. We lived in Brisbane, Queensland on a funds of roughly $1500 a month per individual, which accounts for hire, groceries, purchasing, going out, transportation, weekend journey and the whole lot in between. Sure, we have been watching our funds a bit, however we actually weren’t dwelling like hermits and avoiding all social actions. Brisbane might be not as costly as greater Australian cities like Melbourne or Sydney, however it’s nonetheless thought-about to be dearer than, say, Toronto or a variety of different main cities in Canada, States, and the UK.
So it’s attainable to dwell in Australia with out breaking the financial institution. We advise dwelling in a shared home, making meals at residence or consuming out at low cost eating places, selecting BYO the place attainable, utilizing public transport through the day and in your method to and from the bars on the weekend, and selecting low cost weekend actions like tenting!
View of the Foreshore and Hunter River kind the highest of Fort Scratchley. Newcastle. Australia
MYTH #3. Australia Is Scorching All Yr Spherical!
The local weather in Australia varies dramatically throughout the nation. Queensland and Northern Territories are inclined to have hotter climates in comparison with New South Wales and Victoria, and it’s not unusual for cities like Melbourne and Sydney to go all the way down to 10°C through the day and 0-5°C at evening within the winter months, which for Australia is June-August. That’s removed from seaside climate!
In case you are chasing seaside climate and sunny days, contemplate basing your self in Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, or different Australian cities within the Northern a part of the nation. The additional North you go, the hotter it’ll be!
If warmth isn’t your cup of tea, basing your self in an Australian metropolis south of Sydney provides you with a chance to expertise scorching summers and colder winters.
Mission Seashore, Queensland
MYTH #4. I Don’t Know Anybody In Australia, I’m Going To Be Lonely And Homesick
This is likely one of the greatest causes folks hesitate to choose up their lives and transfer overseas. They’re frightened by the concern of being alone, the concern of lacking family, pals, and the familiarity of residence.
We gained’t misinform you, it’s one of many hardest issues we’ve needed to cope with whereas dwelling overseas. There will probably be instances when you’ll really feel lonely and homesick when your Fb feed explodes with feedback about one thing that occurred again in your hometown, and you’re feeling utterly disregarded. There will probably be instances once you miss pals’ birthdays, household gatherings, and different occasions.
For those who don’t know anybody in Australia, establishing a social circle will probably be one thing you’ll should actively work on. However the excellent news is that you’re not going to be the one foreigner in Australia. There are many folks right here doing precisely what you’ll be doing, who’ve additionally arrived right here alone and are on the lookout for a brand new social circle. There are nice teams that you need to use to attach with these like-minded people.
There are nice teams that you need to use to attach with these like-minded people. Internations is certainly one of my favourites – it’s an expat group that exists in just about each massive metropolis, connecting expats from everywhere in the world by way of month-to-month social occasions and actions. You’ll be able to enroll on their web site and begin connecting with others instantly. The opposite useful gizmo for assembly folks in a brand new metropolis is Meet-Up. With a whole bunch of social and curiosity teams already present in most cities in Australia, you’re certain to discover a complete lot of latest pals in a matter of time. Then there are, in fact sports activities, volunteering, and different interest teams that you possibly can be a part of as properly. And most Australians are very pleasant; you develop into pals with one individual and abruptly you’re pals with all of their pals as properly! There – downside solved!
Broome, Courthouse Market
MYTH #5. I Don’t Have A Community Right here So Discovering A Job Will Be Extraordinarily Troublesome!
Discovering a job in Australia is less complicated than you suppose. No matter what sort of job alternatives you’re after, part-time hospitality or full-time workplace work, begin with the biggest job web site in Australia; www.search.com.au
Search is utilized by most recruitment companies and most small and enormous organizations in Australia. It is not uncommon for workers to seek out profiles of potential candidates and method them immediately. Alternatively, you’ll be able to ( and will!) apply to as many roles as you discover appropriate with a correct CV and a custom-made cowl letter.
Search can also be an amazing place to join with recruiters. For instance, if you’re on the lookout for a job in advertising and marketing, search all advertising and marketing jobs on Search, and notice down any recruiting companies or corporations which might be promoting for a advertising and marketing position. Even if you’re not an acceptable candidate for this explicit position, name up the recruiter and ask just a few questions on this position. Begin a dialog, inform them about your self, your abilities and your scenario. They may almost definitely ask you to ship by way of your CV and can add you to their database for future positions. The extra connections you’ll be able to set up with recruiters, the higher off you’ll be ultimately. Remember that many recruiters, and organizations won’t take your CV significantly if you’re making use of from again residence.
Seek for corporations you’d need to work for and browse their web sites for profession alternatives. Apply to these jobs immediately.
In case you are on the lookout for hospitality jobs or half time jobs, take a look at GumTree, to seek out numerous choices for momentary work. When you’ve discovered a spot to dwell, stroll across the neighbourhood and see if any retailers, accommodations, eating places, and many others are hiring. Some may need a “Assist Wished” signal of their window; others might not.
Whereas there could also be a whole bunch of different questions working by way of your thoughts as you contemplate your choices, keep in mind that you’ll by no means have each single element sorted out, and at one level or one other, you’ll simply have to take that leap of religion… and simply do it!
MYTH #6. Healthcare Will Be Outrageously Costly
Whereas the free public healthcare system is geared in direction of Australian residents and people with everlasting residency, you’ll be able to simply discover reasonably priced protection with an abroad customer medical health insurance plan. These are personal plans that you would be able to buy on-line, and there are some with month-to-month premiums of lower than $100 USD. Ensure you learn all of the high quality print earlier than signing up for a plan and contemplate reaching out to different expats for recommendation on which service to decide on. Internations.org has a variety of useful info on well being protection in Australia.
For those who fall in love with Australia like so many others have and resolve to use for everlasting residency or to develop into an Australian citizen, you’ll be eligible for public healthcare protection. About half of the Australian inhabitants additionally carry a supplemental personal medical health insurance plan. Medicare in Australia doesn’t cowl the whole lot, together with care administered at personal hospitals. These supplemental plans are tremendous reasonably priced too – a fraction of what you’d pay in international locations just like the U.S.
Adelaide, South Australia
MYTH #7. All Of Australia Is Desert Outback
This one is type of tied to the parable that Australia is all the time scorching. Simply because the climates are diverse throughout the nation, so is the panorama. Certain, you’ve gotten the enduring, rugged wilderness of the Northern Territory, however there may be a lot extra.
Being an island nation, seashores about, and Australia is residence to a few of the most lovely coastlines on this planet. You will have the beautiful white sands of the Whitsundays, the well-known Gold Coast, and naturally the Nice Barrier Reef.
The wine areas in South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria have a gently rolling panorama and customarily a extra gentle local weather that may get fairly cool through the winter months and even expertise some snowfall. To the northeast, in Queensland, you’ll discover Daintree Rainforest, which is the oldest tropical rainforest on this planet. This UNESCO World Heritage Website encompasses 160,000 hectares of forest, rivers, waterfalls, gorges, and sandy seashores.
Tasmania is filled with wild, lush pure great thing about its personal, to not point out one of the crucial hanging coastlines on this planet. Then in Western Australia, you’ve gotten the large Lancelin mushy white sand dunes, legendary rock formations, and an unimaginable pink lagoon. The purpose is, should you’re tired of the panorama, simply hit the highway!
That’s to not say you completely should be a nature lover to take pleasure in Australia. The foremost cities and smaller coastal cities are filled with vibrant Australian tradition, artwork, and glowing social scenes to go well with everybody. The meals scene is wonderful, with multicultural influences and heavy deal with contemporary, regionally produced components.
Noah Seashore, Daintree Nationwide Park. Photograph credit: Tourism and Occasions Queensland
Views from helicopter. Nice Barrier Reef. Photograph credit: Tourism and Occasions Queensland
Hobart, Tasmania
MYTH #8. All Of The Wildlife Will Attempt To Kill You
Australia is a large nation (sixth largest on this planet!) so in fact, there may be a variety of totally different wildlife on the continent. However remember that you solely see the extremes within the media. Certain, you’ll see some doubtlessly harmful animals within the outback, in rural areas, and on the coast, however so long as you’re conscious and provides wildlife house, you have to be high quality.
For those who resolve to dwell in a serious metropolis, you won’t see any wildlife in any respect. Simply take the traditional precautions you’d anyplace else and take recommendation from the locals – they know what they’re speaking about.
