Australia is a country like no other. With its rich history, diverse landscapes, and welcoming locals, it’s the perfect place to call home. If you’re looking for an adventure of a lifetime, new opportunities, or just want to make some new friends in your old age, you should consider making the move down under. Here are 7 tips on how to successfully relocate to Australia.
Understand the Visa Process
The first part of moving to any country permanently is understanding the visa process. If you want a Permanent Residency In Australia and have the financial means to provide for yourself and any accompanying family without needing to work, then your best option is to apply for a Retirement Visa.
This visa will allow you to live in Australia indefinitely so long as your passport remains valid and you deposit an additional 25,000 AUD into a bank account each year. If this sounds unappealing or you don’t have easy access to that kind of money then fear not, Australia has many other options for potential citizens.
If you’d like to live in the country but can only do so temporarily (1-4 years), a Working Holiday Visa is your best bet. If what you’re looking for is the ability to live in Australia indefinitely while being able to work and access public benefits then the Skilled Independent Visa is your best option. This visa will allow you to enter and leave the country as often as you like for 5 years so long as you maintain a valid passport. After that, if you’re still happy living in Australia then congratulations, you can stay forever.
Get a Job Offer
It’s always easier to be able to stay in a country if you have a job. Having said that, unless you’re already extremely qualified in your field it’s unlikely that employers will fight over you. You can still try your luck at finding a company that is willing to sponsor an employment visa but the process takes time and patience. If you have contacts or family living in Australia then ask for their advice on how best to find a job in your desired field.
Prepare Yourself Financially For A New Life Down Under
You shouldn’t move to any country unless you can accommodate the cost of living. Things are more expensive in Australia because the country is advanced and it’s mostly the first world. Moving there without a job waiting for you will mean that you have to look for one, and good jobs won’t come easily if you don’t have an impressive resume.
The cost of living in Australia isn’t high compared to other countries like Switzerland or Norway, but if you were to live in Sydney for example, it would cost more than living somewhere like Barcelona or Madrid. A one-bedroom apartment in the city center will set you back around 2’000 AUD a month. Buying food in supermarkets is expensive as well because of import costs from other countries. You’ll be looking at spending between 50 and 100 AUD a week for all your groceries.
Transportation costs will vary depending on where you live. In big cities like Sydney and Melbourne, having a car is more of a necessity as public transportation isn’t that great (Trains are extremely crowded). If you choose to buy a car then prepare to spend 5’000-10’000 AUD on a small hatchback.
Make Sure You Have The Right Documents To Enter Australia
Make sure that you have the right documents to enter Australia before making plans to move there. You can find a list of all the required documents here. What are they? Let me give you a brief outline:
- Your current Passport and an old one.
- A printed and signed letter from your future employer.
- A printed and signed invitation letter from your family in Australia.
- A valid bank account statement to prove you have enough money to live there (25’000 AUD).
Prepare yourself for culture shock
Part of what makes moving to a new country so exhilarating and so jarring is culture shock. If you have friends or family in the country you’re moving to then it’s a lot easier for you. They can act as your guides, show you around, and essentially become your new best friends. Expats, in particular, would rather do this tour themselves so they’ll know their way around and be able to adapt better without depending on anyone.
If you’re in this situation, there are a few things that you should know:
- People work a lot in Australia. They often work 6 days a week and the standard of living is higher than most other countries so they can afford to spend less time with family and friends. This means that if you want to socialize and make friends with your coworkers, it’s going to be a lot more difficult because they’re already busy.
- Australia is famous for its drinking culture and how many people drink a lot of alcohol. If you don’t like beer then prepare yourself for some hard nights where you end up drunk but not in a fun way. You’ll get used to it in time but make sure you don’t have a drinking problem when you arrive.
- Most Australians enjoy going out to party, but if you’re busy working all the time then you won’t be able to join them. This will make it difficult for you to befriend your Australian coworkers and they might not take too kindly of this.
- You don’t have a lot of time to form friendships in Australia, so once they start then you should try and act on them.
Find somewhere affordable and safe to live
Australia is a safe place to live in, but only in the cities. The further you go out of the city and into the smaller towns or suburbs, the harder it’ll be for you to find a safe place to live. As Australia is an island, crime rates are higher near coasts as opposed to inland areas. Choose your place to live accordingly.
Start planning what activities will keep you busy once there
Once you move to Australia, make sure that you’re prepared for the next stage. What will keep you busy in your free time? Is there a hobby or a sport that you can pick up? Does anyone have a pool in their backyard that you can enjoy with them when it’s summertime? These are all questions that need to be answered before you move to Australia because once you’re there, it’s up to you to keep yourself busy.
There are a lot of things to consider when you’re making the decision about whether or not to permanently relocate. We hope these 7 tips have helped with your research and will help make this big life change less daunting.
