Top Tips for Relocating to Australia

Are you considering relocating to Australia? Leaving your home and family and moving to a new country can be a daunting but exciting experience. Hundreds of people take this big step every year and migrate from places like the United Kingdom and New Zealand to the land down under in search of better opportunities, educational/ career advancement, or simply a fresh start in life.

This article contains essential tips that will come in handy to make your Australian move convenient and hassle-free.

Research your visa needs

As a New Zealander, you can relocate to, live in, and work in Australia without any special visa. This is because of the Trans-Tasman agreement between New Zealand and Australia. However, as an expat in Australia, you may not be eligible to receive any of the benefits available to full residents and citizens.

Of course, you will be free to do virtually everything a normal citizen or resident can do, but when it comes to health benefits and a few other public packages, your non-residence status will make you exempt. You can become eligible by applying to upgrade to full resident or citizenship status. This does not affect your New Zealand citizenship in anyway and you can even travel on either passports should you decide to go on a trip.

If you are not a New Zealander, you will need to research the visa options open to citizens of your country. Fortunately, there are various visa categories to choose from. Simply identify the one that suits your travel needs and apply for it.

Decide the Australian city you will live in

Australia is known for its many wonderful cities, each of them with its own unique features and advantages, which is why you need all the great info on moving to Australia you can get. Unfortunately, you will not be able to live in all these cities at the same time; therefore, it is important that you decide the Australian city you will settle in once you relocate. Of course, you can always move to a different city once you have settled in, but you need to decide where your belongings will be shipped to and where you will plant your roots, even if temporarily.

It is a good idea to choose the city where you have a firm offer of employment of where you know people and will find it easy to explore job opportunities. Because Australia is a very big country (not many people know exactly how big Australia is), you may find it difficult living in one city and working in another.

Each territory and city in Australia offer unique opportunities, therefore, your choice will depend more on what exactly you are looking for in Australia. For example, Queensland has lots of employment opportunities and this is where most people choose to come when they arrive in Australia.

Travel with all relevant documents

One great thing about Australia is that most territories and cities have huge employment potentials. In fact, you will likely not search for too long before finding something to do.

However, it is important that you have the relevant qualifications for the type of job you are looking for. Also, to improve your chances of getting the type of work you want, don’t forget to travel with professional documents from your country that show your qualifications and professional achievements. Other important documents you need to fasten your job search are:

●      Letter of reference from your former employers
●      Letter of recommendation
●      Degrees and diplomas
●      Educational credentials
●      Professional resume

Based on the type of job offer you have, you may also be required to take an independent evaluation to determine if you will need additional training in Australia in order to properly qualify for a specific job role.

Deciding what to take with you to Australia

Deciding which of your worldly possessions to take to your new Australian home is one of the problems most people face when relocating. But while it is true that everything you currently have may have personal and sentimental value, you still have to consider a few factors when choosing the things to carry.

To help make your decision easier, ask yourself the following questions:

●      Is the item replaceable?
●      Will it be cheaper to insure or to replace?
●      Is the item necessary to your relocation and eventual settlement in your chosen city?
●      Can you live without the item?

Remember that moving abroad is not only time consuming, it is also expensive, therefore, it is crucial that you look for ways to reduce the amount of money you spend during the move so that you can have enough to live on while looking for work.

It is also a good idea to request quotes from multiple moving companies so that you can choose a mover that suits your budget.

Put your finances in order before leaving

Before leaving your home country, it is a good idea that you have everything about your finances sorted out. If you are relocating from New Zealand to Australia, you will not find the process of opening and maintaining an Australian bank account difficult as almost all the banks in both countries are the same.
However, be sure to open a valid Australian account before leaving, and if possible, move all your money into your new account. You can easily activate your new account once you arrive in Australia.