New South Wales (NSW) — The First State

NSW has the largest population of all the Australian states. It has numerous mountains, beaches, national parks and the biggest city and financial centre, Sydney. Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia, standing 2,228 metres tall, is in NSW.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 7.2 million
• Capital: Sydney
• Climate: Arid to semi-arid, with snow in the south-east of the state in winter
• Time Zone: GMT + 10 (winter), GMT + 11 (summer)

Queensland (QLD) — The Sunshine State

“Ahh, Queensland – beautiful one day, perfect the next” the old tourism slogan goes and is still proudly proclaimed by the state’s residents.

Queensland is Australia’s home of surf and fun, with endless opportunities for fishing, diving and snorkelling (Great Barrier Reef anyone?). The Gold Coast, Cairns and Brisbane are the popular hubs for international travellers but more and more Aussies make the permanent move there every year.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 4.5 million
• Capital: Brisbane
• Climate: Sub-tropical in the south to tropical in the north, with warm temperatures and minimal rainfall in winter and a summer period of humid conditions and intense rainfall. The west of the state can be characterised as the Outback and is dry and arid.
• Time Zone: GMT + 10 (winter and summer)

Victoria (Vic) — The Garden State

Victoria is the most diverse state and referred to as the ‘cultural, sporting and culinary capital’ of Australia. Melbourne was recently named as the World’s Most Liveable City in the Economist’s Intelligence Unit Liveability Poll for the last two years.

The Twelve Apostles National Park is one of the state’s most popular tourist attractions.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 5.5 million
• Capital: Melbourne
• Climate: Mild to cold and wet winters, warm to hot, dry summers
• Time Zone: GMT + 10 (winter), GMT + 11 (summer)

Tasmania (Tas) — Island of Inspiration

Green and lush, the island state of Tasmania is the 26^th largest island in the world, with 37% of its area comprising reserves, parks and heritage sites.

Hobart is Australia’s least-populous capital with only 214,705 people.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 507,626
• Capital: Hobart
• Climate: Cool and temperate, with four distinct seasons
• Time Zone: GMT + 10 (winter), GMT + 11 (summer)

Western Australia (WA) — The Golden State

Occupying one third of the country, WA is the biggest of all six states in Australia and Perth is geographically the most isolated city on the globe.

The Western Australian economy is driven by rich mineral and petroleum resources, making the state the third-largest iron ore producer in the world.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 2.3 million
• Capital: Perth
• Climate: Semi-arid or desert conditions with minimal rainfall, even in winter
• Time Zone: GMT + 8 (winter), GMT + 9 (summer)

South Australia (SA) — The Festival State

Australia’s first free state; wines, beaches and national parks make South Australia a popular destination, with the Barossa and Clare Valleys in particular attracting numerous tourists.

South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland states as well as the Northern Territory.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 1.6 million
• Capital: Adelaide
• Climate: Generally Mediterranean, but also home to some of the most arid areas of Australia
• Time Zone: GMT + 9.5 (winter), GMT + 10.5 (summer)

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) — The Nation’s Heart

Located within New South Wales, the ACT is a self-governing inland territory, created specifically to be Australia’s administrative capital.

Canberra, an entirely planned city comprising most of the ACT, was selected as Australia’s capital in 1913 after a compromise was reached between Sydney and Melbourne.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 358,222
• Capital: Canberra
• Climate: Dry continental climate with warm to hot summers and cold winters
• Time Zone: GMT + 10 (winter), GMT + 11 (summer)

Northern Territory (NT) — The Top End

The Northern Territory is the least-populous of all of Australia’s states and territories, with the famous five million acre World Heritage Kakadu National Park well-known for its Aboriginal art and fabulous natural beauty.

Quick Facts:

• Population: 229,675
• Capital: Darwin
• Climate: Tropical in the north, with wet, humid summers and dry winters, and semi-arid desert conditions in the centre and south
• Time Zone: GMT + 9.5 (winter and summer)

We hope that you’ve found this article on Australia’s states and territories insightful!

The post Get to know Australia’s States and Territories appeared first on Australian Times News.

 The best approach is to start with a bit of research on your part. You should search us expat tax in Australia. The benefit is that you will get some financial insight about the relocation process.

We will talk about some essential tips which you must keep in mind when relocating to Australia.

Thing to remember when moving to Australia

Get hold of the right visa

It is also crucial that you get hold of the most suitable visa. Well, the most suitable visa is a working holiday visa. It gives opportunities to people aged 18 to 30 to go to Australia and work. The working holiday visa allows you to be in Australia for a year.

Plan your finances

When you plan to move to Australia, then you need to organize your finances. It is also crucial to consider the banks which you will use in this situation. What you must keep in mind is that there is a possibility that you might not be in a position to get employment right away.

Well, there is only one way out of the problem in this situation. You need to have the necessary funds so that you can live on your own for a while. What you must keep in mind is that the Government will also ask for proof of funds.

Consider the location where you will live

You need to consider the location also where you will live. You might be enticed to choose the most popular cities. However, there is one thing which you should consider. Some places tend to have a lower living cost so they should be your preference.

What you must keep in mind is that you will not be in a position to buy your own premises immediately. The best approach is to opt for rent initially. The good news is that you do stand a chance to leave the premises before the end of the lease period in most of the cases.

However, there is one downside of the rental properties. Most of these properties are unfurnished. As a result, you will need to have money to furnish the apartment also.

 What is crucial is that you should consider the pros and cons of relocation and then make your choice. Relocating is a serious decision and you cannot be emotional about the whole scenario. You need to think with a realistic bent of mind.

Make your choices accordingly and you will not have to face any losses at the end of the day. When you plan things well, then you are bound to buy your peace of mind by all means. As a result, you need to ensure that you make smart choices at the end of the day.

The post Things to consider when moving to Australia from the US appeared first on Australian Times News.

Buying ethereum is pretty straightforward. Sign up on a cryptocurrency exchange and place a buy order. And if you ask now which cryptocurrency exchange to choose in Australia? Worry not The Money Mongers has curated a list of some of the best exchanges through which you can buy crypto with AUD.. So let’s go ahead and talk about the top crypto exchanges:

Best Ethereum Exchanges in Australia

1. Swyftx

At first, there is Swyftx, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges available in Australia and a few other regions.

The cryptocurrency exchange makes it extremely easy for you to buy Ethereum or any other coins. Just sign up on the website, verify your identity, and you are all set.

Plus, apart from ETH, it allows you to trade over 260 assets, including cryptocurrency and DeFi coins. Plus, it allows you to deposit and withdraw AUD via PayID, OSKO, POLi, or Bank transfer.

Swyftx also helps you with portfolio tracking. So you can view your real-time profit and loss value. Also, it allows you to automate your crypto investments. Like you can set up recurring deposits to your account, and Swyftx will then automatically split across your own range of cryptos.

The best part of Swyftx is that it has an extremely low fee. It charges you 0.6% for each trade you execute. However, there are no deposit and withdrawal fees. And for the crypto deposit or withdrawal, it only charges you the standard network mining fees. 

2. Independent Reserve

Independent Reserve is another easy to use platform for buying and selling ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. On this platform, you can instantly deposit in Australia and Singapore, and it lets you trade in AUD, USD, NZD, and SGD.

Plus, it offers you advanced tools for streamlining your trading activities. For instance, it offers you advanced order types such as stop loss, take profit and limit orders, and more. So if you are into trading, these features would come in handy.

Even it has a feature called AutoTrader, which lets you implement automated cryptocurrency trading strategies. Simply choose a strategy from their strategy library and configure it as per your needs.

Along with that, it allows you to trade in a vast number of cryptocurrencies. Plus, it has a low trading fee which is about 0.02% per trade. Also, there is no deposit fee if you are depositing AUD 100.00 or more. But anything less than that would charge a processing fee of AUD 0.99.

3. Coinspot

Coinspot is one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchange platforms in Australia. It has been operational since 2013 and is said to be the most trusted network.

It offers you an easy way to buy Ethereum and a wide range of other crypto coins. It is said to have more than 310 digital currencies. Also, it offers you the largest variety of coins and trading pairs.

Getting started with Coinspot is easy. Simply sign up on the platform, and make a payment deposit to your Coinspot account, and you are good to go.

Also, if you are a high-volume trader, then you would enjoy features like OTC or over the counter trading desk and SMSF. In which a team will assist you with all aspects of account management. Or, if you are a regular trader, you can enjoy features like stop loss, take profit and lit, and others.

As far as the fee structure is considered, it charges you 0.1% for market orders and OTC. For instantly buy, sell and swap, take profit, stop and limit orders, and recurring buy, it charges you 1%.

However, there are no deposit or withdrawal fees for POLi, PayID, direct deposits. But other payment methods may occur certain charges.

4. Binance

Undoubtedly, Binance is one of the leading crypto exchanges across the globe. It is the largest exchange in the world in terms of daily trading volume and cryptocurrencies.

It supports over 500 different cryptocurrencies. Also, the platform is made for both newbie and advanced traders. The trading platform is also pretty easy to use, and it offers you tons of features.

Using Binance, you can buy crypto using card deposit, credit/debit card, P2P trading, plus it supports a wide range of third-party payment methods.

Also, it offers you a wide range of trading pairs. So you can buy or sell crypto using AUD, GBP, TRY, EUR, KZT, BRL, and more.

When it comes to fees, it has different structures for different types of trading. For instance, if you execute spot trading orders, there will be a 0.1000% / 0.1000% maker and taker fee. However, I would recommend you to check their website for more details.

5. DigitalSurge

Lastly, there is the DigitalSurge. It offers a unique way to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. Plus, it is extremely user-friendly, and it focuses on simplifying trading.

Getting started with the site is pretty easy. First, you will need to sign up and verify your account and then deposit AUD to your wallet using PayID or POLi, and then you are all set to buy, sell and transfer cryptocurrencies.

The platform also optimizes your investments. For example, it has this concept of dollar cost average or DCA, which minimizes your risk by scheduling recurring buys.

Also, it offers you other tools like price alerts and advanced orders. So you can execute your buy and sell orders more efficiently.

As far as the fee structure is considered, there is a 0.5% trading fee for less than $100K volume. However, there is a deposit fee starts at $2 for POLi. But PayID and crypto deposits are free.

Conclusion

So those were some of the best ethereum exchanges in Australia. So go ahead and check these exchanges out and compare them and see which one works for you. Also, for additional questions, you can let me know in the comments.  

The post How to Buy Ethereum in Australia with AUD appeared first on Australian Times News.

Moving into a new home in Australia for the first time can be daunting if you are not adequately prepared for it. Sure, the country has almost everything needed to live a safe and happy life, but for an expat, things can get more confusing than you think. Make sure you do thorough research on life in Australia before immigrating. This article focuses on a few aspects that you should be mindful of as you begin to settle into your new home in Australia.

Get Accustomed to Your New Home

The best way to settle into a new country and its surroundings are by making your house feel like home. There is no alternative to it. You will spend most of your time in your home – at least during the initial months of moving in. Try to explore every inch of your house and start familiarizing yourself with the new surroundings. Spend the first few weekends lazily cuddling on your couch. You might like to add some things from your home country to help you settle in better and kill homesickness. If you have a television, check out some of the popular channels in your region. You can gather tons of necessary information from casual sessions like these, which will help you settle in even better.

Make sure your house is exactly how you need it to be. Certain people have specific preferences. Some like a large porch while others may want a bigger living space inside instead of that. Many people like to have an attached dining area with the living room, whereas others might not even bother about such layout issues. 

Realtors have claimed that a lot of their customers look for aesthetic washroom designs and functionalities more than anything else these days. Smart toilet seat Australia is in great demand now and can make living more pleasant. The variety of options that you can choose from is staggering. The same goes for plenty of other equipment and appliances that are very easy to acquire in almost any region in Australia. Make yourself comfortable in your new home and you’ll achieve a major step towards settling into a new country.

Socialize With Your Neighbors

Believe us when we say this: your neighbors determine a great part of your quality of life. Being an expat, you might have a tough time settling into your new neighborhood as it is not the city, but the entire country that is new to you. Do not hesitate or be intimidated when you are about to approach your neighbors for the first time. Creating a friendly first impression is key to a continued relationship. If things go well, chances are, your neighbors will take responsibility for showing you around and suggesting the best services the city provides.

Share your experiences with them because people love listening to personal stories. Study your neighbors and try to figure out what they like. Do not criticize any of the Australian customs or norms in front of them as they might not take it lightly. Spending time with your neighbors can be more educational than you think. Try being useful to them down the line. It is you who will benefit more from such interactions. Invite them over to breakfasts and dinners. Soon you will find yourself hanging out at your neighbor’s house more than your own home!

Explore the City

No matter what city you choose to move into, you are bound to bump into something unique. Sydney has some of the best beaches in the world which host extraordinary night parties and events, making it an ideal location for people looking for a fancy lifestyle. Cairns has zoos with exotic animals like crocodiles and kangaroos and is also a great location to try out water sports. In fact, you can even go on trekking adventures within some of the city limits.

Perth has mostly a desert landscape, making it one of the hottest regions in the country. If you are looking for a casual and laid-back way of life, this city can be ideal for you. The average temperature in Brisbane is not very different from that of Perth. However, it is tropical and experiences a lot of rain. Brisbane is also a very popular sporting city in Australia.

Finally, for the people looking for a sophisticated way of life, Melbourne is, arguably, the best choice. The city hosts an array of top-notch restaurants, musical theatres, and entertainment zones that make living in Melbourne totally exciting and worthwhile. In fact, the city provides an abundance of jobs for its citizens, making it a successful corporate region as well.

The choice is yours. Choose the region that best fits your requirements. Once you move in, go out and explore the city. Learn the street names and transportation options. This will be your place of residence for a long time – if not forever – so getting to know all about it will surely come in handy down the line.

Set Up Your Means of Communication

Communication platforms are not restricted to landlines and mobile networks anymore. The internet itself is the strongest and most viable means of communication nowadays. Install a reliable internet connection as soon as you reach your new home. The speed of connectivity may vary among different regions. Do the necessary research so that you do not face any surprises moving in.

Australia is an absolutely massive country. Thus, not every area has access to high-speed broadband connections – especially desert and rural regions. Urban areas, however, do have great internet options that you can choose from.

The same goes for mobile phone networks. Make sure you subscribe to a decent connection that is reliable and feasible. The ideal option for most Australians is Telstra. Statistics show as much as 99.4% of Australians are under its widespread network coverage. Surely their service is trustworthy. 

Familiarize Yourself With Australian English

Although Australians do speak English, their accent is thick and unique. They often tend to say words in short forms that are well understood all over the country. Do not be surprised if your neighbor is referring to breakfast as “breaky” or barbeque as “barbie”. Some locals use the term “mozzie” instead of mosquito. Further examples include “maccas” for McDonald’s, “postie” for the postman, “firey” for the fireman, “footy” for football, “doco” for documentary, and so on.

Respect the colloquial touch that Australians add to the way they speak. Chances are, you will be following the same patterns once you adjust your life in the country. This is actually beneficial, as Australians will welcome you even more. Do not be alarmed to find yourself conversing in Australian English soon after settling in!

Be Mindful of the Laws

Australia is an extremely strict country in terms of rules and regulations. In fact, some of the laws are quite strange and impossible to know about without any prior knowledge about them. For example, here are just a few:

• Only licensed electricians are allowed to fix even the smallest of issues – like changing a light bulb. 
• You can not keep your car keys in the vehicle if it is unattended. 
• Underage children can not physically purchase cigarettes from a store but can smoke them if in possession. 
• Riding a bicycle without a helmet is illegal. 
• Reading tarot and fortune-telling are illegal activities. 

Strangely enough, a life sentence in an Australian prison can mean only 25 years of jail time!

There are many more Australian laws and ethics that might seem very strange to an expat. We suggest you learn all the necessary government guidelines before moving in. Rule breakers are usually punished heavily in this country. Surely, you do not want to lose hundreds of dollars or be imprisoned for something you could’ve avoided with a bit of research.

Final Remarks

Australia is a country rich in discoveries and with endless opportunities. After properly moving in, all you need to do is spend time settling down and learning the new culture and heritage. The initial months can be difficult – making you severely homesick. We suggest you follow the guidelines mentioned in this article which will take you through the tough periods and prepare you for a successful life in Australia.

The post A complete guide on settling into your new Australian home appeared first on Australian Times News.

This industry employs significant numbers of ICT project managers and software project managers. This sector tends to have a reliable ongoing need for project managers with a broad variety of skill sets ranging from blockchain specialists to artificial intelligence experts. Furthermore, in the recent past there have been massive numbers of opportunities for project managers with the ability to help companies transition their onsite workforce to a remote workforce.

2. Building, Construction and Engineering

The construction industry has historically been a reliable niche for both construction project managers and project administrators. 

In 2021 and the future beyond, this industry is likely to remain a viable source of employment because of the country’s planned infrastructure projects. Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia all have major building and construction projects planned. A few prominent examples include Western Australia’s Metronet project, the Byford Rail Extension, and a new Midland train station.

3. Public Administration and Safety

This is another sector that hires significant numbers of ICT project managers. Construction project managers are also frequently able to find work in this industry.

4. Information Media and Telecommunications

If you’re looking for work as an ICT project manager, it’s also worth checking for openings in the information media and telecommunications industry. Larger online publishers sometimes have a need for ICT project managers when they undertake new media projects such as creating new web properties to add to their portfolios.

5. Education and Training

The concepts of lifelong learning, upskilling and reskilling have been in the limelight lately. This is because experts are concerned about the effects of automation on future Australian labour markets. As we make progress towards embarking on the fourth industrial revolution, it will be imperative for Australian employers to accommodate their staff with up-to-date workforce training options. 

This is normally an endeavour that human resources managers would be likeliest to handle, yet in the recent past, a role for skilled project managers has also emerged. Because of COVID-19 and its mutations, the education and training sector has recently been experiencing upheaval. Schools have been scrambling to find safer alternatives to their usual operating procedures. They are working towards replacing traditional face-to-face classroom based educational experiences with online experiences that are as comparable as possible. 

This situation has resulted in numerous opportunities for project managers. In particular, there has been strong demand for project managers and project administrators who have the ability to help instructional businesses transition their usual course offerings to the online space. For many educators and academic institutions, this is brand new territory — so they need skilled ICT project managers who can help them successfully make the transition. 

There Is Also Viable Project Management Work in Other Industries:

Capable project managers are needed in virtually every industry; lucrative project management work can also be found in a broad variety of other industries such healthcare and social assistance, mining and manufacturing.

Historically, other industries such as hospitality have hired construction project managers and development managers. However, in the age of mutating coronaviruses, new development in the hospitality industry has cooled considerably.

The industries mentioned above have the strongest track record of hiring project managers. Thus these are the industries that could be expected to offer the likeliest prospects for project managers who are currently seeking work.

The post 5 Australian industries that utilise project managers appeared first on Australian Times News.

Step 1: Get Your Visa, Permits, and Documents

To actualize your dream, you need to begin the process. There are different types of visas available, and if you’re thinking of remaining in the new location for a long time, obtaining a work visa is the best option. This allows you to get employment and work in Australia as a legal immigrant. To get a work permit or visa, you must have English competence, be under 45, meet certain health requirements, etc. You can get more information from immigration experts.

Step 2: Flight Plans and Travelling

Journeying intercontinental, especially when you’re relocating, is not easy. The strain can be pretty hard to deal with, especially when you’re moving with family members. When you go through a 21-hour flight, jet lag is a given. The more prepared you are, the more comfortable the journey. For instance, if you have dietary restrictions, remember to plan your meals according to your diet with the airline ahead of time. 

In cases where you stop to enter a connecting flight, if the wait is long, booking a hotel and catching some sleep is a great way to conserve energy. Also, remember to take a book, game, or anything you find entertaining. Take something comfy to sleep on like a travel pillow and make sure your outfit is comfortable. 

Step 3: Hiring a Reliable Mover 

Relocating means you must find an ideal way to move your property overseas. Certain factors need to be considered when you’re picking the right professional company to help you with the move. The house removal cost and reviews should aid your decision. 
Your house removal cost must not exceed your budget range if you opt for professional relocation relocation. Also, house removal costs differ depending on the kind of home, the number of rooms, etc.

For example, the home removal cost for a three-bedroom apartment in the United Kingdom is about £1200 for fifty miles.The cost includes the fee for dismantling as well as reassembling your items. It also includes packing and transportation cost.

Check Out Reviews and Contact the Company 

You can get more information about the company’s customer service from reading reviews online. When you contact the moving companies, ask as many questions as needed to clear doubts or misconceptions. A representative will be happy to help through the process. 

The post Tips for planning your relocation from house removal cost to visas appeared first on Australian Times News.

The coronavirus crisis has slammed the breaks on Australia’s immigration program for now, sure. Since March, the country has gone from welcoming over half a million new residents a year to practically zero. The borders are shut. Aussies themselves are even banned from leaving the country without an exceptional reason.

But there is light on the southern horizon. Australia has been one the most successful countries in the world at suppressing the Covid-19 pandemic – there were only 104 deaths by the end of June 2020. Local lockdown measures are rapidly easing and the economy is slowly coming back to life.

Migrating to Australia will be on again soon, in earnest

It is expected that by mid-2020, the economy – and crucially, international travel travel – will be back in full swing. And so will the Lucky Country’s hunger for migrants as it rebuilds, post-pandemic.

It can take over six months to apply for visa to live and work in Australia. So despite the present border closures, you may want to start your research and planning now. And given the state so many other countries around the world will likely still find themselves in, demand for migrating to Australia is likely to be extremely high when the country does reopen.

To help you decide about making the big move Down Under, here are a few big pluses you might want to consider:

1. Australia is a land of migrants

Due to its longstanding, nation-building immigration program, Australia is truly multi-cultural. 43% of Australians were either born abroad or have a parent to was born abroad, which contributes to the diverse cultural practices across the country. You’ll fit right in!

2. Australia’s weather is amazing

On the whole, Australia’s weather is fantastic. The typical summer is from December to February, autumn is from March to May, winter happens from June to August, and spring is from September to November. This pattern of seasons can vary, however, depending on where in Australia you are. It’s a big place after all. For example, Brisbane is sub-tropical with scorching summers ending in monsoons followed by gloriously warm winters. Meanwhile, 2000 kilometres further south is Melbourne which is famous for its “four seasons in one day”.

The sun can get particularly harsh in Australia. Did you know that Aussies have the highest incidences of skin cancer in the world? You better be prepared to slap on a lot of sunscreen. But yes, the beaches are to die for; and just in case you haven’t heard, there are quite a lot of them.

3. The Aussie accent, mate!

Australian spelling is closer to British spelling than American, and the accents are far different than both. You need to spend quite a lot of time with the locals to get the hang of the English spoken here. The most difficult thing about migrating to Australia might getting your mouth around the local slang and jargon, but it’s great fun.

4. Australians love their wine, beer… and coffee

Did you know that Australia loves its local coffee so much that at one point Starbucks was forced to shut down 70% of its operations in the country due to its fierce competition from the local industry? That’s how important coffee is in Australian culture.

Aussies also love their booze, of course. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a commercial street that doesn’t have a liquor store or two, and drinks are often offered to go with every meal. Australia is also chock-full of local distilleries and brewed beers.

Customs like tipping your servers and waiters at a restaurant aren’t followed in Australia, though. When in doubt, ask a local.

5. There are all sorts of visas for living in Australia

Usually, there abundant job opportunities for people migrating to Australia, and several kinds of visas. The most common are those for, business, student, work, and permanent residency.

Processing can take anywhere between 6 and 8 months, depending on the kind of visa. Make sure to allocate enough time to avoid disappointments. Having a third party, such as a sponsor, communicate with the embassy may help speed up the process.

Making that big move to Australia can be daunting, but with proper research and preparation, you’ll find yourself very much at home Down Under in no time at all.

The post Migrating to Australia: five great reasons to move Down Under after Covid appeared first on Australian Times News.

In Canada, you’re probably more used to seeing the likes of moose, deer, and maybe even a polar bear or two. As you’d probably imagine, there are no thick-coated animals to be found in Australia. The most common wildlife include kangaroos and wallabies, possums, koalas and emus. 

You won’t find the majority of these animals living amongst humans, unless you happen to choose to live in the outback. With that said, possums are fairly common in urban areas – think of them like larger squirrels – and have even been known to take up residency in peoples’ sheds and outhouses. Possums are harmless animals providing you don’t pester them, though you may need to call for assistance if one ends up choosing your home as theirs.  

The likes of kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and emus are all more likely to be found at zoos or animal sanctuaries. We recommend visiting an animal sanctuary to get up close and personal with these animals without the crowds of a zoo. Many sanctuaries allow you to feed their kangaroos and stroke their koalas, which is a must-do if you’re an animal lover. 

As you probably already know, there are many not-so-pleasant additions to Australia’s wildlife, too. Most of Canada’s creepy crawlies are pretty harmless, aside from the odd spider or two that you’re unlikely to ever come across in your life. Unfortunately, in certain parts of Australia (namely Sydney and Queensland), it’s not a matter of when you’ll come across a horrific-looking insect, but when. 

In the warmer summer months between November and March, don’t be surprised if you cross paths with a huntsman spider or two inside your home. Huntsmen seek shelter from the heat, and while they generally live in tree trunks and sheds, they can find their way into unwanted places too. They’re completely harmless, but absolutely terrifying to arachnophobes – they can reach the size of a small frying pan when fully-grown. 

Another common creature to come across in the summer are cockroaches. You’ll see these almost on a daily basis, especially if you live in areas of the east coast. Again, cockroaches are harmless, but they can be a nuisance, and they’re pretty scary if you’re not a fan of insects. They like to come out at night, though it’s not uncommon to find them lingering on your walls or underneath your furniture during the day. 

Staying safe in the sun

Australia’s climate is tropical, which means that staying safe in the sun is essential. Australians themselves take this very seriously, and the local doctor’s office will generally have a skin doctor who is trained to do regular skin checks – essentially just checking a person’s body for abnormal moles and cancer indications. 

The best way to stay safe is to apply sun cream regularly, especially if your pale Canadian body doesn’t know what it’s like to stay under the sun’s rays for lengthy periods of time! Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes and head, and cover your shoulders for additional protection. 

Of course, it’s part of the Australian lifestyle to don your swimsuit and enjoy your time at the local beach, but make sure not to overdo it. Too long in the sun doesn’t just put you at risk of sunburn; you might also experience heatstroke, which isn’t fun to deal with. 

Sports in Australia 

Moving from a country that’s so renowned for its winter sport (we’re talking about ice hockey, of course), to a country that, in some regions, experiences an almost year-round summer, means that unsurprisingly, the Australian sports scene is a little different. 

You won’t find much ice hockey in Australia, though there is an Australian Ice Hockey League. Just don’t expect people to go as mad for it as they do in Canada.

Cricket is the most popular sport in Australia, and in this case, the country’s humid weather conditions are ideal for this outdoor sport. Australians take their cricket very seriously, and even if you have little interest in the game yourself, it’s worth watching it live for the atmosphere alone. 

If you want to participate in sports, there’s plenty of opportunity to do so. You can find groups and teams for both casual and competitive play in a variety of sports – a good place to check out your local options is on Meetup.com

One Australian activity that you absolutely can’t miss out on is surfing. Australia’s coastline is almost as large (and equally as impressive) as Canada’s, so if you’re an avid surfer, you should definitely buy your own board and catch the waves at the likes of Byron Bay and the Gold Coast (the latter even deems an area of its coastline “Surfers Paradise”). 

Even if you’ve never surfed before, there’s plenty of opportunity to give it a try. You can find “learn to surf” lessons all across the Australian coast, where you and a group of friends can rent out a board and take to the sea with a professional coach. For the best bucket list experience, you can even learn to surf on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach – just expect to pay more for the privilege.

Seasons

Finally, it’s worth knowing that Australia’s seasons are essentially the reverse of the seasons in Canada. Canada’s summer (i.e. June to August) is Australia’s winter, while Canada’s winter (i.e. December to February) is Australia’s summer. 

Though when we say “summer” and “winter”, all seasons in Australia tend to feel closer to Canada’s summer. Even in June and July, the average temperature in Sydney ranges from 9 to 17 degrees Celsius. In the summer, the temperature can get up to 40 degrees, so make sure your Australian home comes equipped with working AC, because you will need it.

ConclusionMoving from Canada to Australia takes a whole lot of confidence, but it’s very unlikely that you’ll come to regret your decision. Many Canadian migrants end up loving Australia so much that they fork out lots of money (and we mean lots) to apply for a permanent residency. So long as you can get past the creepy crawlies and the distance from home, there’s plenty to love about Australia.

The post Moving to Australia from Canada – Understanding The Culture (Part 3) appeared first on Australian Times News.

There are a number of different avenues you may choose to go down when it comes to employment. Some people choose to take on several casual, part-time jobs while they move from one state to the next, exploring Australia before their Visa runs out. Others may have moved to Australia with full-time employment already set up. 

Working in Australia shouldn’t be any different to working in Canada. Generally, working hours are the same, though your salary will depend on where in the country you’re located. In areas where the cost of living is higher, you will likely be paid a bigger salary. 

Australia is very welcoming to backpackers, so if you’re looking for casual jobs, you’ll find plenty in the likes of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and anywhere else frequented by migrants with Working Holiday Visas. You can usually find casual jobs at farms or restaurants that will allow you to earn enough to get by while allowing you to enjoy plenty of spare time to get out and about. 

Cost of Living

Australia’s cost of living is pretty high when you compare it to other countries in the world. Like in all countries, though, the cost of living varies massively from one city to the next – and actually, when you compare the stats in Australia and Canada, there really isn’t much difference between the two.  

Statistics show that the average monthly salary in USD is $1000 more in Australia than it is in Canada. Basic utilities, such as heating and electricity, cost slightly more in Australia, and so does clothing. Real estate on average costs a whopping 74% more in Canada, but as we mentioned before, this exact figure entirely depends upon the city you’re looking to rent in. 

Australia’s transport prices are slightly higher than in Canada, but restaurant prices and prices at markets are around about the same. Alcohol, coffee, and the cost to call someone in Australia are also virtually the same as they are in Canada.

Tax and SuperAnnuation

When you first arrive in Australia, before finding a job, it’s useful to file for a TFN number for paying your taxes. This can take up to three weeks to arrive by mail, though you don’t need to wait for its actual arrival before you can start working – you just need to apply for one. 

It’s also mandatory in Australia to sign up to a SuperAnnuation fund, which, in most cases, will come straight off your wage. The SuperAnnuation (shortened by Aussies to Super), is Australia’s version of a pension, so if you don’t plan on staying in Australia until you retire, you can claim it back when you leave. Make sure to keep track of your paychecks so you know exactly how much Super you’re entitled to by the end of your working period. 

Healthcare

Australia is a little different to Canada in its healthcare offering. Medical services aren’t technically “free” (i.e. paid for through taxes) like in Canada, and though Australia has an agreement with a number of countries to provide free healthcare, Canada isn’t one of them. This means you’ll need to take out the appropriate health insurance so that you’re covered if you fall ill or injure yourself while in Australia.

Driving

If you’re familiar with Canada’s roads, prepare to get used to driving on the left side in Australia. Before you consider purchasing a car, it’s wise to take public transport for a while just to familiarize yourself with being on what feels like the “wrong” side. This will help you to adjust – and prevent you from panicking – before you get behind the wheel yourself. 

It’s easy to find a cheap car in Australia if you know where to look. Check out Facebook’s marketplace and for decent (but not amazing) cars that backpackers are looking to sell. If you just need something basic, you will more than likely find something on one of the two sites. Just make a the car is registered before parting with your money. 

If you’re looking for a car that can get you around for several years, you might want to be more strategic with your search. Visit local dealers and garages and see what’s available for your budget. You may as well invest in something that’s guaranteed to last rather than saving on something you’ll need to pay to repair in the future. 

Mobile communication

If you’re planning to use your phone in Australia, you will need to do one of two things to avoid an enormous phone bill at the end of each month: take out a new contract in Australia or purchase a sim card. Taking out a contract is a good idea if you plan to stay in Australia for several years, as you’ll be able to just pay it off monthly via direct debit as you probably did with your old phone back in Canada. 

If you only plan to stay in Australia for up for a year, a sim card may be a better idea. Simply cancel your Canadian contract (or put it on hold if you can), then find your local Australian phone store and ask a member of staff about their sim deals. There are a number of deals available, but you will commonly pay for 6 months or a year’s use of your phone, including a certain amount of data, calls and texts per month. The best phone service for use in the outback is Telstra. It’s Australia’s most popular service, and it usually covers areas that other services don’t.

The post Moving to Australia from Canada – Settling Into Your New Life (Part 2) appeared first on Australian Times News.

This article serves as a guide for Canadians who are moving to Australia for work or study on a longer-term basis. We’ll be covering the basics of moving to Australia, including what to expect with flights, lifestyle, and everything in between.

Getting a Visa

If moving to Australia is just a seedling of an idea in your head right now, the first thing to work out is exactly how you’ll get there. While Australia is quite generous with its Visas, you’ll still need to figure out which Visa is suitable for your personal situation. To get more help with your visa take a look at Canada eTA.

One of the easiest ways to get into Australia is with a Working Visa. If you’re under 45, for example, the Skilled Independent Visa will allow you to live and work throughout Australia. Not all occupations are eligible, however – only those that Australia is in need of right now.

If your occupation isn’t on the list, you can still come to Australia with a Working Holiday Visa for a maximum of two years, then potentially get sponsored by your employer to stay on for longer. This is a route that many people choose to take when looking to seek permanent residency in the country.  

The Journey

Probably the hardest thing about moving to Australia from Canada is the journey itself. It’s only when you’re on your 15^th hour into your flight that it’ll hit you just how far from home you’re moving. 

There’s no way to make such a journey enjoyable – it’s tiring and boring no matter what – but you can consider stopping overnight at a hotel if you need to change flights at any point. This would at least break the journey up somewhat and help you catch up on sleep. 

If you’ve never done a long-haul flight before, make sure you prepare for the journey in advance by bringing plenty to keep you entertained, hydrated and comfortable. You will want to sleep at some stage during travel, so bring ear plugs and an eye mask if your airline doesn’t provide them. You should also arrange dietary requirements, such as gluten free or vegetarian meals, with your airline in advance. 

Arriving in Australia

When you arrive in Australia, you’ll need to go through border control and declare any appropriate items. You’ll be given a form to fill out during your plane journey, on which you can tick off items to say that you’re not bringing them into the country. Australia is particularly strict with what you can and can’t bring in, so check or declare in advance if you want to save hours of time being interrogated by customs. 

Finding a Place to Stay

If you already have accommodation, such as student halls of residence, arranged, then you can skip this point. But if you plan to rent a home while you’re living in Australia, prices depend entirely on whereabouts in Australia you’re based. 

You can expect to pay more to rent a home near to the beach, or near to a big city, like Sydney or Melbourne. The property market is also a lot more competitive in these areas, and it’s normal to attend a house viewing with six or seven other people who are as keen to rent the property as you are. It’s wise to allocate a minimum of two-to-three weeks to hunt for a property, as even if you find several that you like, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be selected as the preferred tenant. 

Choosing a City to Live in

If you’re not limited to a certain city in Australia based on work or study, you might not even know where you want to live. Chances are, you’re not going to know this until you actually spend time in various locations around Australia and eventually fall in love with a certain area, but there’s no reason why you can’t find a short-term rent in a city that sounds interesting to you from prior research. 

Four of the most popular Australian cities that migrants choose to settle in are:

Sydney, NSW

Sydney is perhaps the most famous city in Australia, and is located in the state of New South Wales. It is often mistaken as Australia’s capital city, but it’s not (that’s actually Canberra, in Australian Capital Territory). But it certainly behaves like a capital city – it has a fast-paced lifestyle and a relatively expensive cost of living. With that said, it’s beautiful, vibrant and eventful, and boasts some of the most popular beaches in the country. 

Melbourne, VIC

Based in Victoria, Melbourne comes up as a close second when it comes to the most popular cities amongst migrants. This quirky city has a more laid-back vibe than Sydney, and has a cooler climate year-round. While house prices in Melbourne are significantly lower than in Sydney, the cost of living is still fairly high when compared to other cities in Australia. 

Perth, WA

Some people dream of moving to Australia for the laid-back, sun-soaked surfer lifestyle, and Perth is pretty much the epitome of that. Its climate is hot and dry, it features some of the most spectacular beaches in the world (and its coastline just goes on and on), and its expat community is large and thriving. If you enjoy spending time outdoors, Perth, based in Western Australia, is the city for you. 

Queensland, VIC

Queensland, in the state of Victoria, is like an evenly split combination of the above three cities. It’s got a spectacular city centre, plus a number of stunning beaches, and the cost of living is pretty low, too. Many people refer to Queensland as “The Sunshine State” because of its year-round hot climate – so if Canadian winters just aren’t doing it for you, Queensland is the place to go!

Want to know more? Why not read Part 2 now.

The post Moving to Australia from Canada – Preparing For The Move (Part 1) appeared first on Australian Times News.

Australia continues to be the destination of choice for many expats

Australia’s high quality of life, prosperous economy, diverse population, excellent healthcare and world-class education system continue to make it one of the most popular countries for people looking to settle abroad. 

In 2018, there were 7.3 million migrants living in Australia, making up 29% of the country’s total population. People born in England continued to be the largest group of overseas-born residents, accounting for 4.0% of Australia’s total population.

Permanent residency and citizenship continue to rise

In the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, 127,674 people became citizens of Australia through residency (also referred to as conferral by the Australian government) – an increase of 58.3% from the previous year. In the same period, 238,300 people became Australian citizens.

Moving to Australia: How you can make a permanent move Down Under

Before you can obtain Australian citizenship, you must first become a permanent resident. Permanent residency allows you to live in Australia indefinitely and leave and re-enter the country as often as you wish. You’ll also enjoy many of the rights and privileges of citizens, such as access to free or subsidised legal and health services. 

Permanent residency is a five-year visa, but what’s great about this visa is that even when it expires, you’ll still be allowed to stay in Australia indefinitely without breaching immigration regulations.

While there are Australian visas that are temporary and can eventually lead to permanent residency and citizenship, there are some that can fast-track the process. 

If your goal is to live in Australia permanently and become a citizen, these are the visas you should apply for.

Employer-sponsored visas

To be eligible for these visas, you need to find an Australian-based employer that will sponsor you. Employers can only sponsor you if they can’t find an Australian citizen with the skills and experience needed for the job. When you receive a sponsorship, you can only work for the employer who sponsored you.

Temporary Skilled Shortage visa (subclass 482)

The Temporary Skilled Shortage visa (TSS) has a short-term stream and a medium-term stream. To qualify for permanent residency, you must work in an occupation on the medium-term stream for three years. 

Jobs on the short-term stream are only eligible for a two-year visa and will not allow you to qualify for permanent residency. Should your occupation fall on the short-term list, it is possible to extend your stay for another two years. Your employer will need to submit a new nomination and you will have to apply for a new visa.

Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)

This is a permanent visa, which means that you’ll be a permanent Australian resident the moment your visa is granted. There are three streams under this visa, all of which allow you to:

• Stay in Australia indefinitely
• Work and study in Australia
• Enrol in Medicare, Australia’s public healthcare scheme
• Bring your relatives with you 
• Travel in and out of Australia for five years
• Apply for citizenship, if eligible

Temporary Residence Transition stream

You’ll need to apply for this visa if you’re already in Australia on a medium-term 482 visa and have worked for your employer for at least three years. Your employer will need to sponsor your application for permanent residency.

Direct Entry stream

You can apply for this stream if you work in an occupation on the medium-term stream and have an employer willing to sponsor you. Usually you are living outside of Australia or have only briefly worked in Australia. As part of your application, your skills will be assessed to ensure they meet the standards of the occupation you’re applying for. You’ll need to receive a positive skills assessment to apply for this stream. 

Agreement stream

You’ll be eligible for this stream if you’re currently working or will work for an employer under a labour agreement. Labour agreements allow approved businesses to sponsor skilled overseas workers when there isn’t a suitable Australian candidate and standard temporary or permanent visa programmes are not available. 

Skilled visas

 The skilled migration visa for Australia works on a points-based system. Points are awarded based on your age, qualification, experience and English language skills. Your eligibility for the visa is determined by your occupation. Having an occupation that is in demand gives you the greatest visa options. 

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

This is a permanent resident visa and one of the most sought-after visas because it allows you to live and work anywhere in Australia. To be eligible you must be under 45 years of age, score at least 65 points on the immigration points test and have an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). 

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

To be eligible for this visa, you must be nominated by a state or territory government. To be nominated or invited to apply, you must first submit an expression of interest to the specific state or territory you want to work in (e.g. New South Wales or Queensland). 

You must be under 45 years of age, score at least 65 points and have an occupation on the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL). 

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)

This visa allows you to live and work in specific regional areas in Australia for up to five years. To apply, you will need to be sponsored by an eligible relative or nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency. 

If you’re being sponsored by a relative, they can be one of the following: 

• A parent
• A child or stepchild
• A sibling, including adopted and step siblings 
• An aunt, uncle, adoptive aunt, adoptive uncle, step-aunt or step-uncle
• A nephew, niece, adoptive nephew, adoptive niece, step-nephew or step-niece
• A grandparent
• A first cousin

Your relative must also: 

• Be 18 years old or older
• Reside in a designated regional area in Australia* 
• Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen
• Be you or your partner’s eligible relative

*Regional Australia is defined as: South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria (except the Melbourne metropolitan), Queensland (except the greater Brisbane area) Northern Territory and New South Wales (except Sydney).

The cut-off age for this is 45 years. As with the other skilled visa, you must score at least 65 points or more and your occupation must be on the list of eligible occupations. After three years of living on the 491 visa you can apply for permanent residency. 

Business visa routes

There are various options for individuals wanting to establish a business or invest in Australia. 

Overseas business sponsorship

If you own a business, you can move Down Under by expanding your business to Australia. This is done by applying for an overseas business sponsorship as well as the 482 visa. The process from your first application through to obtaining Australian citizenship comprises four stages.

Stage 1 – Become an overseas business sponsor 

This stage is a three-step process. You’ll need to:

• Apply to be an overseas business sponsor
• Nominate a position within your new Australian business
• Apply for your TSS 482 visa 

You can bring your family with you to Australia by including them on your visa application. Once you’ve been granted your TSS 482 visa, you can move to Australia and establish the Australian branch of your business. 

Stage 2 – Become a standard business sponsor and get Australian permanent residency

To make the transition from a temporary residence visa to a permanent residence visa, your Australian-based company must first obtain a standard business sponsorship. 

Stage 3 – Become a permanent resident on the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)

You’ll move onto this stage once you have lived and worked in Australia for three years. 

When applying for your permanent visa, you will need to show that your Australian business can meet its obligation of paying staff members and other statutory requirements. You must also show that you’ve lived in Australia and worked for your sponsoring business for three years. 

Stage 4 – Apply for Australian citizenship

Once you’ve lived in Australia for the qualifying period and met all the requirements, you can apply for citizenship.

Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)

The Business Talent (Permanent) visa is suited to business owners, investors or property developers. In the last 20 years, the Australian property market has provided an average capital growth of 6.8% a year. A growing economy and population have led to a huge demand for houses.

Sable International has created a special programme that helps entrepreneurs meet the requirements of the Business Talent visa and start a business. The programme requires that you form or join a property development company that will allow you to build and sell property in Australia. With the assistance and guidance of our team in Australia, you can continue to buy, develop and sell property within your own company.  

To be eligible for the Business Talent visa, you must:

• Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
• Be nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency
• Be invited to apply for the visa
• Have the required funding or assets

This visa has two streams: 

• The Significant Business History stream, which allows experienced business owners to start a new or existing business in Australia
• Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream, which allows you to start a new or existing business if you have sourced venture capital funding from a member of the Australian Investment Council (AIC), in the Venture Capital Membership category

Significant Business History stream

To be eligible for this stream, you must: 

• Be under the age of 55* 
• Have an overall successful business career
• Have a genuine intention to establish a qualifying business in Australia, or participate in an existing business
• Be committed to the business in a manner that benefits the Australian economy
• Have a total net asset of at least AU $400,000 as the ownership interest in one or more qualifying businesses for at least two of the four fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
• Have an annual business turnover of at least AU $3 million for at least two of the four fiscal years immediately before you are invited to apply
• Have total assets of at least AU $1.5 million that can be transferred to Australia within two years of the 132 visa being granted 

*This requirement can be waived by a state or territory if your proposed business offers substantial economic benefit to the nominating state or territory.

Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream

To qualify for this stream, you need to source venture capital funding from a member of the Australian Investment Council (AIC), in the Venture Capital Membership category. You must: 

• Have agreed with a venture capital firm to provide capital funding for either an early phase start-up, commercialisation of a product, development of a business or the expansion of a business
• Have at least AU $1 million in funding from a venture capital firm
• Have a genuine intention to establish a qualifying business in Australia, or participate in an existing business
• Be committed to the business in a manner that benefits the Australian economy

How to get Australian citizenship

Obtaining citizenship through residency is also sometimes referred to as by conferral. This route applies to:

• Australian permanent residents aged 18-59
• Children aged 16 or 17
• Children 15 years or younger applying with a parent or guardian
• Partners or spouses of an Australian citizen

To qualify through this route, you must fulfil the following residency requirements: 

• Have lived in Australia for four years
• Have been a permanent resident for at least 12 months
• Have not spent more than 365 days outside of Australia in the past four years
• Have not spent more than 90 days outside of Australia in the past 12 months

You also need to meet the following criteria:

• Pass the Australian citizenship test (unless you are over the age of 60)
• Be a permanent resident at the time of application and decision
• Satisfy the residence requirement
• Be likely to reside, or to continue to reside, in Australia or to maintain a close and continuing association with Australia
• Be of good character

Other pathways to Australian citizenship

Descent

If one of your parents was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth, you can claim Australian citizenship. You’ll be entitled to citizenship irrespective of your country of birth or if your parent has lost their citizenship.

Birth

If you were born in Australia between 26 January 1949 and 20 August 1986, then you could be eligible for citizenship. People born after 20 August 1986 do not automatically become Australian citizens as the status of their parents dictates whether a claim can be made.

Adoption

To qualify, at least one of your parents must have been an Australian citizen at the time of your adoption. You must be able to show that you were fully and permanently adopted under either the Hague Convention or a bilateral agreement and that you are of good character.

If you’re interested in finding out more about gaining Australian citizenship and exploring your visa options, get in touch with Sable International’s Australian immigration agents at migration@sableinternational.com or on +61 (0)3 8651 4500.

The post Eight ways you can get Australian permanent residency and citizenship appeared first on Australian Times News.

What to consider when shipping a vehicle

The age and model of the vehicle

If the vehicle is old, but not a classic, it may be more worthwhile purchasing a new or secondhand car once you reach your new destination. Classic cars, or vehicles with great sentimental or economic value should certainly be shipped, and there are safe ways to do this if you use a professional, reliable company.

The condition of the vehicle for shipping

If the vehicle is going to require extensive work done to it, you will need to weigh up whether or not you would like to commit to working on it once you move. If fixing it has been your life’s work, it is definitely worthwhile shipping it.

Which transportation method would best suit you

There are several transportation methods you can consider when you transport your vehicle. These include Roll On Roll Off service, R-Rak, air freight and container shipping. 

Your budget

Whilst shipping your car or motorbike is an additional cost when emigrating, consider whether or not you will save money in the long run. Consider the benefits of shipping versus buying new or used when you arrive at your destination. Take a look at cheap car shipping.

Making your decision

If you decide to take your vehicle to your new destination is an option, bear in mind that a professional company should take care of the shipping. 

Ensure that the company you select to transport your car offers marine insurance cover. Quality insurance is vital when shipping your vehicles internationally, so make sure you choose a company that provides the best insurance deal.

For all your queries and concerns about customs, insurance and costs, contact AutoShippers. Their experts will be able to answer any questions you may have and will be able to guide you along the way. 

The post Your car and emigration: To ship or not to ship? appeared first on Australian Times News.

Here are some suggestions to help you and your family enjoy the moving process as much as possible.

Practise having a good attitude

If the move is ‘sold’ as an adventure, that’s what it will be. If you are moving with children, this is an especially vital angle to focus on. Include your children in the necessary planning procedures and get excited about their input. This will help them feel a part of it all, as well as get them excited for the significant changes ahead.

Make the most of getting on a plane

To break up the journey, and to add an element of fun to the move, why not plan a holiday en route to your new destination? Taking some time off after packing up your home and saying farewell to friends and family will help you feel rested and emotionally ready for your next chapter.

Explore as soon as you can, as much as you can

Enjoy your new surroundings by exploring as much as possible. Not only with this help you familiarise yourself with your new home, but it will enable you to get excited each time you find somewhere new to visit. Finding little gems in your new ‘hood will also give you ideas of places to visit when friends and family come to visit.

Connect with friends

If you know anyone who lives where you’ve moved to, make contact with them before you go. Make plans to reconnect once you arrive and let them tell you things you need to know about your new home town. This will help you feel connected and empowered as you settle in.

Make a ‘to buy’ list

Sit down with your family and list all the things you need to buy (or hire) when you arrive. Create excitement around this, and include all family members, if possible. Consider large items such as a car, or smaller items such a surfboard for your child who has been longing to hit the beach. Make this an exciting process, but keep it as realistic as possible – don’t commit to buying things you can’t afford or know you’ll never use.

Making a move?

The experts at 1st Move International will go out of their way to help make your move as streamlined as possible. Contact them for a quote so that they can help make your move and straightforward and painless as possible.

The post How you can make moving feel like a holiday appeared first on Australian Times News.

It can cost a lot of money to relocate. Is it cost-effective to ship your car, or does it make more sense to buy a new or used car when you reach your destination?

The economics of it

We chatted to the experts at AutoShippers to find out the cost of transporting a common sedan from the UK to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the USA. We’ve compared the price of shipping a regular family car with buying one. Here’s what we found:

The ins and outs

We know that cars are more than just objects to get you from A to B. Many people have an emotional connection with their vehicles. That’s why there are services, such as the Roll on Roll off service (RoRo) that use the cargo ship’s own integral loading ramps. Your vehicle is driven on at the departure port and off at the destination, which is faster, more efficient, and safer than standard container car shipping.

There are other ways to transport your vehicles including:

R-Rak car shipping. This new method of shipping cars has become very popular recently, and is used by most car manufacturers to ship cars. 

Air freight. This is the fastest method of shipping and is typically preferred by those shipping higher value vehicles due to the extra protection it offers.

Container shipping – If you are shipping multiple vehicles or if you have personal effects or spare parts that must also be transported then container shipping may be a better solution for your requirements.

Get started

The cost of shipping a car may be an expense you had not initially budgeted for. If you decide to take your vehicle to your new destination is an option, bear in mind that shipping should be done by professionals. Ensure that the company you select to transport your car offers marine insurance cover. Quality insurance is vital when shipping your car internationally, so make sure you choose a company that offers the best insurance deal.

For all your queries and concerns about customs, insurance and costs, contact AutoShippers. Their experts will be able to answer any questions you may have and will be able to guide you along the way. 

The post Is it worthwhile shipping your car when you emigrate? appeared first on Australian Times News.

I did love living in London. During your twenties what isn’t there to love about London? Pubs on every corner, theatres and a maze of cultural pursuits on your doorstep plus plenty of like-minded people living the same dreams. But it was time for a change.

I was lucky in that I had already been mesmerized by Sydney more than a decade earlier. In 1996 I was a young, dumb and blissfully ignorant 18 year old who went out a boy and more or less came back a man. The vibrancy of the city and the sheer thrill of being on the other side of the world was enough for me to become hooked. For six blissful months I had no parents to report back to, no exams to study for and a whole world of new experiences to let loose on. Of course the gorgeous summer months and a spectacular array of beautiful women didn’t exactly harm my trip either.

Also see: Top considerations for buying a property in Sydney

However, having later spent four years living in Sydney I can perhaps offer a more nuanced insight as to why so many of my fellow Poms, let alone other nationalities, continue to descend upon Oz in droves.

It’s the economy, stupid

The so-called ‘Great Recession’ in Europe following the GFC last decade persuaded people who had been made redundant and who had previously been living a safe and settled life to take a chance and travel, given the dire lack of jobs at home. Australia was always going to be an obvious destination. The UK had barely recovered from those austerity doldrums when it went and chose to embark on Brexit and its woes of uncertainty, and the flow of talent looking for a brighter day Down Under continues.

Away from the ‘Jim, nice but dim’ backpackers which inhabit Kings Cross and Bondi, I met many fellow 30 something’s who had a whole new lease of life with the loss of their jobs back home. These were very marketable people, given the skill sets they had, and with Australia quickly developing as a significant global economy I was one of a number of English recruiters watching and appreciating the rapid rise and opportunities offered to talented expats.

Same but different

It’s not just Australia’s economy that makes it one of the most appealing countries on earth. The world over knows how alluring and beautiful Oz is but we British folk in particular are very fortunate given that there are a great deal of similarities to make us feel more at home.

Sydney’s Paddington, for example, is a very creditable equivalent to a leafy London Notting Hill or Kensington. Even the pubs bare a certain similarity to the watering holes back home. Aussie shops, bistros and boutiques have again become highly fashionable and desirable and are just as good as an alternative, if not better, than their English high street counterparts. With the prices to match, I hasten to add.

Life is so good Down Under

With sunny beaches, an economy which is constantly expanding and cities that are more cosmopolitan than ever before, Brits and many other expats are actually making educated choices on whether they want to return home at all. When you mix in such a highly desirable climate, the never ending supply of sport, and don’t forget the Aussie ‘way of life’, Australia is a pretty damn good offering.

The post Why do Brits move to Australia? appeared first on Australian Times News.

Over the weekend, Sable International confirmed the proposal would officially come into law before the end of the year. Business Tech also report that a third new route was under consideration, but won’t open until 2022. But in five months’ time, you will be able to pursue the following options:

• Skilled Work Regional Visa.
• Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional Visa.

Working in Australia: New visa routes for November 2019:

What is a Skilled Work Regional Visa?

• Official name: Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

Revealed at the start of the year, this is a visa that would make working in Australia a doddle. That’s if you don’t mind where you go, though. This particular route would place you in towns and rural areas which desperately need a bigger migrant workforce.

Although isolated, regions like Darwin and Palmerston in the Northern Territory are still vibrant regions that offer all the perks of city living, with the comfort of suburban security on your doorstep. Having a “skilled” spouse or a STEM qualification could also help your application.

We spoke to Sam Hopwood, Australian immigration director at Sable International. He told us that anyone under 45 who can pass the English language test required for entrance to Australia is welcome to apply, as long as they’re qualified for one of the applicable 117 fields:

“Migrants are vital to the prosperity of Australia. A 2016 census showed that 151 regional areas in Australia were able to offset declining populations by encouraging international migrants. International migrants were actually the sole source of population growth for some small towns.”

Sam Hopwood

What is the Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional Visa?

• Official name: Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)

It’s another application that would place you somewhere, and it’s not likely you’ll go to Sydney or Melbourne. The difference here is that you can be cherry-picked by a potential employer and have little else to worry about.

This one does not follow the “points-based system” as is the case with many other visas hopeful migrants have to obtain with a view to working in Australia. If an employer gives you a job offer in a relevant field and you meet the English language requirement, you’ll be on your way to regional Australia in a flash. It’s by far the simplest of the lot.

• Find out if you qualify for the skilled workers list here

The post Thinking of working in Australia? Things could be getting a lot easier for you on the visa front appeared first on Australian Times News.

How can I apply to work in Australia’s NT?

The Northern Territory (NT) – a sparsely-populated area of the country that’s looking to expand its horizons. Its capital is Darwin, which is home to less than 80,000 people. Nonetheless, it’s ripping good fun! The NT is perhaps better known as the home of Uluru.

Part of the requirements is to commit to working in the region for a minimum of three years. Once you’ve served that time, the idea is then to allow applicants to secure their permanent residency in the country, hoping that people will choose to stay in the Northern Territory. A link to application details appears at the bottom of this page.

Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, David Coleman, told SBS News that local businesses stand to benefit immensely from the Designation Area Migration Agreement (DAMA):

“Our first priority is always to fill jobs with Australians, but the immigration system can play an important role in helping to address regional skills gaps. I am pleased that we can continue to partner with the NT Government to support the skills needs of local businesses where Australian workers are not available to fill those jobs,” said Coleman.

Migrants hailed as “vital” to Aussie economy

We also spoke to Sam Hopwood, Australian immigration director at Sable International. He told us that anyone under 45 who can pass the English language test required for entrance to Australia is welcome to apply, as long as they’re qualified in one of the 117 fields:

“Migrants are vital to the prosperity of Australia. A 2016 census showed that 151 regional areas in Australia were able to offset declining populations by encouraging international migrants. International migrants were actually the sole source of population growth for some small towns.”

“To qualify, you need to be: younger than 45, meet the English language requirement have the relevant qualifications and skills for the advertised position that the employer is wanting to sponsor you in.”Sam Hopwood

The job list ranges from highly-skilled practices (veterinary surgeons, engineers, mechanics) to more common areas of work, such and caregiving and hairdressing.

It takes all sorts to build the sort of international community Coleman and his team are looking for. But is your occupation on the list? If you’ve got a touch of wanderlust and feel like setting up home in a quintessential part of Australia, the the NT is very much calling your name.

Work in Australia – 117 occupations that need foreign workers in the Norther Territory:

You can find out more about applying to work in Australia right here.

The post Australia’s Northern Territory needs you for work in 117 occupations! appeared first on Australian Times News.

For example, did you know Australia has become one of the world leaders in inward skilled migration with a total of 245,400 immigrants in the year ending June 30, 2017, a 27 per cent increase from the year before?

Australia’s employment statistics

In 2018, Australia boasted a low 5.3% unemployment rate, with national average weekly earnings of $1,207 and an Economic Growth rate of 3.4% (Reserve Bank of Australia 2018). In addition, Australia is in its 27th consecutive year of annual economic growth, one of the few economies in the post-WWII period to achieve this (2017-18) (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

Australia is the 2nd wealthiest nation in terms of wealth per adult after Switzerland – (2017) (Global Wealth Report, Credit Suisse) and is estimated to have the world’s 13th highest GDP and the 11th highest GDP per capita in US dollar terms (2017) (International Monetary Fund).

The Department of Jobs and Small Business projects that total employment will increase by 886,100 (or 7.1 per cent) over the five years to May 2023. The long-term structural shift in employment towards services industries is projected to continue over the coming five years.

The key performers

Health Care and Social Assistance is projected to make the largest contribution to employment growth (increasing by 250,300), followed by Construction (118,800), Education and Training (113,000) and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (106,600).

Together, these four industries are projected to provide almost two-thirds (or 66.4 per cent) of total employment growth over the five years to May 2023.

Australia is set for healthy growth in the next 20 years backed by a growing population and gateway proximity to the predicted world economic leaders of India, China and Japan.

TOP IMAGE: Via Pixabay

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Australia Immigration and Investment Roadshow in South Africa

Zeke Bentley, as Principal of Irish Bentley Lawyers and The Migration Place team of advisors, will be visiting South Africa to hold a series of free, one-on-one immigration consultations this October 2018.

In addition to running a full-service law practice, Zeke Bentley has focused on immigration matters since 2002 and is a member of the QLS, the MIA, Migration Alliance and a Registered Migration Agent with MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority). He has run matters in all courts including constitutional cases in the High Court of Australia. The Migration Place is the specialist Migration Divison of Irish Bentley Lawyers based in Brisbane Australia.

Move To Australia Australia Consultations: Available dates in South Africa

Johannesburg: 8-12 October

Cape Town: 15-19 October

Durban: 22-24 October

These consultations are free to attend but you will need to register. You’re welcome to bring your partner and family members along to the appointment.

Simply fill in the form on this page to apply for the consultation and a legal team member will confirm an available time.

The Migration Place has also partnered with a South African-based law practice in Johannesburg that is available to assist with your migration enquiries. Tel: 010 023 0795

The post Work in Australia: forecast of over 800,000 new jobs by 2023 appeared first on Australian Times News.

The Global Liveability Index (GLI) for 2018 confirmed that the trio has made the peak of the extensive list, but all of them were pipped to the post by Vienna, Austria. In fact, Melbourne has grounds to be considerably miffed – they occupied the top spot in 2017, but dropped to second this year.

What areas does Australia rank highest in?

The index is compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and focuses on five key factors: Stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. All these scores are totalled out of a hundred, and their average provides the coefficient.

Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide all registered perfect scores in the Education and Healthcare categories. Melbourne itself is seen as five points “less stable” than Vienna, which scored 100 out of 100. In all other four fields, the Aussie city had outscored its European rival.

Also see: Is Melbourne the music capital of Australia? Sydney or Adelaide might pip it to the post

Only Vancouver in Canada was ranked as having a better cultural lifestyle than Melbourne. But nonetheless, the major hubs Down Under remain a shining beacon for communities all over the world.

World’s top 10 most liveable cities

1. Vienna, Austria – 99.1.

2. Melbourne, Australia – 98.4.

3. Osaka, Japan – 97.7.

4. Calgary, Canada – 97.5.

5. Sydney, Australia – 97.4.

6. Vancouver, Canada – 97.3.

7. Toronto, Canada – 97.2.

8. Tokyo, Japan – 97.2.

9. Copenhagen, Denmark – 96.8.

10. Adelaide, Australia – 96.6.

There are also multiple entries for Canada and Japan, whereas Copenhagen flies the flag for Denmark and the beautiful Scandinavian region.

Where Australia has thrived, Africa has suffered. The ten least liveable cities in the world feature six from Africa. Lagos, Nigeria is the continent’s lowest-ranking municipality, scoring an overall rating of just 38.5.

Only Damascus – the war-torn capital of Syria – and Dhaka in Bangladesh fared worst than Lagos, out of all the cities surveyed.

World’s 10 least liveable cities

1. Damascus, Syria – 30.7.

2. Dhaka, Bangladesh – 38.0.

3. Lagos, Nigeria – 38.5.

4. Karachi, Pakistan – 40.9.

5. Port Moresby, PNG – 41.0.

6. Harare, Zimbabwe – 42.6.

7. Tripoli, Libya – 42.9.

8. Douala, Cameroon – 44.0.

9. Algiers, Algeria – 44.1.

10. Dakar, Senegal – 48.3.

TOP IMAGE: Melbourne (Via Pixabay)

The post Three of the world’s 10 most liveable cities are in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

The new Australian initiatives will affect prospective skilled migration visa applicants, businesses sponsoring skilled migrants, as well as all points-test based visa applications.

New requirements for point-based skilled migration

The points-based emigration program is aimed at attracting skilled and experienced labour into the country.  From 1 July 2018 the points threshold will now be increased from 60 to 65.

New Global Talent Visa scheme

The Global Talent visa scheme is a new program which was implemented on 1 July 2018 and will be on trial for 12 months.

The new scheme aims at attracting highly skilled workers to deliver innovation to Australia’s tech industry.

The program is similar to the existing entrepreneur visa, but is separated into two classes: start-up stream and established business stream.

Increase in visa fees

In partner visa applications, the prospective applicant will now need to pay $7,160 instead of $7,000. The fee for Business Innovation and Investment visa in the Premium Investor stream will record the highest hike of $190, costing applicants $8,770.

Skilled partner age limit lowered for Australian permanent visas

The maximum age of a skilled partner has been lowered to 45. Applicants under this age limit can claim additional points in the general points test.

Changes to employer-sponsored visas

The Australian government plans to implement the Skilled Australians Fund and Nomination Training Contribution Charge (NTCC) for company sponsors.

Employers and businesses seeking to nominate a worker will need to pay NTCC for select visas.

Increase expected in General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas

General Skilled Migration Visa is designed for skilled workers who are willing to live and work in Australia on a permanent basis. This visa is also applicable to those individuals who can get sponsorship of an Australian employer.

SBS Punjabi reports that there is an expected spike in GSM visa applications in the near future.

Skilled Occupation Lists (SOL) changes

Australia’s skilled occupation lists are currently under review. A number of occupations were flagged for removal from the lists and some were put up for moving between different lists.

Australian citizenship changes

A proposed citizenship bill is expected to make Australian citizenship for foreigners a lot tougher. The revised legislation includes an increased residence requirement up to four years and a mandatory English test.

TOP IMAGE: (SBS)

The post Australian visas: Applicants face new hurdles to meet toughened requirements appeared first on Australian Times News.

If the country has a shortage of high school teachers, it would add that to the occupation list. Somebody who is a high school teacher and wanting to emigrate would be given preference and stand a great chance of getting a visa.

Those looking to move to Australia for General Skilled Migration are required to nominate an eligible occupation from the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List. (MLTSL)

The following three visa types can nominate an occupation from the list.

> Subclass 189 (Skilled—Independent) visas; and

> Subclass 489 (Skilled—Regional (Provisional)) visas by applicants who are not nominated by a State or Territory government agency; and

> Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visas.

The MLTSSL for this year has 178 occupations that can be nominated for skilled migration to the country.

Who knows, maybe your services are in high demand Down Under?

Australia’s immigration Strategic Skills List

The post Move to Australia: Here’s the latest immigration skilled occupation list appeared first on Australian Times News.

Living in the UK

When asked the question: ‘Where would you prefer to live in the UK?’, 750 respondents gave their answers, with just under 1 in 3 stating they would prefer to live in Cornwall on the south-west coast.

The capital city of London followed close behind with nearly 26%, with the ever increasingly cosmopolitan northern hub of Manchester also taking just more than 10% of the votes.

Other locations such as the Midlands and Cumbria followed behind with 10% and 9% respectively.

But how about living Down Under?

Interestingly, in a second survey the same number of Britons were asked the question: ‘Where would you prefer to live in Australia?’ Resulting in a third of the respondents preferring the Sunshine Coast as their ideal place to settle down.

Second on their list was Melbourne with nearly a third selecting this option. Perth came in third with 18%, with Adelaide and Hobart coming in at fourth and fifth with 10% and 6% of the vote respectively.

In the UK survey almost 42% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would prefer to live in London, along with just more than 31% of 25 to 34-year-olds. All other age categories (35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64 and 65+) selected the beautiful county of Cornwall; with an average of 37% respondents from the age categories choosing this option.

The same can be said when it comes to choosing a place to live Down Under. In this survey, 36% of 18 to 24-year-olds Brits said they would choose to live in the vibrant city of Melbourne. All other age brackets selected The Sunshine Coast in Queensland, an area renowned for its stunning coastline and clear blue waters, with an average of 34.8% of respondents choosing this idyllic spot.

The post Where abouts in Australia would Britons prefer to live? appeared first on Australian Times News.

Down Under isn’t a tough place to find work in. And no, you won’t be limited to menial jobs just so you can gain access to work in Australia. This is a land of genuine opportunity, and there are chances that are begging to be taken by highly-motivated immigrants.

We’ve done our homework, and found eight professions that are in desperate need of a fresh work-force:

Industry and Job Vacancies for work in Australia:

1) Teaching and educational roles

Good job we did our homework, eh? It’s worth noting that Secondary School teachers are the number one occupation sub-type Australia is looking for. The Department of Australia Immigration allocated 8,032 spots for secondary school teachers last year.

Early Childhood (Pre-primary) and Special Needs teachers are next up in terms of demand. There are 1,822 and 1,126 available spots allocated for each occupation sub-type respectively. Unfortunately demand for Primary School teachers is low.

Aspiring applicants are often surprised to learn that post-qualification work experience in teaching isn’t actually a prerequisite for eligibility, but it can help due to the points criteria required for an Australia visa application.

2) Construction Management

Large infrastructure projects, commercial developments and high rise residential projects are still driving strong demand for construction professionals across all disciplines.

The Department of Immigration has allocated 5,289 spots for construction managers for the 2016/17 year. Current demand is strongest in NSW.

Although many aspiring migrants have skills in construction management, to be eligible to apply under this occupation requires that you have a bachelor degree with a highly relevant field of study and prove you possess highly relevant post qualification experience.

3) Nursing

Registered nurses and midwifes are in short supply in Australia. This is a popular position for many migrant workers. Although, nurses with unrecognised overseas qualifications usually have to undergo some form of bridging course.

Nurses who were educated in countries not recognised by Australian authorities will be required to undertake accredited Competency assessment courses. Once registered, you then apply for a working visa. After that, you must find an employer who is willing to sponsor you for a four-year working visa in Australia.

4) Accounting and Finance

The amount of jobs in accounting and finance is expected to increase by 21,400 in the years leading up to 2017, due to the downturn of positions from the GFC.

However, there has been strong competition for available spots, with applicants currently requiring more than the minimum 60 points in order to progress their application.

5) Tradespeople

Electricians have been identified as an area with a large skills deficiency, and the Department of Immigration has allocated 9,345 available spots for this trade in the 2016/17 year

According to ‘Master Electricians Australia’, electricians are therefore listed in the top 10 occupations expected to provide the largest number of new jobs in Australia over the next five years.

Metal fitters and machinists, carpenters, motor mechanics, and plumbers are also in high demand to work in Australia with spots allocated by the Department of Immigration in 2016/17 in excess of 5,000 for each of these trades. However, most trade occupations will generally require that you have a trade qualification, and five years of experience in your trade (which includes time spent in training).

6) IT Professionals

According to submissions from skills assessors to the Department of Immigration, there is expected demand for a further 100,000 ICT professionals in Australia over the next six years.

Computer network and systems engineers, ICT business analysts, system analysts, software engineers, and analyst and developer programmers are all on the skilled occupation list. However, Software and app programmers lead the pack in terms of demand, with 5,662 available spots allocated in the 2016/17 year.

7) Digital Marketing Staff

Advertising is becoming more and more prevalent online, due to global technology development. Companies are creating online business and require an online digital marketing strategy. As this happens, more qualified marketing professionals are required, creating a strong demand for specialists in Australia.

8) Engineers

There has been strong demand for Engineers in recent years. Largely in the industries of civil infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, and defence.

Although, on the opposite end of the scale, major infrastructure projects across Australia have boosted demand for this type of engineering professional. Leading the pack in terms of spots available are: Civil, structural, geo-technical, and transport engineers. There were 2,174 spots allocated for the 2016/17 year by the Department of Immigration.

The average civil engineer is bachelor degree qualified however, and most are employed in NSW, Queensland, and Victoria.

TOP IMAGE: Via Pixabay

The post Eight kinds of jobs Australia desperately needs to be filled by migrants appeared first on Australian Times News.

The bill was passed in Australia’s parliamentary lower house on Monday, which will make the current tests to acquire Australian citizenship a little tougher.

Once the lower house approves a bill, it is sent to the Senate (upper house) for debate and then ultimately, a vote as to whether it should become law.

The changes to the citizenship tests aren’t wholesale, but they have raised the bar for an English speaking skills-set.

What’s on the Australian Citizenship Test?

Those who struggle with English – despite transferable work skills and a genuine desire for integration – will now find it even more difficult to live permananetly in Australia

There are two sides and polarising opinions attached to this move. The government are positive that it will make Australia a safer place, as explained by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton:

Why it will work…

• English Language is crucial for integration and employment
• The changes will exclude those who do not value what it means to be Australian
• People coming into Australia under these rules will do better with integration

“Australian citizenship should be highly valued and the government’s changes will ensure that it is a privilege obtained by only those who’ve demonstrated the most sincere commitment to Australia, our values and respect for our laws, as it should be.”

Moving to Australia

Australia’s opposing Labor party have denounced the bill, however. Their MP Jason Clare challenged the proposals set out by Mr Dutton, and claimed that the changes would be harmful to Australia.

Why it may not work…

(According to Jason Clare)

• Only people with university-level English skills will be able to pass the tests
• It excludes a section of society that would be very helpful to the Australian workforce
• New citizenship tests aren’t the answer. Australia must do more to boost these skills

“The better your English, the better your chance of getting a job, the better your chance of getting ahead, the better your chance of integrating properly into our society.

But that doesn’t mean we should be denying people citizenship because they don’t have university English skills. It means we should be doing more to boost these skills.”

The citizenship changes have been referred to a senate inquiry, which is due to report back before September 4.

The post Tougher English language exams for Australian citizenship will be debated by Senate appeared first on Australian Times News.

Here, we have listed 5 reasons as to why Australia is a good place to start a business.

1 – The economy is steady

As of 2017, Australia has been recession-free for 26 years, setting it apart from many other first-world nations in financial crises. This winning streak is record breaking, and the strongest growth has come from wholesale trade and finance industries, amongst others. Australia also has China to thank for their contributions to the Oz economy. Their demand for natural resources has boosted the country’s riches and has kept it hitting other countries for six, financially.

2 – The Lifestyle

Let’s face it, people want to move to Australia. And why wouldn’t they? A number of surveys have shown Aussies to be amongst the happiest people in the world, and for residents and newcomers alike, there are plenty of draws to the big cities.  To start a business in a country like Australia is ideal because of its modern metropolises, high quality of life, general well-being, natural beauty, and stunning weather. These keep workers and businesses happy, and where there are more people, there is, subsequently, more business. There are also Australian working holiday visas available for nationals from specified eligible countries, which not only shows its international appeal but also expands the potential workforce.

3 – Talented Workforce

With plenty of university cities creating graduates, Australia is constantly producing a stream of eager, well-educated workers. Brisbane, for example, boasts two renowned technology courses at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology, which equip young go-getters with the skills they need to help a business grow. The rate of enrolment for secondary education in the Land Down Under is high, which shows the hunger and determination of its youngsters.

4 – Wealthy citizens

Australians are amongst the richest citizens in the world, meaning that there is profit to be made. One of the world’s richest nations, a lot of the country’s wealth is owing to the fact that it is rich in natural resources – gold, iron ore, nickel, silver, oil, natural gas, and so on – which benefit both the country itself and other countries. Combined with its leading economy, there is no better time than now to start a business in Australia. Check out this cool game for more facts and information about how countries, industries and institutions compare against each other and see where Australia stands.

5 – The Location

Not only does Australia’s location bring Southern Hemisphere sunshine, but it also makes businesses more successful. Specifically, its connections to Asia-Pacific countries, such as Singapore, which has a fast-growing economy.  Australia is also linked with the UK, both economically and politically, and so it has a wide global reach, ideal for business success.

The Lucky Country

Those were our 5 reasons why Australia is a good place to start a business. If you have an innovative start-up idea, or have an existing business you want to bring to Oz, you could very well be in with a good chance of success. So, what are you waiting for? Take your chance in the Land Down Under and see where it may take you.

TOP IMAGE: Currumbin Beach in Queensland typifies the Australian outdoor lifestyle (Via WikiCommons)

The post 5 reasons why Australia is a good place start a business appeared first on Australian Times News.

Alongside a test of Australian values, and proof of your integration into Australian society, you’ll need to prove you can read, write and speak English at a competent level

We’ve been here before

Question: What do these two excerpts have in common – besides their clumsy sentence structure?

1. If the land is ploughed when wet the furrows may, and in all probability will, wear a more finished appearance, and will be more pleasant to the eye, but land so ploughed will be more inclined to become set or baked, and when in this state will not produce a maximum yield.
2. By carefully preplanning projects, implementing pollution control measures, monitoring the effects of mining and rehabilitating mined areas, the coal industry minimises the impact on the neighbouring community, the immediate environment and long-term land capability.

Answer: They are both language tests used to decide Australian citizenship.

The first is a 50 word dictation test that was key to the White Australia Policy. It was used to keep non-Europeans out of Australia.

Even if you passed the test in English, the immigration officer had the right to test you again in another European language. It was used from 1901 until 1958.

The second one is 50 words from a 1000 word reading comprehension exam with 40 questions that you must complete in 60 minutes.

This test is key to Australia’s proposed new Citizenship test. You must also write two essays, do a 30 minute listening test and a 15 minute speaking exam. If it passes through Parliament this week, it will be used from 2017.

Aspiring Australian citizens will need to score a Band 6 on the general stream of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, the same score as those seeking entry to Australia’s top university.

So, could you pass the test?

The reading test

You have 60 minutes to read at least four texts taken from magazines, newspapers or training manuals, and answer 40 comprehension questions. Your short answer responses are also assessed for grammar and spelling. Here is an excerpt from a piece about bee behaviour.

The direction of the sun is represented by the top of the hive wall. If she runs straight up, this means that the feeding place is in the same direction as the sun. However, if, for example, the feeding place is 40 degrees to the left of the sun, then the dancer would run 40 degrees to the left of the vertical line.

Try the test for yourself.

The writing test

You have 60 minutes to complete two writing tasks. For example,

Write a letter to the accommodation officer complaining about your room mate and asking for a new room.

You are marked on the length of your response, its cohesion, vocabulary and grammar.

To give you something to gauge yourself by, this one didn’t achieve the required score of 6. It begins,

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my room-mate. As you know we share one room, I can not study in the room at all any more if I still stay there.

As Senator Penny Wong observed about the test,

“Frankly if English grammar is the test there might be a few members of parliament who might struggle.”

Currently our national school test results from NAPLAN show that 15.3% of Year 9 students are below benchmark in writing. This means they would not achieve a Band 6 on the IELTS test.

A fair test?

I prepared students for the IELTS test when I lived and taught in Greece. They needed a score of 6 to get into Foundation courses in British universities. It wasn’t an easy test and sometimes it took them more than one try to succeed.

My students were middle class, living comfortably at home with mum and dad. They had been to school all their lives and were highly competent readers and writers in their mother tongue of Greek.

They had been learning English at school since Grade 4, and doing private English tuition after school for even longer. Essentially they had been preparing for their IELTS test for at least 8 years.

They were not 40-year-old women whose lives as refugees has meant they have never been to school, and cannot read and write in their mother tongue.

Neither were they adjusting to a new culture, trying to find affordable accommodation and a job while simultaneously dealing with post-traumatic stress and the challenge of settling their teenage children into a brand new world.

Learning a language takes time

Even if we conclude that tests about dancing bees and recalcitrant room-mates are fit for the purpose of assessing worthiness for citizenship – and that is surely very debatable – we must acknowledge that it is going to take a very long time for our most vulnerable aspiring citizens to reach a proficiency that will enable them to pass the test.

Currently we offer them 510 hours of free English tuition. That is at least 5 years short of what the research says is required to reach English language competency.

Testing English doesn’t teach it

The three ingredients of successful language learning are motivation, opportunity and good tuition.

The Australian government must address all three if it wishes to increase the English language proficiency of its citizens.

An English language test may appear to be a compelling motivation to learn the language, but without the opportunity to learn and excellent tuition over time, the test is not a motivation. It is an unfair barrier to anyone for whom English is not their mother tongue.

And then this new policy starts to look and feel like Australia’s old White Australia Policy.

By Misty Adoniou, Associate Professor in Language, Literacy and TESL, University of Canberra

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

TOP IMAGE: From original article, via Shutterstock.com

The post Could you pass the proposed English test for Australian citizenship? appeared first on Australian Times News.

In recent years it has even overtaken the United States as the most likely destination for a migrating millionaire. In 2016 alone, some 11,000 people with six zeros to their name decided to call Australia home.

Check out this video to discover what makes Down Under so attractive for those with a bit of cash… and why we have so much to be proud of.

The post WATCH: Why more millionaires are moving to Australia than even the USA appeared first on Australian Times News.

The new scheme will be made up of two streams, one short term (issued for two years) and one medium term (issued for up to four years for “more focused occupation lists”). Both of these will be subject to labour market testing including a requirement for two years of work experience, a market salary rate assessment and a new non-discriminatory workforce test.

As of June 30, 2016 there were 94,890 primary 457 visa holders in Australia. This means the total number of primary 457 visa holders who are sponsored by an employer is equal to less than 1% of the Australian labour market. This proportion rises if international students, backpackers and other temporary migrants are included.

The number of eligible occupations for the new types of visas will be shortened by 216, with 268 available for the two year visa and 167 for the longer four year visa. Applicants will also now have to meet English language requirements and undergo a criminal check.

The changes are in effect immediately and will be fully implemented by 2018.

Who is affected?

Henry Sherrell, Research Officer, Development Policy Centre, ANU

While it is easy to blame immigrants for questions on Australian jobs, when it comes to the 457 visa program, employers are the ones who generate visas. The visa program is closely tied to the strength or weakness of the labour market.

The policy change most likely to reduce the number of temporary skilled migrants is the changes to the list of occupations available to sponsor. By removing certain occupations, employers have a more limited set of job placements for migrants. Over time, this could reduce the temporary skilled migrants working in the labour market overall.

As employers must sponsor migrants, it is employers who drive the trends of how many visas are being granted from year to year. As the economy grows, demand for 457 visas should increase. The same also works in reverse. This is exactly what has happened, as the population of 457 visa holders has fallen from about 110,000 in 2013 to under 95,000 by June 2016.

We can see this echoed in the state numbers. During the mining boom, Queensland and Western Australia attracted larger numbers of migrants on 457 visas. However this has changed quickly. Western Australia recorded a 27% drop in the number of visas granted in 2015-16 compared to an 11% drop nationally.

The industries that stand to be most affected are information technology (the largest sponsor), followed by the professional, scientific and technical services, accommodation and food services. However the top three occupations under 457 visas contributed fewer than 15% of all visa grants in 2015-16.

Many people on 457 visas end up gaining a permanent visa, often also sponsored by their employer. In 2015-16, a total of 51,110 people on a 457 visa were granted a permanent visa.

It is unclear what the 457 changes will mean for the transition from temporary to permanent residency although existing visa holders will be grandfathered under the old system, providing a level of certainty at least in the short-term.

Yet the total population of 457 visa holders was already slowly reducing due to the softer labour market.

A training fund may not go far enough to address shortages

Chris F. Wright, Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney

The government’s decision to establish a training fund as part of the replacement package for 457 visas is welcome given unemployment and underemployment is relatively high especially among younger workers. The Turnbull government clearly needs to do more to encourage employers to use domestic policy mechanisms – such as structured training and active labour market policy – to increase the supply of skilled labour rather than just looking abroad.

However, more extensive changes to education and training policy are required. Over the past quarter-century there has been a wholesale change in how employers address their skills needs.

There has been a significant decline in employer investment in training and developing their workforce. This is partly a consequence of the deregulation of the employee training system by the Keating and Howard governments that led to an erosion of structured training and to a decline in the quality of training.

As a consequence, employers became more inclined to engage ready-trained skilled migrants as a consequence. My research with Dr Andreea Constantin showed employers who use the 457 visa were more than twice as likely to address skilled job vacancies by recruiting workers from abroad as they are to train their existing employees.

These problems have also been highlighted by other studies and are unlikely to be resolved without greater coordination and investment by employers and government.

It’s unrealistic to expect that any local worker can be trained to be completely adequate for meeting employers’ skills needs. As the Roach Review argued when it first recommended the introduction of the 457 visa in 1995:

A country of Australia’s size cannot expect to be completely self-sufficient at the leading edge of all skills in the area of key business personnel. When world trade in services is based on different countries developing specialised skills in different areas, it is not realistic for Australia to attempt to develop specialised skills in all areas.

Skilled migration therefore needs to continue as a central part of any policy solution for addressing Australia’s skills needs.

This type of labour market testing doesn’t work

Joanna Howe, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Adelaide

A deficiency with these changes is that it fails to address a core problem in the regulation of the 457 visa. The two new visa streams will still rely on employer-conducted labour market testing to ascertain which jobs will be available to temporary migrant workers.

Although the occupational shortage list for the two new visa streams is being cut down by one third from over 600 occupations to just shy of 400, employers will still be required to provide evidence to the Department of Immigration of failed recruitment efforts. The problem with this is that it penalises decent employers by increasing the red tape on them.

They will need to complete more paperwork in order to access temporary migrant workers, to meet skill shortages in their workplace. But, at the same time, it does very little to stop unscrupulous employers from exploiting the two new visas to replace local workers with foreign workers. This is because employer-conducted labour market testing is easy to evade and difficult for the Department of Immigration to properly monitor.

Given that there will be upward of 90,000 applicants for the two new visas, it will be extremely challenging and cumbersome for the Department of Immigration to properly ascertain that the jobs for which these visa holders are applying have been first advertised in a genuine and proper manner to the local workforce.

Employer-conducted labour market testing has been discredited by the OECD and the government’s own independent inquiry into the 457 visa in 2014 which recommended its abolition. A far better approach is independent labour market testing which is used in the UK, Austria and other countries to ascertain which occupations should be eligible for temporary skilled migration.

By Chris F. Wright, Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney; Henry Sherrell, Research Officer, Labour Mobility and Migration, Development Policy Centre, Australian National University, and Joanna Howe, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Adelaide

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

TOP IMAGE: With the 457 visa scrapped, the new visa work program will have tightened work experience and English language requirements. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

The post Australian government abolishes 457 work visa: experts react appeared first on Australian Times News.

Mobile telephony subscribers

According to the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) official web site, Australia is sixth in the world in mobile telephony subscription penetration with an impressive 96.2% of the population.  The fact that about 82% of Aussies are over 14 years of age may make you scratch your head for a moment.  Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that there are toddlers with mobile phones in their pockets.

Keep in mind that these statistics take into account the possibility of multiple subscriptions from the same person.  It is also interesting to note that the top five countries in this category all have subscription penetrations at well over 100% of the population with Singapore and Japan topping the group at 123.3% and 113.1% respectively.

Undersea Internet cable capacity per capita

Australia is seen by some to be the largest island on the planet.  As such, its communication to the outside world must necessarily travel by sea or by air.  In the past this was achieved to a greater extent via satellite communications, however, this has been eclipsed by the vast capacities and speeds achievable via the ever-increasing network of fibre optic cables that connect Australia to the rest of the world.

Australia has the second highest per capita capacity of international connections for Internet traffic in the world, second only to Luxemburg.  However, disregarding a negligible amount of satellite traffic, 100% of Australia’s international Internet connectivity occurs over the tens of submarine cables providing hundreds of Gbps of bandwidth each.  This makes the country first by far in undersea Internet cable capacity per capita.

Best mobile telephony network

The reason why there is such a high penetration of mobile telephony service in Australia may be because the country’s 3G and 4G mobile telephony networks regularly rank among the best in the world according to OpenSignal’s sixth Global State of the Mobile Network report.  Specifically, what allowed these networks to clinch such a prestigious spot in the rankings is the average download speeds of 25.01 Mbps achieved regularly by Aussie mobile users.

South Korea was at the top of the list with speeds exceeding 41Mbps, while countries like the US and the UK are at 12.3Mbps and 13.7 Mbps respectively.  Additionally, mobile users spent an average of 94.6% of the time with access to 3G or 4G service compared to the worldwide availability average of just over 82%.  For the purpose of comparison, South Korea, with a much smaller landmass and denser population, achieved the top score of 98.54%

So, even if you’re not currently living in Australia, these are some of the achievements that can make you proud of your home country.

The post Three things you didn’t know about telecom tech in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

Viewed in perspective, the Australian economy is in good shape, despite a recent downturn in the performance of the AUD. The EUR/AUD pair has a 1-year depreciation of 7.17%, while the AUD/CAD pair is down 1.91% over 1-year. The GBP/AUD pair is down an incredible 18.76%, with further losses for the sterling expected. The AUD has been one of the better performing currencies against the greenback, especially with the DXY surging to 14-year highs.

Why Interest Rates Matter in Investment Decisions

The interest rate in Australia is 1.50% – markedly higher than the interest rate across the Euro Zone, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This alone presents investors with a lucrative opportunity to generate fixed earnings on capital. The Reserve Bank of Australia has maintained the interest rate at 1.50% since 1 August 2016. While this level is twice the interest rate of the US, it is a record low for Australia. The Australian economy endured an investment boom in the mining industry for many years, but the recent downturn following China’s slowdown prompted a rate cut.

The good news is that the Australian government and the RBA recognize that employment, investment and fiscal expenditure are needed to boost growth. Money flows between Australia and the rest of the world remain strong, and the Australian dollar is a ranking global currency. S&P Global rates Australia as a Triple-A nation, and the country will remain that way provided it delivers on its promises of a surplus by 2020.

How Does Australia Compare with the UK?

The UK economy is in a state of flux. On the outside, manufacturing appears to be sound with a strong uptick towards 56 on the scale, but beneath the surface tensions are rising. Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in Q1 2017. The GBP is already one of the worst performing currencies in the G10, and it will likely remain that way with the Brexit issue.

UK investors and Australian investors are already moving money and assets around to prepare for the changes in the UK and across the EU. Once a Brexit is adopted, shockwaves will spread far and wide. The GBP will plunge, and all AUD holdings in the UK will depreciate. For this reason, Australians with assets (liquid assets, fixed assets) are transferring money to Australia from UK accounts. This will continue unabated if uncertainty prevails about the UK economy.

At the height of currency volatility, the GBP/USD pair plummeted from 1.48 to 1.21, hitting a 31-year low. The irony is that Britain had not left the EU yet. Another reason Britons are moving their money out of the UK is the low interest rate at UK banks. The Bank of England reduced interest rates by 25-basis points to just 0.25%. At that rate, there is no point holding hard-earned savings in a UK bank account. Australia offers a stable economy, 1.50% interest rates and many more growth prospects than the UK now.

For these reasons, and many more, the Australian economy is better positioned than the UK economy for growth. In November 2016, the British Bankers Association (BBA) requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister May. They wanted to ensure that a framework was in place before Britain left the Euro Zone. Such is the concern in the City of London, that many folks are relocating their assets outside of the UK to countries like Australia.

The post The land Down Under is brimming with investment possibilities appeared first on Australian Times News.

Home renovation can be quite exhilarating and perspiring especially when it comes to choosing the perfect color, wallpapers, tiles, floorings, ceilings, bathroom faucets etc. So, online surf is the best way to grab an insight of the inspiring home interior trends and design tips.

What is 2017’s Latest Buzz in Australia’s Home Design Improvement?

The New Year has set in and what you will experience in the domain of home remodeling and renovation will only blow off your mind. Here’s what you get:

• The big grey and white shades on your wall will soon be taken over by a warm material called terracotta, which will add the rustic feel and bestow a vintage aura.
• Welcome cork, a stylish material that can be installed as coffee table bases or clad in home/office walls and pin notes to it.
• Dark green is the new coloring accent for feature armchairs, cushions, and upholsteries, as its deep, intense shade will uplift the natural ambiance.
• Jewel tones inspired by metals, raw cut quartz, Lucite and opal, will add a sparkling glow to your interior décor.
• 2017 will bring in lots of escapism in your interiors where you can relax cozily in a deep-seated sofa with linen covers or chunky wool rugs and floor cushions.
• When it comes to home design styles then using acrylic sheets cut by Cut My Plastic can be one of the best options for your aid.

Tips for Choosing the Best Home Design Style:

• Plan it out! Whether you want an Antique, Mid-century modern, Bohemian or Industrial décor, choose wisely as your interior will speak out what you desire. Hire the services of reliable home decorators who will efficiently bring in good results.
• Spaciousness plays a significant role. If you have a small interior, then you might want to add small decorative accents like antlers, coffee shelves, metallic side tables with colorful lighting, small vase or potholders to bring in some fresh vibes.
• Gain a thorough knowledge about the various designs trending so that you can keep up with the pace and attain inspirational interior décor.
• Money matters! Before availing professional services, it is always good to know the budgetary expenses, as remodeling can be quite expensive.

Five Wrong Décor Styles that Should be Avoided:

• Be careful while purchasing fabrics and textiles online as wrong colors and texture will lower down the glam quotient.
• Stop making compromises and stick to quality based materials.
• Stop overdoing accessories like sleeping on a bed with 60pillows or hanging a wall art just behind your couch at close range.
• Choosing cheap paints for cutting down costs is not a good idea.
• A quantity greater than quality! This is an entirely wrong ratio.

Conclusion:

A house, which is vibrant, glamorous, stylish and adheres to all the fundamental norms of remodeling will surely make a dynamic presence and increase the market value of the property. Thus, in this increasing hectic lifestyle, a house, which provides escapism and comfort in all sense, can indeed be called as a heaven on earth.

The post Brilliant home design trends in Australia are here to grab your attention appeared first on Australian Times News.

It’s where your little one will learn how to interact with teachers, other children, and learn how to be a student. All parents want their children to start school at a well-regarded institution. That makes sense; a bad primary school can seriously hinder your child’s learning capabilities for life.

Making up your mind about where your child first goes to school can be difficult. It’s a decision that depends on personal preferences, ideology and practical matters. Some parents are content with sending the children to the local public school, while others really want to send their children to top schools in Melbourne or some other place that’s as hip. When choosing a primary school for your child, here are several things to keep in mind:

Evaluate Your Personal Preferences

You and your partner may have different personal preferences for choosing a school for your child. You may prefer private education, while your partner might want to send the child to a public school. Some families also have religious preferences as well. There’s also the option of sending the child to a boarding school (though many may not think of it for young children). As there will be many ideas at stake here, it’s important to sit back and consider all of them. Write them down if possible. Doing so will help you get your personal priorities in order before choosing a good school.

Think about the Type of Primary School

Not all primary schools teach students the same way. Primary schools function according to differing philosophies and theories of teaching. For example, there are Montessori style primary schools, Steiner early education schools and mainstream primary schools. Each has unique approaches to teaching. Some parents might want to familiarise themselves with these types of teaching methods. Some parents may be personally inclined towards a certain type of teaching. Parents would be the first to realise if a child would do better under one teaching philosophy than the other. Do take teaching theory into consideration as well.

Location is Important

Location of the primary school is the issue of most practical concern to every parent. Ideally, the primary school should be close to home so you can drop your child off in the morning conveniently. Small children are normally reluctant to go to school. The prospect of having to be stuck in traffic each morning will not help in endearing them to primary school. It would be most ideal if the school is within walking distance. Walking your child to school can be fun and far less stressful than driving in the morning. Do not enrol your child in a primary school located far away that takes more than 30 minutes to drive. That will be inconvenient for the parents and too stressful for the child to travel.

Last but not least, consider school specifications, such as size, number of teachers per children, facilities and so on. You may prefer to enrol your child at a smaller school than a larger one to make learning environment more intimate. Some parents like their children to go to large schools and get to know a lot of different people. You must take all these matters into serious consideration before enrolling your child at a primary school in Australia.

The post How to choose an Australian primary school for your child appeared first on Australian Times News.

You can open an Aussie Bank account

Much like South Africa, there are four big retail banks in Australia. These are the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA); Westpac Banking Corporation (Westpac); Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ); and National Australia Bank (NAB).

Each of these banks offers what is known as a migrant banking account to South Africans that are moving to Australia – and you can open one online. When you arrive in Australia, you can go into your nominated branch to activate your account and pick up your bank cards.

You can transfer funds to Australia before you leave

Exchange control regulations govern the amount you can transfer to Australia, and there are a number of exchange control allowances you can use for this purpose.

The two allowances that are most relevant to South African migrants (and ex-pats) are the Single Discretionary Allowance and the Foreign Investment Allowance.

The Single Discretionary Allowance permits individuals over 18 years of age to transfer up to R1m per calendar year. The Foreign Investment Allowance permits taxpayers that are in good standing to transfer a further R10m per calendar year and requires clearance from SARS.

You don’t have to use your bank

You can choose to transfer funds to Australia through your bank, or you can use a financial services / money service business – like MyGlobalCFO.

These businesses provide a value-added service to help you transfer funds efficiently, without having to go into a branch. They can provide expert advice on how to utilise your allowances, and some are able to offer better AUD rates than commercial banks.

If you plan to use one, make sure they are a Registered South African Financial Services Provider (you can check on the Financial Services Board website).

Beware the “free” transfer

At the moment, there are no charities which offer FX transfer services. Unfortunately, what this means is that there is no such thing as a free transfer.

Many FX transfer businesses advertise these, so before moving funds – make sure you are comfortable with how they make their money, and more importantly that your transfer is secure.

What is formal financial emigration?

Financial emigration is the process of changing your exchange control / banking status from resident to non-resident.

You may consider yourself to have emigrated permanently, but if you haven’t notified SARS and the South African Reserve Bank – you are still considered a ‘South African temporarily abroad’ from their perspective.

Financial emigration may become relevant if you still have a retirement annuity in South Africa. You might want to redeem it to incorporate the proceeds into your Super fund and/or protect against Rand depreciation, but your Assurer may not release your funds unless you financially emigrate.

Who is MyGlobalCFO and how can they help?

MyGlobalCFO assists South African clients with the transfer of their wealth offshore (Services include FX Transfer, Financial Emigration, and Offshore Investment Management).

You’ll deal with a foreign exchange and investment professional from day one, who will get your funds to Australia securely, keep you exchange control compliant, and execute your transfers at highly competitive AUD rates.

Kyle Sonderup is the head of MyGlobalCFO and runs the facebook forum ‘South African Rands Migrating Offshore’

The post Financial migration to Australia from South Africa: what you need to know appeared first on Australian Times News.

Australia boasts one of the most diverse cuisines in the world, drawing influences from its multicultural community. Over the past decade or so, the restaurant business has boomed, with new, top quality eateries opening regularly all over the country’s highest populated cities.

This recent growth in quality restaurants has led to a significant rise in the amount of money being spent on dining out. Fresh produce has always been relatively cheap in Australia, but the popularity of takeaways is still on the up.

This article published in 2010 showed that the amount of money Australians spent on takeaways rose by 23 percent during the late 2000s. “Consumers are increasingly choosing the more convenient and casual dining experience.” Claims economist Diana Mousina, who helped carry out the study.

During the financial crisis, people tried to economise by spending more money in supermarkets and cutting down their dining out experiences. But this didn’t stop people ordering in from their favourite restaurants, so the takeaway sector has continued to grow.

So what is Australia’s top takeaway? Here in England, Indian cuisine has ruled the roost for a number of years, closely followed by Italian and Chinese. Indian cuisine has grown in popularity ever since the influx of Indian immigrants in the 1970’s, and the Chicken Tikka Masala has long been hailed the country’s favourite dish.

It’s a similar story in Australia, just substitute Indian with Chinese. According to this article on LifeHacker, Chinese and Thai food are by far the most popular takeaways of choice in Australia.
Although it changes state-by-state, Asian styles of cooking are the most sought after in Australia, but that’s not surprising considering the amount of Asian immigrants who have settled Down Under over the years. Almost 20 percent of New South Wales population is made up of Asian Australians, with Thai food coming out well on top as the takeaway of choice for that part of the country.  Chinese cuisine is by far the most popular in Western Australian, where Asian Australians make up between 25 to 30 percent of the population.

It’s taken a while, but it looks like the Australian public have become as enamoured by takeaways as we are in Britain. Even a financial crisis hasn’t been able to curtail the rise in takeaway popularity down-under and I don’t see its momentum stopping any time soon.

The post How does the food takeaway culture differ Down Under? appeared first on Australian Times News.

The Aussie government says they are planning on introducing the visa by July 2017, which is less than 12 months away. While some details are yet to be determined, here are some of the key details we do know about the proposed visa.

Cost

No specific visa fees have been decided on yet, but the government has said it will be ‘more affordable’ than the current visa options for parents coming to Australia. Parent visas currently are one of the most expensive routes into Australia and do put many people off even applying.

Processing Time

Parent visas at the moment can sometimes have wait times of up to 30 years. The Australian Department of Immigration have acknowledged that the current visa program is not efficient, so hopefully that means much quicker processing times on the new proposed parent visa.

Private Medical Insurance

Visa holders of this new parent visa will be required to have valid private medical insurance to ensure they will not be a burden on Australia’s public health care system.

Financial Support

Applicants will have to show sufficient financial support from the children they are visiting to further prove they are able to support themselves, or be supported financially during their stay in Australia.

Who Is Eligible?

Only parents of permanent residents, Australian citizens and eligible New Zealand citizens will be able to apply for this visa. So for anyone in Australia on a temporary visa, their parents are ineligible for this new visa type.

Community leaders across the country are currently being consulted with to help decide on what the new visa’s features will be.

The Australian government has recognised the benefits of having three generations of families reunited for longer periods of time, and many will agree and be excited about this new proposed visa category.

The post New temporary Australian parent visa announced appeared first on Australian Times News.

When I moved back home to Australia, I thought that finding my dream Oz job would be a breeze, but I was in for a bit of a shock.

The Australian job market had changed since I left for the UK two years earlier and, in my experience, good jobs are not easy to come by.

This might not be particularly surprising to hear, with unemployment rates high around the globe. But my impression was that Down Under was still faring well compared to other nations.

This fact is certainly true for most industries, but compared to Australia’s buoyant past, which young expats have come to expect, job-hunting had become a lot tougher.

To be honest, moving home just a month before Christmas definitely didn’t make the search any easier.

Being a journalist, my chances of getting work in the media industry were even slimmer thanks to the ever shrinking fortunes and opportunities at both News Limited and Fairfax.

The responses from potential employers and recruitment agencies were like a broken record. A depressing Joni Mitchell record playing loudly… on repeat.

“I’m really sorry but there’s nothing available at this time of year”.

“You won’t be able to find anything before the New Year”.

“We’ll keep you on the books for when the market picks up again in February”.

February?! I could’t be unemployed for that long! I had spent the past two years travelling and living on a shoestring. My savings were small, and that’s an overstatement. Having no income for three months was simply not an option.

So in the face of what was shaping up to be a very poor summer, I did what any true blue Aussie would do. I pulled my Bonds socks up and broke that whining Joni Mitchell record into a million little pieces.

I got serious about my job hunting and fortunately, the hard work paid off. Within three weeks of touching down on Australian soil I had two job offers.

So while recruitment agencies and many others have since said I was very lucky, this is proof that it’s not impossible.

While a big part of job-hunting is about being in the right place at the right time, good support and being able to stay positive are also essential to finding your feet quickly again on home soil.

The grit and determination you gain as a wandering Aussie overseas certainly comes in good stead when you move back down under.

The post Scoring that great job back home in Australia may not be as easy as you’d hoped appeared first on Australian Times News.

These are just some of the questions parents may ask themselves before making their final decisions to relocate abroad.

For South African families migrating to Australia, it’s good to know that some of the similarities between the Australian and South African cultures extend to the schooling systems.

Here are some of the key differences and similarities.

1. Public vs private

As in South Africa, you have the option of sending your child to a public (government school) or a private school. There are many public and private schools in Australia and the choice can be daunting. Most people are happy to send their children to their local government primary school but when it comes to high school options, parents often choose private if their local public school does not have the best reputation. For public schools, you usually have to live within certain boundaries for your children to be able to attend.

2. School fees

Government school fees in Australia are extremely low. Primary schools usually charge $60 per year (yes per year!) and the only other things you have to pay for are uniforms, excursions (which are optional) and some stationery for the year.

Compare this to around R10,000 to R20,000 a year for government schools in SA and Australia is very reasonable when it comes to public school fees.

Private schools in Australia, on the other hand, can charge anywhere from $800 a year to over $30,000 a year, it all depends what you want to pay for! This is comparable to costs for private schooling in South Africa (although the top fees are more around the R200,000 a year mark). Private schools in Australia and South Africa are usually faith-based schools.

3. School years

Compulsory schooling usually starts in pre-primary in Australia which is the equivalent of Grade 0 in South Africa. There is an optional year of kindergarten which is the year before pre-primary, but some states in Australia have compulsory kindy and others do not (just to make it more confusing!).

Primary school in Australia runs from kindy through to Year 6, which is the equivalent of Grade 00 to Grade 6 in South Africa. High school then runs from Year 7 to Year 12 in Australia, compared to Grade 8 to Grade 12 in South Africa.

4. Starting age

Children must start school in Australia by the time they turn 5 before 30 June (which is the school cut off age date each year). In South Africa children only need to start school in the year they turn 7. This is a huge age difference and indeed many leading academics believe delayed starts to formal schooling is far better than early starts.

5. Sports

Just as in South Africa, there is a huge emphasis on sporting activities within schools in Australia. Kids have many extra-curricular options to choose from including AFL, cricket, rugby, soccer, swimming, hockey, surfing, lifesaving and much more.

6. Academics & trades

There are many schools which focus on academics and encourage children in their studies, just like in South Africa. But there are also schools across Australia which teach children trades as well as academic subjects. These are referred to as TAFE schools and children can attend TAFE.

TAFE is available for the last two years of formal schooling in Australia (Year 11 and 12) and is ideal for children who do not want to pursue an academic career. There is no stigma attached with attending a TAFE school in Australia, which is not always the case in South Africa.

7. Leaving age

South Africa and Australia have the same school leaving age – students must complete Year 10 (Grade 10) before they receive any formal school qualification.

The post 7 key differences between the South African and Australian school systems appeared first on Australian Times News.

You don’t need to go to business or law school to learn about these things. However, some research might be in order. Here are several tips to follow when starting a new business that is not related to marketing or tech.

Know the Industry Well

You might do an assessment of consumer demand for your product before starting your business. You will also have conducted research on potential rivals. In addition to these basic searches, you must know about the kingmakers and insiders in your industry as well.

Why? Well, you will have to network with these people to get funds and advice for your start-up. Important contacts will make your tiny start-up into a fully-fledged company. You will also have a leg up when you know who the faces are behind the brands competing with you.

So, you should contact a business solutions company that provides research on Australian company directors and other vital information about the industry.

Get Your Paperwork in Order

There’s a lot of paperwork involved when you try to get a business off the ground in Australia. The amount required will vary depending on your industry. If you are starting a consumer tech company, the path will be mostly obstacle-free for you.

On the other hand, if your start-up sells medical equipment for example, there will be thorough evaluations and licensing requirements needed. Therefore, learn about the legal aspects, and hire a good legal team to do the work for you.

You can hire a solicitor in addition to a business legal solutions provider. The latter will have cheaper packages compared to an attorney.

Think Twice before Buying Office Space

Before you buy office space for your company, think about whether you really need a physical office for your start-up. Most start-ups can function just as well with a virtual office.

You will have to pay rent for a physical space. There will also be a lot of paperwork involved with buying or renting an office space. For example, if you want to buy a property for an office, you will have to look for property valuations reports, tax certificates, and so on. If this is too much trouble, you might be better off with a virtual office for now.

Do Not Depend on Angel Investors

You are in Australia, not Silicon Valley, so don’t count on an angel investor to swoop in and provide funding for your business. Expand your funding options to other arenas as well.

The Australian government may provide grants if your business idea and background meets certain criteria. Consult your local government or search online for any such grants you might qualify for. Bank loans are also not a bad choice. You should also look for donations from family and friends for funding. Crowdfunding, too, is a good option to raise capital.

It’s important that you do not limit your views to marketing and tech when launching a new company. Do your research on all aspects of business before you proceed.

The post Business tips for launching a start-up in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

The Joy Project is a service providing practical information and personal connection, served with a side order of joy, to new arrivals. They aim to make the transition as smooth and easy as possible. They offer support as you navigate relocation, as you settle in, and they bring you some JOY at the same time.

Their mission is to provide friendship and support to people who move to Brisbane, and it’s a mission they take very seriously. So seriously in fact that they meet for coffee once a fortnight and hug anyone brave enough to join them.

They welcome newcomers to the beautiful River City in two ways. The first is by providing practical information to help you find your way around. They have compiled information on anything from schools, medical centers, shopping centers and hairdressers in your area. Anything they don’t know, they will help you find out.

The second service The Joy Project offers is an invitation to social functions where you are presented with the opportunity for friendships and support for spouses and families of people who have relocated to Brisbane.

Joy meet regularly for social events, offering a chance to relax and meet new friends. It’s free of charge apart from anything those who attend choose to buy to eat or drink.

The Joy Project is a truly remarkable initiative. It started in 2014 as an idea the size of a mustard seed when three friends were discussing how difficult it must be to settle in a new place.

Their own friendship is filled with laughter and the simple joy of companionship. The thought of a life without the gift that their friendship brings to each of them makes them sad. And it’s that loneliness they want to help newcomers avoid.

And so they took a leap of faith and decided they had enough joy to share with newcomers to Brisbane.

As with all seeds under just the right conditions, the idea grew into a beautiful living thing: The Joy Project

The Joy Project has a website on which you can find local information on just about anything. From hairdressers to doctors; from hospitals to massage therapists; white goods repair shops, recipes, and my personal favourite: How to do Ikea the easy way.

Whatever info you’re after, the girls at The Joy Project can help you find it. If it’s not already on their website they take questions and requests, and will find out whatever it is you want you know, if it is appropriate and of interest to other Joy Project-ers.

Every two weeks the girls host a coffee morning to which everyone’s invited. They advertise the coffee mornings on their website and on their Facebook page and they turn up on the morning, trusting that whoever needs a welcome and a hug will find their way there. And there hasn’t been a single event to which at least one person hasn’t turned up.

So if you are heading to Brisbane soon, or you know someone who is, make The Joy Project your first port of call. If you’ve been in Brisbane a little while and are struggling to find your feet, consider attending one of The Joy Project’s next coffee mornings. You won’t be sorry you did.

The post If you are Brisbane bound, read this appeared first on Australian Times News.

• Business Development Manager – Sydney or Melbourne
• Account Manager – Sydney or Melbourne
• Project Manager – Sydney
• Technical Support Executive – Sydney

Ideally, candidates will be currently living in the UK and looking to return to Australia in the next few months, which will provide them with an excellent opportunity for extensive training at the London head office, prior to moving to Australia.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work with an international team who will proactively support and share good practice with you.

If you have the relevant experience and are seeking a challenging, but rewarding role, then click here for more information.

Alternatively, email your CV, a covering letter and salary expectations to recruitment@swg.com. (Please include the job title in the subject field of the email.)

Salary dependent on experience and superannuation.

At this stage, only Australian nationals or candidates with permanent Australian residency will be considered.

The post Moving back to Australia? appeared first on Australian Times News.

There are many similarities between our two cultures so it’s easy to see why people confuse us Saffas with you Aussies. But there are just as many stark differences.

1. Howzit vs Owyagoin’

Howzit is synonymous with South Africans. It’s the perfect greeting for any occasion, whether you’re meeting a long lost friend, a complete stranger or even in a business setting.

Short for ‘how’s it going’, all South Africans know how to answer this one. What we don’t know how to answer, is the Aussie version of this – ‘Owyagoin?’ (How are you going?)

To a Saffa this means how you are physically getting to somewhere. I actually know someone who replied to this greeting by saying: “I took the train”.

2. Marmite vs Vegemite

Ask any South African what they had on toast growing up and Marmite is bound to feature on their list. But in Australia, there is something very different… Vegemite.

Some people might think they’re the same. But they are not. Definitely not.

3. Rugby vs Footy

Rugby and cricket are two of the most loved sports in South Africa. Growing up in South Africa, you’re led to believe that it’s the same in Australia due to the massive sporting rivalry between the two countries.

But when I arrived in Australia, I was shocked at just how little these two sports feature in the average Australian’s life. Everything in Australia is centred around AFL, or footy as it’s called here.

After that, rugby league is pretty big. Rugby union, as you call it down under, and cricket are way down the sporting pecking order in Australia.

And don’t ever make the mistake of referring to soccer as football or footy when talking to an Australian, they just get too confused, poor dears.

4. Braai vs Barbeque

OK, this one applies to the whole world, as almost everyone except us South Africans refer to a good ild ‘braai’ as a ‘barbeque’. We Saffas might do the same things around the braai but if it’s not called a braai, it’s not a braai.

And it’s definitely not a braai if it’s on gas! We get that there are bushfires and total fire bans in summer, but it’s just not the same as having that flame grilled taste on everything.

5. Bakkie vs Ute

Every South African has surely been on the back of a bakkie at some point. Whether it was flying down the highway in the pre-safety days with the wind in your hair, or bumping along a dirt road in the bush somewhere trying not to fall out.

There’s something awesome about the word. Bakkie. It just sounds so solid and trustworthy.

Whereas in Australia, you guys refer to them as utes (pronounced ‘yoots’ for all you non-Aussies reading this), and they are generally the most souped up, garishly coloured, super loud, annoying cars driven by bogans. Nothing like a bakkie and never will be. (Utes used to be like bakkies, back in the olden days. These days we have traybacks and trucks for work and bush bashing. Just sayin’ – Ed)

6. Bush vs Outback

Nothing beats a holiday in the bush in South Africa. The smell, the sounds, the animals, it’s simply intoxicating.

In Australia, the outback is generally avoided and contains miles and miles of NOTHING. Well, maybe some kangaroos, dingoes and a lot of dirt. Hardly a drawcard for a holiday.

Think ‘Out Of Africa’ vs ‘Wolf Creek’. I know what I would pick!

7. Zuma vs Rudd, Gillard, Rudd, Abbott and Turnbull

It seems the Aussies like to change their prime minister about as often as they change their underwear. In the total time Jacob Zuma has been ‘president’, Australia has seen five different prime ministers (technically Kevin Rudd served twice but in two different periods).

It’s almost impossible to keep up with the changes! So just ask if someone knows who their country’s leader is. If they have no idea, they’re probably Australian.

8. Castle vs VB

This is a no-brainer. Just check out what someone is drinking to determine their nationality. No South African with any sense of national pride would be caught dead drinking VB, Toohey’s or any of those so-called ‘beers’ they make Down Under.

Give us an ice cold Castle, Carling Black Label or Windhoek anytime!

9. South African Slang vs Aussie Slang 

In Australia, they like to shorten everything! I’ve come to the conclusion the Aussies are so laid back they can’t even be bothered to say whole words.

And when they shorten their words, everything gets an ‘o’ at the end. Ambo (ambulance), servo (service/petrol station), bottle-o (bottle store), arvo (afternoon), doco (documentary), journo (journalist), Freo (Fremantle).

You name any word, shorten it and stick an ‘o’ on the end, and you’ll blend seamlessly into a group of Aussies.

In South Africa on the other hand, we make everything sound cute by ending it with ‘ie’ or ‘jie’ to the end. Boytjie, laaitie, ballie, stompie, bakkie, takkies.

So, even if you can’t tell us apart by our accents (you heathens!), listen to the words we’re using and you’ll soon figure it out.

10. Americano vs Long Black

Coffee in Australia is a whole other ball game. The Aussies are complete coffee snobs and everyone claims to know where they have had the best/worst/cheapest/most expensive cup of coffee in their city.

Most café menus in Australia will feature these in their hot drinks menu: short black, long black, flat white, latte, piccolo latte, chai latte, espresso, double espresso, doppio, short macchiato, long macchiato…the list is endless.

Kids even get babycinos! Seriously, it’s just hot milk with froth but no, it’s a babycino. I think secretly the Aussies wish they were Italian!

In South Africa, it’s usually coffee, cappuccino, café latte and espresso.

So all you Brits and Americans out there, the next time the person next to you sounds South African but asks for a long black with an extra shot and some hot milk on the side, you can pretty much assume they’re actually an Aussie.

The post 10 key differences between Australians and South Africans appeared first on Australian Times News.

I cringe, because I know, it is not that they mean to be so… so South African, (even though they think they are not), it is just that their frame of reference has not changed yet.

I am not defined by what my husband does.

There are three questions that immediately give away a brand new South African expat in Australia.

In South Africa the answers to these questions accurately suss out a person’s social standing. But in Australia, they are a no no.

There is a very different social class structure amongst most of the Australian population.

And what you do does not matter mate. As long as you have a job, earn money honestly, and take care of your family, you’re alright. Your Australian neighbour could be a doctor or a garbage truck driver, and it does not matter in the least.

The question is, are you okay with that?

Where did you live in South Africa?

Don’t ask me that question so that you can tell me you lived in a fancy estate with a private security guard in Waterkloof. It is pretentious.

What car did you drive in South Africa?

Are you for real?

Look, I get it, You are making small talk. You are trying to figure out who is who and how you fit in. It may surprise you that you find your place somewhere unexpected.

When you come to Australia, the playing field is levelled in a way it never was in South Africa. South Africans in Australia discover a bit about ourselves and others. Something beyond privilege and status. We all have the same need for safety and freedom, and love and acceptance.

When you get to Australia, why not ask people who they are, what is important to them, and what gives them joy?

For my part, what your husband does is not important to me. I am not married to him, and it will not make me like you more or less.

May you experience Aussie mateship even amongst your former countrymen. May you find friends here that you would not normally be friends with. May you discover yourself in this great land, as so many of us seem to have done.

The post The 3 annoying questions South Africans shouldn’t ask in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

A survey commissioned by the Royal Commonwealth Society in London and released this week found that 70% of Australians, 82% Kiwis, 58% of Brits and 75% of Canadians are in support of reciprocal open borders between the nations when it comes to living and working in them.

“This polling is invaluable as it shows the view and wishes of these fellow Commonwealth friends in strong support for closer ties,” Commonwealth Society President, Lord Howell said of the report.

The concept has been muted in London expat circles recent years and vigorously supported by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

It is juxtaposed against the reality of the UK’s ever tightening immigration rules which has seen a steady decrease in the number of working visas issued to non-EU nationals, including Australians, in recent years.

The current so-called ‘Brexit’ debate and upcoming referendum has shone new light on the proposal. If the UK were to exit the EU, it would no longer be bound by the EU’s free labour movement laws. The government might, in theory, be more open and flexible toward migration from non-EU countries, such as the Commonwealth nations, while being able to contain the overall immigration rate by limiting new-comers from the EU.

IMAGE: Via Shutterstock.com

The post Huge support for visa-free migration bloc between Australia, UK, Canada and NZ appeared first on Australian Times News.

Because of these requirements, buying an off-the-plan apartment in Pakenham or anywhere else is going to be a better choice for you in the long run. A lot of people invest in places that are only a drawing on a blueprint or an advertisement on TV. There is a lot of risk associated with this kind of purchase. What if the finished apartment is nothing like the one that was shown in that ad you saw last week?

People are wary about investing off plan

You could equate the disappointment to the movie version of Eragon compared to the books. There isn’t much you can do by way of checks while choosing an apartment that is still being planned. All you can really do is crunch the numbers and hope against hope that the people building it are going to do it as they had planned and within the set amount of time. However, it could also pay off. When it does, the benefits are HUGE.

There is a lot of stigma associated to getting an apartment that hasn’t been built yet. Property developers are always trying to find ways to help potential customers fight this, so that they will invest in the property. They usually require a future owner to pay something up front to reserve the apartment for themselves. This charge contributes to the building and property development costs on the developer’s end.

Best prices in town

There are benefits to getting in on an off-the-plan apartment early though. One of the most obvious is the price of the apartment. When they are built, the first units usually sell for a discounted rate. This is because the developers need to get some quick sales in order to cover their costs. After their debts have been paid off, the prices are switched up to the normal property prices in that region. Getting in before this happens results in you getting an apartment for a much lower price.

When you buy a property off plan, you basically hold ownership over that apartment for a long time. This means that you won’t have to pay the rent and other costs for a while. During this time, it is possible that the value of the property will rise. For example, if you were to deposit $200,000 in 2011 for the apartment in planning stages, it is possible that you could sell it for $300,000 in 2015, depending on the inflation of property prices in the area.

Do your research!

For this reason, it is important that you do an appraisal of the history of the property prices in the area of development before engaging in a purchase. This should allow you to judge and predict the future fluctuations of the property values. Done right, this can lead to you making quite a tidy profit off your investment. The risk is that there could be an unpredicted drop in the value of property over time. This would lead to a loss on your end, so make sure you do that research right!

You have time

The settlement period when it comes to off-plan apartments means that you have a while to get all your affairs in order. You can either find someone who is willing to be a new tenant or you can move in yourself. Some owners like to occupy the apartment as well. You can use the time you have to earn more money and get your investments in order for the best settlement when the time does come.

Councils love you

The government loves people who buy new apartments and other properties. State councils want to increase their economy through construction of new properties and an inflow of new tenants.

There is a lot more to go through when getting yourself an off plan apartment. Numbers are the key in this case, so make sure you crunch as many as you can, as well as you can. Do your research before diving into the deep end!

The post Tips and tricks for off plan apartments in Victoria appeared first on Australian Times News.

The range can be confusing

There are thousands of companies all over the country that offer cleaning services for a variety of different places, including home. Companies and sites like cpcservices.com.au are more than willing to do all your home cleaning for you, for the right price. However, this wide range of companies begins to seem more like a curse than a blessing, mainly because choosing the right one is going to be such a chore. Thankfully, there are some quick tips you can follow to ensure you make the right choice.

Set a plan

One important thing to do before doing the actual searching is to cordon off the rooms in your house that are “restricted access”. Mark off the parts of your home that you feel need higher priority in cleaning than the rest. In addition to this, try and make a list of the surfaces you want the company to clean. Some people want their windows and basements done while others just want external cleaning. Figure out what you need and then work with that.

Ask your friends

When it comes to the actual choosing of the cleaning service, you should ask people you trust for a review of their favourite service. A lot of customers are more than delighted to tell you about their trusted partner in home cleaning. People even get commissions for recommending the right company to you (something you could also take advantage of later).

Do research and checks

Draw up a list of the possible companies. Do as much research as you can into the features of each service. Some companies aren’t insured. This means that if something goes wrong during the cleaning you will end up having to foot the bill for repairs and replacement yourself. You are definitely going to want to cross the companies that aren’t insured off your list.

Do a background check on the employees who will be entering your home to clean it for you. Some employees aren’t legal residents. This could make you a facilitator for a crime, technically speaking. You need to make sure the people they send over are legally viable and that they don’t have a criminal record of any kind.

Ask for an appraisal

Ask for a consultation and make sure that it is free. The company will send someone over to your home to check it out from top to bottom and give you a quotation of the price you will have to pay for the utilisation of their services. If the company doesn’t offer this service, you will have to exercise caution. Be aware of what you are getting into BEFORE you have to pay the price.

Consider the fee

You should look for a company that asks for a single flat rate instead of one that charges you by the hour. This way you won’t have to worry about some employees working slowly. If the company charges you buy the hour, there is a very real risk that they will delay in order to get paid more.

Don’t instantly go for the company that asks for the cheapest price either. Just because a service is cheaper than another doesn’t mean you will get the same level of quality. You need to be careful, especially when your gut tells you that the deal you are getting is too good to be true. Investigate the deals you get to see if the services they offer are really worth the money you pay, no matter how low.

Following a few tips is going to go a long way when choosing the right cleaning service for you. There are many options out there so you need to make sure that you are making the right choice. The most important thing is that you do your research!

The post Two million people in Australia pay for someone to do the housework appeared first on Australian Times News.

For many people there are a number of things riding on passing the driving test, which is why preparing for it is so important. We’ve put together some great tips to help you best prepare for the big test.

Take mock tests

Taking mock tests with your driving instructor is a great way to get you ready and feeling more prepared for the actual driving test. Many driving instructors are happy to allow their students to take mock tests, as it also helps them to gauge whether or not the student is actually ready. Taking the mock test with your instructor rather than an unfamiliar examiner is also less nerve-wracking, and although you will want to do well there is no big result – which makes mock tests a lot less stressful and a good way to ease yourself into preparation. Many students who take a mock driving test find that doing so helps them to better understand what will be expected of them during the actual test, which calms nerves.

Learn the rules of the road

Even if you think that you are already clued up with the rules of the road, there is definitely no harm in going over them again and revising. When on your driving test, it is important that you are able to read important road signs properly and understand how to use your mirrors in your car, which is why you should ensure that you are one hundred percent sure of what you’ll need to be looking out for when on the test. Researching and revising the means and purposes of all the road signs will put you in the best position to drive well on your test and pass.

Get yourself in the right mindset

It is vital that you are in the right mindset to take your test. Having negative thoughts and feelings of nerves are some major factors which contribute to why many students fail the test, as these feelings and thoughts create stress which in turn can make students do things on the test that they wouldn’t have done without the extra pressure. For example, students under a lot of pressure to pass may forget to do simple things such as indicate, causing them to fail. In order to avoid this situation, it’s important that you are relaxed, confident and positive. Getting enough sleep, making sure that you have had enough to eat, and taking extra measures to relax and de-stress yourself before the test such as exercising, meditation, or even taking a hot bath can help.

Author Information: This article was written by EasyAs Driver Training, the most preferred and selected driving school in Brisbane.

The post How to prepare for your driving test when moving to Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

Living in Australia

This country can seem like a strange pocket of the planet where all kinds of different animals and scenery exist. It’s hard to think of another place in the world where you can access beautiful oceanic views and then find yourself boiling in the desert. Don’t believe me? Not only is the scenery wonderful, the wages are pretty amazing too; but if you are looking to move to Australia then you’ll still want to make sure that you can afford to live there. This link provides information on the median wages as broken down by the different states. It should also help you decide where is best for you to settle, based on your budget and needs.

Addressing the dangers

A lot of people are terrified of Australia because of the clearly dangerous animals that stalk the country like box jellyfish, the brown snake and the funnel web spider. In all honesty, a person is more likely to die by horseback riding than by a wild animal attack. Reading this blog, which is written by an ex-pat from the UK gives a real-life, reveals an honest opinion of living in Australia. He moved there in 2007 with his wife and daughter and along with several facts also uploads videos of his adventures. If you’re concerned about potential crime in Australia, because let’s face it the media isn’t very nice, check out this neat comparison chart that shows the difference between Australia and the UK. You’ll see that the two countries are really very similar. They are both pretty safe if you think about them compared to the USA.

Biting the bullet

So you’ve decided to join the rest of us in biting the bullet and moving to this amazing country. Awesome! So once you get here you’ll probably be overwhelmed with all the different scenes, animals, buildings and lifestyles. Australia is a hotspot for backpackers since it’s so budget-friendly and offers so much. No doubt you’ll be taking hundreds of pictures and wanting to share the amazingness with all your friends and family back home.

A great and super-easy way to do that is to create your own website. I, along with many others, have found that this particular site builder from 1&1 makes it really easy to do so. I’m not very technical and I would probably be more likely to cause the internet to break than to make it better, but I found it really easy to create my own site. They’ve got videos and FAQ sheets that make it simple and spell it out for you that can help take the guessing game out of making your own site. So, my adventurous friend, go forth and delve into the land down-under and share your adventures with the world!

The post Moving to the Land Down Under appeared first on Australian Times News.

Applying for visas

Depending on how long you plan to spend in Australia, you might want to apply for a working holiday visa or a skilled visa. A skilled visa shows that you will benefit the Australian economy with your career prospects, meaning that they will want to accept you into the country. Some desirable skills include engineering, accountants, vets, dentists, and electricians (but there are many more). If you can get a company interested in your credentials, you can try and get them to sponsor your transfer to Australia.

Australia can be a bit unforgiving, when it comes to immigration, so the more attractive you can make yourself look professionally, the better your chances are of getting a cushy visa.

Reskilling overseas

The Australian government supports all sorts of training facilities across the country, in order to top-up or educate people further. They also run Aboriginal courses. If you feel like your career profile needs updating, there are plenty of options, once you have gotten settled in. Give yourself around a year to find your feet, however, before you try to pursue this.

Committing to the decision

Before you decide to move to Australia, be sure that you’re serious. You need to completely commit to the decision. Sell your house, accept your job, formalise your visa; don’t hesitate, otherwise it will remain just a pipe dream. It takes a lot to travel across the world to start up a new life. Don’t chicken out!

Retirement visas

If you are over 55, you can apply for a retirement visa, as long as you don’t have any dependents (a partner is different). However, you will have to demonstrate that you can look after yourself. You will need at least £484,000 in assets (or £323,000 in regional Australia), before you will be accepted by the Australian government. That’s a pretty steep sum, but there you have it!

Finding a job from the UK

First of all, decide which area of Australia you want to live in. It’s probably safest to choose a city at this point, as it opens up your job prospects drastically. If possible, see if you can get a natural transfer to an Australian branch of your current company. If that’s not possible, then there are plenty of sites that you can search for jobs on. You will probably have to conduct your interview via Skype, but coming across from the UK may give you that extra edge.

IMAGE: Via Shutterstock.com

The post Employment and education opportunities in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

The SkillSelect list is used in the temporary 457 work visa stream to attract talented, qualified and experienced foreigners to Australian shores who will positively contribute to Australian society and the country’s economy.

According to the study the highest earning individuals raked in more than $2,000 per week ($104,000 per year) and consisted mostly, but not only, of persons in medical specialty fields.

Anesthetists are on top with with 88.3% earning over $2,000 per week. They are closely followed by a range of other medical specialists.

While 43% of specialist tradesmen, which included drilling miners and shot firers (also in the mining industry), commanded an income on par with that of medical specialists.

Images: Shutterstock and National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling at the University of Canberra

The post Australia is paying big bucks for expats on SkillSelect list appeared first on Australian Times News.

This is where the role of a legal practitioner comes into play. A legal practitioner or the solicitor will efficiently take care of the important task on your behalf – that is to transfer the ‘title’ from one person to another.

What is conveyancing ‘title’?

The transferring of ‘title’ refers to the event in which you transfer all the privileges attached to your property to another person. Obviously, it can include restrictions. A ‘title’ is nothing but a package of authorities that evidently states that you are the owner of what you are claiming to be yours. A conveyancer helps you make these conveyances so that the buyer is incapable of asserting a discrepancy on your part and rescinding the contract.

How will the solicitor go about his task?

When you desire to assign a conveyancing service in Melbourne to complete the errand of property settlement, then they shall formulate certain criteria upon which to act.

Their first step will be to coordinate all the groups who are involved in the conveyance. Advancing to the next step which is crucial in the conveyance is to design a contract that includes all the detail about the property, like the terms and condition between the seller and the buyer, the price of the property and any other information that the seller might like to include.

What actually is important are the documents attached to the contract – that is the evidence of your ownership? Should you fail to provide any of the documents, the buyer has the rights to question your legal claim.

The last step of the conveyance is the signing of the contract by the parties soliciting the transfer

Before you assign a solicitor for conveyance, check the following

• Are they professionally and educationally qualified for aiding to your help?
• Whether they hold the exemption insurance?
• What facilities do they have to offer? Is assessment of the contracts of the properties you are interested in purchasing also available?

Many more such questions can be a matter of concern. If you want to settle things with ease and dodge any difficulties of this troublesome procedure, contact a conveyancing solicitor as soon as possible.

IMAGE: Shutterstock.com

The post How will a solicitor help with your conveyance? appeared first on Australian Times News.

Planning early is the key to smart moving. Be sure to carry out thorough research into work, pensions, visas, locations, shipping arrangements and finance as far in advance of your moving date as possible. Newly arrived expats can haemorrhage money during their first few months in Australia. A certain amount of expenditure will be unavoidable, but if you have planned well and drawn up an informed and realistic budget, you can be prepared for exactly how much you are going to need to spend and avoid paying out for unforeseen added extras.

Timing your move

If you are moving without children, relocating in the winter months (summer in the UK) can cut hundreds of pounds off the cost of your flights. If you are moving with children, however, try to plan your move to coincide with the beginning of the Australian academic year, which runs from January to December. Arriving in late November will give you time to visit schools and secure a place at your chosen institution before the summer break, ready for a fresh start in the New Year.

Avoid the hidden costs of education

Education in Australia is of an excellent standard (it ranked 9^th in the world in a recent PISA survey, ahead of the USA in 17^th and the UK in 25^th place). It is also free to all Australian citizens and permanent residents. Depending on where you live, however, it is not necessarily free to temporary visa holders, such as those on employer-sponsored 457 visas.

At the time of writing, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia do not charge temporary visa holders for the education of their offspring at state schools. Institutions in Northern Territory and Tasmania are permitted to charge although many waive these fees for 457 and other temporary visa holders. Those relocating to New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory can expect to be charged between AUD $5,000 and $10,000 per child per year for the duration of their schooling or until they apply for and are granted permanent residence. Bear this in mind when planning where to live and you could save yourself thousands while accessing one of the best education systems in the world.

Don’t take chances with your visa

Consider seeking independent advice and help with obtaining your Australian visa. If you have your heart set on a new life abroad, you want to be sure that your paperwork is in order and that you won’t find yourself forced to return to the UK just as you are settling into your new adventure. Costs vary but are usually in the region of a few hundred pounds for assistance by a MARA registered migration agent, which would be offset in no time against the costs of decamping unceremoniously back to the northern hemisphere. That said, if you are confident that your case is straightforward there is nothing to stop you going it alone and saving the resources to help kick start your new life down under.

Make your pension work for you

If you are retiring to Australia, seeking financial planning advice before you go can potentially save you thousands. The recent relaxation of UK pension laws has led to many releasing all or part of their pension as a tax-free lump sum. While this undoubtedly has its benefits, such sums can be subject to up to 55%, so do invest in some specialist tax planning advice to make your retirement funds go further.

How to avoid unwanted banking charges

Whether you are working or living off private means, one of the first things you will need to do on your arrival is to set up a bank account. In Australia it is normal for a monthly fee to be levied on your current account or to make charges for individual transactions. Not all institutions charge, however, and some, such as the Commonwealth Bank, will waive the charges if you make a monthly deposit over a certain amount. Along with Westpac and the National Australia Bank, the Commonwealth Bank also allows customers to open a bank account prior to arriving in Australia, saving valuable time and ensuring you are financially fit and ready to go when you arrive.

The fastest routes to finding a job

If you are planning to find work, using a recruitment agency can save time and effort in your Australian job search, especially if you seek out recruiters who specialise in your particular profession or occupation. Online websites can provide a wealth of information about potential employers, opportunities, salaries and qualification requirements, saving you valuable time and effort. Seek, Careerone, My Career and the government-sponsored Job Search are some of the most popular.

If you can’t wait to make your move to Australia, you may want to consider obtaining a working holiday visa and heading straight for the sun. A 417 working holiday visa gives you the right to live and work in Australia for up to 12 months, but expats are increasingly using this as a route to obtaining sponsorship from an Australian company. While there is plenty of potential for those whose occupation appears on the skills shortage list to secure employment before leaving the UK, it is easy to see why those who are free to travel unencumbered may prefer to take the opportunity to impress a potential employer face-to-face.

If you are considering an Australian job offer, make sure you are clear about how much you will actually receive in your monthly pay packet. Aside from monthly tax and national insurance contributions, all Australian employers are obliged to pay 9% of your salary into your pension (known as your superannuation fund). Some employers quote this figure within your salary while others do not, so if you are lucky enough to be considering two or more offers, do check that you are comparing like with like.

Keep tax to a minimum

When you start work with a new employer, you will be required to fill out a TFN form. Amongst the questions you will need to answer will be “Are you a resident for tax purposes?” Answering “yes” will result in you paying a higher rate of tax, when in fact you may be eligible to answer “no” even if you are on a temporary visa. Visit the Australian Taxation Office website for detailed tax and residency information that could potentially save you thousands of dollars every year.

Cutting down your moving costs 

Packing up your home and shipping your belongings to the other side of the world can be a daunting prospect. It can also be expensive, with costs reaching as high as AUD $10,000 and above. Services from a dedicated provider such as movehub can save you time and money by providing a single location in which to shop for the best deals from the most reputable and experienced international removal specialists. You will also be able to obtain valuable advice on how to speed up your shipment or how to save money by shipping a smaller container and replacing low-cost items once you arrive at your destination.

Finally, if you haven’t done so yet, moving to Australia is a fine time to give up smoking. Not only is it likely to prolong your new life in the sun, it will also save you hundreds of dollars of your hard-earned monthly salary. With cigarettes costing between $18 and $22 a pack, not to mention their adverse affect on your health, it is easy to see why smoking has long since lost its charm for the majority of the Australian population.

With so much to think about before making your move abroad, it is easy to get caught up in the hype and waste valuable time and money in the process. But with some careful research and planning, moving to Australia needn’t be as costly or time-consuming as you might think. So read up, relax and get ready for your new life down under.

IMAGE: Via Shutterstock.com

The post Little gems that’ll help you save money when moving between UK and Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

There are no obstacles or limitations. The biggest hindrance that they can expect to face on the journey to their dreams is the demons within themselves telling them that they cannot make it. Rather than being disillusioned with the fear of failure, they jump at the situation, both good and bad, in order to create a new opportunity.

Spencer Johnson published the concept in his bestselling book ‘Who moved my cheese?’ Motivating others to deal with change for improving their business goals and dreams, in Australia there are educational outlets; which are providing the same motives through their courses. TAFE courses which can be done online, at college campuses or combined with work placement experiences, be it that of your own or with another company, pushes the educational boundaries for people to leverage knowledge in the pursuit of their business aspirations.

People are taking a pledge within themselves in pursuing their dreams of financial freedom. Regardless of the position where people start in life, a strong educational framework puts the business dreams within reaching distance.

Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech can now extend equality beyond race and towards alleviating the large gaps in financial status and equality, that many people in the world live with each day. And that every person will have the opportunity to become who they want to be, and that they will also do what they want to do with their life. Rather than getting caught up in the rat race working nine to five until retirement; many are opting to take a chance at getting the freedom that they desire by having their own business.

Forbes published an article in 2014 including a survey that stated over 67% of people wanted to start their own business. Statistically, people are opting to attain a lifestyle where they can work in the job that they want, when they want and to earn as much as they want. Only 2% of people achieve this in their lifetime.

So why is it that so many people have their business dreams unfulfilled?

There are a wide range of factors that people don’t consider when they have a business idea and when they begin to implement their business.

Achieve the dream and become an entrepreneur by pursuing your dream business. But first, there are a few things to consider.

Most people’s business ideas only ever remain ideas.

Many people fail to take the first step. Some of them have no idea where to begin; others make a range of excuses as to why they cannot pursue their business idea. And there are many who simply don’t have the courage. To make a business idea happen, the person must take action steps with turning the business dream into reality.

Failure to make smarter decisions.

The decisions that are made in business are crucial to the long-term operations and sustainability of the business. Managing business risk is crucial to not only the business’s survival, but the operations and long-term outlook. The first smart decision that any business owner should make is to get their foundation right at the beginning of their business.

If the business has been operating for some time, then the business needs to put the brakes on growth and organize the business into an operations and sales model that will allow the business to grow quickly and smoothly, with the investment of financial and operational resources. Businesses that don’t adopt these practices may still grow, however, their operations will become chaotic, and they will continue to struggle over the long term.

Taking on a business as a lifestyle rather than focusing on generating income.

A business owner can go into business that shares their passion for that industry and that shares the lifestyle that they are seeking. However, they must not get deterred from the primary objective of entering a business in the first place, and that objective is to make as much money (and profit) as possible. Business owners can make friends with their customers, but your business isn’t a social club. It is all about adding value. And the people who give you the value are your customers; which in turn are providing you with a profitable income.

Not pursuing the need to keep on educating oneself and the staff within the business.

Something that is quite overlooked is the training element within the business. Generally speaking, employees want to receive training that will enhance their skills to be promoted or paid well over the long term. Whether this training is done internally or is provided by the company through external courses, smarter and more efficient staff will yield better profitability, growth and value for the business.

Not taking business risks to pursue high growth strategies.

The fear in taking risks in business can ultimately lead to growth paralysis. Business owners have to take risks in business. However the risks that should be taken need to be smart risks for the business. The ultimate goal is to grow the business as much as possible. There are many people within businesses who don’t know how to go about managing risk. Hence why it is important for them to learn about the different growth strategies that can be applied to the business.

Cautiousness when it comes to hiring staff.

One bad apple can spoil the bunch. Businesses have to be ruthless and merciless when it comes to hiring and firing staff. Businesses tend to forget that people aren’t there to be friends, they are there because they have to earn an income. They are doing what they have to do to earn that income. The staff must offer value to the business either by improving the sales revenue to the business or by providing actions that will see the business become more efficient and reduce costs. If staff members fail to demonstrate these values, they need to seek employment elsewhere. If they aren’t adding value to the business, then they are detrimental to the business.

There’s never been a better time for people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations. With the accessibility to information, knowledge, case studies and experts that are actually succeeding in business, one can easily follow the model examples of those who have ‘made it’ and create their own success story.

IMAGE: Via Shutterstock.com

The post Dare to dream and pursue your business endeavours appeared first on Australian Times News.

The AustraliaReady Pre-Departure Seminar will help you prepare for success in Australia before you depart the UK, delivering expert advice and real insights into the challenges you might face. Seminars include advice on Border Clearance presented by the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection, as well as banking, shipping, transferring money and much more.

Designed for primary applicants that have their immigration visa already approved for Australia – business and skilled streams, and applicants who have been requested by the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) to submit supporting papers – Medical Examination and Police Clearance – are eligible to attend this free event.

Sponsored by National Australia Bank, Crown Relocations, Moneycorp and Global QROPS, AustraliaReady will be held in the Australian High Commission London.

This seminar is free to attend, but registration is required. Verification of your immigration status may also be required. Please see our website for more details.

For more details:

AustraliaReady Pre-Departure Seminar – London

Date: 27 June 2015 at 9:00am to 3:00pm

Venue: Australia House, Strand, London WC2B 4LA

Website: www.workingabroad.net/AustraliaReady

The post Prepare for success in Australia before you depart appeared first on Australian Times News.

While Australian Immigration is a complex and ever changing area of law, at Migrating Specialists we aim to make the whole process smooth and uncomplicated for each one of our clients.

Having already helped many individuals, families and businesses successfully realise their dream, you cannot be in safer hands. We deal with all types of Australian visa and citizenship applications, and are adept at handling complex cases where special expertise is required.

Migrating Specialists is headed up by Managing Director, Sammy Naghi (below). Sammy is a practising Australian Immigration Solicitor and Registered Migration Agent with almost 10 years’ experience in the Australian migration industry. He is uniquely qualified in the UK as a dual Australian practitioner, registered with the Law Society of NSW (Solicitor: 42619) and Registered Migration Agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARN: 0641061). He is also a dual Australian and British Citizen.

You will find Sammy’s approach refreshing: dynamic while being closely attuned to your individual needs. “I treat my clients with the utmost respect by being honest, quick to respond and always sensitive to their concerns,” Sammy explains. “I believe communication is the key to my high success rate. I monitor changes in legislation and keep my clients continually updated as their case progresses.”

Sammy specialises in complex cases that most migration agents don’t like to take on due to the extensive time and effort required. He also acts for some high profile corporate clients including Guardian News and Media Limited (the Guardian and The Observer) who have opened an office in Sydney Australia. Sammy has successfully represented a number of their key employees who have obtained temporary work visas to enter Australia and assist with the setup of GNM Australia Pty Ltd and he continues to act as their Australian Immigration Solicitor.

When you instruct us you receive complete peace of mind, as we must adhere to the MARA Code of Conduct and NSW Law Society rules and regulations. For further details you can view the Registry of Australian Registered Migration Agents at www.themara.com.au

Visit www.migratingspecialists.com or contact us today to see how we can help with your Australian visa application enquiries@migratingspecialists.com or +44 (0) 20 7832 6400

The post Australian migration and visa specialists appeared first on Australian Times News.

But how do you know you got a good deal? Or the best deal out there?

What about using a comparison site?

You can surf the web, and you will find some good looking rates. You will surely find plenty of comparison sites – ready to redirect you using pay-per-click through to the banks and discount lenders showing the lowest headline rates. When you get there, you’ll take a look around and try to work out the most important things you need to do next, right? Like:

*How can I find out how much this particular (cheap) lender will lend me? Is it easy to discover?

*Does the cheap rate I just clicked on actually apply to the type of home loan that I need, based on my situation and the features I want, or does that cheap rate apply to someone else?

*Will my information be safe if I open up an enquiry form or application form on the site, and start typing in my income and bank account balances, etc?

*How long will they take to get back to me, and can I trust them?

How about going direct to my bank?

You could avoid the comparison sites and decide to checkout your own bank’s website. After all, you’ve been a customer of CBA/Westpac/ANZ/NAB/HSBC/StGeorge for years, so they should welcome you and offer you a great rate, right?

Now, the bank’s site looks pretty slick these days: there’s video, lists of checklists, 5 step processes, renovations help, ask-the-experts, maybe a virtual chat assistant.. a calculator, and How to Apply instructions or a phone number to call. You might baulk at the phone number because you don’t know what is the right question to ask, it might be 10 o’clock at night (or 7 am in Australia) and you also don’t want to sound dumb, so you go for the ‘How Much Can I Borrow? Calculator’ button first.

You input how many applicants and so on, and then your income as requested (geez why does it look so low on the scale here?) and then it asks you for your monthly expenses. How much are my monthly expenses? Well, that’s kind of hard, what stuff should I include? Do I include eating out and fun stuff? But I would give some of that up if I had a mortgage, probably. But what if I can get rental income from the new place to cover repayments!? Then do I need to breakdown all my expenses?

If you feel you have successfully negotiated the calculator, then you might be confident to head for the “get started” button.  Oops! Behind that button are some more nice words and a phone number to call. Damn. OK, request a callback. Now when will they get back? And what will they ask me? How do I ask them for the best rate in town? Or if that rate applies that was on the comparison website?

Chances are that at some point the banker will get back to you. They may answer all your questions and even give you some good guidance. There’s unlikely to be a discount just because you have been with them for 20 years, however if you ask nicely, in today’s climate they will probably offer you a further discount off the advertised already discounted rate. So do ask for it!

Now, how do you know if that discounted, discounted rate is discounted enough?

Ok you could surf the web, go to a second bank’s website, and start the process again…

Or you could ring a mate, or Mum and Dad, and ask their advice, or understand what they did and who they used when they last went through the process. Their situation and when they applied will probably be different to yours – and that’s just the problem, since mortgage rates and conditions vary by situation and market timing.

There are 3 fundamental reasons why asking a mortgage broker instead to do the running around and loan negotiating for you, is ultimately the most efficient approach that’s designed to meet your specific needs.

What are they?

1) Brokers receive notice of the best bank offers directly to their inbox! It’s in the bank’s best interests to make sure brokers are informed of their latest deals so they can let potential customers know about them on behalf of the bank! For example right now one major bank is offering $1,000 cash bonus for customers who apply for a new investment property loan, and current home loan interest rate discounts can range between 1% and 1.3% and even more, in certain circumstances.

Some banks even now have an online pricing request method just for brokers – enabling the broker to apply for a special discount on your behalf, whilst the broker knows what the prevailing discounted rates are at the competitor brands!

In addition, most brokers have sophisticated loan product software that enables them to compare the most important features of the majority of bank’s products (not just price) with a few clicks!  If you are in the market for a new home loan you simply cannot access this information so efficiently. Brokers can also request a price review for your existing home loan if you have one already.

2) The job isn’t done when the application goes in. After negotiating all the tricky loan application questions, and hoping you didn’t misrepresent yourself or shoot yourself in the foot!, you will then have to wait while the bank orders a valuation on your property, assesses your credit file and makes a call to approve you or not. Hopefully this all happens in time before you sign a contract to buy the property where you have just made an offer and you have it accepted. The bank may come back to you with questions and clarifications, and they may take longer than 2 weeks to complete this part of the process. They may even miss something and decline you when they should not have. It’s happened before. After that, the bank will create a loan contract which is up to you to check before signing, usually contained within a 20-30 pack of documents sent to your house if you are approved.

Using a broker will mean they will deal with the bank’s requests and push your file along at the bank when required, being your interface with the bank and managing the process as best as possible, keeping you informed along the road between property offer and loan settlement, usually one month to six weeks away. This can save enormous amounts of time and stress, especially if you are busy working full-time anyway during that period, or if you are out of the country in a different timezone.

3) Brokers understand the impacts of the information you are about to submit to a bank when you apply, and appreciate the limitations of bank policies.

Every bank has its own lending policy manual and brokers are trained and have access to those policies at all major banks. For example, you may require 80% of the property price to buy your chosen property, but you may not realise that for your chosen property and your employment situation, 3 out of the first 4 banks you approach only allow a 70% loan amount. A good broker knows the bank that should be approached first, saving you time and money – and protecting your credit rating.

What about if you are in a slightly unsure position about your borrowing ability? For example you are in a probation period at work, you are at the end of a contract, or you have been running your own business for a short while; how will you know which lender and rates will apply to you? And can you still negotiate even if you find the lender that will accept you when others won’t? It’s in these situations that brokers really come into their own, knowing where to source your loan and still negotiating a better deal for you, even with challenging lending situations.

For more information, contact your mortgage broker.

Daniel Shillito is a Mortgage Broker, Financial Adviser and specialist in Expat services at Aussie Finance and Property Group. Daniel can be contacted at daniel@aussiefpgroup.com Ph +44 (0)20 3239 0479 or visit www.aussiefpgroup.com

See more Expat Finance with Daniel Shillito, including:

Aussie Mortgage Application Guide

New Australian credit report laws mean lenders know much more about you

Mortgage offset accounts, are they worth it?

Why the RBA cut interest rates and what it means for you

TOP IMAGE: via Shutterstock.com 

The post Did you negotiate with your bank for a better mortgage interest rate? appeared first on Australian Times News.

There are several things that you will need to give a lot of thought to, including whether it is cheaper to replace or transport items and what customs considerations you need to be aware of. It’s important that you give yourself plenty of time to make the right decisions.

Doing your research

As soon as you know that you are going to be moving back to Australia you need to start researching your options, so that you can make informed decisions, and start preparing for your move. The Australian Government provides excellent online resources which can help to answer most of your questions in detail. We have put together some useful tips as an easy to use guide on some of the things you need to consider when you are packing to return to Australia.

What should you take with you?

There is no hard and fast rule as to what you might want to take with you when you move back to Australia but you do need to remember that it’s space not weight which is going to be your main consideration. The more container space that you fill, the more it is going to cost for the transportation. You may want to think long and hard about whether you really want to spend a fortune transporting furniture that is old, and which is probably going to need to be replaced soon anyway.

There are certain goods which you are not permitted to take with you, such as live plants, seeds and nuts and items that contain CFCs. It’s also important to remember that Australian customs will pay special attention to items that have come into contact with soil, or with food products, or that are created from animal or plant products, such as wood. It’s worth taking a look at the advice from the Australian Department of Agriculture. Certainly, garden items, such as lawn mowers and tools should generally be left behind, as should any decorative household items which are adorned with items such as feathers.

What should you remember when packing?

Don’t forget that if you are going to opt for the more affordable sea freight option you will need to allow plenty of time for your belongings to reach Australia. International removal companies normally estimate that this takes approximately 8-10 weeks. This may seem like a long time, and air freight is approximately three times quicker, but it’s also approximately eight times more expensive, and is usually only practical if you are travelling really light.

So you need to start packing early, and you need to make sure that you pack so that your belongings stand the best chance of gaining efficient entry into Australia. Here are some dos and don’ts.

Do

• Make sure that everything is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
• Check that no wooden items show any signs of insect infestation.
• Securely wrap any sharp or breakable items.
• Mark each box with an individual number and list of contents.
• Compile a detailed list of each box and its contents (this is required by the Australian authorities).
• Pack all items that may be of biosecurity concern to the authorities together.

Do not

• Pack any opened food items.
• Pack items made from animal products that have not been through a manufacturing process (these can be expensive to treat when they arrive in Australia).
• Use second hand boxes that have already been in contact with organic substances.
• Use sawdust or shavings when packing.

It’s worth finding a reputable removals company as they can often help with packing, and quarantine advice. You should check that insurance is included in any charges as it is better to be safe when you remember that your possessions are being transported a long distance on unpredictable seas.

Just because Australia is your home country does not mean that it’s really straightforward to move back there. You need to ensure that you plan and execute your packing in plenty of time and with consideration for the Australian government’s requirements on unaccompanied goods arriving in the country. If you carry out your packing effectively, and acquire efficient removal services, you will make the move back home a lot easier.

Olly Sampson co-owns Bee Moved a commercial and domestic removals company based in Brighton.

The post Packing tips for your move to Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

The fourth annual survey of global prices found that Australia tops the purchasing power parity (PPP) index, meaning that one USD  has the same purchasing power as $1.12 (AUD). New Zealand and the United Kingdom rated the second and third most expensive countries respectively.

Also see: Who has the most expensive groceries, Australia or the UK?

In recent years the United States has ranked as the cheapest developed country in the report. In 2015 however, the strength of the USD has narrowed the gap between Australia and the US.

Deutsche Bank’s ‘Mapping the World’s Prices’ overall rankings

Australia is more expensive than any other country when it comes to…

Similarly, smokers are coughing up the most in Sydney and Melbourne.

Sydney, Paris and London ranked as the most expensive places in the world for a weekend away, owing to exorbitant hotel room prices.

But not everything in Australia is the most expensive in the world.

Fortunately gym memberships are more reasonable. (And most reasonable in Melbourne).

Deutsche Bank compiles its lists using both internet prices and secondary sources. The report explains that its research measures prices but not affordability “in comparison to local purchasing power”. In other words, prices may generally be higher in Australia, but we should also then consider how much Aussies earn (see the ‘expensive groceries’ link near the top of this article for more).

View the full Deutsche Bank PPP report here.

IMAGE: Stock image via Shutterstock.com/AleksandarTodorovic

The post Australia the most expensive place in the world… again appeared first on Australian Times News.

Both countries speak the same first language, have similar cultures, and drive on the same side of the road, but when it comes to property, which country comes out on top?

Let’s compare the property markets in both countries:

Price

In both countries, property prices vary depending on the location and type of property you are looking for. Currently the average price of a property in the UK is £188,446 (source: Nationwide), with the average in London being £525,000; Where as in Australia, prices range from $320,000 (£163,000) in Hobart to $725,000 (£369,000) in Sydney. (source: House Price Report). Therefore prices are probably best examined in terms of what you get for your money.

Size

Australia has the largest properties in the world. The Australian Bureau of Statistics launched a survey in 2011 which found the average Australian home has 214.6 square metres of floor space. That’s 15 square metres more than the second largest, America, and three times the size of the average British home. Along with open planned living being the norm in Australia, you may feel like you are getting an awful lot for your money.

Build

Traditional homes in Britain are considerably sturdier than those in Australia. Cottages, terraces and other period properties in the UK are almost always built of stone, have thick walls, and are built to stand for hundreds of years. When saying you are investing in ‘bricks and mortar’ this may not technically be true in Australia. Traditional properties in Australia are much different to those in the UK. The typical ‘Queenslander’ for example is a wooden or weather board property built on stilts to avoid floods. These stilts may keep the homes dry, but they mean a home is considerably less stable.

Land

What many people find attractive about Australia is the ability to have an outside lifestyle and spend much more time at the beach, parks, and in your garden. But do you get more garden space for your money in Oz compared to the UK?

Well, like here in Britain, Australian property buyers are paying more for smaller houses and plots. The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) has found that in Australia’s 5 largest cities, lot size is down 29% on 10 years ago, whereas lot prices are up 78%. The price of land paid for by new home buyers is up a huge 148%. So if you are looking to get more land, you best act quickly in order to get the most for your money!

So who wins in the battle between houses – Australia or Great Britain? Well, that depends on what you’re looking for. For sturdy yet cosy homes, Britain wins; or for maximising space, Australia is the obvious choice. You just have to decide what works best for you.

Are you thinking about emigrating abroad? Then get international removal quotes from Compare My Move. They compare international removal companies to find you the best deal possible.

The post British homes vs Australian homes appeared first on Australian Times News.

Here, we look at the most in-demand jobs in Australia at the moment. Perhaps, with some training, you could be in high demand as a candidate in one of these areas!

Education and Training

Australia’s population continues to grow at a very large rate. This gives the education industry more pressure and increases the demand for extra teachers. The education industry needs teachers who are patient, organised and able to deliver lessons to children from Pre School to University. Subjects can range from Primary Education, including mathematics and English, to higher education that can include complex subjects such as law and philosophy.

Medical and Healthcare

Australia’s senior population is growing very quickly too. This means the Medical and Healthcare industry is growing larger. Nursing jobs seem to be constantly advertised and there is a great need for nurses for the aged care industry. Technology based jobs are also always available in this field.

Design and Architecture

2014 saw a very large influx of architecture jobs, which became the most popular job that was looked for throughout the country. The economy is currently creating the need for more architects for projects ranging from single storey extensions to large building projects.

Building Trades

2015 sees an excellent opportunity to get into the building trade. By November 2018, the construction industry will have expanded by about 8 per cent. It’s not only construction workers that are in high demand in this industry, though. Project managers are needed here to oversee large building projects and ensure they keep to timescale and budget restrictions.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

ICT jobs are extremely important for all industries. There is always a demand for IT specialists, project managers and other similar jobs in this area, provided that candidates have the right skills.

Digital and Marketing

Chief Marketing Officers and Digital Marketing positions are becoming more popular. This is because there is a need for more suitable candidates for the digital and mobile sector. Companies are frequently creating business online, and to thrive online digital marketing strategies are essential.

Retail

The retail industry is always growing. Some of the jobs needed in this area are in growth. These roles will require the candidate to come up with opportunities to expand across technology and digital media. In addition to this, personalization in retail is becoming more important. This will involve obtaining and analyzing knowledge about the behaviour of customers and coming up with more tailored approaches to marketing. Across all of the most popular industries is a need for those skilled in project management. When it comes to any industry, projects large and small will need to be completed and having those on your team who have a knowledge and skills needed to oversee projects and bring them to a successful conclusion will be the most in demand jobs in Australia, not only in 2015, but in years to come.  Thankfully, it is eminently possible to learn project management online, so wherever in your career you currently stand, you could ensure you’re in high demand from hereon in.

The post Australia’s most in-demand jobs appeared first on Australian Times News.

The RBA board members came back from their summer break feeling… well, perhaps not so rested and optimistic as they were last year, with heightened concerns about lower overall economic growth in 2015 and perhaps feeling some pressure as a result of actions taken by many other central banks around the globe.

The central bank expects economic growth to be subdued, especially in non-mining sectors (which need to pick up the slack from a slowing mining sector) and that’s combining with below average consumption growth to create a more pessimistic view.

Oil flow-through

Noticeably, the bank’s assumptions around the price of oil were also revised drastically, down by around 30% to US$59 per barrel being the current forecasted price, which should flow through to create positive benefits for the economy, perhaps in the second half of the year and next year.

However, the bank also commented they are expecting a slightly worsened unemployment rate in the months to come, as realisation is starting to spread that Australia’s record-breaking consistently high growth rates are not going to last forever.

Good inflation news for homebuyers

Inflation has been quite subdued and this has been helped significantly by the declining oil price. With inflation well under control, the bank will always feel empowered to cut rates, if it believes that is what’s required to stimulate demand and help maintain current growth. This is good news at least for homebuyers and mortgage-holders in Australia.

The relative interest rate

I wrote previously about the bank’s attempts to influence the currency, and how interest rates are occasionally managed to help keep the Australian dollar from appreciating and making exports less competitive.

Over the last 2 months 16 countries have lowered interest rates, making the Australian rate relatively higher and thus attracting speculative investment in the Aussie dollar relative to other currencies. This action is putting upward pressure on the dollar, something the RBA is trying to avoid. In fact, the bank said: “a lower exchange rate is likely to be needed to achieve balanced growth in the economy”.

Time to buy or refinance?

After this rate change Australian mortgage rates are now even lower, and much lower than historical averages. Each of the four major banks have adjusted their rates downwards in response to the RBA change.

In addition to lower rates, the Sterling and the Euro have risen higher against the Aussie dollar over the last 12 months, so cash transfers and property deposit payments into Australia will convert to more Aussie dollars to spend. We have also seen that banks are increasingly competitive, prepared to offer greater interest discounts than usual, in many cases.

This all adds up to an interesting time to consider your property and mortgage options in Australia.

Daniel Shillito is a Mortgage Broker, Financial Adviser and specialist in Expat services at Aussie Finance and Property Group. Daniel can be contacted at daniel@aussiefpgroup.com Ph +44 (0)20 3239 0479 or visit www.aussiefpgroup.com

See more Expat Finance with Daniel Shillito, including:

Aussie Mortgage Application Guide

New Australian credit report laws mean lenders know much more about you

Mortgage offset accounts, are they worth it?

TOP IMAGE: via Shutterstock.com 

The post Why the RBA cut interest rates and what it means for you appeared first on Australian Times News.

Australia has hit a peak not seen since the gold rushes of the late 1800s, which transformed Australia from a convict colony to an appealing destination for migrants.

“Overseas migration has been a large contributor to the total Australian population growth for several years – it has consistently been the main driver since 2005-06, contributing more than 50 per cent of population growth in Australia,” said Denise Carlton from the ABS.

The largest nationality groups who have moved to Australia were people born in the United Kingdom, with a total of over 1.2 million residents born there. The next most common birth place was New Zealand (with just over 600,000), followed by China (around 450,000) and then India (just under 400,000).

Carlton notes the surge in Indian and Chinese born Australian residents:

“Of the top ten countries of birth, the number of Australian residents who were born in India increased the most, almost tripling from just 132,800 people in 2004 to 397,200 people in 2014.”

“The number of residents born in China also more than doubled, going from 205,200 persons to 447,400 persons over those ten years,” she said.

Photo by: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Graph by: Andisiwe Juta

The post Australia’s overseas born population highest since gold rush appeared first on Australian Times News.

I’d put in the self-request as a means to seep into the psyche of others and jolt them into consciousness. I want people to say it; I want people to notice it when it’s hidden. I want people to say that there’s something ominous, almost disturbing, about the paradox of finding yourself overseas and yet needing to conform to what we value as social norms. I’m talking about the seemingly frivolous issue of body image, when really it’s plaguing me everywhere.

“More beers, more fructose, less sleep, less routine: something has to give.”

And it’s not a trite concept. It’s not a self-conscious giggle about “Heathrow Injection” as you throw back another snakebite. It’s not even the vague slither of hope: “I can’t wait to get back into the gym when I’m home.” When you start looking for it, it’s an epidemic.

If Robert Dunbar was right and the cognitive limit of the average person can maintain 150 stable relationships (let’s be generous and assume 75 are female), then accounting for my experience alone – I’ve seen body consciousness poison over 60 per cent of my interactions. I’ve seen a friend admit to the stashed Starbucks chocolate coin in her coat pocket to eat when her boyfriend was gone. I’ve seen girls live off watermelon juice, “just for a while.” I’ve known girls to swear they’d rather run out of money before piling on weight abroad – like there was only capacity for one disaster. And I’ve heard it all from a “day off eating” to five-hour sessions in the gym. I’ve seen drunken tears and known they’re crying on insecurity.

In 2013 I uncovered the unsettling study that correlated travelling abroad with disordered eating. While even the most casual observer would agree we live in a society crammed with cultural pressures, where beauty, symmetry and thinness is valued, there’s an inflated pressure abroad as you balance this with the burst of lifestyle difference you’ve flown into. More beers, more fructose, less sleep, less routine: something has to give.

Worst of all: it’s a beauty myth, and I fell for it too. Hard.

The irony is stashed somewhere in the truth: I didn’t come undone because I’d discovered enlightenment towards the dysfunction of social pressure; I’d unraveled because I’d been blaming post-travel for the demise of some of my closest friendships, when really (really) it was the inability to communicate truthfully about disordered eating. There’s no guidebook and we’re all so sullenly silent on the topic.

“The pressure to have the time of my life, in the prime of the life; to return home no less disheveled than when I left.”

Disordered eating was a craft I mastered. I didn’t set out to hone these skills, but small shavings of pressure mounted and mounted, collecting slowly until I was left with a compact ball of habits that statured each day. The pressure to look five-star in a five-star hotel; to collect bikini snaps in Ibiza; to have the time of my life, in the prime of the life; to return home no less disheveled than when I left.

I left London to escape. I was naïve enough to believe once I flew the 12,000 kilometres back home it would become part of my past; a faint sepia tone would paint over the chapter in my life like a dull memory you kind-of recall. I’d keep silent, have my friends back in real-time and everything would be fine.

But it lingered over me still. I had a secret marinated in an unfortunate fringe benefit of longevity: the ability to manage things much like one would nurse a sore shoulder; it was bothersome at times, debilitating at others, but manageable all the same – if I was careful. Then one night with friends – it’s always the social situations that trip you up – I was caught.

I’d overeaten in the day because I’d under-eaten the days before, and now I was caught again in a torturous math game of calculating where to get the balance back. We huddled over a bar table of drinks and I kept my face neutral while I panicked in hell.

I was never present; never in the moment, never appreciative of the girls surrounding the table. I recognised the distraction and left with no explanation other than I was leaving, and decided it was less painful to deal with the fallout than stand there struck with the consequences of my day.

The expiry date on London-based blame had reached its statute of limitations and the next day I came clean. The hard truth is, you can only control so much.

It’s a heavy burden to place on another human’s life and I’d waited over a year to tell the three girlfriends closest to me. When I saw the brim of tears well in their eyes I felt sickly responsible for making them feel this way. I didn’t want to make anyone sad. Yet I left feeling lighter than I had in years and held onto the promises of support.

That was 10 months ago and every single day I struggle to decide if I did the right thing. My relationships suffered, I lost my best friend and I fight the unfair urge to be angry with those who know. But you can’t be angry with someone for doing the best they can – even if falls short of your expectations – so how do you move forward?

“When someone would say, ‘we don’t know how to help,’ I’d be crippled with frustration that the onus was on me.”

I landed in a frustrating whirlwind of double standards.

See, I told those closest to me to treat me as they did before. Yet when someone would talk about weight gain, dieting or disordered eating, I felt gutted by inconsideration. I told those closest to me not to smother me. Yet when it went months upon months of silence, I felt horribly betrayed. I assured those closest to me not to be awkward talking it through. Yet a text message with the words ‘how are you?’ was an inadequate attempt at a loaded question.

Those closest to me felt my disappointment was unfair, while I fought to handle their seeming silence. When someone would say, ‘we don’t know how to help,’ I’d be crippled with frustration that the onus was on me.

The darkest thought is solitude. I convinced myself the aftermath of managing other people’s reactions was far worse than the problem itself. The darker thought is contemplating travelling for something other than the wonder it is, and abusing it for escapism. I couldn’t un-tell what had been said, but I could find a new visa and run away. I couldn’t undo the bitterness, but I could find people who didn’t know.

So here, I took the hall-pass, lowered the guard and opened the floodgates of vulnerability. 10 months ago I had no template to guide my emotions. Neither did anyone surrounding me and I watched it unfold, helpless, because I didn’t know any better. Now I do. So I’ve taken the hall-pass on vulnerability because I would rather use myself publicly to open the conversation than to see it mold in silence, everywhere.

I didn’t fly around the world to stay the same. I wasn’t dull enough to suppose I’d collect only the perks and progressions of travel, and elevate to new cultural heights. I knew there’d be disappointments. Did I account for this one? No. Do I believe I’m on my own on this one? No. Whatever the stats, it’ll always be one too many to fall for a beauty myth.

Read more ‘From The Homefront’ by Nicole Crowley

The post Untangling a traveller’s disordered eating appeared first on Australian Times News.

24 months before moving to Australia

• Plan a visit to Australia to help decide which city you want to live in. There’s nothing quite like an in-the-flesh experience to meet the people, experience the sights and sounds, and see other factors like lifestyle, traffic, houses, recreational facilities, and culture.
• Announce your intentions to your family and friends.
• Investigate your visa options and start preparing a visa application. Remember, some visas can take up to 2 years to be granted. See: Move To Australia – Australian visas

18 months before moving to Australia

• Prepare a budget, including paying off your existing debts and arriving with Australian money in your back pocket.
• Depending on your Australian visa choice, submit the application. Collate all your documents such as birth and marriage certificates, references, qualifications etc. You will need these for your visa application. Note: each visa requires different items, so be sure to look through the ENTIRE application as there can be some hidden requirements.

 12 months before moving to Australia

• Start investigating renting or buying a house in Australia, including the likelihood and processes around selling your existing home (if applicable).
• Start networking with Australian companies in your country, or investigate opportunities in Australia with your current employer.
• Check your passports to ensure their validity exceeds 2 years.

10 months before moving to Australia

• Put your house on the market (if applicable).
• Investigate what you need to do in order to move your pets (if applicable).

8 months before moving to Australia

• Research flights to Australia.
• Start applying for jobs in Australia.

6 months before moving to Australia

• If you have kids, inform their schools of your intentions to move to Australia (this has particular significance when moving to Australia from the UK, as the Australian school year runs from January to December and the 6 month difference in curriculum should be planned for).
• Research potential schools/universities for your children (if applicable).
• Contact your pension companies to assess whether to transfer your pension to pensions or superannuations funds Australia or not.
• Get quotes from freight and shipping companies to move your possessions
• Apply for any required police clearances as it can take up to 3 months (some visas require you to submit these with the application and you may require it for certain professions such as teaching).
• Research the cost of living in Australia so that you can revise your budget with greater accuracy

4 months before moving to Australia

• Get your medical/health check done (some visas require you to submit these with the application, though they only have a 1 year validity).

3 months before moving to Australia

• Book your flights to Australia.
• Apply for an Australian bank account.
• Obtain credit references from your bank.
• Commence the conversation with your employer that you intend to move to Australia (some employers require 3 months notice, but it’s just courteous to give them ample time to hire your replacement and for you to help train them).

Two months before moving to Australia

• Pack boxes and ship your possessions to Australia.
• Start looking work in Australia (sign up with Recruitment agencies in Australia).
• Book temporary accommodation for the first week or so (or ask any friends if you are able to stay with them).
• Book a hire car for your first few weeks in Australia.
• Register your kids at their chosen schools.
• Arrange for your pets to be sent to Australia.

One month before moving to Australia

• Resign from your job.
• Give notice on your rental lease and find a replacement for your room/flat/house (if applicable).
• Commence work handover.
• Remove your name from utility bills and council tax.
• Give notice on other financial obligations, such as your mobile phone and gym contract.
• Make arrangements with your bank to close accounts and pay off any debts.
• Cancel any insurance policies you might have.
• Cancel all future direct debits and stop orders.
• Sell your unwanted furniture and appliances.
• Confirm your flights to Australia bookings.
• Obtain a no claims bonus form from your insurer – this could save you hundreds of dollars a year on house and car insurance in Australia.
• List your car in the classifieds or engage with a dealer to sell it.

3 weeks before moving to Australia

• If you have one, send a forwarding address to all your contacts and arrange for a re-direction of your post.
• Prepare a list of all the companies from whom you receive mail and either cancel, forward to Australia or opt in to paperless statements.
• Plan your farewells.

2 weeks before moving to Australia

• Get work reference.
• Get a landlord reference, if renting.
• Start packing up the rest of your possessions (and disposing of those which you don’t want).

1 week before moving to Australia

• Sort out your Tax Refund and P45 if migrating from Britain.
• Farewell gatherings.
• Organise transport to the airport.
• Cancel your car insurance.
• Arrange for a money transfer to Australia.

Moving to Australia day

• Finalise packing, especially if you have kids.
• Ensure you have your tickets and passports.

See you in the Lucky Country!

Return to the Move To Australia homepage

DISCLAIMER: All the above information is subject to change and intended as a guide only. Consult a migration expert and relevant government agencies for the most up to date advice.

The post Plan your move to Australia with this checklist appeared first on Australian Times News.

For the purpose of this survey, people from around the world are being asked their thoughts on the future of the immigration and visa programmes in Australia and to provide feedback of their own experiences with Australian Immigration and Border Protection versus that of other countries.

This year, to help set the 2015/2016 programme, the DIBP has launched a discussion paper on its website to provide a broad starting point for thinking about the best settings for migration levels in the next financial year.

This interactive discussion paper includes a survey whereby participants are given the opportunity to communicate with the DIBP and tell them what they think is the optimal size and composition of the permanent migration programme.

The discussion paper canvasses the economic and social factors that will be taken into account in setting the migration programme.

The survey is intended to draw out views on the optimal size and composition of the permanent migration programme. All responses will be confidential,’ said a DIBP spokesman. The survey closes on 05 December 2014.”

This particular discussion paper claims that Australia has a dynamic and growing economy where skills are still needed; it also plans to be instrumental in preventing the flooding of the job market with skilled migrants which could aggravate the stability of Australian employment while also establishing which sectors are experiencing or expecting growth for which there may not be sufficient Australian talent.

The paper has in the past revealed that Australia has a social framework that is global and inclusive, and increasing numbers of temporary migrants are making informed decisions that Australia is where they would like to live.

“The department is aware of the increasing global competitiveness in attracting and retaining highly skilled migrants from overseas and the need for a clearer, deregulated skilled migration visa framework that will help shape and define Australia’s economic future,” the paper explains.

“In planning the size, balance and composition of the 2015/2016 Migration Programme, the department will need to be informed by careful consideration of these factors and trends as well as the views of the public to ensure the programme delivers on what it is intended to, that is, responding to Australia’s longer term economic and social needs,” it concluded.

The post Australian immigration survey under way appeared first on Australian Times News.

You guessed it, Australia scores rather well across these lifestyle essentials (smiley face). Oh, and the UK gets a few nods too.

Choosing a livaeble country

Which country would offer you the most livable experience? Let’s face it, you don’t want to be stuck somewhere with limited Wi-Fi hotspots or a short supply of good coffee.

Boston Consulting Group and Totaljobs crunched the numbers and they are pretty confident you would be okay in Australia. Their survey included more than 200,000 people from 189 countries.

According to their report, Australia ranked 7th in the world’s best countries to live in. This is comforting news for all those expats and locals Down Under.

You could have done worse if you chose Spain, Italy or Sweden who ranked 8th, 9th and 10th respectively. France narrowly beat Australia into 6th position and America, Britain and Canada took the three top spots.

Alternatively, a report earlier this month by the OECD had Australia at #1 country for wellbeing and Canberra (yes, Canberra!) as the world’s most liveable city.

The best world cities to work in

An Australian city made it to the top five of Boston Consulting Group and Totaljobs’s list, yes you guessed it, Sydney Australia is considered the 4th best place in the world to conduct your efforts in the rat race.

Apparently it is nicer to work in Sydney than it is to work in Madrid, Berlin, Barcelona, Toronto, Singapore and Rome – all ranking from 5th position down to 10th.

But Sydney is not as good as London, New York and Paris says the report, with those three respectively raking 1st to 3rd.

Picking the most fly suburb is vital

Is your local neighbourbood not delivering on hot, trendy, beautiful people? Then you have a few options. Thanks to the tiring work of the good folks at Thillist.com we can tell you where your needs can be met.

Through their ‘scientific’ fact-finding efforts it was established that Tamarama, Sydney is the 6th coolest suburb on Earth. Yes, on Earth!

Of Tamarama, Thrilist.com says, “A predominantly gay beach town during the ’80s and ’90s, “Glamarama” (as it was affectionately known) is decidedly less gay these days, though equally as welcoming. With nearly half its residents between the ages of 20 and 39, this seaside suburb of Sydney is exactly what you’d expect from an Australian beach community: laid back, insanely expensive, and packed to the gills with obnoxiously attractive yet friendly Aussies.

Tamarama beat Palermo Soho, Argentina at number 7, Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris, France ranking as 9th coolest and even Shimokitazawa in Tokyo, Japan which placed at 10th position.

Plenty of fish in the sea… in Sydney

Whatever you do, if you are single and looking for romance stay put, says The Travel Channel… perhaps surprisingly (that’s certainly not my experience – ed).

Sydney is still a good place to meet your soul mate, or at least you’d have a decent selection of singletons to pick up the dinner tab.

Sydney is the 9th best place to meet singles beating San Francisco. But another Australian city seems to be popping at the seams with eligible dates. The Travel Channel says Melbourne is an excellent place to meet singles, beaten only by New York.

Date night on the cheap

Let’s just recap. We told you where to live and it is pretty much clear that Australia is soaked in milk and honey and Sydney is top dog there, all things considered. But how much will that milk and honey put you out of pocket?

The Cheap Date Index says if you found a cool place in Sydney to live and work and you met your romantic match you had better take some cooking lessons.

Yes, the Deutsche Bank released its annual cheap date index based on the cost of a movie and McDonald’s (we guess they don’t care if there will be a second date or not). It says such a date in Sydney will set you back $104 (American).

But take heart in London; you may need to get that credit card out at $121 USD per cheap date.

Cheaper than Sydney is Melbourne at $97, New York at $93 and San Francisco at $89 for a similar night out queuing for your food and snuggling in the back row.

IMAGES: (Courtesy Shutterstock.com)

The post Where in the world should you live? Survey says: Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

For the record, Switzerland takes the cake, Savoy was where I worked and 15 months was my length of stay. Given what I know now, I’m significantly less convinced about the “why-I-came-back” part.

But what strikes me most is the flip side to the glossy travel snaps and the memories that follow ‘oh-my-gosh-when-I-was-in…’ stories. Namely: what is the downside of post-travel?

Top three down-sides awaiting you at home when you return from London and your global travels

1. You lose some friends

It’s no secret that life as you left it is indeed not waiting for you. In fact there’s a viral quote dedicated to the isolation you feel (“everyone is out getting engaged, married or having babies, and I’m…”)

So what’s really going on? Well, for starters, school makes friendships inherently convenient. You see each other every day and you don’t really know who you are in your teens and early twenties, so you gravitate toward the people you know and those who complement your scene at the time.

London calls and your eyeballs get far more than they bargained for; you grasp a new handle on yourself. Suddenly, strands of new culture, solo experiences and new friends magnetise to you and latch on, reshaping and resizing who you are. This is #NBD pre-travel when there’s no distance or time to force separation. It’s like that weight you feel slowly but surely creeping on, yet don’t notice because it’s in your face every day.

The hard truth is that sometimes those things that bound you together and all of those commonalities now just seem insignificant or irrelevant. You grow into different people, and frankly, with no one to blame and nothing concrete to pinpoint the contention, it’s a tough one to weather. You simply must accept you have changed.

2. You have to bite your tongue more than is fair

Of course the pizza was better in Rome. Naturally the road rules were crazier in Spain. Yes, the beaches were more interesting in Ibiza. I know, the snow in Thredbo has nothing on Swiss slopes. Let’s face it: no one else cares.

I come from an industry where networking is everything and relationships will make or break your success; this means I need to listen far, far more than I talk. Everyone has a story and a past. I’ve had to learn to put mine aside and to not get caught in a futile battle of one-upmanship. When someone asks if I’ve been to overseas, I say yes. I want to lead with: yes, I’ve lived in London and California. But as soon as those words are uttered, the conversation turns to me, and what I did, I saw and I discovered there.

When Mary speaks knowledgeably about two days in Prague during her five week Contiki tour, I want to tell her she probably didn’t scratch the surface. When she tells me their stopover to London was unbearably cold in November, I want to ask how many days she waited for the tube during stretches of winter. But if jealously is ugly, then its big sister called One-Upmanship is taking a drink from the same well. Now, I shut the hell up.

3. You’ve pouted: “Everything is so boring here” to the point you believe it

It’s hyperbole but it’s true. But why is it true?

Australia is known for its regulations: there’s no bribing a policeman into turning a blind-eye to your speeding, so there’s no story potential like Zimbabwe. There’s no switching of bars after 1:00am, so forget those crazy nights and bad decisions after fishbowls at the Roadhouse. And somehow beach nudity (not mine), champagne bottles on French streets and strange men selling handbags on Venice steps just would not fly in the land Down Under.

But is Australia boring or did my pace change? The likelihood is that what you’re doing in London, you wouldn’t be doing at home. I don’t particularly want to go from a club in Barcelona at 4:00am to land a 6:00am flight and sprint to work for a 12:00pm shift – it seemed carte blanche in London, but regretfully I think it’d kick my ass here. I knew my days were numbered in Europe so I crammed in countries and quadrupled my average of weekday nights out. The pace picked up and I endured it with youthful enthusiasm because it was never forever.

The irony? Once I settled back home, I blamed its normalcies as second-rate to my left-behind party pace.

I’d barely stacked the space bags and jumped back on Skyscanner (just to browse) before I noticed these three things starting to infiltrate my Australian life. Like broken camera screens, lost iPhones and those uninsurable items you were certain to claim, you know it’s not all glitter and gloss with life on the road. Take it for what it is and be patient; because actually you wouldn’t want life back home any other way.

Read more ‘From The Homefront’ by Nicole Crowley

The post Returning to Australia: The downsides of leaving the global fast life behind appeared first on Australian Times News.

The annual NatWest International Personal Banking Quality of Life Index survey says British expats are living it up in Australia.

This survey, in its seventh year, showed Brits living in Australia are healthier, wealthier and generally happier since migrating to the Lucky Country.

The study found that nine out of ten Brits have said that their quality of life had improved since moving to Australia.

The number one reason for 82 percent’s happiness seems to be directly related to a better environment and improved quality of life for their children.  73 percent said their health had improved since their move and more than two thirds of the survey respondents said that they are wealthier in Australia with more disposable income while 88 percent rated the state of the economy as a notable improvement on what they were used to while living in the UK.

Australia’s great weather and sunny beaches means almost 9 out of ten Brits feels they have reason enough to stay Down Under indefinitely and 26% of the British folks on Australian soil are so in love with the country that they have already retired here.

Commenting on the survey, Dave Isley, Head of NatWest International Personal Banking, said, “It seems life Down Under really is the cream of the crop according to this year’s NatWest IPB Quality of Life Index.

“Continual sunshine coupled with a strong economic stability make Australia the perfect destination for Brits to set up home. Factors such as an efficient health care system, low crime rates, a clean environment, good education, civic engagement and a longer-than-average life expectancy also factored in the high scoring.

The survey also showed that Brits making the move to Australia have never felt closer to home with 92% of those living Down Under owning three or more personal technology devices.

“It’s evident from our Quality of Life Report that social networking sites and apps have revolutionised the way in which British expats keep in touch with friends and family, as well as how they interact with their new social circle.

“The world of social media doesn’t follow the same rules as other forms of personal technology – there are no time zones to respect, there are no limits on how much multimedia can be uploaded, or how many people can be spoken to at once. And now that expats can access these social sites on-the-go through their smart devices, the opportunities to stay in touch with family, friends and interact with their local community are virtually limitless, said Mr Isley.

The post Happier, healthier, wealthier: the British love living in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

A report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics highlights how the Australian society has changed over 200 years and it reveals that the face of modern-day Australia has been shaped by the country’s migrant population.

Some of the key facts about Australia’s population development since it became an independent nation in 1901 and how migrants have played a major part in that story, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

• Since Federation in 1901, Australia’s population has increased over five fold, growing from a total population of nearly four million to reach 22.3 million in 2011. A growth rate is attributed to increased life expectancy of the Australian population and the introduction of the country’s migrant population.

• Currently 85% of the Australian population live in urban areas where work, healthcare and infrastructure is some of the best in the world. In 1911 only 60% of the population chose to live in Australian cities.

• Migrant activity between 1911 and 1945 resulted in Sydney’s population growing by more than 800,000 people, to 1.5 million, becoming Australia’s most populated city. Between 2001 and 2011, Brisbane’s population increased by 27%. This means that Brisbane is the country’s fastest growing Australian capital in the 21st century.

• 27% of the current Australian population were not born on Australian soil, but have migrated to the country. This is the highest proportion since Federation.

• When Australia ended its White Australia Policy in in 1973, Australia’s immigration policy was broadened to include more nationalities in its immigration stream. With Australia now welcoming migrants from all parts of the world, it significantly developed Australia’s diversity to what it is today.

• Australia has been actively promoted to foreign nationals who could contribute to the county’s success, including through the Skilled Migrant Visa programme. Australia identified that their own skill shortage would stunt the country’s growth and the Federal Government started looking abroad to fill skills gaps in the Australian market. This has attracted educated and skilled migrants to live and work in Australia where their skills and experience have been employed for the greater good of the country.

• Due to a strict and thorough application and visa process, migrants who are selected to receive an Australian visa are often high calibre workers with specialized skill sets and experience benefiting the Australian job market. Migrants undergo language testing and deliver proof of a clear criminal record before being granted a visa, attesting to their quality of character.

• Migrants are committed to their employer and their community as they seek to extend temporary visas making the majority loyal, trustworthy and ambitious employees, thereby positively contributing to the Australian economy.

The post Migration’s role in Australia’s population history appeared first on Australian Times News.

The BBC’s Wanted Down Under programme gives Brits a look at real life in Australia and New Zealand and what they may experience if they were to emigrate. If you are serious about moving to Australia or NZ, you may like to consider applying to be a part of a future series.

While thousands of British people take the plunge across the big pond to the great southern land, many contemplating the move to Australia or NZ have been following the reality series Wanted Down Under.

The show gives Brits the opportunity to find out what exactly life in Australia would have in store for them – without leaving the comfort of their sofa.

Wanted Down Under is a frank look as how British families find their feet and settle into Australian and NZ society.  The families are shown dealing with finding and buying homes, as well as coping with finances, politics and red-tape Down Under.  The programme also shows the real fears and doubts experienced by these real British families who have made the almost 23,000km trip.

Britons are attracted to the Lucky Country and its Tasman cousin with the strong British ties as they find the administration in migrating to Australia or New Zealand relatively easy.  Australia is consistently recognized as one of, if not the, happiest nations in the world.  Sandy, sunny beaches and breath-taking natural scenery in a country that is considered economically and politically stable, serve as extra draw-cards. NZ of course has its own Middle Earth charms.

While about 33% of all British migrants to Australia return to Britain every year, most adjust completely and are soon fully integrated into the Aussie outdoor lifestyle.

The show recognizes the need among Britons, considering the move, to be as informed as possible about what to expect should they make the move.  Wanted Down Under helps prospective British migrants weigh the pros and cons of such a life changing move.

“They’re [participants in the show] given the opportunity to compare work, property, lifestyle and the cost of living in Australia or New Zealand with that in the UK, before watching often heart-breaking messages from loved ones at home, says Wanted Down Under’s website.

“Then, it’s decision time as they face that life-changing moment – whether their future lies in the UK or down under.

Production is already underway on series 9 of the popular programme, but producers suggest they will be reviewing new applications from October this year.

According to the BBC’s Wanted Down Under webpage: “We’re interested in hearing from people who are seriously considering making a move to either Australia or New Zealand in the near future, and are looking for help and guidance with making that decision.

To find out more, visit the Wanted Down Under webpage

The post Thinking of moving to Australia? You could be ‘Wanted Down Under’ appeared first on Australian Times News.

It seems that migrants to Australia are at risk of developing more health concerns than they might have had they chosen not to immigrate to the country, a recent report revealed.

If you thought that moving to sunny Australia would mean fewer coughs, colds and wet noses think again. A recent study by the Deakin University Research Institute suggests that migrants to Australia might be in poorer health than they could have been had they stayed put.

Assistant professor at the institute, Santosh Jatrana, says a study done on migrants, who had been living in Australian for around 20 years, found that they were more susceptible to life-style diseases such as cancer, cardiac illness and diabetes.

According to the study, newly arrived migrants tended to be much healthier than long-stay migrants of the same age group. Migrants who had been in Australia for around 20 years had developed many of the same health issues experienced by those born in the country. Most of these health concerns were found to be life-style related and worsened as migrants were less likely to seek medical assistance for their condition – often completely failing to report it which could be due to language barriers and for fear that their illness could affect their visas. It is also thought that migrants seem to seek medical advice less frequently as their access to health services are limited and sociocultural barriers further impacting on the problem.

The study indicated that migrants suffered poor health as they took up smoking, consumed more alcohol and tended to follow a more processed fatty diet.

The author of the report said that this phenomenon was probably not specific to Australia and were probably also the case in Canada the USA and Britain adding that the findings of such studies as this could in fact in future impact on immigration policies.

The post Migrant health deteriorates after moving to Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

While most Australian’s are Australian-born as many as 900,000 of the people living Down Under were born in the United Kingdom and 483,000 people list their country of birth as New Zealand.

In an article, published in Australia Immigration this week, it is not only people coming from the more obvious countries that are responsible for Australia’s variety, but migrants from a number of smaller nations have also contributed greatly to Australia’s diversity.

The findings are based on the People of Australia report which was prepared for the Research Advisory Committee.

The report includes the 11 people from the tiny Portuguese speaking Sao Tome and Principe – a tiny island in the Gulf of Guinea.

The People of Australia report shows that English is the most commonly spoken language in Australia and is followed by 1,5% of the population speaking Mandarin. One percent of the Australian population speaks Italian, Arabic, Cantonese, Greek and Vietnamese.

Interestingly, the growth in the numbers of users of the Seychelles Creole language increased by as much as 3,800% between the 2006 and 2011 Australian censuses. This meant that the 18 Creoles living in Australia in 2006 had grown to 702 by 2011.

The article quotes Immigration and Border Protection Minister Scott Morrison as saying that: “We are a wonderfully successful and cohesive modern immigrant nation that has welcomed those from across the world to become part of the Australian story.”

“It should be a source of great pride to all Australians that we have been able to unite from all parts of the world in a modern, cohesive and successful nation. This snapshot shows how far we have come to shape the way that we manage our challenges now and into the near future.”

The post Australia: A cultural, ethnic and political melting pot appeared first on Australian Times News.

Census data reveals over a quarter of Australians were born overseas plus some interesting trends of where migrants choose to settle in the country.

In the 2011 Census, there were a total of 5.3 million migrants living in Australia, which means one in every four (26%) Australian residents were born overseas.

Most of Australia’s migrant population are British-born, with 1.1million (around 1 in 20 citizens) hailing from the UK. The second largest contributor to Australia’s migrant population – with 483,000 having made the move – is our closest neighbour, New Zealand.

At the time of the Census, there were also around 319,000 China-born migrants, 295,000 India-born migrants and 185,000 Italians and Vietnamese living in the country.

The Census indicates that most migrants move to Australia for the long-haul, with the majority of European-born migrants having long called Australia home, having lived down under for several decades – many in excess of 40 years.

Migrants from countries like China, India and other Asian countries are relatively new to the Australian migrant population, typically being in the country for between five and six years, with the proportion of migrants from these countries growing steadily.

According to the data, European and Australian born nationals prefer to settle close to, yet outside, major city limits. 64% of Australian-born nationals live in urban areas while 85% of foreign born nationals prefer living in urban areas.

Interestingly, some of the most urbanised population groups in Australia were migrants born in Somalia (98%), Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, China and Vietnam all at 97%, followed by Greece at 95% and India at 93%.

Migrants from New Zealand (78%), the United Kingdom (74%), Germany (72%) and the Netherlands (64%) tended to be less concentrated in major urban areas.

Also, migrants in Australia tended to live in Australia’s two largest cities with just under half of all migrants residing in either Sydney (1.4 million – 39% of the city’s total) or Melbourne (1.2 million – 35% of the city’s total). Perth had the third largest migrant population in Australia at 568,000 – 37% of the city’s total population.

IMAGE: Shutterstock.com (Tashatuvango)

The post 26% of Australians were born overseas appeared first on Australian Times News.

Occupational Ceilings are state and government imposed limits on the issuing of Skilled Migrant visas for each profession.

Some of these changes that have come into affect might impact on your application for a Skilled Migrant visa based on the number of visas that will be issued for a specific profession.

The most important changes are:

> The occupational ceilings have been announced for the 2014-15 year.
> There have been some significant changes to the number of places allocated to Engineers, Accountants, Teachers, IT Professionals, Constructions Trades and Chefs.

Interestingly occupational ceilings will no longer apply to state nominated 190 and 489 visas.

Several Australian states have already announced their occupations lists for the 2014-15 and have started accepting visa applications based on the new conditions.

Changes to the Occupational Ceilings:

The Occupational Ceilings for most professions in most states have now been announced for the 2014-15 Financial Year.

In a positive change Occupational Ceilings will no longer apply to State Nominated visas – they will only apply to Skilled – Independent Subclass 189 visas and family sponsored Skilled Regional Subclass 489 visas.

Effectively this means that states can nominate occupations for Skilled Nominated Subclass 190 and Skilled Regional Subclass 489 visas even if the ceiling has been reached.

As a result, occupational ceilings are only published for occupations on the Skilled Occupations List Occupations, not all occupations on the Critical Skills Occupation List as was the case in previous years.

There have also been some changes in the places available for certain occupations:

Engineers: Good news for engineers is that an additional 2,530 places have been secured for the occupational ceiling.  This is an encouraging move as this field was close to reaching the limit of its occupational ceiling in 2013.

Accountants: The occupational ceiling for accountants have been reduced of 4,242 places. Last program year, the ceiling was not close to being reached so we are hopeful that the ceiling reduction will not severely impact applicants.

Teachers: The reduction of 1,170 places for the occupational ceiling sounds alarming but is in fact not much cause for concern as applications in this sector have not even come near to making a dent in the available places in 2013.

IT Professionals: The number of available places under the occupational ceiling for IT professionals has been increased by 1,132 places.  This is very encouraging at these occupations were close to meeting the occupational ceiling last year.

Construction Trades and Chefs: While the occupational ceiling for construction trades have been decreased by 2,168 places and 1353 places for chefs, as announced earlier this year; you now longer need a sponsored visa if you are employed in many of the positions in this field.

Registered Nurses: Occupational ceilings for registered nurses have by far seen the biggest increase in places – with 15,042 places available on the list.  This is more than double the quota of any other occupational group.

The post Changes to Occupational Ceilings could affect you appeared first on Australian Times News.

A United Nations report revealed that 232 million people are not living in the country they were born in, the highest ever, and that Brits favour Australia as a choice destination.

According to rhe UN report, one of the reasons for the large number of British migrants could be attributed to the need to find work.  It also said that the total number of Brits living abroad rose by 23% from 4.1 million in 1990 to 5 million 2013.

Australia was the most popular destination for Brit migrants, with 1.277 million expats, ahead of the US where 758,919 British nationals live and the 674,371 Britons who call Canada home.

Interestingly, despite being one of the smaller countries in the world — at number 80 in terms of physical land mass – the UK was also one of the countries to house the most immigrants.  The UK placed fifth for the highest number of immigrants with 7.8 million, just ahead of France with 7.4 million, Canada at 7.3 million migrants and Australia at eighth position with 6.5 million migrants settling on Australian shores.

The British government has been under pressure to do more to lessen the financial burden migrants have been having on the country’s coffers.  This is especially the case in terms of healthcare benefits — which Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt hopes to address by charging migrants three times the minimum fee.

The post UN Report: 25% of British migrants are living in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

A warm spring day in April was the day. It was as exciting as it was scary. Our world was about to be thrown upside down all over again.

As I handed over my card details I thought that I would shed a tear. A tear of happiness and a tear of sadness.

But really, it was a complete non-event.

Except for the fact that I had just spent our monthly pay check on flights home and now had to budget our way through May and June, there was nothing else to it. The world didn’t crumble. There were no tears of sorrow or cheers of joy.

I thought that it would be a momentous occasion. The end of an era. Our working holiday in the UK was coming to an end and I thought I would be devastated.

Instead, I dreamed of glorious sunny days, sandy beaches and BBQ’s on the deck with friends…

On the 8^th of May we celebrated the two years since we left the Aussie homeland for an adventure of a lifetime. I say “celebrated” figuratively since we had just returned from an 18 day jaunt through Europe, we were broke and I am still somewhat recovering from a long-term illness.

Over the last few months I have sacrificed Christmas, my social life, travel, food and drink. It has been a scary few months of tests, treatment and hospital visits, but I am on the mend and ready for the next adventure.  But I am not ready for the next drink.

The 30^th of May marked my 6^th month of sobriety. That is 181 days without a pint of ale, a glass of wine or a sip of a cocktail. This is highly unusual for a girl who is used to downing 6 pints on a Thursday night, or half a bottle of wine over dinner with the girls (… if I want to be really honest… it was nearly always a whole bottle).

Surprisingly, I don’t miss alcohol as much as I thought I would. Now that I have made it this long I feel like I should keep going.

My head is clearer, my bank account is healthier and I don’t spend my weekends recovering from a big night out or “just one drink” (all the drinks) after work. The only time I re-think being sober is that point in the night when I realise that it is either time for me to go home to bed, or that the people I am with are starting to not make sense.

But these are a few things that I do miss, especially now that our return home is so near.

We are now counting down the days to our arrival in Australia. While I will miss London and Europe, there are many things in Australia that I have missed more.

Of course my friends and family top the list, but there are other things that an Aussie learns to miss dearly when they are unobtainable for extended periods of time.

I’m not talking about Vegemite, which you can buy by the jar in Tesco, or Tim Tams and Allen’s Red Frogs, which you can buy at a few select stores in London. I am talking about something much more rare and delicious…

A 400g Australian Angus Beef steak is what I seek. Cooked just enough to be considered rare, with a side of mushroom or peppercorn gravy and creamy mash that would put your mother’s to shame. I can’t understand why I can’t find a decent piece of beef steak in the UK… it seems that they just can’t get enough of pork here.

The first thing that I plan on doing when I land in my home town, after hugging my family hello, is drive down to the nearest place that serves the best steaks.  It is going to be amazing and I can’t wait! Perhaps I will even follow it up with a nice cold, crisp schooner of larger.

So, does anyone know where the best steaks in Brisbane are?

Also read about Jacqui’s fear of London culture shock in reverse when she gets home

The post Heading home to Aussie bovine freedom appeared first on Australian Times News.

Bricklayers, chefs and tilers have been added to Australia’s Skilled Occupation List.

Effectively this means that the Australia government has recognised the need to quickly fill vacant positions in these professions with skilled migrants.

When a profession is listed on the Skilled Occupation List, migrants need not apply for permanent visas with the aid of employers.

After backlash on this move from Australian unions Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash said Australian residents would always enjoy priority for vacant positions.

“It is important to remember that a business that is forced to close due to an inability to source vital skilled labour is a business that employs no-one,” cautioned Cash.

She added, “The Abbott Government believes that where there is an Australian who is ready, willing and able to do the job, they should always be considered first.

“However, it would be simplistic to say that there is always an Australian willing and available to fill a particular position in various geographical locations within Australia, and it is the role of the skilled migration program to fill the gap where such shortages exist.”

Added to the Skilled Occupation List is:
– Stonemason
– Locksmith
– Roof mechanic
– Boat builder and repairer
– Telecommunications network planner
– Solicitor
– Social worker
– Midwife
– Vascular surgeon

According to the Department of Immigration the tourism and hospitality industry’s sustainability is under threat as key positions for chefs remain vacant.   Qualified skilled chefs have been in short supply for the last decade.

The Department of Immigration substantiated their move by stating that the tourism and hospitality industry is constantly under strain with a vacancy rate of 400% more than the national average in any other industry.

However, the United Voice – the union representing chefs has voiced their concern over the move.

“We don’t think labour issues within the industry need for this to occur,” said David O’Byrne, acting national secretary of the union.

‘The hospitality industry is very good at and easily able to attract staff through the industry,” he said.

He added that the Australian government should be investing in developing nationals instead of recruiting migrants for the vacant posts.

“In the era of Masterchef are you telling me there aren’t people who don’t want to become chefs? It just doesn’t make sense,” he said.

The government says that vacancies in positions for tradesmen like bricklayers and tilers will be as a result of an increased demand for these skills in the building industry; a demand which is becoming more urgent as more and more apprentices fail to complete their training.

This statement is contested by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union saying these claims are unfounded.

“In particular the building trades that the government intends to put back on the list are trades where there are no shortages and even the Master Builders Association have acknowledged that,” he said.

“It seems that the Coalition again is putting the Australian workers’ interest last.

“Rather than ramping up migration in these areas they should be addressing the collapse in apprentice numbers in these trades.

“It’s extraordinary the Government would do this would do this based on the evidence and to the people who pay their wages.”

The number of skilled workers to be taken in under the program has been capped at 43,990.

The Australian Skilled Occupation List includes 188 professions which will now include more tradesmen jobs than before.

The post Australian sponsored visas no longer necessary for chefs, bricklayers and tilers appeared first on Australian Times News.

Reported by a respected recruitment agency Sydney, Australia is one of the top three cities in the world amongst executives across a range of industries would like to relocate to.

London came out tops while New York was also considered a favourite.  But it seems this survey found that younger professionals would rather swap the dreary UK weather for the idyllic lifestyle Australia offers.

The survey, conducted with 2444 individuals from 100 countries, also found that the current global economic climate has contributed to the fact that more than 33% of professionals are more likely to relocate to a new country compared to just 16% in 2010.

Interestingly the report also found that careers abroad are now also a possibility for those in more junior positions with only 17% holding an educational qualification above a degree. In 2010, 30% of employers were in possession of qualifications above a degree.

Apparently the sunny skies and sandy beaches associated with the Australians lifestyle serves as a major drawing card for younger professionals as a preferred relocation destination. And it is the thriving technology industry that has attracted the most interest followed by the fields of the energy and life sciences.

Hydrogen Group COO Simon Walker said: “The findings of this report show that we now have a worldwide talent pool.

“Despite the fact that geographic and cultural boundaries as an impediment to hiring have dropped away during the recession, there is still a clear leaning towards English-speaking and safe countries like Australia and cosmopolitan cities like Sydney by candidates.”

Year after year, big urban centres present a separate class when it comes to professionals’ preferences. It seems that international setting and networking opportunities, coupled with high quality of life and safety often lead to neglecting higher taxes when considering re-allocation. Taxes are the main draw used by exotic tax havens and second tier expat destinations. This might be why London, Singapore, Sydney and other global cities always rank better than smaller destinations such as Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus. However, in some industries, smaller destinations beat bigger ones. In Europe, Malta is the gambling business hub thanks to its generous tax rules. As founders of Casinopilot24.com a casino affiliate business based on the island note, low tax rates and a dynamic industry with young talent is perfect if you want to have a digital business without notorious German or French taxes and bureaucracy. It’s similar to Cyprus where many FOREX trading companies have set up shop in recent years. Still, when it comes to overall rankings, countries such as Australia lead the pack.

The post Australia is hot on the heels of the UK and USA as most sought-after country to work in appeared first on Australian Times News.

In an announcement in Melbourne yesterday Australia’s immigration department confirmed that as of November 2014 English proficiency test scores of TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic would be accepted across several visa categories.

These tests will add to the options of qualifying for the language requirements of visa applications and will be accepted in addition to the currently accepted International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Occupational English Test (OET).

“From November 2014, the department will accept English language test scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) and the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) across visa programmes,” according to the Department of Immigration and Border protection.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection also stated that; “The TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic tests have been accepted for the Student visa programme since 2011. From November 2014, the visa subclasses from the Temporary Graduate, Skilled and Work and Holiday visa programmes will also accept a TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic test score as evidence of English ability.”

Visa categories included in this extension, beyond student visas, are;  Employer Nomination Scheme, Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, business Innovation & Investment (provisional), Skilled – Independent, skilled – Nominated, work and Holiday (temporary), skilled – Recognised Graduate and Temporary Graduate.

Melbourne- based education expert Intaj Khan said “this is very good news for the intending migrants wishing to come to Australia.  It will allow them to save time as they now would have more options for test centres of giving the English test and it will also break the monopoly of IDP IELTS Test centres.”

The post Migrants will soon find it easier to dot their i’s and cross their t’s appeared first on Australian Times News.

The SkillSelect scheme, introduced in July 2012, is reported to have facilitated the delivery of 38% of the general skilled migration streamed into the workforce.

According to the immigration department’s annual report Australia’s Migration Programme gained 5,000 places over the previous year with 190,000 places.  Australia has never before experienced such a high volume in successful visa applications.

Employer sponsored visas were responsible for 47,740 successful visa applications and 60,185 visas were granted to those migrating to the country as family members of Australians.

Martin Bowles, immigration department secretary commented on the report; “The past year has been one of unprecedented change. The department has dealt with often unpredictable challenges in supporting the government to shape the nation through managing permanent and temporary movements of people in and out of Australia, and in delivering settlement and citizenship programmes.”

“To give an idea of the scope of our work, this year alone Australia had more than 30 million cross border movements by students, tourists and temporary migrants, as well as permanent residents and Australian citizens,” he added.

“At the same time we responded with speed and flexibility to rapidly changing global circumstances including economic conditions and conflict and civil unrest that influenced the movement of millions of people around the world,” said Bowles. “Through all of this, we have recognized that each interaction with a client is an interaction with the life of an individual or a family, each with aspirations that we are committed to dealing with fairly and professionally.”

Bowles commented that visitors, holidaymakers, students – preparing to study in Australia, and foreign investors who legally cross the Australian border every year are welcomed into the country and adds value to the country’s work force. “While we have dealt with a challenging and unpredictable operational environment over the past year, the department has also been instrumental in shaping the future of a prosperous, inclusive Australia.

The department contributes to a cohesive, multicultural Australian society through promotion of cultural diversity and a unifying citizenship, and plays a significant role in building Australia’s future through managed migration.”

Return to the Move To Australia homepage

The post Record number of Australian visas granted, states immigration department report appeared first on Australian Times News.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne hopes expanding the scheme will build on the trend of increasing numbers of international students choosing to study in Australia.

Low immigration-risk higher education providers will be able to offer the streamlined visa processing to advanced diploma students from early 2015.

At the moment, international students in bachelor, masters or doctoral degrees or on eligible exchange programs can get visas quickly.

Return to the Move To Australia homepage

The post Vocational students can get quick Australian visas appeared first on Australian Times News.

FINDING a job in any country is nerve-wracking and can be stressful. You have to update your resume, scour the internet for roles, meet recruitment agents, prepare for interviews, and then deliberate over offers.

Whether you’ve just moved to Australia or are only having a look to see if you want to move to Australia, the job process can be very stressful and you need to be focused in your search.

The top 10 tips to finding work in Australia

1. Decide on the city in which you wish to live and work, and the visa for which you are going to apply. Develop a budget for relocation and a schedule for your move to Australia.
2. Get your work qualifications assessed by the appropriate Australian authority so that you can hit the ground running in your search for a job from day one.
3. Try to secure a job before you move to Australia via Australian branches of UK companies, or getting a transfer from the UK through an Australian company.
4. Register with employment agencies before you leave and make sure you speak to an agent on the phone. They will be your link to the company and it is important you have a good rapport with them from the start.
5. Before working in Australia, you need to obtain an Australian Tax File Number. Go to the Australian Taxation Office website and apply online.
6. Networking is big in Australia. Find UK expats groups that can help you find a job in Australia on LinkedIn and Facebook; ask questions and send your résumé around. You could also find Australian groups related to your specific industry.
7. Research potential employers – read their websites in depth to learn their strategies and structure, get familiar with the Chairman’s Report, financials, know their share price. Ask your recruitment agent for a list of the prospective employer’s usual interview questions.
8. When applying for Australian job search , use the lingo and the phrases that are used in the advertisement or on the employer’s website.
9. Behavioural-based questioning is half of the job interview. Prepare well for that line of questioning.
10. Don’t spread yourself too thin — your job skills may be useful in other industries which you never had thought of. Use the jobs in Melbourne function on internet sites such as seek.com.au cleverly. Newspapers also carry job advertisements.

The post The top 10 tips to finding a job in Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

While Australians do in fact speak English, it could be considered to be its own brand of English. Before you hop on a plane and head to the land of kangaroos and koalas, check out these slang terms you’re likely to hear around during your travels and their meanings.

Bloody Oath – Something that is true. Example: “Australia’s the best country in the world? Bloody oath it is!”

Bludger – Someone who is lazy and reliant on others to support themselves. Example: “the bludger’s been sleeping on my couch for the last month.”

Bogan – A stereotypical country Australian, typically seen wearing a singlet (wife beater), shorts (stubbies) and flip flops (thongs), and spends the day drinking beers. They are also most likely to use Aussie slang. Example: “That mullet makes you look like an even bigger bogan than before!”

Budgie Smugglers – Men’s swimwear. Example: “Ken’s budgie smugglers aren’t leaving much to the imagination.”

Dead Horse: Tomato sauce. Example: “Pass us the dead sauce would you, love?”

Fair Dinkum: Something that is genuine and true. Example: “The fish I caught was bigger than my boat, fair dinkum.”

Spit The Dummy: When someone becomes quite upset at something. Example: “I heard that Jerry and Judy are getting a divorce – apparently she got sick of how much time he spent on the golf course and she spat the dummy.”

Flat Out Like A Lizard Drinking: To be incredibly busy. Example: “Ever since we added hot chips to the menu our store’s been flat out like a lizard drinking.”

Going Off: An event that is particularly fun. Example: “By the time I got to Meryl’s birthday party it was going off!”

Moolah: Money, or cash. Example: “Have to stay at home tonight; I’m all out of moolah.”

No Drama: An expression that there is nothing to worry about. Example: “You want me to pick you up in 30 minutes? No drama.”

She’ll Be Right: Everything is going to be OK. Example: “Nah I don’t think I broke my arm, she’ll be right.”

Servo: A service station where one can purchase petrol. Example: “I need the dunny – can you stop at this servo coming up on the left?”

Shoot Through: Leave from somewhere. Example: “It’s getting late, time for me to shoot through I think.”

Stickybeak: Check something out, or a description for someone who is nosy. Example: “Yeah I might go round for a bit of a stickybeak.”

True Blue: Someone who is patriotic to Australia. Example: “I reckon Steve Irwin was one of the most true blue blokes to ever live.”

Up Yourself/Themselves: Someone who has a particularly high opinion of themselves or strong ego. Example: “I’ve never met anyone as up himself as that Johnny fella.”

Now that your vocabulary is up to scratch, make sure you check out Fragile Removals to handle all your moving needs. We’ve also got a great moving house checklist and change of address advice to further help you with the process.

The post Moving to Australia: The language barrier appeared first on Australian Times News.

The Australian mortgage process for most people can be a daunting one, designed to confuse you, confound you, send you in circles chasing paperwork and leave you wandering whether the bank really wants your business.

Well this article is designed rather ambitiously to explain it all, to unravel the mystery and bring you all you need to know about buying property with a mortgage in Australia (Important disclaimer: at least this was the case before the editing room cuts and people’s fears of boring you to death!).

Let’s start off where most people usually do – How much deposit (or how much savings) do I really need to get what I want?

Determine your contribution

Simply put, the amount of deposit you can contribute (together with your borrowing ability and work experience) will determine the range of loan options available to you in the Australian mortgage market. Now this of course does not consider what’s best for tax reasons, what’s best in terms of leaving a savings buffer in your bank account for unexpected expenses later on, what’s best to invest in other things etc. or even whether or not you should be buying property at all, in your own specific situation (ok promise to end disclaimers here..).

First of all, in Australia it’s wise to allow for 5% of the property purchase price to pay for property purchase costs, such as stamp duty and other government fees, legal fees, bank fees, and adjustments for rates and taxes. This rough rule of thumb will usually result in money leftover, which you will no doubt need for such things as moving costs.

Now, back to our discussion about deposit and its relationship to the mortgage products available. Separate and aside from purchase costs, do you have available at least 20% of the purchase price to use as a deposit? If you do, then you are in best position to gain access to most lending options available including those with the best rates, assuming you can meet the lender’s credit assessment requirements – and this way you will avoid mortgage insurance fees as well.

Perhaps you have less than 20% deposit? In this case fewer lending options will be available and you will incur a once-only mortgage insurance fee (which can be added to the loan with some lenders). The benefit of mortgage insurance is that you can still borrow to buy your property with less deposit required – unlike in many countries where loans for property are simply not available beyond 70% or 80% of the property purchase price.

This cost can be avoided if you have sufficient equity in an existing property. Talk to your mortgage broker or contact Aussie Finance and Property to understand more. Mortgage Insurance generally applies to all home or investment property loans in Australia if you borrow greater than 80% of the purchase price – you can read more about Mortgage insurance here

Understanding Mortgage types and features. Which is best for me?

It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself about the product types available and how they may meet your needs. Here is where a good mortgage broker is worth engaging, they deal with these products and their benefits and limitations day-in and day-out. Ask questions. For example, contemplate how important it is to have certainty with your monthly mortgage repayment no matter what (fixed rate loan feature) or the ability to pay off the loan fast without penalties (more so a variable rate feature). Consider if you want to have both a variable rate and a fixed rate mortgage (you can split the loan).

For investors what is the likely effect of a tenant vacancy for any period of time on the mortgage? How do you propose to deal with this scenario? Your answer can guide your choice of the right loan product type.

What’s an offset account and do I need one?

What are my likely monthly repayments with my proposed loan amount and product type, and can I afford them? Most importantly try and think about the changes to your family’s income and expenses you might expect over the next 5 years… these anticipated changes should help guide you and determine what loan structure and features are best. These are arguably the most critical considerations, affecting not only loan product choice but ultimate borrowed amount.

From a structural point of view, for investment properties, should I buy the property in a company or trust name for tax reasons?

For expatriates; when do I plan to come home to Australia, and how will that impact the mortgage and my tax situation?

Talking about these issues and plans together with your broker and/or financial adviser could provide you with the greatest help you will need in working out which loan structure and loan types are ultimately going to be best for you.

Requesting a Preapproval

Why do it?

Assuming you don’t have the full purchase price available right now in cash to pay for a property, you will most likely be contemplating a loan preapproval.

What is it? A loan preapproval is the idea of having the “go-ahead” from a lender who will support you with finance, when you have found your property. This is a way to have greater confidence when bidding on your desired property, whilst recognising you can’t go beyond the limits a lender says you are capable of borrowing.

So you ask a lender to look over your financial situation in advance, and give you the all-clear to borrow up to a certain amount. One very important thing to remember at this stage: what a lender says you could borrow, and what you know to be affordable, given your own budget and spending habits, are two very different things. Stick with a loan that reflects what you feel you could afford to repay each month, and don’t be seduced if the bank says you could borrow a much higher amount than you could have imagined. Take advice on this if you need it.

At this stage your lender is likely to perform a credit history check. Managing your credit history has never been more important in Australia, and this is especially true since Australia changed to comprehensive credit reporting from March 12 this year. Much more detailed information about your credit card and loan repayments history is steadily becoming available to lenders and banks when assessing your loan application. Your credit history will affect your ability to obtain a mortgage, so you need to pay attention to paying existing commitments on time and keeping within your credit limits. Ordering a credit check on yourself prior to sending in a loan application is a very good idea. Your broker can help with that.

Preapprovals are especially desirable when the property is going to auction, since you are committed to buy when the hammer falls – hence you want to know with greater certainty a lender is going to support that purchase. Buying via private treaty, where an auction is not scheduled, has a little more flexibility since you generally have time to gain full approval from a lender, before you have to sign a sales contract, in Australia.

Moving from Pre-approval to full approval and the purchase.

Once you’ve obtained a loan pre-approval, now is the best time to start property-shopping, knowing your limits and flexibility available for negotiations.

For each property you are contemplating making an offer on, have your conveyancer review the sales contract and advise you of any issues to consider.

Once you have an offer accepted on your property of choice (that’s a whole different process!) you will need to collate a few additional documents and perhaps some updated ones, for your mortgage broker to deal with the bank and request full approval for you.

The bank will want to see a copy of the vendor’s contract of sale, and (especially if more than one month has passed since the preapproval) updated payslips and bank statements showing your latest savings. Your broker or lender will organise a property valuation at this point, and it’s important to know the lender will only finance a loan amount based upon the lower of the purchase price or property valuation.

Your broker will advise the valuation outcome and hopefully very shortly thereafter a full approval will be granted by the lender.

Full approval to settlement

Once you have been ‘fully approved’, this is the safest and most appropriate time to agree to pay the required vendor deposit on the property! Your finance is in place and a lender has agreed to finance your specific property purchase (rather than a general loan amount in principle which is in essence a preapproval with conditions).

At this point the lender prepares a loan offer and legal documents including the mortgage document. You will need to sign and return these documents promptly to enable the lender to setup your loan facility. If you are unsure about anything in these documents you should consider obtaining legal advice, to guide you and explain the meaning of the contract you are entering with the lender.

Settlement time.

The actual settlement date and time is agreed between the vendor’s solicitor or conveyancer, your conveyancer and the bank’s solicitor. In something like eight out of ten cases it will be the date agreed on your original Contract of sale, however it can vary. Probably 9 times out of 10 settlements takes place on the pre-agreed date or within 2 or 3 days prior or after the agreed date.

The actual settlement day process simply involves your conveyancer going to meet with the vendor’s solicitor and the bank’s solicitor to exchange cheques and paperwork for the mortgage. The conveyancer will usually advise you as soon as it is complete. At this point your mortgage is officially in place, the property is yours and you are free to collect the keys from the agent!

This Mortgage application guide has been produced by Daniel Shillito, who is a Mortgage Broker, Financial Adviser and specialist in Expat services at Aussie Finance and Property Group. Views expressed here are his own. This information is naturally general advice and you shouldn’t assume that it meets all of your specific needs. Daniel can be contacted at daniel@aussiefpgroup.com Phone +44 (0)20 3239 0479 or visit www.aussiefpgroup.com

IMAGE: Alexander Raths

The post Aussie Mortgage Application Guide appeared first on Australian Times News.

Australia is changing to comprehensive credit reporting from 12 March 2014, which means more detailed information about you is readily available for lenders and banks assessing your loan application. Review these credit management tips

It would be very wise to check your official credit history if considering applying for a mortgage or refinance any time soon. Lenders in Australia already pay particular attention to bad marks on your credit history (Australia up until now has had a negative credit reporting system) and now that Australia is moving to a comprehensive reporting system much more can be discovered about your past credit history and how you have managed all your loans and repayments previously.

These changes bring Australia’s credit reporting more in line with the UK and US reporting systems, and will no doubt be assimilated into the automated loan assessment systems at Australian banks. All the major Australian banks use credit reports and ‘Credit Scoring’ assessments when your application is first received into the bank. If your application does not fit strict bank criteria, your application will initially be declined. It will then be up to you and/or your mortgage broker to explain and work hard to get the decision reversed, if this is possible.

What information is now reported about me?

*Up to 24 months repayment history: every late payment or missed payment will be visible on your existing and past credit. This affects credit cards too (be aware late and missed payments will affect future loan applications).

*The date every credit account is opened and closed

*The credit limit you were granted, if one was granted

*The enquiries you have made for a loan — so if you have shopped around and the evidence is here — this can be construed by lenders as financial stress (this will affect loan applications as well). Note that credit enquiries are also reported in the present system.

*Type of credit account applied for

Not all lenders will be reporting all the new data immediately, so there will be delays relating to certain lenders as they come into line with new regulations, and delays will also be caused by the introduction of new systems at Credit Reporting Agencies to cater for the new reporting.

What can I do to avoid nasty surprises when applying for a mortgage, loan or credit card?

1. Be in the habit of requesting your own credit file history whenever you are about to apply for a mortgage or loan in Australia. You can buy your file at mycreditfile.com.au or ask your mortgage broker to obtain one for you, with your authority.
2. Check your credit history report for incorrect records, or to consider how you might get the file updated or corrected where it is reporting incorrect information.
3. Discuss the results with your mortgage broker before approaching the bank, since they will have a good feel for how the information is likely to be received and treated at the bank.
4. Don’t panic if the results are not quite what you expected and you may need to take some preventative action before applying for a loan. Credit report entries can have mistakes and they can sometimes be amended to properly record the facts that support your situation. Be prepared – this action to correct errors is not immediate and may take some time. Hence an important conclusion here is that you must review your credit well in advance of a loan application.
5. Make sure you keep up all your repayments of existing mortgages and personal loans and make them on time. In the past there has been less scrutiny or consequences for Australian borrowers not paying precisely on or before the due date. This has changed. Paying late is definitely counting against you and can ultimately prevent you obtaining your future home or desired property or business. Lenders in the current environment simply won’t accept late paying and defaulting borrowers.

Making sure you keep up repayments could mean changing your behaviour by setting up or changing direct debit arrangements for current loans and mortgages (when in the past for example, you may have made irregular manual transfers from your internet banking account). You may have been one or 2 days late regularly in the past and not thought anything of it; well from 12^th March at least, you can no longer take a relaxed approach to repayments — and this applies not only to mortgages and loans, but to every credit card in your possession.

You may well need to get in contact with the lender when you are having trouble meeting the regular monthly repayment date, for example where due dates simply don’t lineup well with your pay day. You can no longer rely on the lender’s lenience in these situations, as being late will come back to haunt you if you intend to borrow in the future.

Daniel Shillito is a Financial Adviser, CPA and Expat specialist at Aussie Finance and Property Group, qualified both within Australia and throughout Europe. Views expressed here are his own. Daniel can be contacted at daniel@aussiefpgroup.com or Phone 020 3239 0479 or visit www.aussiefpgroup.com

The post New Australian credit report laws mean lenders know much more about you appeared first on Australian Times News.

LIFE’S full of goodbyes in one form or another; we’ve just said goodbye to another year. For me, my life has been filled with farewells as I’ve come and gone to different places. I’ve learnt that they never get any easier.

My first proper goodbye was as a shy, fresh-faced 17-year-old with a backpack stuffed with my old teddy, Honey, because I couldn’t (ahem) bear to bid farewell to him, as I headed off on a student exchange to Canada. Having not been separated from my parents for more than two weeks since birth, this was both thrilling and terrifying, and I’ll never forget pressing my nose against the airplane window on the runway, tears fogging up the glass, trying to catch a glimpse of them waving in the departure lounge before I flew halfway around the world to live with a family I’d never met.

Leaving Brisbane, Queensland, after university for a job at a magazine in Sydney was a rushed affair; I had a week to pack up my things and say goodbye to uni friends and a life in thongs and denim cut-offs.

The move from Sydney to London, while tinged with sadness at saying goodbye to friends and family, left me charged and crackling with excitement: the thrill of living in one of the world’s biggest cities, with all of Europe on its shiny doorstep, dulled the pain of any farewells. I’d be back in a year after a few whirlwind Contiki tours, anyway, surely?

Five-and-a-half years later, I’m facing one of my saddest goodbyes yet: not only to some dear friends, but also to a city I’ve fallen in love with. As an expat in London, friends and family have come and gone; I’ve learnt that waterproof mascara is mandatory before heading to Heathrow Terminal 3. I’ve choked back tears watching Mum and Dad fly back to Australia, knowing they’ll be a 25-hour flight away (it’s gone the other way, too; after sun-soaked Christmases at home, I’ve sobbed all the way to the airport at the thought of going back to my grey-clouded, family-less London). I’ve said ‘see you back in Aussie’ to fellow compatriots, where you have a special bond that only exists between expats; a taste of home in each other. I’ve dropped fat, sloppy tears onto a boyfriend’s shoulder when he and his expired visa had to leave the UK (unfortunately my love for London proved to be stronger than the love in our relationship).

But this last goodbye is an especially sad one because I know, unlike my friends and family back in Australia, I may never cross paths with a lot of my mates here again. Oh, I’m sure that with many of them we’ll probably keep in touch at first: cards and letters, even; emails and texts bubbling with chatty, ‘miss you’, banter, finally dwindling down to the occasional Facebook wall post and them liking my Instagram beach snaps, and then nothing much at all. But there will be a few that will stand the test of time and distance; that, when I see them again one day, we’ll pick up exactly where we left off. Maybe that’s the greatest test of a true friendship.

Sometimes, for an expat, leaving the country that’s been your temporary home is the hardest farewell of all. Although I’ve had a love-hate relationship with London (4pm sunsets in winter; queues longer than the Nullarbor Plain), London’s always shone for me, even under a dull January sky: its seeped-in-history charms, melting pot of cultures, treasured-stuffed museums, 24-hour buzz, summer Pimm’s in the park… and the best pubs on earth. Not to mention the Brits with their warm, witty, self-effacing wonderfulness. (Yes, even when the Ashes are on.)

What is life like after London? Click here to find out. 

I’ll probably shed a Thames full of tears in the weeks before I leave in London. Maybe there really is no ‘good’ in goodbye. But the hellos to my family, old friends (including, Honey, of course; I decided to leave him this time) — as well as the start of a new chapter — will make up for a hell of a lot of it.

As Jack Kerouac wrote in On the Road: “What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? It’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s goodbye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.”

By Lucy Cheek

The post Aussie expats leaving London: there’s no ‘good’ in goodbye appeared first on Australian Times News.

WHETHER you are an expat American moving to Australia for a new business venture, or a retiree moving back to Australia after a lifetime of wandering, there are some interesting things to be aware of. Preparing for the financial differences such as the cost of living and attitudes about insurance, as well as the cultural differences that otherwise could catch you off guard.

The cost of living in Australia

Australia is much more expensive to live in than the US, and I’m told it is still more expensive than the UK. The country also has a higher wage, making it somewhat easier for Aussies to earn Aussie dollars and buy Aussie products and support the economy.

Jessica Irvine puts things into perspective on News.com.au, “When you pay a high price, you’re paying the wages of someone who will go off and buy something that pays the wages of someone else, maybe even yours.” Aussie products and services cost a lot more than those in the US or the UK, but it ends up benefiting everyone and the economy in the process. Instead of working in a factory that pays you next to nothing to make products that sell for next to nothing, why not pay employees more? I think it results in a better quality of living and sense of well-being.

It is also worth noting that the cost of commercial rents is higher, and products that are shipped in end up costing more due to the long journey here.

Life insurance thoughts and coverage

Given that I work in the insurance industry, I looked at the different attitudes and percentages across the US and Australia, and found that Australians had similar excuses for not having life insurance except for one. Only 44% of Americans have life insurance, and those that don’t usually say they haven’t gotten around to it, that it’s too expensive, or that other priorities are in the way.

A relatively low 37% of Aussies that are members of the industry super fund give life insurance a low priority compared to their other financial obligations. It is of no surprise though, that 74% of these super fund members are still underinsured by $100,000, and many make the excuse that the government will help them if their families need help, they have saved enough in their super fund, or that the insurance is too expensive.

It turns out that none of those excuses are valid. The government has very real limits to how much assistance they will give. A super fund will not be enough to cover your family’s needs, as it usually will end up being just enough to cover retirement costs. Lastly, a $500,000 life insurance policy with an Australian company like GIO.com.au will come in at an inexpensive $35.72 a month (for a healthy 30 year old non-smoking female).

Egalitarian values over capitalism

While Australian culture is similar to that of American culture because of the heavy western influences, Australia has a very different idea to chase instead of our beloved American dream. Commitment and pride in the environment are of course important here, as this doesn’t seem to be as widely accepted in the US. People are catching on, but if you care too much about the environment in America, you might be called a tree-hugger or a hippy.

Extreme capitalism is another thing I am happy to leave behind me. The Australian Values Statement that I had to read included, “[…]equality of men and women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good”. I can’t even tell you how lovely this line of thinking is to me. I’ve never been happier to be completely free of the ideals of corporate welfare and the ignoring the needs of the impoverished.

Cultural diversity is apparent and highly appreciated in Australia which is one of the most refreshing differences between US culture and Australian culture. I feel it is safe to say that prejudice and ignorance are more socially acceptable characteristics where I am from, but of course I know these things happen everywhere. The values of unity and social mateship really astound me and inspire me every day.

Colloquial use of language

I found it initially difficult to understand most Aussies. Y’all say some peculiar things! One of my new friends here was always saying things like “Ta” for thank you, and “My shout” to let me know he’d buy the drinks that time. It wasn’t long before I started copying him whenever I could with pride.

Expat Aussies that make the move back to AU eventually may find certain new varieties of slang perplexing. Teenagers these days sound like they come from entirely different country altogether. Here are some of the most confusing words and phrases regularly used by teens and twenty-somethings:

• Bananas – attractive, hot, cute or adorable
• Chat —wrong, repulsive, or mean
• Pez out — hang with friends
• Hussy — a friend

With any international move there will be a bit of culture shock and financial considerations to make. As hard as it has been to adapt to the new climate, culture and financial atmosphere, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

About the author
Chris Jensen is a fair dinkum insurance adviser with GIO.com.au. He enjoys travelling all over the Australian continent, picking up the colloquial slang, and puzzling over international insurance trends.

The post Making the Move to Australia from the US: financial and cultural differences appeared first on Australian Times News.

One of the most popular removals routes in the world, and one of the most expensive. Moving your stuff between Australia and the UK can set you back as much as £7,000. Here’s how you can start chipping away at that cost.

Sea vs Air Freight
Due to the distance involved Air Freight is really something you’d consider for small items (a few bags maybe) it is generally 2-3 times faster than sea freight, but will cost as much as 8 times more.

Average cost of sea freight from UK to Australia

*These are average rates your actual quote depends on many different factors

How Costs are Calculated
I a nutshell the total volume of your goods and the distance they need to travel are the main factors that will affect the cost. There is also the distance between your home and the sea port (on both ends) packing, insurance and extras for hazardous materials.

Compare Quotes
There are many shipping companies out there and they will offer considerably different rates for the same route. MoveHub claims to be able to save people up to 70% on shipping by allowing them to compare quotes.

Ship it or Buy it?
Shipping costs are calculated by volume, not weight, so you might want to leave your bean-bag collection at home. There are some items that could tip you over from needing a 20 foot container to needing a 40 foot container, so you may want to buy these new in your destination city. Things like beds, sofas and dressers usually take up a lot of space, and can be easily purchased at the other end.

Taking Your Car
A car will fill up roughly half a 40 foot container, and completely fill a 20 foot container. This means you won’t be able to ship very much else.

You can ship your car separately via RO-RO (roll-on, roll-off), however this would be a separate shipping cost.
For cheap vehicles it is nearly always a better idea to buy a new car at the other end than ship it. For vehicles which are worth more than the total cost of shipping it is smarter to ship them.

Packing Yourself?
Most shipping companies offer a packing service and unless you’re a tetris champion it’s a probably a better to let the experts do it. You can take more with you, and your items are less likely to break in transit.

This packing service is normally included with door-to-door shipping, but it’s always a good idea to ask your provider exactly what’s included.

Shipping Insurance
Rarely automatically included but always offered. It costs about 5% of the total value of your goods. With nearly 50 days at sea there’s bound to be some high-winds and big waves. For a long route like this you’ll save more in the long-run with insurance. Better safe than sorry!

Shared Shipping
If you’re not shipping enough to fill a 20 foot container it is always a good idea to do shared shipping, or groupage. You will share the container with one or more other people and pay a fraction of the total cost.

The post How to save money on international removals between the UK and Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

Lush green rainforests, glowing red earth and white sandy beaches whet the appetite for discovering the fifth continent.

Independent filmmakers Silke Schranz and Christian Wuestenberg travelled Australia in 100 days. 22000 kilometres in a camper, 2000 kilometres on foot. With no commercial bias, they show in spectacularly beautiful pictures all the things that were exciting, awe-inspiring and exotic.

Many Britons dream of holidays in Australia. The problem is the sheer vastness of the country. So where should you head to if you don’t have too much time? The film Australia in 100 days gives a detailed insight into all regions of Australia.

Schranz and Wuestenberg documented every day of their journey on camera.

“We had so many great experiences, we swam with giant turtles, climbed the highest mountain, flew in a water-plane to the whitest beaches on the planet and skimmed for Sapphires in the Outback”, says Schranz.

“Anyone can experience what we did and travel along the route in the film.”

The cinematic journey begins in Perth, follows the secluded west coast north to Darwin, goes through Alice Springs in the Red Centre, through to tropical Cairns, and from there heads south via Sydney and Melbourne round to Adelaide. The pair even made a detour to the pristine Tasmania.

The result is a good-humoured mix of personal experience, nature documentary and travel guide. Australia in 100 days abstains from using pathos. The impish and informative commentary gives this documentary its charm.

DVD and Blu-ray are available now at www.australia-film.co.uk

The post Australia in 100 days; a cinematic journey downunder appeared first on Australian Times News.

IF you need to move funds from the UK to Australia, it probably hasn’t escaped your notice that the Sterling — Australian Dollar exchange rate is at the highest levels we have seen since 2010. I can hear you saying, ‘about time too’, and you would be right to wonder why it has taken so long, but we have still not seen the remarkable Australian Dollar strength fully unwind. Neither have we seen the Pound return to pre-crisis levels.

So there may be more to come but there are caveats.

The weakness in the Australian Dollar has only taken us 50% of the way back towards the 2009 high from the 2013 low. Technically speaking, that is a very significant pivot point and further gains in this exchange rate relay on the continued move away from the high yielding Aussie Dollar investments and into other markets; like US equities for example, which are setting regular new highs. It also relies on the UK economy continuing to deliver solid growth and improving business sentiment.  The fickle and uncertain nature of this data means the upward movement of the Sterling — Aussie Dollar exchange rate is most definitely not certain yet.

The problem with that level of uncertainty is that, just when you want someone to say, ‘now is the time to convert your money’, you will get a more ambiguous response. The ambiguity is correct though because everyone has a different set of parameters, of circumstances and of appetite for risk and these factors will also affect how you decide to proceed.

Been waiting a long time and/or need to get some funds to Australia?

Well if this is the case, you are a very lucky person because your opportunity is knocking. 8 months ago, a £100,000 transfer to Australia would have yielded just A$144,000. At the current A$1.80 rate, you could be receiving A$180,000 and that makes you A$36,000 (a full 25%) better off through nothing more that fortuitous timing. Why wouldn’t you be happy to get some of your funds converted?

Not ready to convert your funds?

That isn’t a problem. You can still take advantage of these excellent rates by booking a forward contract. That will ensure you get the current exchange rate but can delay the settlement and delivery of the contract for up to two years. You will be asked to provide a deposit to secure the contract and that is usually a 10% part payment but that means 90% of your funds are free to remain in investments. It may also mean you don’t have to sell your property just yet at a time when property prices are still recovering.

Hoping the rate will get even better?

Well it might. As mentioned earlier, we will need to see a continuation of the flight from the Aussie Dollar and that could take some time because one of the significant factors there is the level of interest rates in other countries. Presently the base rate in Australia is a relatively attractive 2.5% whereas in America, Japan and Switzerland the base rate is virtually 0%, in the Eurozone it is 0.25% and the UK is still at 0.5%.  So it is no surprise that investors are still happy to invest in Aussie bonds. The fact that those other base rates are likely to be static for another year or so is likely to maintain the Aussie advantage.

Another factor is the growth of the Chinese economy and that is still out-performing anything the West has to offer. China is important because it is Australia’s number one export market. So if China’s economy continues to grow, that does provide support for Australia.

If, in spite of those concerns, you would prefer to wait, then, if the Pound can break through the technically significant A$1.8250 — that’s the 50% retracement level I alluded to earlier — then there is plenty of scope for a rally to A$1.91. That may take some time, but if you have time on your hands and you are not entirely risk averse, that may well be an option for you.

Whatever your choice, it is worth talking over your options with a good foreign exchange specialist to see how you might make the most of these recent moves.

David Johnson, founding director of FX company, Halo Financial.

The post Is the Aussie Dollar cheap enough yet? appeared first on Australian Times News.

WHEN moving to Australia to study or work the applicant is required to provide evidence of adequate health insurance and for that policy to be maintained for the duration of the stay. There are three classes of Australian health insurance.

1) Overseas Visitor Health Insurance

Those looking to apply for a working visa (such as the subclass 457 visa) must have health insurance that meets DIAC (Australian government requirements). The health insurance that most Australians have does not meet this requirement, rather a specialist policy must be applied for. A list of these specialist health policies can be viewed here. It’s important to note all of these compliant health policies provide a document on purchase as proof of coverage which is required when making a working visa application.

2) Student Health Insurance (OSHC)

Like individuals looking to work in Australia, students are also required to apply for and maintain health insurance during the length of their studies. This overseas student health cover (OSHC) is significantly cheaper than other forms of health insurance to help make studying in Australia more affordable. A list of OSHC providers are listed here. It should be noted that Norwegian, Swedish and Belgian students in some circumstances don’t require OSHC due to their countries reciprocal health care agreement.

3) Working Holiday Health Insurance

Those looking to visit Australia on a tourist visa or a working holiday visa are recommended to have health insurance during their stay. Many visitors will view a solid travel insurance policy as enough to meet their requirements during their visit. It’s important that these tourist visa holders make sure the policy they purchase meets their needs and takes into account the pre-existing medical issues they may have.

Overall, its critical to ensure you choose the health insurance that is not only right for you but also is compliant with your visa.

You can compare a full list of overseas visitor health insurance policies at 457 visa compared and view migration advice for those looking to work in Australia.

The post Compulsory health insurance when moving to Australia appeared first on Australian Times News.

My family and I made the decision to move to Australia well before I was offered my job in Melbourne. In fact we were so prepared to move away from home for an indefinite period of time that we were able to organise everything from work visas to health insurance and even a place to live in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne within 2.5 months. Everything was going well for us. We sent our belongings by ship to Australia a few weeks before we left.

We arrived in Melbourne and stayed in a serviced apartment not far from the CBD for a couple of weeks before our house was ready for to move into.  Unfortunately, we were delayed in moving into our place by an extra month as the landlord was making some minor improvements to the property in a bid to make our stay a little more comfortable. I had foreseen that delays would occur and arranged to stay in this corporate housing a little bit longer just in case. What I didn’t account for however was that our belongings would arrive ahead of time. This caused me a number of headaches as I had no place to store our things until we were ready to move in.

After trawling the internet and local newspapers for storage companies and removalists I chanced upon a mobile self-storage company called TAXIBOX. I’d heard of storage and even self-storage before but never mobile self-storage, which proved to be a life saver. Without a truck or large vehicle, transporting my family’s things from the port to a traditional self-storage unit was out of the question. Enter the TAXIBOX guys. They met me at the depot where my container was shipped to, dropped off a couple of storage units and gave me as much time as I needed to pack our things into the units. As soon as I finished packing, I phoned them up and they whizzed by TAXIBOX storage units away to their secured facility.

Two weeks later we moved into our place where the TAXIBOX truck met us with our possessions. I can’t speak more highly of these guys. If you ever have a similar experience when emigrating to Melbourne or Sydney, do not hesitate to call TAXIBOX.

The post TAXIBOX; a mobile self-storage company appeared first on Australian Times News.

Introduction

Ever since the TV soap “Neighbours” hit our screens in the 1980’s, many Brits have fixated on the way of life in Australia, which many have seen as more prosperous, with better weather, friendlier people and potentially a better quality of life all round. Since the 80’s, thousands of Brits have made the leap over to Oz, hoping to make a better life for themselves.

But more recently, some Brits in Oz have started to question their place over there and started to ask the question: “Would we be happier and better off back in the UK, or should we stay in Oz?” 

This infographic weighs up some of the issues at stake, and attempts to help UK expats in Oz answer that question…

So as you can see, according to our study, UK expats in Oz would, in 2013, experience a better way of life and standard of living “down under” than if they moved back to the UK. Simple!

This is the current situation; it may change in the years to come. Each expat will have personal reasons to move abroad, and these are often the deciding factor in deciding where to live. But when making this important decision, it helps have the quality of life data to hand!

If you think your friends and family might be interested in this infographic, please share it with them! Thanks.

This infographic is brought to you by Schepens – Local and Worldwide Moving Specialists.

The post Poms in Paradise? Are Brit expats in Oz better off staying, or going back to the UK? appeared first on Australian Times News.

“It’s a funny thing about comin’ home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You’ll realize what’s changed is you.” — Benjamin Button

THIS generation cops a lot of flack about our inflated sense of entitlement. In fact, a few weeks ago the Huffington Post went as far to slap an all-encompassing acronym across our poor entitled foreheads: GYPSYs — Gen Y Protagonists & Special Yuppies. Frankly put, it’s a unique clan of yuppies who has been raised to expect the world and enter centre stage as main character of a very special life story.

Is it an insult to the generation? If ‘entitlement’ equates to material worth, promotions without merit, raises and fast cars; then that’s one thing. But perhaps the biggest sense of entitlement we embody comes from the knowledge that the world is flattening, our passports are there for the stamping and foreign borders are there to be crossed. The result? Personal fulfillment is born.

Personal fulfillment is benchmarked with every new trip, border stamp and cultural immersion. And it’s this fulfillment that is far more valuable to Gen Y than material or hierarchical entitlement. Why is this a problem? Because once we know it exists, it’s impossible to live without.

So you go overseas. You sip mulled wine strolling authentic European Christmas markets. You find commonalities with beautiful friends whose fourth language is English. You learn the value of your dollar and the immense safety of cultural comfort zones. Now you’ve skydived in Switzerland, felt threatened in Egypt and naïve in Dubai. And finally, (because reality is a cruel awakening), you’re on a plane back home.

The first week is reassuringly as expected. Family cuddle your ego with declarations of love, there is genuine buzz surrounding your return and everyone seems interested in thousands of Kodak snaps. But the world starts to shift under your feet and it’s hard to decipher if it’s indeed you or everyone else who seems to have changed.

Then the Gen Y gene blasts you full throttle: Why is everyone being so difficult? Why isn’t anyone asking about Berlin or Barcelona anymore? I’m being misunderstood. Why would I want to go to Charlie’s Pizza when I’ve been to Rome? And why the hell is a soy cappuccino $4.50?

You borrowed your time overseas and now the reality — life — appears to be offering what can only be described as a lower sense of fulfillment. Australia floats 17,000 kilometres from Buckingham Palace, Swiss Alps and those crazy British friends. You don’t think there’s anything within reach that will fulfill you in quite the same way; you already know the lay of the local land. So you head online for more visas and SkyScanner your heart out. With your door slammed shut.

Skip forward past the tantrums, tears and misguided fights (we all know they’re a given) until you reach a resemblance of settlement. Part of fighting the instinct to settle is about feeling disloyal to your travels. Once you file your photos and throw your heart and soul into re-assimilating with work life, routines, savings accounts and dropping the ‘when-I-was-in-Paris’ anecdotes, what happens to the nomad life you left?

Once you get over yourself, you realise you’re actually in an incredibly fortunate position. You know how big the world is and how much you indeed don’t know yet. You know there’s so much to learn, tolerate and conquer. Channeling your focus to what you’ve learnt, as opposed to what you’ve left behind is the key to post-travel survival. Comparison is the devil. Sure, not everyone wants to see your photos and sure, it’s irritating when those who’ve never been to Ibiza tell you Sydney clubs are packed. But it doesn’t entitle you to correct every misconception or belittle those who are yet to jetset.

Of course you’ve changed; your eyeballs have been exposed to more in a year than in the last twenty-three. Does it mean anything pre-travel is unfulfilling? No (that would be very Gen Y of you). So before you write off home as a toxic bore-spot, plagued with those less cultured than your travelled self, don’t benchmark yourself just yet. Move your mindset from equating ‘settling’ as ‘stopping’ and concentrate on filling your new life with more than it had before. Your friends are your core; but now you know how (and the value) of filling your life with new people. Your family home is a haven; and now you know how to also be independent.

Life after travel is inevitable and it’s there for you to tackle. Don’t take yourself too seriously. You’ve budgeted with the British Pound; you can do this.

The post Home truths; what is life like after London? appeared first on Australian Times News.

THE thousands of migrants coming to Australia every year are composed of people who want to work, study, travel, relocate, and reunite with loved ones. For each of these purposes, the Australian government has a specific type of visa that comes with the necessary requirements and conditions. There are also several visa subclasses that add to the complexity of dealing with Australian visas, which is the exact reason why the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) supports the consultation with migration experts like National Visas. Here are some instances where National Visas agents can assist:

Visa for jobseekers

Australia’s Skilled Migration program allows skilled foreign migrants to come to Australia to work in positions specified in the SOL and CSOL. Once jobseekers know that they have a definite position to fill, they can apply for a Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (or Subclass 457) that lets them work for an Australian employer for up to four years. States and territories also nominate eligible job applicants under the Skilled — Nominated visa (or Subclass 190).

There are a few basic details that visa applicants must take note. These two work visa subclasses require employer sponsorship or regional nomination, which can only be obtained once an applicant has submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI). Once a sponsoring employer or an invitation for visa application from a regional employer has been secured, the applicant can then lodge a visa.

For more information about help with Australian employer sponsored visas, view this short video

Visa for tourists and visitors

The Visitor Visa program permits people to visit Australia for specified periods of time for the purpose of doing holiday travel, undertaking minimal business activities, and visiting families and friends. For such purposes, people may apply for the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa or the eVisitor visa, which are also called Subclass 601 and 651, respectively. These visas allow their holders to remain in Australia for up to three months in each stay, which means that they can enter the country multiple times during the validity of the visa.

These Australian visitor visas can be lodged and are issued electronically, but only those holding a passport from eligible countries can apply. Applicants must be outside Australia during lodgement, but those who want to extend their stay may do so while in the country.

Visa for jobseekers and travellers

Australia also caters to tourists who want temporary employment while in the country. The Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462) provide holders work and travel privilege. The visa holder can stay in the country for a year and undertake temporary employment for up to six months with an employer.

These two visa subclasses are for young travellers aged 18 to 30 who also hold passports from eligible countries. These visas can be issued electronically depending on the applicant’s situation.

Visa for students

Student visas are some of the most confusing to deal with because there are seven visa subclasses and five assessment levels. Australia permits all levels of students to come to the country to study and take advantage of the high-quality educational standards it has. However, students must have sufficient funds for their stay; family members included in the application must show separate proof of funds as well as meet family member eligibility requirements.

Student visa applicants are assessed into five levels (Assessment Level 1 to 5), where the higher level indicates students with a higher level of immigration risk. The assignment of the level is determined by the applicant’s passport nationality and the student visa subclass applied for. Assessment levels also determine the number of supporting documents the applicant needs to supply.

Visa for families

Family visas are also complicated because of the applicant categories (partner, parent, child, and other family members) and the corresponding visa subclass for each. There are several factors to consider in the application, such as the location of the applicant  at lodgement, the relationship with the relative settled in the country, and other eligibility matters. Hence, applicants must consult with expert migration agents in order to determine the appropriate visa. 

Discussed above are only some of the common Australian visas migrants can apply for in order to acquire legal entry to Australia. As visa conditions are updated regularly, first-time and experienced applicants can make use of the expertise of National Visas agents in migration law and visa processing in order to complete the procedures with minimal setbacks. National Visas has the right services for every need, ensuring that migrants can enter Australia well informed and with the appropriate visa.

The post Migrant guide: Choosing the right Australian visa appeared first on Australian Times News.

Offset accounts are an established and attractive feature of many home loans today — but are they really worth having and will you actually benefit?

The answer depends on your actual money habits and what happens once you buy the property and settle into your new budget. You might find it either works well or is a waste of time and money.

If you want to pay off your home loan or mortgage sooner, or accumulate funds ready for investment separate to the home loan balance, a home loan with an offset facility could be a useful tool for achieving these goals.

How it works
A mortgage offset account is simply a transaction account (or savings account) linked to your home loan account. It works just like a regular savings account. The big difference is the balance in the savings account is ‘offset’ against the amount owing on the home loan before your home loan interest is calculated. Hence you pay less interest over the course of the loan, provided you keep a healthy balance in the offset account. And of course, it’s a much better return on your money than the interest rate a bank would otherwise offer you on your savings.

In addition, the saved interest is not taxable income at all in Australia (unlike regular interest in a savings account or term deposit). You can still use the funds in your offset account for any purpose, and there are generally no restrictions on deposits and withdrawals.

Offset accounts enable you to make the most of your income and other funds to reduce the interest payable on your home loan, thereby reducing your loan term. You could even pay your salary or other income (like rental income) straight into the offset account at some banks. This would suggest anyone with a home loan should seriously consider putting their extra cash flow or ongoing savings into an offset account attached to their loan.

What are the downsides or potential pitfalls?
Every mortgage and every investment has a downside or a pitfall. Don’t fall for advice telling you there aren’t any with whatever you are being offered.

Well the first warning is this: if you do not maintain a reasonable ongoing balance in the offset account, then the interest savings will be negligible or irrelevant. This will apply if you consistently spend as much, or more than you earn monthly. So dipping into the account regularly and keeping low balances in there, will not use the feature at all, and will make you wonder why you are paying annual fees (see below).

An offset account is not the only way to reduce interest and pay off your loan sooner. In fact simply paying off more than your monthly minimum direct into the mortgage (and having a redraw facility if one day you need to take that extra payment back) will achieve the same result, in terms of saving interest monthly and reducing the loan term, rather than paying into an offset account.

Home loan ‘packages’
Offset accounts typically come within a home loan ‘package’ (whether you buy a home or an investment property in Australia). As soon as a bank makes available a second product or offers something ‘different’ like an offset feature, they will call your mortgage a ‘package’. Home loans wrapped within a package usually include a discounted home loan variable rate, an offset account, possibly a separate savings account and the offer of a credit card with nil or reduced annual fee (other benefits may include a discount on home and contents insurance and/or a free financial planning interview). Aside from a select few lenders, you will pay an annual fee charged to your mortgage or credit card of between $350 to $500 depending on which bank and product you choose, to be in a home loan package. Therefore it pays to understand the package costs, and which of the benefits, including offset, you will really use.

The annual package fee could cause the overall cost of the loan to be greater than a different lender showing a higher headline interest rate.
These days alternative ‘basic’ style mortgages (without offset accounts) often have discounted interest rates similar or lower than ‘package loan’ interest rates — without the extras like offset accounts and credit cards, but also without the fees.

Speak and you shall find
Ninety-nine percent of home loans sold by lenders coming with an offset account are linked to variable interest rate loans (not fixed loans). Lenders typically will not allow a fixed rate loan together with the offset feature, although over recent years a few lenders have emerged offering offset loans linked together with fixed rate loans as well. You need to speak with a mortgage broker to understand the various offers and which lenders suit your particular needs, and your own financial management when it comes to your monthly budget and mortgage payments.
For all home loans, the terms and conditions vary, and fees and charges and lending criteria apply. This is general information only and has been prepared without considering your personal situation or needs.

Daniel Shillito is a Financial Adviser, CPA and Expat specialist at Aussie Finance and Property Group, qualified both within Australia and throughout Europe. Daniel can be contacted on Ph. 020 3239 0479 or visit www.aussiefpgroup.com

The post Mortgage offset accounts, are they worth it? appeared first on Australian Times News.

MOVING overseas can be extremely costly. However, with the Australian dollar currently at a low against the pound, but set to increase with the new leadership of Tony Abbott’s government, experts predict that this could be the best time to move back down under.

Jordan Tilley, Head of Alliance Partnerships for UK and Europe at UKForex, part of the OzForex group, one of the world’s largest online money transfer companies, offers five key tips on why now is an optimal time to up sticks from Britain to get back to the antipodean shores right in time for spring.

1. Prime time exchange rates

Moving abroad when the exchange rate is not in your favour can add considerable additional cost to your move. However when the rate is in your favour you can get much more for your British pound. In the heady pre-recession heyday of 2007, the Aussie dollar was priced at a whopping 2.54 AUD to the pound. After the financial crisis the rate fell to 1.4000 as interest rates in major economies, including the UK, were slashed and money pumped in to the economy.  Chinese demand for Australian commodity exports remained strong however which meant the local economy benefited and interest rates in Australia were kept high.  This attracted more money and the Australian dollar strengthened.  Today the Aussie dollar is low against the pound at a rate of around 1.6910  AUD to the pound as signs appear that the Chinese economy might be slowing. For Australians who have been resident in Britain but have decided its finally time to return home, this is a rare opportunity to get the best deal when exchanging money from the UK to Australia. Make your hard-earned money go further and ensure you get competitive exchange rates by using an international money transfer service such as UKForex.

2. Time for a property swap?

Although like the UK, the cost of living back in Australia is still relatively expensive, salaries back home are much higher than those in Britain, to cope with this high cost of living, so you can look forward to seeing a better salary enter your bank account each month. With the current strength of the pound against the Aussie dollar, now could be the best time to sell up (if you’ve bought property in the UK) and put your place on the market in order to be a cash buyer down under.  Like the citizens of the UK and US, property accounts for a significant proportion of wealth now in Australia. It’s believed that Australian banks currently have the most highly concentrated exposure to residential mortgages in the world, meaning there is lots to choose from!

3. Escape the overcrowding

As one of the largest land masses on earth and almost twice the area of the European Union, your home nation is one of the world’s least densely populated countries with only 23 million residents. Two-thirds of the people live in the five major cities, all located along the coast. As you’ve probably noticed, in contrast the UK population is getting a little crowded with a population topping 63.2 million. Of these, 8.2m are concentrated in London. With London’s population tipped to expand to more than nine million by 2020* – more than one million more than currently live here, it might be a good time to jump ship and get back to those clear open roads and unspoilt outback. Australian property reflects the country’s abundance of space, as housing is traditionally much larger and spacious than that in the UK with the added value of swimming pools — something you will have been hard pushed to find in London!

4. Sunshine back up your life

If it’s a while since you’ve been home, you may have forgotten just how incredible the Aussie climate is! Being so large that it experiences most climatic conditions, the country that experiences tropical monsoons as well as hot, dry summer nights is something you are likely pining for. With autumn now beginning in the UK it could be a great time to get back home and enjoy the continuous warm and temperature spring climate, particularly in the major coastal cities. Who can deny that a Christmas BBQ on the beach wouldn’t be a preferable alternative to the freezing snow and ice that has blighted British winters over the past couple of years? Moving back to Australia means you can always invite the friends you have made in Britain to visit you over Christmas time to bask in the festive sunshine!

5. A sporting culture 

Missed Aussie rules?  Australia’s formidable power as a sporting nation that consistently excels at Olympic level is something you won’t have experienced in the UK. Getting back home means you can reintroduce sport into your life in a way that wasn’t completely possible in the UK. Whether its playing rugby, cricket, rugby league, cycling, or just kicking back with a beer and watching the live games on TV, sport is much more a way of life back in Oz.

With the Rudd Government having invested in lots of grass roots sports initiatives such as the Local Sporting Champions initiative which provides financial assistance for young people aged 12-18 towards the cost of travel, accommodation, uniforms or equipment when competing, coaching or officiating at official national or international sporting championships, you can guarantee that your kids will be encouraged and supported in sport from a young age. And in a move that contrasts to the UK’s lack of investment in after-school sports, the Australian government has also recently established the Active After-school Communities (AASC) programme, a national initiative that provides primary school children with access to free sport and other structured physical activity programs in the after-school time slot. If you have a sports loving family, this could well be an attractive proposition!

* Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the overall population of London will rise by 14.2 per cent to more than nine million by 2020 – more than one million more than currently live here.

Jordan Tilley is Head of Alliance Partnerships for UK and Europe at UKForex, part of the OzForex group, one of the world’s largest online money transfer companies.

Also see: Australian Dollar Currency Zone on Australian Times for latest exchange rates and transfer deals, in partnership with OzForex

The post Top 5 reasons to move back to Australia now appeared first on Australian Times News.

MORTGAGE Insurance is a once-off cost on new Australian mortgages charged by lenders when you borrow more than 80% of your home or investment property in Australia

You may incur this insurance charge when you take out a mortgage with a lender, but often it may not be clear why, or in what circumstances it is charged, or how it is calculated. Lenders Mortgage Insurance or LMI as it is frequently referred to in the finance industry in Australia, only protects the bank or lender, in the case of loan default or non-payment by the borrower. This means if you do not pay the mortgage the bank is protected from losing any money that it is outstanding on the loan, after your property is sold.

Essentially, if you are in default of your mortgage contract, and the bank exercises its legal right to re-possess the property (and ultimately sell it), then the insurance company will compensate the bank for the difference between the amount of the loan outstanding and the sale proceeds, if the sale proceeds are lower than the loan amount outstanding. Furthermore, it is very possible that the insurance company will look to recover its own financial loss in this case, from you — the borrower, or guarantor.

It is important therefore to understand you are not protected in any way by paying LMI at the beginning of your loan. The only way to protect yourself and your family from financial stress in the event you cannot pay your mortgage is through taking out your own separate mortgage protection insurance cover, or check to ensure you have sufficient life, disability and income protection type insurances in place.

Whilst no-one wants to pay the charge, it does mean that borrowers with lower deposits can get into the property market, when they have less than 20% funds to contribute. This keeps the property market moving along and first home buyers in particular can have more loan options. It’s something apparently lacking in the UK mortgage market.

How is LMI calculated? LMI is not a flat fee or fixed percentage amount. In fact the premium varies according to the actual percentage of property-price you borrow. For instance if your loan amount is 82% of the value of the property (just over the threshold where LMI begins) your premium will generally be between 0.4 — 0.7% approximately of the loan amount, with the actual percentage depending on the lender and the actual insurance company used by the lender.

This premium will increase as the required loan amount increases as a proportion of the property value up until for example, 95% of the property value, when the LMI will be approximately between 3-4% of the loan amount. Note that the final premium amount will be calculated precisely by the lender and included in loan offer documents.

In the event that you refinance your loan later on, and you still borrow more than 80% of the current value of the property, the lender will require that you pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance at that time as well.

Recently the two mortgage insurance providers in the Australian market announced changes to the way insurance is calculated, adding loaded fees for applications that contain certain characteristics. Lenders have not yet applied all the changes and seem to be interpreting them differently at this moment, so that LMI fee estimates are difficult to finalise at present. These additional fees relate to applications that include borrowers who need cash advances of equity; are self-employed, are refinancing and/or have loan terms greater than 30 years.

You therefore need to be careful when calculating estimated loan costs related to any property purchase in Australia, especially if you need greater than 80% of the purchase price or property value (in which case you will be affected by the current changes). Professional advice is the best way to interpret how the changes might affect you.

Daniel Shillito is a Financial Adviser, CPA and Expat specialist at Aussie Finance and Property Group, qualified both within Australia and throughout Europe. Daniel can be contacted on Ph. 020 3239 0479 or visit www.aussiefpgroup.com

(AAP Image/Dan Peled)

The post What is lenders mortgage insurance and why is it changing? appeared first on Australian Times News.

Property

Although Australia’s property market did not emerge from the global financial crisis completely unscathed, it did not suffer as badly as markets in other developed nations did. In fact, by 2010 the market had rebounded so strongly that many experts believed Australia had the strongest property market in the world. Despite a mini-slump in 2011, the country’s housing market bounced back in 2012 with the median house price rising by a solid 2.1 per cent over the year. The market remained strong in the first quarter of 2013, and while prices in six of the country’s eight state capitals fell on a month-by-month basis in May, the national average house price was still 4.7 per cent higher than it was the same time last year.

Only permanent residents to Australia can purchase a house unless you receive special approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board. Generally, single people can borrow around three times their annual salary, while a couple can commonly borrow up to 4.5 times their yearly earnings. First-time buyers in Australia are entitled to a homebuyers grant of AUS$15,000 when buying a new home and AUS$5,000 when purchasing an existing home.

Locations and climate

Australia is divided into six states — Western Australia, South Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales — and two territories: Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory. Each has their own attractions and lifestyle benefits.

The two most traditionally popular emigration destinations have been New South Wales — the home of Sydney — and Victoria, where Melbourne is the major city. State and territory governments have in recent years actively pursued the immigrants most needed in their regions, resulting in greater variation in where migrants choose to settle. Western Australia and its capital Perth in particular have been the preferred choice of British expats for the past five years.

With Australia approximately 32 times larger than the UK, there are distinct regional variations in climate. Hobart experiences the fewest average hours of sunshine a year of any state capital (1,825), while Brisbane and Perth receive almost 3,000. However, the Northern territory’s capital, Darwin, leads the way with 3,285 hours of sunshine a year. In comparison, the south coast of England (the UK’s sunniest region) receives an average of just 1,750 hours. In terms of annual temperatures, the average ranges from 16.8^oC in Hobart to 31.9^oC in Darwin. London’s average is 11.7^oC.

Salaries

As of May 2012, the average annual full-time worker’s salary in Australia was AUS$70,340 (approximately £42,803).

Australia has a progressive income tax system. For the 2013/14 tax year, residents who earn less than AUS$18,200 a year are exempt from paying any income tax. Those who earn between AUS$18,201 and AUS$37,000 will face an income tax of 19 cents for each AUS$1 earned over AUS$18,201. Those who earn between AUS$37,001 and AUS$80,000 pay AUS$3,572 plus 32.5c for each $1 earned over AUS$37,000. Residents who take home an annual salary between AUS$80,001 and AUS$180,000 are taxed $17,547 plus 37c for each AUS$1 over AUS$80,000.

At the top end of the scale, residents with a salary in excess of AUS$180,001 pay a one off tax of AUS$54,547, plus 45c for each AUS$1 earned over AUS$180,001.

Pensions

Australia offers two chief sources of retirement income — Superannuation and the Age Pension.

Superannuation is funded by Australian employers, who as of 1 July 2013, must pay 9.25 per cent of an employee’s ordinary time earnings into a ‘retirement fund’. This is set to increase in stages by 3 per cent between now and 2017. The type of fund differs for each employer, but must be registered and approved by the Australian government. It is also possible to add your money to the fund..

The Age Pension is funded by taxpayers and paid to you by the government. As of July 2013, the Age Pension was worth a maximum of AUS$733.70 a fortnight for single people and AUS$1,106.20 a fortnight for couples depending on income. In order to qualify for an Age Pension though, you must have lived in Australia as a resident or citizen for ten years. You can currently draw your pension in Australia when you reach 65 years of age, although this is set to change to 65.5 years of age in 2017.

It should be possible for anyone emigrating to Australia to transfer any existing state pensions. However, everyone’s individual circumstances are different so there is no one-size-fits-all answer to what action you should take. However once you move, your pension will be frozen either at the value you first draw it or, if you are already drawing it, at the value you are receiving at the date of emigration. This means you will not receive the same annual cost-of-living increases as those pensioners who are still living in the UK.

Cost of living rankings

Although Australian salaries are fairly high, so too is the general cost of living; most British expats believe they do not fare much that better financially. However, the cost of living is affected hugely by where you settle — those who choose to live in the bright lights of Sydney can expect to experience a more expensive lifestyle than those who make the Tasmanian capital, Hobart, their home.

Six Australian cities feature in Mercer’s annual cost of living index, which ranks 214 cities worldwide in order of most expensive by measuring the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location (transport, food, clothing, cost of housing and entertainment etc).

This is how the Australian cities ranked in 2012 (the figures in brackets are where they were placed a year previously):

• Sydney — 11th (14th)
• Melbourne — 15th (21st)
• Perth — 19th (30th)
• Canberra — 23rd (34th)
• Brisbane — 24th (31st)
• Adelaide — 27th (46th)

About Halo Financial

Halo Financial is a leading UK foreign exchange brokerage, offering a comprehensive range of services to individuals and businesses since its inception in 2005. The business prides itself on offering a flexible and personalised approach for each of its clients, simplifying the seemingly complex foreign exchange market to maximise savings in currency transactions and make money go further.

Halo Financial’s areas of specialist knowledge and experience include emigration, overseas property, currency planning and exchange services, currency audits, risk management solutions and money transfers. Staffed by qualified technical analysts, the company is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and HM Revenue and Customs.

For more information please visit www.halofinancial.com

___________________________________________

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For some Britons, the call to Australia is much less about fun in the sun and more about better work opportunities and a more balanced life-style – when will this winter end?!  So when many Aussies are moving over to the UK, I wanted to find out why Europeans are moving to Australia.

I caught up with Cristina Neagu, a Romanian living in the UK, who is planning on joining her British partner, Dominic Harris, in Australia later in the year.  Cristina has travelled to many other European cities and lived in Spain for six years.  After deciding to study in England, Cristina booked a holiday to London to see if she liked it here. Like many of us, Cristina fell in love with London immediately.

When I asked Cristina what prompted her decision to move to Australia, she said it was for love.  Cristina explains: “My boyfriend has been offered a job out there and after careful consideration he decided to go for it. We’ve been doing long distance since July 2012. The reason I had not gone with him last year is because I had to finish my studies”.

For Dominic, it seemed, the move to Australia came down to economics and lifestyle.  Dominic had already had a taste of the Australian way of life.  His father had been offered a job in Sydney and the whole family had relocated there for a few years.  New job opportunities meant a move away from Australia.  But the allure of the Aussie way of life was too much for Dominic, who always wanted to go back.

For anyone thinking of a move to Australia, Cristina warns that in her experience “the Visa process is quite complicated”.  However, Cristina admits that it is probably no more complicated than anywhere else and says that  “Australia is quite open to new nationals as long as they are perceived to be adding value (financial or expertise) to the country”.

Cristina is self-employed and  manages operations in the events and exhibitions industry.  Dominic works as a strategic partnership manager in foreign exchange.

“At the moment I am in the position that I will be applying to be an extension of my partner’s 457 (Skilled Migrant Visa) due to our de-facto relationship,” Cristina explains.

“We need to prove that our lives have been intertwined for over six months.  However as a back-up I can always apply for a Student Visa and enrol in a course over there.”

Despite planning to  move to Australia for love, Cristina remains focused on making the right career move.  While she is not sure where her career path will take her, Cristina is excited about the possibilities.

“The job market is fairly strong over in Australia with 71,000 jobs added to the workforce in February alone.”

When I asked Cristina what she was looking forward to most about moving to Australia, she said: “Being able to live close to the city without living in a very small space.  [We are] going to be living in what is essentially a fairly quiet suburban area overlooking a big nature reserve and Sydney Harbour, but just a five minute walk to a Westfield Shopping Centre, ten minutes to the beach and 15 minutes to the City for work.

“I am looking forward to being able to get to the beach after work and enjoy drinks on the Harbour. There also seems to be a more balanced lifestyle between work and play. And the first thing I will do when I get there is go whale watching.”

Jealous anyone?

It is not all smooth sailing.  One of the challenges of moving to Australia is being so far away from family – it will no longer be a three-hour plane ride.  But Cristina is pragmatic.

“I think everyone’s situation is different. But when you really want something, you’ll find a way to make it happen.  The main thing is not to lose sight of the bigger picture.”

Like most of us moving to new cities and countries, Cristina sees her move to Australia as a new chapter.

“It’s all very exciting. And it’s a new beginning. I love new beginnings! You get to start fresh and hopefully avoid doing the same mistakes. My main project though is to learn a couple more languages. I’ve always wanted to learn Chinese and German. Hopefully by the time I am 35 I can say I’m fluent in six languages”.

Many Aussies move to the UK to gain a greater world view, experience a different lifestyle and take advantage of opportunities.  It seems that the same goes for those moving the other way to the great land down under.

The post A one-way ticket to Australia: why relocate? appeared first on Australian Times News.

Emigrating Solutions was formed in 2008 by Paul Triggs, Partner and Senior Migration Consultant, who after several years of working in the Migration industry, wanted to make a difference and offer more flexible service.

The company has helped 100’s of people migrate to a new life in Australia over the last 6 years, and is continually receiving new clients referred by clients who have completed the process and are happily settled in their new lives in Australia.

By offering a free no obligation migration eligibility assessment, Emigrating solutions aims to establish a viable visa route and full detailed explanation of the process before the client commits to starting an application. If Emigrating solutions is happy to accept a client based on the initial migration assessment we will offer that client a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE on all professional fees paid. This Guarantee is subject to acceptance and certain conditions, which are established before the process starts.

Emigrating solutions will take care of the whole application process for you from beginning to end, we also provide full unlimited telephone support service for questions and reassurance, that everybody needs at some point during the application process, our skilled advisors will be on hand to put your mind at ease.

At Emigrating Solutions we believe in fairness of payment, we believe that clients are best served keeping their money in their own Bank accounts for as long as possible, we do not believe that our clients should part with “ Large Upfront Fees “ before any work has been completed, we believe that the work that is done on your behalf should be paid for as we do it not before we do it. We therefore offer our clients the option to “ pay as you go”, this is done through our “ In House payment plan scheme” This plan is not subject to status and is totally free of charges and interest. This payment plan allows clients to spread the cost of our professional fee over 13 payments. In most cases this is the term of the application. This plan only covers professional fees and excludes Australian Government fees which are additional.

At Emigrating Solutions we aim to offer a quality stress free service that allows you the client to concentrate on planning you new life in Australia and not worrying about the application process.

Bring on the Aussie sunshine!

Visit us at www.emigratingsolutions.co.uk or for your free no obligation Migration assessment call us on 08454 636324.

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