Life In Australia

There are two main ways of moving to Australia if you wish to live and work here. They are:

• 457 long-term business visa
• permanent residency

Both have advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of the 457 visa are:

• You have to have a job offer to apply for the 457 visa, so you will have a job waiting for you when you arrive in Australia
• The application process is generally faster and less complicated than the application process for permanent residency

The disadvantages of the 457 visa are:

• It is only valid for a maximum of 4 years (although it can be renewed if your employer is willing to continue to sponsor you)
• You are not entitled to Medicare (unless there is a reciprocal agreement in place with your home country) or any government benefits.
• You are often denied access to some financial services, such as loans, private health insurance, credit cards, and even savings accounts.
• If you wish to take out a mortgage, you need to apply to the Foreign Investment Review Board first and, if you leave Australia at a later date, you must sell your property - you cannot keep it as an investment property
• If you have children, you will have to pay to send them to a public school (i.e. a state/government-funded school). The fee varies from state to state. In New South Wales, it is currently $4,500 per child per year.

The advantages of permanent residency are:

• You can stay in Australia for as long as you want
• You can change jobs whenever you want to
• You are entitled to Medicare and other government benefits
• You are able to apply for all financial services and take out a mortgage
• You do not have to pay to send your child to a public school

The main disadvantages are:

• A long and difficult application process. I have heard that it is taking about 2 years at present for applications to be considered, although some people hear back more quickly
• It may be more difficult to secure a job offer as you don’t know when your application will be approved, and therefore you don’t know when you will be able to start work

If you are thinking of moving to Australia, a good place to start is the visa wizard If you type in your personal circumstances, it will suggest the best visa(s) for you and give you further information.

Good luck! Be prepared for a lot of bureaucracy and some delays but hang in there because, ultimately, it is worth it! Australia is a wonderful country to live in.

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