Moving to Australia

Moving to Australia

By Damien Fellows

Cover by Damien Fellows

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No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

INTRODUCTION

Australia is a beautiful place to live and to raise a family it is also one of the most highly regulated and bureaucratic countries on the planet.

If you are looking to move to Australia (and you won’t regret it once you do) there are many considerations that you take into account from a compliance perspective. Travel documents, visa types, schooling etc. all need to be considered, applications have to be completed, submitted for review and hopefully approved. All this can be daunting and very time consuming if you don’t know where to start.

This book is designed to assist you with the correct and compliant information to enable you to make your dream a reality and maybe even one day I will meet you on the street and say G’day Mate.

Damien Fellows

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Why move to Australia

Chapter 2: What should I do before travelling?

Chapter 3: Travel documents for entry to Australia

Chapter 4: Bringing items into Australia

Chapter 5: Air travel

Chapter 6: Arrivals SmartGate

Chapter 7: Going through the Border

Chapter 8: Immigration and Visa’s

Chapter 9: Bringing your family or partners

Chapter 10: Becoming an Australian Citizen

Chapter 11: Studying in Australia

Chapter 12: Working in Australia

Chapter 13: Comparing your visa options

Chapter 14: General Skilled Migration

Chapter 15: Nominated or sponsored workers

Chapter 16: Working in Australia's offshore oil and gas industry

Chapter 17: Investment, Business Owner and Other Temporary Visas

Chapter 18: Allocation dates for General Skilled Migration applications

Chapter 19: Workplace rights for all visa holders working in Australia

Chapter 20: Work Visa Scams

Chapter 21: Superannuation

Chapter 22: Definitions

Chapter 1: Why move to Australia

Fresh Air

Australia has one of the lowest air pollution levels in the world.

Unspoilt Nature

Australia has a large variety of beautiful natural ecosystems. We have golden sandy beaches with clean water, tropical rainforests, arid deserts and snowy mountains. There are over 500 national parks in Australia and 14 world heritage areas.

Multicultural Society

Australia is truly a multicultural society. 43% of Australians were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. Each year we celebrate our diversity on Harmony Day (21 March).

Low population density

Australia has the lowest population density of any continent in the world with only 6.4 people per square mile.

Climate

Australia has a temperate climate with mild weather all year round and more than its fair share of sunshine.

Healthcare system

Australia has one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world. Medicare provides basic health cover for all Australians and there is a private healthcare system as well.

Job opportunities

Australians pride themselves on perfecting a work-life balance. With a strong economy and low unemployment rate (around 5%) Australia is a good place to find a new job.

Laid back lifestyle

Australians have a reputation for being laid back and friendly and what’s more it is actually true. People are much more likely to give you the time of day in Australian cities compared with other cities around the world. There’s also a comparatively low crime rate.

Great place to travel

Australia is such a vast country that you can spend all your holidays exploring it. Domestic travel has it all from rainforests, beaches, to ski-resorts and stunning ancient landscapes.

Great opportunities for study

Australia has an impressive number of study options for international students with more than 1,200 institutions and 22,000 courses to choose from. Australia has the third highest number of international students in the world behind the UK and US even though we have a much smaller population than those countries.

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Chapter 2: What should I do before travelling?

Put all important paper work in a travel file, including birth and marriage certificates, mortgage and bank statements, your driver's licence and any insurance policy documents you have.

It's useful to have certified copies of your identification documents as well as electronic copies, as you may need to email these if you need to secure a tenancy agreement.

Gather up any doctor or dentist files as well as a copy of any optical prescriptions. If you have children, make sure you get a copy of their immunisation records.

If you need medication, make sure you have enough to last until you find a new doctor in Australia.

Bring copies of your children's school reports and your resume, including work references and qualifications. Scan and save these documents to a USB memory stick to reduce the amount of paperwork you're travelling with.

Finalise and close any utility accounts such as power, gas, internet and phone. Make sure you've supplied a forwarding address for the final statements.

Consider closing your bank accounts. You may like to leave a fee free or low fee account open for any last minute banking. Ensure your signing authority is up to date and you're able to provide email or fax instructions if possible.

Cancel your insurances where relevant, including house, contents and car. Also review your life insurance - check if it's valid overseas.

Bring your superannuation or pension documents and ensure you have the up to date statements showing balances. Check to see if these can be transferred to Australia.

Redirect your mail and be sure to advise remaining contacts of your new address.

Set up an independent email address (such as with Gmail) and transfer your existing address book over before you leave. You might also like to save this to a USB memory stick as well.

Contact your accountant to obtain any taxation advice you might need and advise them of your intending relocation and new address.

Advise your solicitor of your intended move and provide them with your new contact details. This might also be a good time to ensure your will is up to date.

If you're intending to rent in Australia, it's a good idea to obtain a reference letter. If you've rented previously, get a letter from the property manager or owner of the property. If you own a rental property, obtain a reference letter from your property manager. Alternatively, obtain a personal reference letter.

If you're intending to rent, make sure you've budgeted for at least 6-8 weeks rent as most rental properties require four weeks deposit as well as monthly payments in advance.

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Chapter 3: Travel documents for entry to Australia

Everyone travelling to Australia must present a valid and approved travel document as evidence of their identity and nationality. The most common and preferred travel document is a passport, but other types of travel documents may also be accepted.

Passenger Cards

Travellers arriving in and departing from Australia are required under Australian law to identify themselves and provide certain information through the completion of a passenger card.

Australian law concerning the completion of passenger cards is set out in the Migration Act 1958 (the Migration Act) and the Migration Regulations 1994 (the Migration Regulations).

What is a passenger card?

A passenger card is a document providing passenger identification and an effective record of a person’s entry to and departure from Australia.

Passenger cards to be completed are:

An Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) for travellers entering Australia.

An Outgoing Passenger Card (OPC) for travellers departing Australia.

Passenger cards also serve as:

A declaration in relation to health and character requirements for non-Australian citizens.

An application form for Special Category Visa applicants and Norfolk Island Permanent Residents.

Who needs to complete a passenger card?

Most travellers are required to complete and present a passenger card when entering or departing Australia. However, particular people are exempt from completing a passenger card (as prescribed in regulation 3.06 and schedule 9 of the Migration Regulations).

Australian citizens who refuse to complete an IPC may be penalised. Non-Australian citizens may be penalised and refused immigration clearance.

Completing a passenger card in English

Passenger cards must be completed in English. Travellers requiring assistance to complete passenger cards can download printable sample versions of both the IPC, including translations, and the OPC.

Completing an incoming passenger card

Travellers entering Australia are required to accurately provide the following information on both sides of the IPC:

Incoming Passenger Card Front

Family/surname, given names and passport number.

Flight number or name of ship.

Intended address in Australia.

If they intend to live in Australia for the next 12 months.

Declarations relating to customs and quarantine.

Side 2 Incoming Passenger Card Back

The country in which they boarded the flight/vessel

Their date of birth and usual occupation

Nationality as shown on their passport

Contact details in Australia and emergency contact details.

Travellers are required to sign and date the IPC, and are also required to correctly answer additional questions concerning their migration status, health status and any prior criminal convictions. For non-Australian citizens, providing false information can affect their visa status.

Completing an outgoing passenger card

Travellers departing Australia are required to accurately provide the following information on both sides of the OPC:

Outgoing Passenger Card Front

Family/surname, given names and passport number

Flight number or name of ship

The country where they will get off the flight/vessel

Their date of birth and usual occupation

Nationality as shown on their passport.

Side 2 Outgoing Passenger Card Back

Declaration relating to customs.

Travellers are required to sign and date the OPC, and are also required to correctly answer additional questions concerning their departure status. For non-Australian citizens, providing false information can affect their visa status.

Completing a passenger card on behalf of another traveller.

Passenger cards can be completed on behalf of another traveller where a person is in charge of that traveller. This includes parents/guardians of minors and carers of travellers with