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Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Post relates to temporary visas. Life's hard, you might have to pay for some stuff. Australian's are different to people in the UK. Move along
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Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Originally Posted by Les Mighalls
(Post 7220569)
I disagree with comet555's comment about not needing private health insurance in this country. If you are young and healthy, perhaps. However if you turn up at the average outpatients department of a public hospital here you may find yourself wishing for the NHS.
My husbands life and my babies lives were both saved in public hospitals here in Aus, yeah young, but very UNhealthy. As for all the other 457 stuff, I don't know, but to say the state system is crap is just wrong |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Originally Posted by hevs
(Post 7221542)
As for all the other 457 stuff, I don't know, but to say the state system is crap is just wrong |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Many professions are paid a lot less in Oz and holiday entitlement is less
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Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Peterh,
Sorry to burst the bubble buddy. We have been in QLD just over 8 weeks on a 457, and I had to visit the local A&E a week past Friday. I never had to pay a dollar or sign for anything. All they asked for was our Medicare number. Even when we registered for Medicare, the gentleman in the office said we would receive treatment under reciprocal agreements between both countries. It doesnt matter what Visa you come on, you will have the associated costs involved. The most popular Visas (457 or Migrate) will both incur the cost of the Visa, medical expenses, certified document costs, flights, and shipping (if you choose this). Everyone knows what they are getting into, when they commit to moving to Australia. If they dont, then they havent done their homework and deserve everything they get. I personally find that your money will go further here, unlike back in the UK. Groceries arent expensive (dont know where you shop). We use the all the usual supermarkets; Coles, Woolies, the local butchers, bakers, etc. Personally, I dont see going back to the UK as an option. Best move we ever made. |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Originally Posted by peterh
(Post 7220542)
OK, so you have decided to migrate to Oz. Well we have done it and can talk from personal experience. If you are not commited to turning your life upside down for 6-24months then dont even begin! The stress will blow your head off! However, there can be rewards in the longrun if you are commited and have done your research.
Immigration is probably financially easier than Migration. If you migrate on a e457 visa there are lots of downsides: 1.you will have to pay for ANY hospital bills in the first year, even accidents 2. you will need private health cover (family of 4 about $250/month), even then it doesnt cover all the costs. 3. in some states you even pay for an ambulance! 4. healthcare is expensive and not free for uk citizens 5. some states(NSW) charge mandatory huge fees for your children to attend even state school (5.000 dollars per child per year!) 6. rental housing is in short supply and expensive in most states 7. you will not be eligible for permanent status before at least 1-2yrs, and there are big fees for you to pay! 8. you will not eligible for ANY benefits, child, family credit whilst on a 457 9. you will pay full tax, but wont get ANY benefits on a 457 10. you get nothing from the UK gov' whilst in Oz 11. you have to stay fulltime employed with your chosen employer So take this into account with expenditure! It mounts up to a LOT of money. There are fees for virtually everything here! It is however easy if you are single and have a sponsoring employer who pays a lot of the costs. If you are a family - be very careful - a 457 is not good for this group as it works out very expensive - you will get little or no financial help at all. As for general living costs: 1. Food is quite expensive, not cheap 2. books are very expensive! 3. car fuel is cheap, but energy prices high 4. clothes are quite expensive 5. hotels and service industry are quite expensive 6. housing and rental is very expensive in NSW and all cities - can be grotty 7. wages are slightly lower than in the UK 8. Luxury items (nice cars) are very expensive 9. travel (back to UK - your relatives) very expensive! 10. things are generally not as progressed and advanced as Europe and the UK. Beurocracy and is prehistoric and often infuriating. A lot of the country is 'backward' and resistent to any change, or being informed. 11. The Ozzies can seem rude and aggressive at times. 12. Moving belongings to Oz can be an expensive nightmare 13. life is a lot easier if you have money It will not seem like 'home' for a long time - 12-48 months some people say. On the positive side: 1. people are generally happier than in the UK 2. people are genrally more sociable than in UK 3. the weather is generally warmer and sunnier than UK 4. your home will be slightly bigger than in the UK, for the same money. 5. pace of life is slower than in UK There will not be kangaroos jumping down your street, and Oz isnt anything like 'Neighbours'. Hope this helps! :-) We did not have to pay. And we did not come across any rude or aggressive Australian people. On the contrary they would always welcome us back to their house for a barbie. |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
"Full tax" on a 457?? Someone care to enlighten me?
Are you saying that the tax rates differ for those on a 457? If so, I must have missed something? :confused: |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Having moved from UK to Oz and been here 12 months I can talk from recent experience. I just hope this prepares and helps other families who might be considering a move from the UK and who might be under similar circumstances to ours. If you are 24, single, no property, using an agent, and have a great supportive employer, then your experience of getting into Oz will be a world of difference away from mine.
The 'devil is in the detail' of your OWN situation. To say that you can understand everything before you come out to Oz is a grossly misleading perception - it is not possible to understand it all, it is so complicated, changing month-by-month, & collqueal. I have worked for a hospital (public) and a university in Oz and lived in NSW and QLD. The LAFHA I do not qualify for, we have an accountant and employer who has told us we do not. You need to have a property in the UK, or elsewhere, where you normally live and you have been posted by a company to be away from your normal place of work. The rules are extremely complicated so to say 'oh yes you'll get this and that' is very misleading. If you sellup and move to Oz you will NOT get LAFHA. BTW our accountant did not know that NSW charge for pupils and was quite shocked - you'd think he would know! The rules are difficult to understand and often comments on blogs very misleading as to what you can qualify for, as it depends on your personal situation - which almost certainly will be different to the circumstances of the posting blogger. Be warned, it is also very difficult to get straight answers from government bodies, agencies and schools whilst still in the UK. If you are not aware of the intricate rules you could be removed from the country, or end up with a huge bill. BTW breaking an arm is not a serious illness , bloody painful, but not serious. If your daughter had been unlucky enough to have leukemia it would be a different story - you'd be on your own with no financial help from Oz. Full tax means you pay the standard rate, or (temporarily) even higher if your status is not fully acknowledged by the tax office. You are however not entitled to any benefits whatsoever - even though you help prop-up the economy and pay your taxes (I think this sucks). Even when you become a PR there are 'waiting periods' before you qualify for any beenfits. Most, i repeat most people, will have to work for at least 12 months fulltime with an employer before you will be able to be considered for permanent residency on a 457 (it is not automatic). You may have to work even longer, 2 years. The process can take a while to go through the system also, and it can be a very protracted, long, expensive, uncertain and frustrating business. Did I say the Oz system is "crap"? - no I did not. Slightly anal, slightly backward, overly complicated and colloqueal, yes. A standard book, for example is about $35 in Oz, the same book is 8GBP in the UK. Goods are quite expensive here. Food is just as expensive as UK. If you eat 'crap food' from Tesco then you will probably not care and will eat anything cheap that you can find in Oz. Houses are quite expensive in cities - Sydney and Melbourne are very pricey. But you are more likely to get more house for your money in Oz and have a sea view, or near a beach, than in the UK! Nothing is too easy here, so just be aware of that before you read a blog and come out, especially if you are a family. If you can, get permanent residency before you arrive as it will make many things easier for you. If you use and migration agent, or have a good employer who will support you properly and financially (some say they will, but in practice they don't),this will also make your life a lot easier. Don't get me wrong, Oz is a great place for kids and families, the beaches amazing, food quality is good, people are (on average) more friendly here than UK, the scenery is amazing in places, but it is no easy ride for most families to get here and can be a huge and costly ordeal. Good luck! :) |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Originally Posted by Les Mighalls
(Post 7221504)
Thank you so much, Dan, for posting that. :)
In another thread I have just written about the dangers inherent in people posting without a proper understanding of the facts. That you've written this, albeit with question marks, is pure serendipity. LAFHA is not something that allows you to claim big dollars from the ATO when you lodge your tax return. It is part of the salary package that you, the employee, negotiate with your employer before you start work in Australia. Its effect is that you may less tax than you may otherwise have done. There are two separate points, on separate lines. One is about the benefit of LAFHA. The other is about the benefit of having a good accountant. Completely separate. Nothing to do with each other. |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Originally Posted by peterh
(Post 7220931)
A good book to read is Bill Brysons' Down Under' in which he shoots from the hip. The good bits - beaches & lifestyle, & the not so good bits - beurocracy, emptiness and isolation and 'backwards' of australians esp QLD generally which you will probably only notice if you are from parts of the EU and USA.
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Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Originally Posted by peterh
(Post 7223258)
You are however not entitled to any benefits whatsoever - even though you help prop-up the economy and pay your taxes (I think this sucks). Even when you become a PR there are 'waiting periods' before you qualify for any beenfits.
I've been here for two years as a PR, pay my taxes, prop up the economy, blah blah and have yet to claim any benefits apart from a few bucks from Medicare for a doctors visit. Didn't get any payout from the tax office Stimulus package either. I'm not grumpy about it. My personal opinion is that these benefits are there for those who really need them. |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Benefits - family assistance and support for children, tax benefits for families, help with school and nursery fees (I'd guess with that kind of sweeping comment you don't have children, and have a completely different circumstance and visa to me). In the uk this can be a significant amount of money, so make allowance if you have a family and planning on a 457 visa. To suggest people on ordinary incomes with children dont really need financial assistance or help shows complete ignorance and misunderstanding of what is involved in child raising and the expense of having a family.
Correction to previous mail - parochial, not colloqueal |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
You seem to think that temporary residents should be entitled to everything. Do you even know if temporary residents would be entitled to the same in the UK?
There is a reason that the temporary visas suck, and I think you've discovered why. It's a pity you didn't seem to know any of this before hand. |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
Originally Posted by peterh
(Post 7223604)
Benefits - family assistance and support for children, tax benefits for families, help with school and nursery fees (I'd guess with that kind of sweeping comment you don't have children, and have a completely different circumstance and visa to me). In the uk this can be a significant amount of money, so make allowance if you have a family and planning on a 457 visa. To suggest people on ordinary incomes with children dont really need financial assistance or help shows complete ignorance and misunderstanding of what is involved in child raising and the expense of having a family.
Correction to previous mail - parochial, not colloqueal I have a residents visa but I've noticed many are desperate to get here that they will come on student visas. It's not worth it. |
Re: Migration to Oz - Hard Facts
You mean temporary residents 555?
No, if you came to work in the uk from Oz you would probably not be entitled to state benefits. You would probably get NHS treatment for free though, currently. The point I am trying to make is that if you come over to Oz from the UK you will not usually get any benefits or help on a 457. Take this into account. So, if you can, get Oz PR from the UK first & you will be better off and things will probably be easier if you have a family,average-to-lower income and average employer. You might get lucky, or have generous support from your employer or Oz relative, but this is not always the case, so you should be aware of that. I wouldnt say that 457 TR visas suck, they are good for young healthy single people who want to get into Oz quickly, but with a family I would recommend PR (depending on your circumstances and that of the new employment/employer). Despite what some (lucky and probably also single or couples) people are saying here, if you are planning on coming over with a family circumstances dont assume it is easy to do (as some are suggesting it is here) it is not always the case. Also, everthing is easier in hindsight, so to say 'oh why didnt you do this or that' is just flippant, ill-informed and unhelpful to those people with families and property who have to deal with what can be an extememly difficult confusing costly and stressful process. Thats why I also suggest using an agent and dont leave anything to chance-if you can afford it. |
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