Hi,
I am planning to move to Brisbane in middle of March, and hopefully this will be a permanent leave. I am taking 2 months leave from office (and maybe another 2 without pay), and plan to give myself 4 months to find a job.

My daughter will finish her 4th Grade in March in India, and I want to enrol her into a school in 5th Grade as soon as I reach Australia, otherwise she risks losing a school year.

The problem is, I will be staying with my brother during the initial months while I am searching for a job, and if I get a job in Brisbane, may still continue to stay with him as it will allow me to save some money quickly. What do I show to the school authorities as proof of residence in the catchment area, as the house is in my brother's name.

Secondly, should I go ahead and register for medicare, tfn and open a bank account using my brother's address, and change it later, once I move into my own place ?

I'm in a similar situation at the moment, staying with my sister in Randwick, NSW before my job in Tamworth, NSW starts next March. I've registered with medicare, bank account and tax file number at my sisters address, will be easy to change one I move. Not sure but wouldn't the letters from the bank & medicare be proof of your address for the school?

Yeah, but what proof of address do I submit to the Bank or medicare ? Don't they require a copy of the lease ? What did you submit ?

Good point. I had a letter from the Sydney University clinic (needed immunizations for work) with my address on it, they didn't ask for proof. Pretty sure Medicare or the bank didn't ask for proof either but I just showed them the letter because I didn't remember the address

We were in a holiday rental when we first arrived but it was managed by a lovely lady on here. She was more than happy to write a letter stating we were permanent residents here and living at our address for the foreseeable future. Once we moved, we simply informed bank/medicare/QLD Transport of change of address. Get your brother to do a similar letter on address headed paper. That will be fine.

Iv been wondering this too. I need a bank account the week I arrive as I get paid after 2 weeks, but iv 4 weeks training first and I will be put up in a hotel..

Am I able to open one with out an address? I wouldn't have thought so..

No you won't. Get your boss to write a letter confirming you're living in the hotel but that you are here permanently. May work.

Ok. Thank you.


I could ask for cash!!

Dont worry about your daughter losing a school year - she wont. They will put her in with her age peers and any year level she may have done elsewhere will be forgotten, assuming she has good English of course - does she need an intensive English program? No one is going to get in the least bit worried if you take a couple of months to get her into school in your permanent place of residence.

How soon are you arriving?

Originaly we set up our bank account with the NAB from the UK before we left there. This meant we could use our original home address. We then got it so it was all online statements etc (so nothing would get posted to our house that we had sold) and changed our address once we had a permanent address in Australia.

The bank cards where kept at what would be a local bank for collection on arrival. This means you do have an account upon arrival.

Hope this helps.
Richard

Hope this helps.

Ah thanks alot. I will check that out! I do have a friend in Brisbane, do you think I could use his address?

Her English is pretty good - she was schooled in US for a couple of years, though she has taken up a bit of an Indian accent since the past couple of years. Understanding Australian Accent might be a different issue altogether.

She will turn 10 in May 2012. Is she eligible to be placed in Grade 5 in Australia based on her age ?

I think if you set it up for an address in Oz thats when you will need proof you stay there, from what I can remeber very little is needed for setting the account up before arrival and when you do you take in your passport and visa and they give you the bank cards.

We walked into a bank, said we were staying with family, gave the address, passport etc and had an account opened. No 'proof'.

I was thinking I could do that with my mates address!!

But I will try the online suggestion first!!

Cheers!