Things to think about before you move to Australia

Moving to Australia to take up a new job is an exciting thing to do. But before you get to enjoy this beautiful country and earn lots of Aussie dollars, you will need to get your house in order and prepare yourself for relocation.

With all changes in life there will be a degree of messiness and some degree of inconvenience, think about the last time that you moved house and multiply that by at least 150 per cent.

If that puts you off, don’t relocate. If you are considering moving then you need to be excited about it; whether it’s for a new city or country. If you are going for employment reasons, you need to be excited about the new job. This should overcome the inconvenience that you will inevitably face.

Consider all of the people that will be affected by your relocation; discuss the idea of relocating with your partner/family and anyone who might be dependent on you. Do this BEFORE you even think about interviewing for a job in Australia. For example, do any of the people in your household have any special healthcare or education needs? If so, investigate this BEFORE you start talking to employers.

Consider all your personal logistics. If you own the property that you live in, you have basically three options:

1) Sell it.

2) Rent it. You need to consider whether the rent covers your mortgage, or if it doesn’t, can you manage the shortfall? If you think this could be problematic, do the maths NOW and plan ahead. If you are moving for a well-paid job, a negative cash-flow situation should not trouble you too much. You can reduce your debt as time goes by.

3) Do nothing – not such a good option.

If you live in rented accommodation are you able to end the rental agreement in a timely fashion? How will that work out? You may have larger personal possessions that are impractical to bring with you – a car is the obvious one. Other big items like TVs may not work in other countries; you will need to decide what you do with them. If you are concerned that your hairdryer won’t work, you probably have the wrong mind set for moving internationally.

Remember this is all about the end goal of good times in a new place. Everything that is worthwhile in life needs some work, things don’t just fall in to place. There is a lot of help available to people who want to move so don’t think you have to do it all on your own.

As you can see there is a lot to think about when relocating, so do all the thinking before you get serious with job interviews. Only declare yourself ready to relocate if you have gone through all of the above points and you are ready to proceed. Moving is easier for a younger person with a less complicated life. Hence it’s a good idea to live and work in different places earlier in life before you have a family.

Employers normally provide sponsorship to overseas candidates by applying for a business visa category 457 visa on their behalf. If the application is properly prepared, this is normally a formality and takes about six weeks to be granted. Members of your immediate family will be included under this visa, so they can work or study without any further paperwork.

Barry Harte, director, Pentire Associates