Wondering if You Should Move to Sydney?
I think it is safe to assume that you're reading this because you are either planning on moving to Sydney or are at least thinking about it. We’re happy to have you either way!
When we moved to Sydney in 2008, I remember searching endlessly online for information from international moving companies to Australian visas. What made it even harder was that we were pretty much on our own.
We didn't know anyone living in Australia or even been on vacation.
Most of our friends thought we were crazy. In fact, a few of our friends tried to talk us out of moving altogether. Something we thought was strange, as we would never turn down the opportunity to live overseas.
(Ok, so they were probably legit in thinking we were a little bit crazy, to move someplace we had never been.)
When the recruiter at Intersystems first contacted my husband about an opportunity to work in Sydney, we weren’t sure what to think. All I really knew about Sydney was from movies and not very good ones.
I have to admit, Australia wasn't even on my top ten list of countries I wanted to travel to. Strange now when I think about it.
Why We Decided to Move and Most People Don't
1. Job offer in Sydney.
Obviously, before you start packing, you need to commit to your move to Australia because once you’ve packed up and ship everything overseas, changing your mind and moving back might not be an option.
Give it some serious thought and take the time to consider your move from many different angles.
I like to think of worst-case scenarios like what happens if you are on a TSS 482 Visa and you hate your job?
Can you afford to move your household back home?
Or is your occupation in high demand? So high that finding another employer to sponsor your visa won’t be a problem?
For us, the main determining factor was the job offer from Intersystems.
My husband had to decide if taking the job would be a good career move. To determine this he just focused on what the position was and what experience would he gain, not just focus on the fact that it was in Australia.
Of course, we quickly researched online what his base pay rate would need to be so that we could still have all the same comforts we had in Seattle. There was no reason to pack up and move all the way to Australia to live in some horribly small apartment and be miserable.
Plus, we didn’t know if I could find a job.
Even after researching the cost of living in Sydney, we knew we were going to be financially strapped until I got a job. But once I did, we were fine, even able to save.
2. Owning property back home and moving with kids.
For us, the decision was easier than for many others. We didn’t own a house or have kids so uprooting and moving to Sydney was far less complicated than it is for others.
I do know several expats from the States and the UK that still own a house back in their home countries. They usually find someone to rent it out while they are in Sydney.
Even with collecting rent on their house back home, a couple of our friends still owe on top of the rent they are collecting. Yet another expense to be aware of before you move.
Moving to Sydney with kids does complicate things and it will cost more because, as a TSS visa holder you will have to pay tuition before your children can attend any of Sydney’s public (or government, as they say in Australia) schools.
(If you have or are applying for a PR Visa, you don't have to pay for public schools.)
You will also need to consider what time of year you move as that can affect what grade your children will end up in. Remember the seasons are opposite to that of the Northern Hemisphere as a result the school year and school holidays are also switched.
3. Australia is so far away.
That’s one thing that we heard over and over again.
The distance is hard especially for those with very close families or for those who have elderly parents. When our departure date started to get closer, saying goodbye to our family and friends started feeling more final. I still remember my mother-in-law asking if we could just move to California instead.
The truth is you might not go back home for a while mainly because of the cost (flying to Australia is often cheaper than flying from Australia to, well…really just about anywhere) but also saving up enough time to visit everyone can be difficult especially when there is all of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific to explore.
Living so far from home really isn't that bad nowadays. There is Zoom and FaceTime for video chatting, an excellent way for grandparents to stay in touch with growing grandkids though not equal to being there in person, but better than a long-distance phone call. And of course, Facebook and Instagram, though it can feel a bit superficial, are also great for staying in touch with everyone back home and for them to see what you’re up to. We often post pictures of just day-to-day living in Australia and get a huge response.
Once my husband took a series of photos of his daily commute from Sydney’s Lower North Shore by ferry. It was a great idea, not just to share with friends, but also for us to have to remember our time in Sydney.
4. Moving with pets is a long process, over 6 months.
Australian Quarantine is very strict about the importation of animals into Australia. If you cannot even imagine life without your pets then you need to start researching moving to Australia with your pets now.
It's a lengthy process and will take a minimum of 6 months (180 days) before you even pack your bags.
The chance of your pets spending time in quarantine in Australia is very likely plus it will be costly. Not to mention emotionally difficult for your beloved pet and yourself too. You will not have any access to your pets while in quarantine. Be sure to talk with a pet moving company that is familiar with all of the restrictions in Australia.
We had two cats that we chose not to bring with us because our cats were very outdoorsy, slight feral still. We thought the extended quarantine period back in 2008 of 30 days would be more than they could take after a very long flight. (Now pet quarantine is a minimum of 10 days.)
We also didn’t plan far enough ahead for moving the cats to Sydney. Something you will definitely need to think about if you want to move your pets to Australia.
Ok, you’ve read through the list above and have made up your mind that you definitely want to move to Australia. Now what? Before you start packing take a look at what you can and cannot take into Australia.
I know moving to Australia seems overwhelming right now, but if we can do I know you can too!
