The first steps to relocating to Australia

SO you have made up your mind and decided you want to go to Australia, or will be sent there as part of your expat assignment? Congratulations! You will soon be joining the thousands upon thousands of people from all over the globe who have headed to Australia to start a new life abroad. Still, keep in mind that it takes more than a good idea to successfully transfer abroad and put down roots in Australia.

First things first, make up your mind about what city you actually want to call home from now on. There is no single city or town preferred by expats and immigrants. All Australian cities of world renown, be it Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, or any other, have their upsides and downsides. Get informed about your potential future hometowns and make an educated decision!

Secondly, make sure you have the necessary language skills! This might seem trivial, but having good command of the English language will not only make your everyday routine and social life much easier, but is also one of the prerequisites for getting a visa. Other requirements you should meet before applying for your visa include:

• having skills or work experience in one of the fields the country needs professional personnel in;
• being of good health (you might have to pass a health test);
• acquiring a penal clearance certificate;
• signing the Australian Values Statement, which signals that you are willing to accept the Australian way of life and obey the local laws.

If all of the above are in order, you will have to decide on which of the two types of visa specifically catering to expatriates and immigrants is the one you want to apply for. Your options are the Employer Sponsored Migration visa, which you can only acquire if you already have a valid job offer with an Australian company willing to sponsor your visa or are sent to a branch office of the company you work for back home, and the Skill Select program, which gives you the opportunity to give finding work in Australia a shot while you’re actually there — provided you possess the “right” skills. Those are specified in the Skilled Occupations List, which is a lineup of occupations the country has a shortage of manpower in.

If you have braved all of the above, it is time to take care of the details: finding a nice home for you and your family, deciding which of your belongings to leave and which to have shipped, looking for schools for your children, finding out how to bring along your pets, and much more. These are all things to keep in your mental checklist for your relocation.

Going abroad is rarely easy, but almost always worth it — and we are sure that you will enjoy your new life in Australia to the fullest. Best of luck!

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