expat network

Beware What You Take With You To Australia

Australia has a rigorous approach to protecting its agriculture and tourism industries from pests and diseases brought from abroad. The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources manage the arrangements and you can see full details on arrangements on arrival in Australia on the website. All those entering the country are given an Incoming Passenger Card...

Moving to Australia, Part Six: Exploring and Discovering

An important part of settling in and felling at home is understanding the culture of your new home. This will take time to discover and learn, and it will possibly involve some ‘unlearning’ in the meantime. Adapting to your new environment is key, rather than expecting it to be like home and trying to change...

Moving to Australia, Part Five: Learning the Ropes

This step of your move mainly involves learning the practicalities and how to get things done with the minimum of fuss. At the same time you may develop a deeper insight into your new environment. You’ll be getting to know how things work and starting to settle into your new home and routine. Sharon Swift...

Moving to Australia, Part Four: Tackling the Necessities

This step is crucial because, once you have done everything in this phase, you are compliant and will have more of a sense of belonging. These are the registrations, tasks and paperwork that you will have had as long as you can remember back home and perhaps even have taken for granted. Sharon Swift continues...

Moving to Australia, Part Three: Taking Up Residence

You’ve arrived. The weeks and months of planning have passed and you’re living and breathing the checklist. The focus of getting things done will be a welcome distraction. There is a sense of excitement at wanting to explore your new surroundings, although you’re missing home and are feeling a little anxious and scared, having to...

Moving to Australia, Part Two: Embarking On The Move

Any substantial journey involves planning and paperwork. An international relocation is infinitely more complex than a domestic move. I would suggest treating the move like any large project. You will ultimately need a list of actions, each allocated to a responsible party, with an expected timeline for each task. Sharon Swift shares her experience of...

Moving to Australia, Part One: Sizing Up The Move

The prospect of moving to a new country can be exciting and daunting in equal measure. Australia has the benefit of being English speaking with a seemingly similar culture to the UK or USA, but the distance is a huge drawback. Will this hold you back from the opportunity of a lifetime? Sharon Swift shares...

Buying Property in Australia

Buying Property In Australia

The first thing to know about buying property in Australia is that foreigners do not have an automatic right to own property. Unless you are married to an Australian or hold a permanent resident visa or special category visa (as New Zealanders do) you will need to apply to the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB)....

How To Start A Business in Australia

Moving down under is a dream that’s likely to have flickered across even the most patriotic of minds from time to time. On dark wintery days the allure of beautiful weather, an outdoors lifestyle and a familiar business culture makes Australia an extremely tempting choice, writes Heather Landau. More than 1.3 million Britons have moved...

Work Draws Britons to Australia

207,000 have headed to Oz in the last five years, many in search of work or with a definite job to go to… Read more…

Need For Construction Workers Keeps Building in Australia

Expat builders looking for a chance to start a new life in Australia should pack their bags, because the number of opportunities opening up in the construction industry continues to grow, writes Fiona Mayers. Recent figures from the building and construction survey, carried out by Master Builders Australia, have confirmed that the construction industry is...