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Got an address  Now to start doing all the grown-up things (getting a tax file number, driving license, etc) that have been on hold the last two weeks.Other than eBay.com.au (and Gumtree I guess, selection down in Tassie kinda sucks though), is there anywhere else in particular that's good for online shopping in Australia?
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Feb 22, 2015 13:10
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Sharks Below posted:I would say go to Tasmania for a week but then again, the job market isn't so great there so even if you love it there it might not be a practical place to live. Which can be heartbreaking to realise, because it truly owns. Yeah, it's pretty scanty for basic uni-student type jobs on Gumtree, aside from the apparently near-insatiable demand for baristas with at least 1-2 years experience (guess I missed out on my opportunity to break in to the exciting world of "making coffee" when I didn't take that Barista Studies internship in uni). I actually did see a decent assortment of mid-career (or high level) stuff on the major employment sites when I looked, I suppose it depends on your field how employable you'd be down here. I've heard it can sometimes be very much about the "good ol boys" network for jobs in Tassie due to how small it is though, compared to elsewhere. I'm planning to go visit my girlfriend overseas around May/June/July ish (depending on when my one exam is scheduled, which they won't tell me until early May  ) for 4-6 weeks, so I don't think there's a huge point in me getting a job right now anyways. Think I'll look for some volunteer opportunities in the meantime, and try and find something paid when I get back. Not really holding my breath on that one though (I still have to work around my practicums), I've also been thinking about doing some freelancing. Immigration never replied to my email so I guess I'll give them a ring about it next week, seems unclear on how it would work on a student visa. Been keeping my eye out for a car/motorbike but the market down here is frustratingly small, and the costs of bringing something over from Victoria (Spirit of Tasmania wants something unreasonable like $500 for a bike to come over unaccompanied)* aren't really worth it, not to mention the hassle/expense of having to get whatever it is pit-passed again. *It is literally cheaper to fly to Melbourne myself, book an overnight berth, and pay the normal passenger motorbike fee than it is to get them to load/unload the bike off the boat for me. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Mar 1, 2015 |
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Mar 1, 2015 01:56
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Sneaky Fast posted:So my holiday working visa came through today 1) We call them states here  I've been navigating this stuff over the last few months myself! Here's what I've learned: 2) If you're not a resident of the new state, you *should* be exempt from having to re-register (which probably also means re-pitting). On a WHV I don't think it should be an issue. However, if the rego comes due while you're interstate, make sure you can renew it online rather than in person. Backpackers seem to tout WA cars as being particularly good for this, not sure if the other states are worse. I'm pretty sure it can be done online in Tassie too, be surprised if other states mandated a personal appearance. 3) In the vast majority of cases, I personally wouldn't mess with a car that doesn't have current registration. If it's something you *really* want, or you had a lot of wiggle room and/or were handy with cars and had the tools, maybe. The reason is you will have to get the car pit passed (a safety inspection), and you don't know what kind of expensive repairs might be lying in wait before you can actually register the car. Like you noticed, the stuff that's out of rego is substantially cheaper... if I was selling a car and knew it was going to "sail over pits", wouldn't it make more sense to just pony up for the inspection and sell it in registration for more money? Sure, there are a few genuine hard lucks stories, personally I 100% disregard any seller's claim about how easy it will be to register their unregistered car. Hilariously (to me), you can just keep renewing registration on your clapped-out hoopty and never need to get your car re-inspected (at least down here in Tassie). Theoretically an inspector can write you a ticket that requires you to report for an inspection if they see anything amiss, I don't think it's very common though, mostly with conspicuous and dodgily-modified 4x4s. The whole system seems like a rather pointless inconvenience to me: either require inspections yearly/biannually like Japan or just don't require them at all, like many parts of the US. Not sure about other states but Tasmania has a 90 day grace period if the registration lapses, where you can re-register the vehicle without having to re-pit it, which is totally fine and not something I'd view as a problem. Do take into account the remaining rego value when you're looking at cars (probably about ~$50/mo in most cases?), especially when you're buying on the low end. You should have no problem getting a running car for US$3K, have a look around Gumtree. Petrol is substantially more expensive than in US, so it's worth considering something that's going to offer you good fuel economy. For example, if you're planning to sleep in the vehicle but maybe just occasionally, a 4cyl wagon might make more sense than a full-sized van/4WD. Your best bet is probably buying off a departing backpacker, they usually throw in all sorts of accessories (esky, camping gear, fishing gear, surfboard, etc) to boot. I may actually wind up ignoring my advice about buying a car without rego someday... I'd really like a microvan (like a Suzuki Carry or Daihatsu Hijet), but they are fairly rare in the Aussie market generally, which means finding one in Tasmania's little microcosm economy is very difficult. I can usually find a few for sale in Victoria, so I may just deal with the hassle of buying a vehicle from interstate and re-pitting it here (might as well buy something without rego since the Victoria RWC doesn't mean jack down here, and drive it down on a permit), if I decide it's really worth it. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 08:07 on Apr 1, 2015 |
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Apr 1, 2015 07:56
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as a result I'm beginning to research buying a vehicle. I plan start in Melbourne, buy a car and then roadtrip along the coast headed north looking for a smaller place to settle into (not a big city cat). Some of my questions are about changing provinces and what happens to the registration? How much is a roadworthy? and should I eschew any car that isn't sold with one? My upper limits for price would be about $3000 US. I've seen cars w/o registration and road worthy that are supposedly working for around $2000. Would a car $500 more with those things be better? plus any tips, tricks and anecdotes would be welcome. Also after I buy the car i think it would cool to let the thread name her!
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Absolute Zero posted:Hey guys. American guy here moving to central QLD later this month (by way of Canada) on a transfer from my employer. It's pretty easy, backpackers do it and they're not even residents. Double-check on Queensland's Department of Transport to see what fees, etc you may be liable for. It's probably not too bad, although keep in mind what I mentioned a few posts back about rego/inspections. If you can (pretty sure you should be able), might want to covert your Canadian or US license to an Aussie one; it's been good for getting me residents' discounts here in Tasmania, plus it's nice to know it'll always be accepted as valid ID anywhere in Australia. Is that like a short-term lease? I remember looking in to renting something bare-bones back in the US for like 1-2 months and the rates were similarly ridiculous, I assume it's just something companies do on occasion for ~reasons. You are definitely better off buying something, although with just a week and especially in a smaller area like Rockhampton, you may have to settle. Pro-tip on Gumtree: at least in my experience, people will basically never ever respond to an email; if you're interested in something, at least send a text, if not call them.
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Apr 7, 2015 09:20
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HookShot posted:Welcome to Australia! I thought Canadian vehicle insurance was supposed to be crazy high in some provinces... or is that just motorcycles? I've seen some Canadians posting some Looney Tunes numbers on insurance quotes.
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Apr 9, 2015 09:46
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freebooter posted:Ah, okay. Well anyway, like I said, it's probably not a huge deal. We used to not get anything, I think it started around 2007/2008? I was pretty chuffed when I found out, although wound up not taking advantage of it. Am considering maybe popping over to NZ to work this summer if I can't find anything down here though. Sneaky Fast posted:I'm already in Melbourne and the car I'm buying has rego for 3 months. My plan is to travel the next month or so and then settle in somewhere. So when it runs out ill just reregister in the state I'm settled in. I am pretty sure you won't have to re-register (again, avoid this if at all possible, you will have to get the car re-inspected too) in a new state if you're on a WHV visa. I believe you get 1-3 months grace period... after that, since you're limited to 6 months at a job, I'd just say I was only planning on staying wherever for six months and then going back to VIC, so it made no sense to re-register. Full disclosure that I have no idea if it'd work or how chill cops/vehicle inspectors are, but I have a feeling being a foreigner on a WHV would probably give you a fair bit of leeway. As another poster said though, you will probably wind up having to sell to another backpacker, it's a PITA to re-register/re-pit a car and most locals won't bother, especially for something on the low end.
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Apr 9, 2015 23:24
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Kommando posted:yeah, pretty much, if its an old car and it lapses in rego, its regularly seen as only good for scrap. The expense of repairs to bring it back to 'roadworthy' is often more than the car. However if the car is over 35 years old it can be registered as a 'classic' and is stupidly cheap (like sub $100 a year cheap). This is for rarely driven antiques, but an early 80s BMW or Porsche could fall under this. And even gramps old holden he drives to the bowls club. At least here in Tassie, you can't get a Special Interest tag without also having another vehicle in your name with full registration. You've also got to keep a logbook written in ink that a cop/Transport official can ask for at any time, and can't drive it more than a certain (not terribly high) number of days per year. (Although thinking about it, a "1" could become a "7" and then a "9" pretty easily...) I still think I might actually take advantage of it if I eventually get a motorbike though, be nice to have something for the occasional passenger or really terrible weather day.
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Apr 10, 2015 11:57
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Thinking about a working holiday in Australia? Enjoy your 32% income tax as of June 1 2016, sucka.
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May 12, 2015 13:16
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A Time To Chill posted:drat. And I really wanted to go in 2016. Backpackers don't vote, so they're a pretty easy target for a cash-strapped government. There was another article speculating it might help the employment prospects of young Australians (not having to compete with cheap backpacker labour so much). It looks like the tourism industry is kicking up a bit of a fuss in the news (tourist visa prices also increased substantially, there was a new $55 departure tax type thing for foreigners leaving Australia added, and I think they also got completely shorted in terms of new funding), but I think they're pretty much standing alone on that one. Sucks for my household as my girlfriend is planning to come over early next year on a WH visa, and she was definitely be relying on her wages here to help support her (and save for tuition the following year) until I/we apply for residency the year after that. I remember it being kind of a pain in the rear end, but I might look into adding her onto my student visa as a dependent; she'd be limited to the same 20hrs/week I am, but I reckon she'd be happier to do half of the work for two thirds of the take-home pay, and spend the rest of her time either volunteering or finding some remote work from the States. Plus, she could go F/T from Nov-Feb when school's not in session, which is when all the seasonal work is available around here anyhow. I couldn't find anything but I assume since this is a tax policy issue that it takes place immediately on July 1 and affects everyone in the country on a WH visa (i.e. if you enter before then you're not "grandfathered in" with the old tax residency system for the rest of your stay). Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 23:21 on May 12, 2015 |
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May 12, 2015 23:08
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plasmoduck posted:I forgot, aren't you doing a postgraduate course? Subclass 573 and 574 visa dependents have full work rights while the primary visa holder is enrolled in a masters/doctorate course. Only a Master's by research if I'm remembering correctly; mine's a Master's by coursework unfortunately.
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May 13, 2015 08:35
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plasmoduck posted:I'd look more into that. Are you on 573? On the main page it doesn't discriminate coursework vs research. Oh, looks like you're right! I was getting the dependent confused with the visa holder in that case.  Unfortunately I think I was wrong in the first place about being able to add her as a dependent; Immigration is unlikely to recognise it without some sort of legal standing. Tassie actually has a "deed of relationship" thing that would probably work (were planning on doing it for resident visa purposes already), but it requires both parties to be physically present and residing in Tasmania, and IIRC there's still an unofficial ~1year waiting period after that before Immigration takes them seriously, although I could be mis-remembering that too. Still, might be worth trying to switch her over to a dependent visa once she's arrived on a WH and we've got the deed, I guess the worst they can do is say "no".
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May 13, 2015 09:45
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jjack229 posted:I'm looking at going to Australia for vacation for two weeks in the beginning of September. I don't think there'll be much if any snow in Tasmania in September, this is my first winter here but as of today the top of Mt. Wellington has barely gotten any. The Midlands (interior part) might have some, I dunno, but I reckon the main roads ought to be fine. If you're from Minnesota you are probably miles ahead of the mainlanders who come down here, I'm especially lookin' at you, Queensland. Aussies make Tasmania out to be Literally Hoth, they're just huge babbies about the cold. Hobart's like... Georgia or something, I don't think it's actually snowed in the city in years. I'm from Florida originally, so hardly hardy Northern stock. I'd be keen to join you literally any other time (haven't been too many places here yet, just have a bicycle at the moment) but I've got a two week practicum in September I've got to be around for. I'd otherwise be free any day but Tuesday, from the looks of next semester's timetable.
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Jun 9, 2015 09:59
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Doctor Cave posted:There may be snow in Tassie in September, just in the alpine areas, as there is often one last big dump around then. Otherwise for the rest of the state, a jumper and/or a light jacket is all you need as a typical day is about 15-16C. Yeah, wanted to update: had a bit of rain and the top of Mt. Wellington was clear this afternoon, noticed a bit of snow at the peak, finally.
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Jun 10, 2015 06:55
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jjack229 posted:Does anyone have suggestions for car rentals from Sydney to Melbourne (and also within Tasmania)? Any particular companies that are good or bad? Anything to watch out for (I know I need to look out for restricted mileage)? So far EastCoast and Europcar seem to have the best prices. Roos, wallabies, wombats, etc (especially around dusk/at night). I did a 100km loop on my bicycle from Hobart down to Cygnet/Huonville and probably spotted ~25-30 dead wallabies that had been struck by cars. A decent-sized wallaby can seriously mess up a car, a full-sized kangaroo can do deer levels of damage. In Hobart at least, if you want a manual you'll probably get stuck with an auto. I think that's pretty standard countrywide though, most companies are phasing them out of their fleets.
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Jun 16, 2015 09:32
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Eastdrom posted:Hey guys. Interesting, I've got a 573 (Higher Education) and didn't have to state any of that. My impression is that if you have the cash to pay tuition (and show up to class), your school is more or less the "guarantor" of your legitimacy in the eyes of Immigration. From the general vibe I get from Immigration's policies, my assumption would be that as long as her stated reasons aren't comically unviable/illegal, she ought to be fine, but I'm only guessing. As far as the starting a business, legally she can only work 40 hours/fortnight while school is in session. On the plus side, she can at least declare tax residency, which working holidayers can no longer do as of July 1 of next year (a difference of 0% income tax on your first AU$18.6k of income versus 33%). FWIW I emailed Immigration about self-employment for student visa holders a few months ago because I was curious, they have no means of tracking or reporting hours worked, it's just the honour system. Why does she want to complete a TAFE-level IT/business course here if she already has an MBA? If you were planning to do a partner visa her qualifications wouldn't matter AFAIK; I'd probably only be angling for those if I was trying to qualify for a skilled migration visa. Which isn't necessarily a bad idea depending on where your relationship is (I've also heard the partner visa is a pretty big PITA and takes a long time), and how close she'd be for qualifying on her own. If it's just to tread water in-country for a bit, she might want to look into taking some English courses instead; definitely helps if she's going the Skilled Migration route, and would definitely pay dividends over the rest of her life here anyhow. If you are going the partner visa route, ideally you'll have been cohabitating and be able to show other signs of commitment (joint bank accounts, etc). If you don't want to jump right into marriage (or just aren't a big believer in the institution) see if your state offers some kind of Deed of Significant Relationship, which can help the process along.
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Jul 29, 2015 07:08
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Not sure how helpful this would be to anyone else, but I was just able to get the student discount on Spotify despite them not offering one in Australia, by using my old US uni email account, and sending my Aussie uni tuition bill in as proof of current enrolment  Eastdrom posted:Most of the questions seem to be in relation to the fact that at the end of course she should have a strong reason to return to Taiwan. Which is the opposite of what we intend to do. I am a little worried that when we apply for partnership in a year that they might bring that up. We're planning to move in together as soon as she gets back in a month or so, then start doing the joint bank accounts, lots of facebook photos and texts, etc. Ah, yeah. I would word the responses in such a way that it's open-ended what she would do afterwards, something like "I'm interested in pursuing this course in Australia because I know it will be internationally recognised, which would transfer well to running a business in Taiwan or other countries", etc. Re: the shorter course -- if she completes a two-year programme she would be eligible for a Graduate visa (I think it'd be a two year visa in this case, which grants unlimited work rights), which is intended to allow recent graduates time to get relevant work experience and help their chances with migration. I have a feeling you'd probably get the partner visa sorted by then, but if not, it would give her a chance to start her own business and buy you guys an extra 24 months to get the partner visa stuff sorted. With migration and I'm pretty sure the Graduate visa, you can meet the Australian study requirement of a two year course by "topping up" a shorter course with another certification in a related field, so she could do a 1.5 year Grad Dip in something, followed by a 1-semester graduate certificate, etc. I think IT/business would probably be close enough to qualify, although you'd want to ask Immigration about specifics if she was going to go that route.
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Aug 1, 2015 06:31
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BuckarooBanzai posted:Can anyone tell me if working on a 457 visa covers me for Medicare or will I need private insurance? Also is anyone here an American that moved to Melbourne? How's the public transport? Nightlife? Food? People? Can't say for sure as I've never been one one, but I would assume so. Typically Medicare is paid for by a 2% levy on your income, which is on top of income tax. Students have separate OSHC thingie because it's assumed they're not working (a reasonable assumption in my case ).edit: Actually, maybe not since a 457 isn't a permanent resident visa... not sure which way that would shake out. I did a quick google and it seems ambiguous, I think you can get Medicare but also have the option of purchasing private insurance and avoiding the Medicare Levy, if you choose. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Aug 12, 2015 |
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Aug 12, 2015 04:22
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BuckarooBanzai posted:Followup. Is 100k Aus/year enough for two people to live comfortably in Melbourne? What's the rent for like a one bedroom apartment in a not lovely area? Thanks again for the answers. That should be fine, even for Melbourne (assuming you don't want to actually own property  ). The impression I get is that ~AU$18k is the expected minimum to be able to get by on for a year; that's what student visa applicants are sometimes asked to show, and it's also the threshold where you start paying income tax if you're a resident. That 18k probably assumes housemates and maybe not Melbourne CBD for rent, but you still ought to have plenty of cushion.
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Aug 20, 2015 22:19
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I was stuck in the mindset I needed a full kettle setup and everything for homebrewing (true if doing BIAB or all grain), but realised if I just wanted to start out with extract kits a basic fermentor and a few other odds and ends would do. For $50 on Gumtree I picked up a more or less complete setup secondhand, first batch of stout is chillin' in the bathtub and about halfway to being ready to bottle according to yesterday's hydrometer reading. Should have done this months ago considering how expensive booze is here, is gonna work out to ~$30/19L. I hardly drink anymore these days, but will be nice to have around for company. Lizard Combatant posted:Do not drink VB Also this.
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Sep 16, 2015 08:22
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HookShot posted:They basically won't work at all, not worth it. Yeah, I sold my sous vide rig when I moved here. I wouldn't bother messing around with a transformer, especially in the kitchen.
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Sep 20, 2015 03:45
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A Time To Chill posted:I'm applying for the Work and Holiday Visa and it's asking if I have health insurance. Obviously I plan on getting some sort of insurance, but I don't want to buy any until I know whether or not I get the visa. But I'm seeing some stuff saying that you need to have insurance BEFORE you apply, which seems ridiculous. It'll depend on your age and stuff, but I pay about AU$50/mo for my overseas student health cover. It's pretty good compared to what that would get you in the US. Speaking of this, what do folks do for dental insurance? Looks like I may need a bit of work done in the near future.
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Oct 13, 2015 21:26
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tekz posted:Canadian thinking of moving to Australia here, currently on vacation in Perth. I'm a firmware engineer and there's a small consulting company that I had talks with that want to hire me but sponsorship would be a headache for them. I mean, once you get your stuff together for the 189, it's like a 2 week turnaround from Expression of Interest to getting an offer to apply for a residency visa. Once you do that I assume they'd grant you a bridging visa with work rights? As of July 1 the Work & Holiday visa will mess you up pretty hard on Aussie taxes, so there is a definite incentive to not do it that way if you can. edit: I've only looked into the onshore process for the 189 visa, actually not sure about the bridging visa in that case. Still, if we're talking after July, you would do well to minimise the amount of time you're on a Work & Holiday visa.
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Oct 21, 2015 08:09
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tekz posted:I was told that the time from the expression of interest to getting a visa application would be around 3 months. Mmm, when I looked the turnaround was more like 1.5-2 weeks from EoI to invitation to apply for a 189, I was also surprised by how quick it was at the time. The ~3 month thing was actual time to get the visa approved, IIRC. It makes sense as the EoI is just "does this person have the points where we should bother to look at their application closely?" whereas the visa application itself is verifying all the stuff is genuine, etc. If you have a look on Immigration's websites they'll have the statistics up somewhere. If you don't need it for the 417 you will need it for the 189 so you might as well get crackin'. I *think* it should only be for places you've lived longer than a year, if that helps. I get to fly to Melbourne at some point for the pleasure of spending 20 minutes getting fingerprinted at the Japanese consulate, other countries are less idiotic and will let you have the local police do your prints, stamp the form, and send it in. If you have any old ones laying around they are probably useless, Australia only recognises them for two years. If that means I have to keep making pilgrimages to the Japanese consulate every two years to maintain teacher's registration, I am going to be very perturbed.
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Oct 21, 2015 10:32
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What's everyone' favourite way to lie about previous overseas work experience? Have sent out 20+ job applications this week, don't even get callbacks. From the job listings, most employers seem to believe that the last person who could ever possibly learn to pour a beer, wait a table, or interact with a customer has already been trained.
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Nov 7, 2015 20:34
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Soulex posted:I did a temporary duty in the Us military in Brisbane back in August and I loving loved it. The CAPT I was talking to tried to get me to jump ship and move over there, and I am drat tempted. I am a video/photographer journalist with emphasis in videography and stories. Typical news bullshit. Check the Skilled Shortages Occupations list to see if it's in demand, photographer wasn't last time I checked, dunno about journalist, but knowing what that job market is like in the US, I'd learn towards "not". OTOH, I have seen some journalism jobs advertised down here in Tasmania (aka The Land Which Employment Forgot), so maybe it's not that bad? Regardless, if it's not on the SSOL I think it's a lot harder to get sponsored for, or maybe you need relatives here to sponsor you or something, I can't really remember. Buuut, that's not the end of the line for you. You can pick something on the list that's in demand here, go to school in Australia for it (your GI benefits can be applied at some Aussie universities, I'm pretty sure it's the same ones listed on the Dept of Ed's list of foreign universities participating in the federal student loan program), and then apply for residency via an Independent Skilled Migration visa. I dunno your particulars but if you're a native English speaker between ages 25-32 who did an Australian qualification in a field that's in demand, you should be sitting pretty (see Immigration's points calculator for specifics). Independent skilled migration means you don't need a job offer or sponsor, you are just applying for residence based on your own merit/attractiveness as a migrant. AFAIK there is actually nothing tying you to work in what you studied with an Independent Skilled Migration visa, so if you still were dead set on working in journalism, you could go to school for say, nursing or engineering (there is actually a pretty diverse array of trades/professions on the list, it's not all STEM stuff), use that degree to help qualify you for residency, and then as soon as you get the visa, sod off and work as a freelance journo the rest of your life. You should be OK if you have some savings and are getting GI bill to cover tuition and COLA, although fair warning the visa at the end can get expensive. Between fees, mindlessly redundant qualifications assessments, police checks, etc I don't expect to walk away for less than AU$6.5-7k for me and my partner, and we don't even have kids. The good news is it's supposed to be relatively quick, according to Immigration they get 70% of the Independent Skilled applications through within 3-4 months. If you haven't done college in the US already, a Bachelor's here normally takes 3 years, otherwise you need at least two years of study (typically a Master's, although you can "top up" shorter qualifications by doing another in a closely related field) to qualify for the Australian Study requirement. Your dependents' ability to work is tied to your own visa conditions as a student, it's normally 40 hours per fortnight while school is in session, unless you're doing a Master's by Research or PhD, in which case it's unlimited. If you really want to move your whole household like that, shipping container is the way to go, especially if you're based near a port in the US. However, since Uncle Sam is no longer footing the bill, you may do the maths and realise it makes more sense to just sell your furniture/appliances (especially anything that's not dual voltage) and re-buy it here. I was back in the US helping a buddy unpack after he separated last fall and it blew my mind he bothered to move his crappy particleboard furniture and mismatched dishes to and from Japan, Arkansas, Florida, etc  If you've got family/friends, can leave stuff with them and bring it over bit by bit when you go home to visit. Like, will it matter to you personally driving over here (it's not that bad to get used to, just remember that the driver's side goes towards the centre of the road), or are you planning to bring a US car? If it's anything newer than an '89, forget about the latter. Australian citizens and permanent residents can bring back whatever vehicle (singular) they want if they've been living overseas and owned/drove it for at least a year under the Personal Vehicle Import Scheme, you wouldn't be eligible for that even if you were able to apply for permanent residence before you came to the best of my knowledge. I was speculating that if you filled out the rest of a shipping container with vintage (pre '89) Harleys or something you ought to be able to break even on moving a household or maybe even turn a profit, but I had nowhere near enough stuff to make it worth the hassle of attempting. IDK anything about Brisbane or journo salaries, sorry. No, you can even naturalise (become an Aussie citizen, can apply after PR and a couple years) and retain US citizenship. State doesn't like it but it's basically a DADT policy and you can never be stripped of your US citizenship against your will anyways. However, if you were thinking of going back into the military or US government work, you can kiss your security clearance goodbye if you naturalised in a foreign country, PR probably wouldn't be looked on too favourably either. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 09:23 on Nov 29, 2015 |
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Nov 29, 2015 09:17
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Hey backpackers, for those of you who got Aussie ID cards/driver's licenses, what did you use for your three forms of ID (assuming other states are similar)? I'm an international student so was able to use that ID, but my partner will be on a WHV and not have access to one of those. Passport and signed credit card are easy, and it shouldn't be difficult to get her signed up for a bank account (I did it wholly from overseas) to prove a residential address, but it looks hard to come up with one more form of ID for her, unless they accept multiple credit/bank cards or something.
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Dec 11, 2015 01:50
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Omgz posted:I just use my US ID cards and a utility bill if they need proof of address, don't overthink it. That works in normal cases (pretty chill that you can drive here without even an IDP), but I actually need to get proof she's a resident of Tasmania so we can file for a deed of significant relationship  One of my backpacker friends did it, but was almost two years ago and she's forgotten what she used.
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Dec 11, 2015 09:11
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You know, I was reading that, and didn't realise it didn't specify "Australian Driver's License"... was just carrying over the "Australian" part of the requirement in my head from the driver's license conversion stuff.  I've got to go down to Service Tasmania to get my motorbike added to my Parks pass, so I'll ask them if they'll take a US driver's license for that anyhow. Not entirely necessary (like you said), but nice to have. A Saucy Bratwurst posted:I found this thread by accident and not really looking for information about this, but is this the right place to ask about camping destinations etc? I can give you a few Tassie recs now that I'm back from my trip. Also, wanted to give a +1 to Wicked Campers for rentals, rented a Nissan Cube with a rooftop tent that worked out great for a roadtrip I had with some visiting mates. Gotta watch out for the random stuff spraypainted on them though, in our case it was "A WOMAN NEEDS A MAN LIKE A FISH NEEDS A BICYCLE" (three dudes, people in small town Tasmania got endless amusement out of it), saw two uncomfortable-looking girls in a van that read "A BLOWJOB A DAY BEATS AN APPLE"
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Dec 11, 2015 23:06
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HookShot posted:Please don't rent wicked campers, they're the most misogynistic piece of poo poo company ever. Whoops, nevermind then I guess. The camper itself was physically good, FWIW. Omgz posted:There is a ferry you can take from Port Melbourne. I'm sure there are tons of other great places to go closer to you as well though. They've kinda nerfed the Spirit of Tasmania in the last year to make it more nickel-and-dimey from what I hear. Definitely don't take the ferry unless you've got a really compelling reason to bring your own car, I imagine a lot of the time after you crunch the numbers of flying and renting it works out making more sense to do that.
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Dec 14, 2015 09:19
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I have Telstra's cheapest prepaid (100 minutes, 1.2gb data, $30 for 28 days) and it's totally fine  Had Optus but it's not really worth a wallaby's fart outside of Hobart.
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Dec 16, 2015 09:39
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A Saucy Bratwurst posted:Optus is cheaper than telstra and also has good coverage. I have never been somewhere in Queensland or New South Wales where having telstra would make a difference, except for a friends house in the Brisbane suburb of Carindale where telstra reception is twice as good in that you'll have it for 2 minutes an hour as opposed to 1 IDK about the contract plans, but the difference between the two with prepaid is marginal. Optus was $30/mo for 100mins/1.5GB, I get almost the same ($30/28 days for 100mins/1.2GB) now with Telstra. The shorter billing cycle works out to an extra month for the year, but spread out over that time it's a difference of what, $2 and change per month? I haven't travelled on the mainland, but my backpacker friends swear by Telstra coverage for being out in the wops, based on my experiences in Tasmania I have to agree.
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Dec 18, 2015 05:38
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A Saucy Bratwurst posted:Optus got better plans recently, 300 mins, 1.5gb, unlimited texts for $30. When i got my current plan, the equivalent at telstra was $45 but they change all the time. It was 1.5GB when I had them too, I think the 300 minutes/unlimited texts is the only new bit. For me personally (and I suspect a lot of people with the base tier plans), 100 minutes and 1.2GB is actually more than I need, I would happily pay half for half as much of each.
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Dec 19, 2015 11:10
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Hey thread, been a while. I'm looking for a new place to live a bit earlier than I thought. My current deal is a no-contract arrangement I found on my uni's (physical) bulletin board, so I'm pretty much clueless as to how proper rental agreements work here. Does everyone who lives in the apartment typically have to be on the lease? Or if I was willing to assume all the liability (being on the hook for 100% of the rent, paying the bond, etc), could it just be me? My partner isn't going to be joining me for another month and a half at least, so I was going to be eating the full rent until then anyways. She's also from overseas and won't have a job when she arrives, so it's not as if she'd have a rental/credit history that would help. My own is minimal (international student that's been here for a year) but I can at least show I've got plenty of savings and a very modest paycheque from my part-time job that at least covers the full rent/utils and then a bit, and have current landlord as a reference. Breaking a contract: seems tough to find a less-than-12 month contract, I really have no idea where the heck I'll be living post-November. Ideally I'd love to stay where I am, but depending on where/if I find a job after I graduate (teacher) it could be literally anywhere in the state, if not interstate. Is it generally low hassle to sublease a place, assuming you find someone interested? I assume if we just broke the contract I'd be out the bond plus get reported to rental history agencies, which would probably make it difficult to find my next place given my nonexistent history. Any hidden stuff to look out for? I'll obviously be paying utils (my current place includes water and internet), do I have to pay council fees for rubbish pickup and stuff, or would that stuff be paid for by the property owner?
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Feb 15, 2016 12:13
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I LIKE COOKIE posted:So what's the deal with this stuff I'm hearing about the Australian government changing the working holiday visa in June to tax 30% of every dollar made? Instead of 30% after the first ~18k? (this is how it is currently, right?) Slightly worse than that, but pretty much correct. They did away with the tax-free threshold for backpackers by making it impossible to get tax residency on a WHV, so you get classified as a non-resident for tax purposes and saddled with 32.5% income tax from the first dollar. Under the old system, you'd have only been liable for 19% tax on income above the 18k but below 37k, the 32.5% is actually the marginal rate for AU$37-80k/yr. There maaaay be hope, I just read an article earlier this week (after seeing nothing in the news for months) that farmers and effected groups are finally starting to make noise in an organised fashion. One proposal they're talking about is doing away with superannuation contributions for WHVers, which appears sensible at first, but doesn't actually address the problem on its own. It's not that backpackers are suddenly becoming too expensive to pay, just that they're getting too much tax taken out after the fact to make it worth coming here and working. Would employers then pass the 9.5% they would be paying in super directly on to the backpackers, I guess? I have a feeling less financially literate Aussie employees would get kind of salty about that, and it will probably make doing payroll more of a pain in the butt. At any rate, the sense I got from the article is "Well, we're going to wait and see if people actually do bail in droves this year when it comes into effect  ". I was doing some picking work last month and it was probably 90% backpackers, it would be interesting to see how it impacts the agricultural sector (particularly fruit). And by that I mean "holy crap it is really gonna suck for a lot of farmers". Personally, I think it would be way easier and more reasonable to just keep things the way they are, but have the government collect their super fund as tax after the backpackers leave, effective for anyone arriving after July 1. 9.5% tax is reasonable*, and since it'd be going into the super, it's not money that the WHV makers would be missing in terms of getting by in their day to day lives anyways. Sure, some would grumble, but given that it's money separate from their usual paycheque that it'd be months before they saw anyways, psychologically I don't think it would have much of an impact. Plus, it saves the government having to amend the tax code just to accommodate backpackers, employers having to do separate payroll for backpackers with no super, etc. There, I fixed it. Pompous Rhombus for Treasurer  *In the article, the current Treasurer whinges that backpackers use health and emergency services without paying tax, seemingly unaware that backpackers aren't covered by Medicare and are required to have health insurance. Emergency services (and other stuff like roads, libraries, etc) I do see, and he does have a point that the vast majority of WHV holders won't pay any tax aside from GST, so I don't think it's unreasonable to ask them to pay something. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 22:46 on Feb 17, 2016 |
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Feb 17, 2016 22:34
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HookShot posted:You're not going to be paying taxes, why would you expect to get free healthcare? Well, he'll be paying 32.5% income tax come July 1 (and not receiving healthcare in the bargain, which was his point).
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Feb 19, 2016 05:51
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Anyone have experience using HBO Now here? I've got a US billing address/credit card, but no paid VPN service. Can I get away with just Hola? All I've been able to find online is that they cracked down on it last April, but not sure if that's just people using iTunes GC's or Aussie credit cards. Related, but might be useful to someone: I was able to get the Spotify student discount by using my old US university email login, and attaching my Aussie tuition statement as proof of current enrolment. They don't offer student pricing for Australia (so I don't think an Australian university email will work for registration), but I guess whatever temp in India checks the tuition bills doesn't really give a hoot, was approved within a few minutes. In other news, I get to look forward to moving a couple months early thanks to my landlord deciding to bring in a random Spanish couple next week (originally lured me into staying saying my partner and I would have the place to ourselves for two months after she got here, then dropped that on me a couple weeks ago). From looking at new places I found out it wasn't legal for him to collect the bond from me directly last year*, so I now have a meeting with the free student legal advice people on Tuesday to figure out what my rights are in this situation. I don't *think* he's going to try and keep it since I'm effectively being replaced by higher-paying tenants, but I want to shut him down as quickly as possible if he starts making noises in that direction. Also found out I've got zero credit history here thanks to the off-the-books lease I'm currently on, which isn't really a surprise, but certainly isn't going to help. The places I've been looking at have had disheartening amounts of interest, this is timed pretty badly with the start of uni. One place did say that bringing in statements with bank account balance can help out, so I'm going to try that when I go in to drop off the paperwork Monday morning. *This makes total sense and I think it's a fantastic arrangement, but I've never heard of anything like it until recently. edit Came across this today looking something up on WHV visas: looks like as of late last year, doing WWOOFing/other volunteer work no longer counts towards eligibility for 2nd year visas. Personally, I find using volunteers to fill what ought to be paid positions somewhat questionable at best, but this + the tax increase on WHV makers is going to make for some interesting shifts in the agricultural labour market this year. Reminded me to see if any movement had happened on the tax situation, all I could find was a tiny blurb from earlier this week that said the treasurer told parliament they were "working through" the issue. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 23:44 on Mar 5, 2016 |
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Mar 5, 2016 07:27
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monsterbunny posted:I'm planning a ~3 week trip in late Oct - mid November for strictly vacation. Here's the rough itinerary, but would love some recommendations/suggestions/confirmation that I'm doing it right. It's just me and my SO for the whole trip and meeting up with various friends throughout. We're also planning on driving as little as possible and avoiding car rentals. We prefer the more nature-based activities, so hikes, biking tours, etc over museums since we're from the NYC area. You might consider hiring bikes in the CBD and taking the bicycle path all the way up to MONA. It's a converted rail track and tbqh the scenery you'll see along it is going to be pretty "meh", but if you're into cycling might be more fun for you guys than taking the ferry. MONA tops most people's list of things to do in Hobart, personally while I find much of the art a bit precious, it's undeniably a pretty cool space and worth having a look at. It will probably eat up half your remaining day in Hobart if you're stopping and looking at everything though. I'm not saying you should skip MONA, but if people familiar with Hobart are asking about your trip, expect them to ask for an explanation as to why you did For outdoorsey stuff, I think there's a tour operator that does downhill mountain bikes from Mt Wellington (have seen the van/trailer there a few times). You can also catch a city bus out to Fern Tree and climb it (doesn't take any special gear or skill), I did it last year in late Oct and the weather was quite nice. You'll need decent coats when you get to the top though, not sure how light you guys are packing. I have also heard really good things about the Bruny Island Wildlife Cruise from several local friends, haven't been myself yet. You might prefer not to do back-to-back tours though. If you are into whisky/wine/craft beer there are a number of places in the Hobart area you could check out, if you're dead set on not driving (not the worst idea considering tastings) there's a whisky tour operator. Bonarong Wildlife Sanctuary is supposed to be quite good if you're interested in local animals (devils, wallabies, etc)... it sounds like the rest of your trip will be pretty urban, so might be good to consider. I assume there's a way to get out there without hiring a car but could be wrong.
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Sep 7, 2016 10:38
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monsterbunny posted:What are some of the local carriers that are fairly reliable for coverage in TAS/MEL/SYD/CAIRN? It looks like I can buy either a Vodafone or Optus from the Sydney airport. Telstra is the best for Tasmania, if you can't get that then Optus would be your next bet, but don't expect wonderful coverage in the countryside. Vodafone is supposed to be basically worthless here.
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Oct 7, 2016 22:44
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Tasky posted:Does anyone have experience with long-term medical coverage in Australia? Whar sort of visa are you applying for? I'm with Medibank but haven't used it, so can't comment on how good it is. Not sure about vision being standard, dental is definitely extra, but they wouldn't be required for a visa. My partner is with Bupa (working holiday) and the one time we had to use it they were worthless. Wouldn't pay out unless we got a doctor's note saying it wasn't a pre-existing condition (it wasn't, and she indicated she had none when she signed up for it), and wouldn't say whether they'd cover THAT doctor's visit (to get the note).
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Dec 16, 2016 22:52
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UnfortunateSexFart posted:Are there any big cities that aren't worth visiting? Haven't heard many good things about Darwin... People dump on Perth as being exactly that, also being super far from everything. I haven't been there in a long time (lived there for a year) but I didn't actually mind it, but it's still not somewhere I'd put high up the list of 'must see' places in Australia. I'd rather go to Darwin than Perth, for sure.
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Apr 8, 2018 01:45
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