Migrating to Australia - Thoughts & Advice?

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFreak

Perth is nearer to Malaysia, nice place if you like something quiet, but I still miss KL life (I find it too quiet here.).

My parents came in as business migrants back in 2003, got our PR in 2005. Me & my family must get out of Australia every 5 years I think.

Best to get in before you turn 50 years old (Apparently easier that way.).

Another way to get in is to be a skilled migrant. In the construction area, people like brick layers or truckers earn big money!

Move to Perth, and buy a house in Wilson, Karawarra (Nearby Curtin Uni.) or Cannington, so that I can visit you everyday.

PS: Have you considered Canada or New Zealand, cooler climates & greener.

Canada is too far. New Zealand is too quiet, from what I hear.

Why must your family get out of Australia every 5 years? From what I heard, as a temporary PR, you must stay in Australia at least 2 years out of 5 years.

Yeah, will probably apply as a skilled migrant but not sure if we can find work there. There's always Tech ARP, but I think the living standards there are at least 3X higher than over here in Malaysia.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by The_YongGrand

Wow... but the strange thing is, Australia's Christmas is summer time...

That means the guys and girls there celebrate Christmas outside their homes?

Yeah, that's because Australia is located on the southern hemisphere.

[ToyotaFreak]

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

Canada is too far. New Zealand is too quiet, from what I hear.

Why must your family get out of Australia every 5 years? From what I heard, as a temporary PR, you must stay in Australia at least 2 years out of 5 years.

Yeah, will probably apply as a skilled migrant but not sure if we can find work there. There's always Tech ARP, but I think the living standards there are at least 3X higher than over here in Malaysia.

Sorry, it's 2 out of 5 years, got it mixed up.

Hmmm... Something in the IT field? Might have some opportunities here (And also good money.). Or maybe on the hospitality side?

Yup, you're right about the higher living costs, for example, cars might be cheaper, but when maintenance time comes, a lot of $$$ (And you also have annual vehicle inspections if you're in VIC & NSW I think.). Same thing with food, we rarely eat out as it is expensive & so are the bills for water or electricity.

As long as you're earning local currency and have a stable income + job, you'll be able to survive here.



My parents are thinking of moving back to Malaysia (My dad can't afford to retire down under plus he still prefers the busier lifestyle of KL & Bangkok.), while I will stay here for work (And probably go back during the holidays.).



Anyways, I'll try to answer some of the questions from your original post.

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

Hi guys!

Right now, I would be interested in finding out about...

1. The best way to get PR status in Australia.

2. The best places for a greenhorn to start a new life.

3. What's great about Australia?

4. What's not so great about Australia?

5. Living standards, and the kind of yearly income I would need to lead a reasonably comfortably life in Australia.

6. Medical practice in Australia and its prospects. We have medical degrees from the Melaka-Manipal Medical College, essentially equivalent to a medical degree from a local university like UM, USM, UPM.

7. Cultural differences and similarity we should be aware of.

8. FOOD! How's the food? What's good and what's bad about Australian food? Can a Malaysian survive there???

Thanks!

1. Not sure about this. Might want to do some research & see what suit your requirements.

2. Perth is nearer to Malaysia & in the same time zone (Or +1 hour if DST in in effect during summer.)

3. Hmmm... Stress-free (Almost.) drives, winter, and the friendly people (And migrants from other countries.).

4. Too hot in summer (And also cases of bush fires in certain areas.)!, wished it snowed here, might encounter some rude/ racially biased people, expensive costs of living (Unless you work with the military.),

5. Living standards here are about the same (To me, at least. Others will have different views/ experiences.). Can't comment about the income yet.

6. I can ask my uncle about this when he calls me.

7. Australia is a melting pot of cultures, so there might be some similar things. Differences?

Hmmm......

-Friends here hug each other, it's normal here. I wasn't used to it in teh first two 2 weeks, but after a while it's a normal thing to do (Oh, and the feeling is nice too! )

-Social drinking. People love doing this.

That's all I can think of for now.

8. This one, I can answer. There are a lot of good Malaysian/ Asian restaurants in WA & the rest of Australia, but nothing beats the real thing back home (Of course la...).

Best to avoid expensive & fancy restaurants if you can, as they tend to be very expensive (Great service, but small portions & usually doesn't taste that good.).

For Fish & Chips, you can try the small shops or the larger joints in Fremantle, such as Kailis Bros. & Cincerello's.

For the same price you spend eating outside, you can cook more at home (and usually tastes better than the restaurants.). Good idea to grow your own veggies (Although I hate gardening.).

I can ask my mother on Skype if you have any other questions (She's currently not here), feel free to PM me.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFreak

Sorry, it's 2 out of 5 years, got it mixed up.

Hmmm... Something in the IT field? Might have some opportunities here (And also good money.). Or maybe on the hospitality side?

Yup, you're right about the higher living costs, for example, cars might be cheaper, but when maintenance time comes, a lot of $$$ (And you also have annual vehicle inspections if you're in VIC & NSW I think.). Same thing with food, we rarely eat out as it is expensive & so are the bills for water or electricity.

As long as you're earning local currency and have a stable income + job, you'll be able to survive here.



My parents are thinking of moving back to Malaysia (My dad can't afford to retire down under plus he still prefers the busier lifestyle of KL & Bangkok.), while I will stay here for work (And probably go back during the holidays.).

I can ask my mother on Skype if you have any questions (She's currently not here), feel free to PM me.

Well, I "may" have to go back into medicine if I do migrate... but whether that's possible, I will have to check.

Hmm.. They are thinking of moving back? Australia not that great?

I guess the living costs are just much higher than in Malaysia. Can you give me any hard numbers to play with? Like prices of cars, petrol, water, electricial, Internet, etc. Thanks!

[ToyotaFreak]

it's not that my parents don't like Australia. It's just that for the long term, my dad can't afford to stay here, and he doesn't have many friends in Perth. But then again, different individuals will have different opinions.

My RAV4, for it's 60,000KM service, costs around $200 (Almost RM600.). My parents claim that sending in the Estima for servicing is cheaper back home.

My friend ended up spending $2,000 to service his car (No, it's not a Merc or some other kind of expensive car.) just recently (It was a high miler though, to be fair).

Food? Here's a menu of a restaurant I used to dine with my mother (We moved a little further now.). I can have a very decent meal for the same price back in Malaysia.
http://www.cafesomerville.com.au/Gra...202 51005.pdf

Petrol prices over here are different at each stations, but there's also the fuel docket thingie (Shop before you refuel!).

http://www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au/price...ch_results.cfm

Water & Electrical bills. That depends on how much you consume (I don't know where my parents keep all of the bills though, so I'm not sure about the exact amount.), but you might pay more in winter.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFreak

it's not that my parents don't like Australia. It's just that for the long term, my dad can't afford to stay here, and he doesn't have many friends in Perth. But then again, different individuals will have different opinions.

My RAV4, for it's 60,000KM service, costs around $200 (Almost RM600.). My parents claim that sending in the Estima for servicing is cheaper back home.

My friend ended up spending $2,000 to service his car (No, it's not a Merc or some other kind of expensive car.) just recently (It was a high miler though, to be fair).

Food? Here's a menu of a restaurant I used to dine with my mother (We moved a little further now.). I can have a very decent meal for the same price back in Malaysia.
http://www.cafesomerville.com.au/Gra...202 51005.pdf

Petrol prices over here are different at each stations, but there's also the fuel docket thingie (Shop before you refuel!).

http://www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au/price...ch_results.cfm

Water & Electrical bills. That depends on how much you consume (I don't know where my parents keep all of the bills though, so I'm not sure about the exact amount.), but you might pay more in winter.

Hmm.. Maybe I should open a Malaysian restaurant over there.

Oh, what did the service consist of? Surely not just a change of the engine oil?

Yeah, I guessed as much, but how much is the petrol over there right now? A rough range would do. Thanks.

I heard that it's really quiet after 5 pm. Is that true? What do you do after 5?

[ToyotaFreak]

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

Hmm.. Maybe I should open a Malaysian restaurant over there.

Oh, what did the service consist of? Surely not just a change of the engine oil?

Yeah, I guessed as much, but how much is the petrol over there right now? A rough range would do. Thanks.

I heard that it's really quiet after 5 pm. Is that true? What do you do after 5?

My RAV4 had it's brakes & oil changed + got my dome light bulb readjusted (I didn't install it properly.). No more warranty (That ended last year.). Still under 50,000 KM.

I remembered paying roughly $56 - $57 (@ RM 160 - 165) for a full tank (Slightly over.) of 98 RON (Forgot to use my fuel docket.).

In Perth, shops open till late (@ 21:30) on Thursdays. In VIC, they have longer trading hours everyday (Some supermarkets even open for 24H.) according to my uncle. There was a referendum to allow business to trade till late in WA, but everyone objected (Damn them! I'd rather have this instead of the Daylight Savings Time trial!).

Restaurants are the only ones that open till 22:00 or 23:00 daily.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFreak

My RAV4 had it's brakes & oil changed + got my dome light bulb readjusted (I didn't install it properly.). No more warranty (That ended last year.). Still under 50,000 KM.

I remembered paying roughly $56 - $57 (@ RM 160 - 165) for a full tank (Slightly over.) of 98 RON (Forgot to use my fuel docket.).

In Perth, shops open till late (@ 21:30) on Thursdays. In VIC, they have longer trading hours everyday (Some supermarkets even open for 24H.) according to my uncle. There was a referendum to allow business to trade till late in WA, but everyone objected (Damn them! I'd rather have this instead of the Daylight Savings Time trial!).

Restaurants are the only ones that open till 22:00 or 23:00 daily.

Hmm.. How big is your fuel tank?

Oh, only on Thursdays? Why?

Hmm.. They actually objected to businesses opening after 5?

[ToyotaFreak]

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

Hmm.. How big is your fuel tank?

Oh, only on Thursdays? Why?

Hmm.. They actually objected to businesses opening after 5?

Just checked my manual, 57 litres.

I think the restricted shopping hours in WA is there to protect the smaller shops. A lot of people agree on having extended shopping hours in WA, but in the end, people voted "No" in the referendum.

The Pencil Guy » Now the madness is about trading hours!
Shopping hours - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
PerthNow poll backs Premier's open shopping hours | PerthNow
Sunday shopping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[empire23]

Here's a few point i figured out while studying the place.

- From what i garner, to get a full PR you generally need to be in a list of high priority skilled migrants, which changes from time to time depending on the needs of the country, they generally take alot into consideration, and one stands a better chance if they're educated in aust. Although my gf's brother was denied a PR even though he held a PHD and Professorship at Monash, and got it by the virtue of his wife, an accountant.

- Money. If you have significant amounts of cash to invest in the country and can show that you have the funds to buy a house and live comfortably, it generally reflects better on you. It's just one of those things they take into account.

- You'll probably have to sit for their medical board exam. A family friend, a dentist a graduate from UM had to sit for such an exam as he described it. Expect some form of bias depending on where you go.

- Useless English tests. If you have a valid IELTS or TOEFL cert you stand to get past their stupid migrant english test which uses the listening and speaking parts of the IELTS test. Band 6 and you'll be fine.

- Hope Anti Immigration parties don't get back into power or one might be shipped back here

- I hate perth and australia generally. Stupid fudgin hot place, been to Aust 6 times and i still don't like the place, it's as boring as staring at my nuts. Maybe it's that accent and my metal image that sees australians as all crocodile wrestlers. I much prefer the UK but they kind want Business and Economics educated migrants.

- It seems that the orang puteh have not discovered the magic of ceiling fans.

- Everything stops at 5 depending on place. Lazy aussies.

If anyone wants to know, my dream is to migrate to my very own ICBM nuclear missile silo base in the middle of a the Siberian forest. I'll get 300 Win Mag and 338 lapua mag rifles and other Military goodies and live off the land while having modern stuff like interwebs and electricity.

I will earn money by selling illicitly acquired nuclear weapons.