Still, - I know there’s a small pocket of you who probably wonder what we’ve been up to when you wake each morning (not) so to appease these small few I’ll use this time on the train with my ridiculously small blackberry keyboard wisely and give you a quick heads up on what’s been going on down under.

Firstly where is Jeff? It’s been a very long time now since we saw Charlie’s feline brethren so all I can say is we hope he’s in a safe and happy place.

We got his annual vaccination reminder through from the vets yesterday so if he is out there he better keep away from all those bugs!

Something we never thought about was the fact that Jeff liked to jump into the back of open Vans and Lorries so he’s probably chilling out somewhere around Sydney about now.

Or, perhaps he just got hit by a car and we simply couldn’t find him. Either way, no more Jeff

I know its Mid May here in Australia but by UK Standards we are half way through the equivalent of November.

The mornings and evenings are now starting to get cold! We’re not talking freezing though. This morning at about 7am it was just a touch over 9 degrees Celsius. Perhaps ‘fresh’ is a slightly better way to describe it.

Certainly not short and t-shirt weather, well, not first thing in the morning. During the afternoon we are still seeing temperatures in the low twenties so not bad for late autumn.

I quite like this time of the year actually. Being the sunniest capital city in the World were still getting lots of sunshine here in Perth, just not the sort that melts your skin within 5 seconds of stepping into it.

In other news the missus has started back at work. Not quite full time but 30 hours a week. This meant we had to source child care for junior number 2 and after school care for junior number 1.

As child care in Australia will be quite an important subject for many of you then you might be interested to know that I’m working on a article on the very subject which I hope to post in the next week or so watch this space

The missus is working in the city so it’s nice to catch up for our regular coffee in the morning without the distraction of kids. You forget how important these times alone are sometimes when you’ve been surrounded by a little person (and now people) demanding your attention all the time.

Speaking of Coffee, Aussies love the stuff. You’ll find Starbucks in abundance in Sydney, although none in Perth for some reason. Perth still has several coffee shop per head of population so you’ll never struggle to find somewhere for your early morning caffeine fix.

Speaking of which, I”m at the station now so time for work. More Blackberry updates soon.

On the 26th of April a number of minor changes were announced. Most of these are not particularly relevant to most of our readers, however a changes to the Student Visa class are worthy of a mention.

The regulations are amended to:

• Include work rights on all initial student visa grants thus removing the need for student visa holders to make a separate application for permission to work.
• Prevent students and their family members from undertaking work until the student has commenced their course of study or training by amending student visa work conditions.
• Define the term ‘week’ as it applies to student visa work conditions.
• Increase the Student Visa Application Charge
• Amend a minor technical error made as a result of 2007 changes relating to the introduction of the Values Statement.

Transitional provisions: The amendments apply in relation to an application for a visa made but not finally determined before, or made on or after, 26 April 2008.

More info available here.

It makes sense that you have some Australian cash waiting for you once you arrive down under but how exactly do you go about opening an Australian Bank account when you’re not physically there.

Within this article we’ll try and provide you with some helpful hints, tips and links to enable you to do just this

As well as opening an Australian Bank account from the UK, a large portion of this article should also prove useful for those of you looking to move to Australia from other countries.

If you have first hand experience of opening an Australian Bank account from outside of Australia, please help us build on the usefulness of this article by posting a comment at the end of the article, detailing your own experiences.

From our own research, it appears that the folks over at Westpac appear to do a half decent job when it comes to providing easy banking facilities for new or wannabe migrants.

With this in mind we’ll base a large part of this article around opening a migrant account with Westpac.

Please keep in mind that this should not be seen as an endorsement of Westpacks services (we personally opened an account with Bankwest when we arrived in Perth and have been happy with Bankwest so far).

However as a starter for ten the Westpac account seems to tick quite a few boxes and you can always change to a different bank once you arrive down under.

How long before you get to Australia should you open a bank account?

I guess the answer to this question is really open to personal preferences. When we moved to Australia we didn’t have an Australian Bank account until we got here. We did however have UK bank cards linked to Visa which enabled us to basically utilise any ATM (displaying a Visa logo) for a nominal fee of £1.50 per transaction.

Obviously each time we used our cards we withdrew the largest amount we could to minimise the impact of this fee, and after we’d been in Australia for a couple of weeks we opened bank accounts of our own.

If you’re looking to open a bank account before moving to Australia, I’d suggest that you allow at least 4 weeks for everything to be processed for you. Although most of the process associated with opening a new account can be done over the telephone. There will still be forms which need to be signed and/or authenticated which might take a little time when being sent to you from Australia.

Do you need permanent residency to open an Australian Bank Account?

The answer to this question is no, however in reality, opening an Australian Bank account from outside of Australia can be pretty difficult. Don’t despair however, the information further down in this article will help.

If you get an opportunity to visit Australia before you get your visa’s then this could be a prime time to open a new bank account.

The news on the grapevine is that both ANZ and Westpac are happy to provide folks visiting Australia with banking facilities. Normally the cards are delivered directly to the branch for collection with further correspondence/cards etc being posted directly to the UK once the final paper work is completed.

Check out the links at the end of this article to see if either of these banks have branches in the location of where you’ll be visiting.

So how do I open a bank account from outside Australian?

Ok Ok, we’re getting there!

There are a number of banks offering Migrant Banking facilities, however one of the more popular banks for new migrants is Westpac.

The Westpac account offers online access from the UK. However you will only be able to pay monies into the account (and not withdraw) until you have been identified, either in Australia or via the acceptable referee method as further on in this article.

This is an important point as it means if you haven’t been identified you can’t get back the monies you’ve put in until you’re in Australia!

It’s probably worthwhile therefore not to put you’re life’s savings into your new Westpac account just yet!

Opening the account:

The account can be opened over the telephone. Simply phone Westpac on +61 2 9293 927 and the Westpac reps will run through the whole process with you (note this call terminates in Australia so check your call rates first!)

At the end of this process the Westpac rep will confirm your sort codes (or BSB Code as they call them here in Australia) and account number which will enable you to transfer money into the account.

They will also ask you which branch you want to collect your card/s from once in Australia

Remember, if it is a joint account, you will both need to be present to speak to the Westpac operator.

Identification is by turning up at your nominated branch once in Australia. They may also tell you that you cannot register for internet banking until you have been identified. It seems however that this is not the case with quite a few folks being able to register for internet banking before going through this identification process.

That’s it - jobs done, you now have Westpac bank accounts that you can pay money into.

When you arrive in Australia and go to the bank with your passport etc, (see Westpac site for documents required to confirm identity), you will get your cards and the account will be fully active.

After you have phoned to set the account up, they will send you a pack in the post. This will probably take 10 days or so to come through. The pack will include a form called, ‘Identification by an acceptable referee’.

This is a form that you can use if you desperately want to activate your account for withdrawals before you enter Australia.

An acceptable referee in the UK is someone that has personally known you for over 12 months, and works for a bank, and has the authority to open international accounts. Yes I know. Pretty hard to come by huh?

The form allows you to activate your account from the UK, allowing you to withdraw, as well as pay in money.

You can pay into your Westpac account by using the sort code, (BSB code), and account number that they gave you on the phone when you applied.

You can also check your balance by telephone or internet banking from the UK - see below.

Getting access to on-line banking:

Once you have phoned and opened an account, give it a few days and phone them again, this time on the telephone banking number - +61 1300 655 505 - ask them to register you for telephone banking.

They will ask you for one of your account numbers.

They will then give you an 8 digit customer number and a 3 digit ID number. These are what you use when you call telephone banking to check that your payments have gone it.

Then, ask them for a temporary password for on-line banking.

If it is a joint account, you will both need to speak to the advisor as you will have different customer and ID numbers, and your own temporary password. Just ask the operator if you can pass the phone over to your partner if you have a joint account.

Once you have your temporary password, you can go to Westpac online and click to ‘log-in’ to internet banking - (do not click on register for on-line banking - go straight to log-in), you will enter your 8 digit customer number and your temporary password.

The site will then ask you to choose a new password, along with a few other questions, and then voila - you have access to your Westpac account on-line.

Again, you should both do this if it is a joint account. You will both access the same account, but have your own unique log in number and password.

Once on-line, you can add all of your other on-line accounts to it, so you can see your whole financial situation at a glance from one access page.

Useful info/links (Links open in new window)

WestPac Migrant Banking: www.westpac.com.au/migrantbanking/

Westpac’s London switchboard: (020) 7621 7000

There is also an email address:
ukmigrantbanking@westpac.com.au

Postal address:
Migrant Banking, Level 2
63 St Mary Axe
London EC3A 8LE

It’s not all about Westpac though - The NAB offer Migrant banking to:

Check out there website www.nabgroup.com/migrantbanking/ for more information or

ANZ Banks website at: http://www.anz.com/

Please remember, this article will be made more useful if you have your own experiences opening an Australian Bank Account from outside of Australia.

If you have your own experiences, please post a comment.

Cheers

Mark

IELTS or the International English Language Testing System measures a persons ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – a key requirement for folks who intend to study, work and generally live in Australia.

Although a written post is always going to prove useful, I thought I’d also include a Video which I found on Youtube which some of you folks may also enjoy watching.

There’s actually a ton of stuff on Youtube which I think might be of interest or of use to visitors to our site so as I find them I’ll add them for you to review

Kevin Rudd, in his first official visit to Britain since becoming Prime Minister in November, said: “Once a Republican, always a Republican.”

Mr Rudd, who was speaking at Downing Street where he met UK PM Gordon Brown, said that a referendum on the monarchy was not a priority. But he added: “I’m a life-long republican. It’s absolutely clear in the Australian Labour Party platform that’s where we intend to go.”

I also honour the commitments I made before the last election when asked this - I said for us it is not a top order question. We have other fish to fry right now in terms of priorities back home,” he said at the joint press conference with Mr Brown at Downing Street.

He said the relationship between the two countries was in “first class working order” and he believed the nations could be a “force for good” in the world.

Buckingham Palace, while publicly relaxed about Mr Rudd’s comments, is already concerned that the relevance of the Queen, as Australia’s head of state, is diminishing among the younger generations.

While public sentiment towards her is still strong, opinion polls suggest the majority of Australians would support the establishment of a republic. In 2000 the Queen acknowledged the debate and said that it was up to Australians to decide on the future of the monarchy.

Personally, I think this will be a good thing. I know for many Born And Bread Aussies being independent from the UK and its monarchy will be seen as a good thing to.

Australia is a very independent country, as are it’s people and I think it’s about time that they are treated as such.

Our links to the UK are an historical one, Australia is finally recognising the errors of its ways in the treatment of Australia’s Aboriginal founders, It’s probably about time the link back to the ‘mother country’ is finally cut to?

Just my $0.02 anyway

I think it’s pretty safe to say that as your reading this you’re considering a move (or have already made the move) Down Under.

When we moved to Australia one of the main things that drove us here was the better lifestyle we saw Australia giving our family.

When you think about it though, what is a better lifestyle?

It’s pretty much an all encompassing statement isn’t it?

With this in mind I’d thought I’d attempt to break down ‘a better lifestyle’ into a number of key components and then ask you guys to let me know which of these things drive you to help us all understand the key drivers for moving to Australia.

Is it the just the weather or are you looking for something else?

I had to have a good think about the list and I’m sure there are obvious thing’s I’ve missed out but I think it’s a reasonable list for starters:

Heres the Poll

If you have the time, please take a few seconds to post a comment to let us know why you feel Australia is the place for you.

Some of the results might be quite surprising.

Cheers guys

Mark

The MBA says skilled workers are needed in order to solve the skills shortage and it is the issue which is most affecting the sector’s progression.

This is obviously good news for folks skilled in the construction profession who are considering a permanent move to Australia.

MBA executive director Brian Welch said:

“With an ageing workforce and many of our senior building professionals close to retirement age, the situation is expected to worsen. The fewer trades contractors there are to do work, then clearly prices will rise as shortages become imminent.” He added that there are a lot of people in the construction industry who will retire in the next five years.”

The MBA was established in 1875 and aims to improve standards in the industry.

Industrial relations commissioner Barbara Deegan will head a working party of industry and trade union leaders looking into the 457 visa program.

Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans said the six-month review would address concerns about the exploitation of migrant workers, salary levels and English language requirements with Industry and union groups in Australia welcoming the decision.

The general secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, John Sutton, says the deregulation of the visa program under the Howard government allowed abuse of the system and workers’ rights

Mr Sutton told ABC Radio.

“”We’re seeing the deaths of these workers..We’re seeing many instances of workers being badly underpaid, we’re seeing instances of workers living 12 to a house in appalling accommodation, we’re seeing their pay packets tampered with and money deducted without their permission.

“The new commissioner who has been given the task of getting to the bottom of these issues will certainly be very busy.”

Not all 457 Visa workers are effected though. Recruitment and Consulting Services Association spokesman Charles Cameron said more than two thirds of workers hired with 457 visas were professionals and managers who were not vulnerable to exploitation.

I makes you wonder if the 457 Visa is a little to diverse for it’s own good?

Sure I expected to meet quite a few English staff as there a quite a few Poms living in the area anyway but at a guess I’d say over 85% of the nursing staff I met were of British origin.

It looks like this exodus is starting to have an effect to with the Royal College of Nursing warning that the UK may be on the verge of a nursing crisis as an unprecedented number of nurses migrate to Australia.

In 2007, a record 5,000 British nurses formally signalled an intention to take up work in Australian hospitals, having been lured by attractive offers and an unparalleled lifestyle.

Indeed, numbers of nurses making Australian visa applications have been so high that the RNC has highlighted the need for Britain to retain the nurses which it was producing.

Howard Catton, head of policy for the RNC, explained that he has met Australian employers who had come to the UK to recruit up to 60 nurses at a time, but who had in fact ended up making offers to twice that number.

Despite being wary of the record numbers of UK-trained nurses taking up employment in Australia, Mr. Catton admitted that he understood how attractive many of the offers were. He said:

“The Australians have stepped up their recruitment activity on the basis of what they believe is unemployment and downsizing in the UK.

“There is a belief that in the UK we don’t need the nurses we’ve got - but we know we do need them.

“The Australian recruitment agencies that I’ve spoken to since I’ve been here are making very attractive offers.

“It’s not just the starting salaries. The packages include air travel - for nurses’ families as well - relocation expenses, temporary accommodation and the promise that they’ll support an application for permanent residency.
“A couple of employers even offer a ‘meet and greet’ service at the airport with chauffeur-driven limousines, so the nurses are made to feel welcome as soon as their feet touch the ground.

“Nurses have always historically left the UK and gone to Australia but the numbers have doubled recently.”

I’d be interested to see if we have any British nurses visiting our site. If you are then perhaps give us your own view

Autumn in Australia

I really have no idea where the time has gone. I can’t believe that we’ve got back around to autumn so soon.

Last year I made the revelation that here in Australia, the leaves fall off the tree’s during autumn. This year I’m going to make another awe inspiring one.

Ready?

Ok…..it rains!

I know I know, maybe not the greatest revelation at all and I have written about rain a number of times since moving down under but we seem to be getting quite a bit of the wet stuff of late.

I do like the rain though. Strange though it may sound after spending quite a bit of time in what is officially the sunniest capital city in the world. A little bit of the wet stuff is a welcome relief!

I’m not the only one who like’s the rain either. The new plants in the garden are enjoying the stuff to. I’d almost go as far as to say that they are flourishing but I won’t get to excited just yet as I’m sure there will still be amble opportunities for them to die

We are sill seeing plenty of sunshine though. I might have mentioned already that when it rains here in Western Australia it throws the stuff down solid for about thirty minutes and then the blazing sunshine comes back out.

That’s pretty much the forecast today, scattered showers and plenty of sunshine!

It’s still nice and warm though. Today we should be looking at temperatures in the mid 20’s The weekend is forecast to be sunny with temperatures in the 28 to 30 degree Celsius range.

Not bad for Autumn I guess, not bad at all