Moving to Sydney soon! & asking for advice

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Hey!

I'm 26 y.o. EE about to do the greatest leap of faith in my life. I'm moving to Sydney, Australia in 29 days!
I have no relatives nor friends there, so it's gonna be a lone journey; hopefully life-changing one

I've been planning this since two years in my mind and since beginning of this year for real: that's where I went to the visa-handling office.
Luckily, being a graduate of some universities gives an opportunity to get a working visa (18 months and a possibility of prolongation) without any problems.
So, I've paid: IELTS exam, visa and office fee, first month's rent and one-way flight.
But... how to go from here?
( Except for making peace of mind that I'm going somewhere I've never been to )

My priorities are: a job, a flat, friends, a girlfriend.
If I get to the latter, I guess it will feel like home
But seriously; I've got some savings that should keep me alive for 6 months (if the cost of living is around 1500 AUD/month).
Nonetheless, I don't want to loose career time nor savings, so a job is a number one priority.
I've got M.Sc., experience in industry and overall I'm confident about my qualifications: let's just say I've never really looked for a job - it always found me. Though I don't wanna make this post looking-for-a-job one as I'll do it separately.
I was advised to use seek.com.au and not rely solely on the city I'm in - that is being open to move anytime anywhere, though I feel I'd prefer Sydney (meet Dave and EEVbloggers someday!!!).
Second idea is to look for companies through google maps/google search and email them.
Third idea is to just go and knock on the door ("Hi, hire me!" - LOL).

I've noticed, that some offers state "permament residents" only (does not apply to me yet... maybe someday).
Is it gonna be hard? Should I expect being somewhat "abused" (financially or by doing "lame" work)?

Will one-page resume and one-page cover letter be enough for Australian standards?
Keep it simple & to the point strategy.
Eventually I'd add a separate document with an overview of projects I've done including photos when possible; that's what I'd do in Europe.

I'm open and will listen to any advice from you guys in this whole matter.

Also, a minute of silence to all electronic stuff that needs to be left behind.
That includes DS1054Z, homemade lab-desk, 2x PSU, shelves of samples, components, dev-kits & unfinished projects.
...
I'm allowed to take 30kg and myself (74kg) only.
So: packing clothes, shoes, notebook, EE books and only few of my projects just to be able to show at the interview. And lots of optimism in my heart!!
Suggestions for anything else?

TL;DR.
Thank you for getting here.
Wish you a lovely day! 

[jpanhalt]

Why go to Sydney?  Everything there is either vicious or poisonous.  We need good people in America -- excluding our West coast and regions on the East coast above the Mason-Dixon line (basically the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania).  I like the upper mid-West -- somewhere between Interstate 80 and Interstate 90.  No vicious creatures, no venomous snakes.  Much north of I-90, it is too cold. South of I-80, it is too hot and humid.   If that doesn't bother you, and you don't mind rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads, try Texas.

Best wishes for your move.

[ataradov]

America will not give you a visa for 18 months in hope that you can find a job. Getting a work visa and dealing with H1B stuff is a painful nightmare.

[jpanhalt]

18 months?   That does not agree with my experience.  I have hired people (some student visa's, some employees) from India, China, and Singapore with no real problems.

[ataradov]

18 months?   That does not agree with my experience.  I have hired people (some student visa's, some employees) from India, China, and Singapore with no real problems.

They must have had some sort of work authorization (student visas give you one).

You can not just decide to move to the US for work.  You need to find an employer while abroad, apply for H1B visa (employer does this, you can't do it yourself), wait until one time a year they actually grant them, win against indian body shops.

I went though this process myself. It is not easy on anyone involved.

If you already have a work visa, then it is easy, of course. Getting one is reasonably hard, especially when compared to just paying visa fees.

[Ampera]

Steer DEAR CLEAR of the USA. I'm headed to Germany as soon as I can. I am willing to say we are one of the worst countries in the first world.

Not to mention, immigration is incredibly stupid. It's not a good time to be trying any of that. Heck, even entering the country as a citizen is a painful process. Seriously.

I took a flight from the US to Germany (Frankport) via Keflavik/Reykjavik. Going to Germany, I went through the US TSA (which was painless enough) flew to Iceland, stood in a line for 10ish minutes, got our passports checked, and we were on our way. After that the flight to Germany was without any border checks, and we were allowed to grab our bags and leave the terminal without any issues.

On the way back, we went to Frankport, German TSA is fine, and we boarded the plane to Keflavik. I don't remember if there was a passport check there, I think there may have been, but it wasn't that painful if there was one. Next, we flew to Boston Logan, and oh boy, that's where the fun starts.

We grab our bags, and head to border control. First off we need to enter our info into a load of electronic kiosks, and go through a load of eye scanning and recognition stuff. Then we had to be interrogated by a border control guard about a few different things, and then we were spat out of the ominous looking US customs area of the airport.

My only suggestion for moving to Australia is have money, and lots of it. I've heard stuff gets real expensive there.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Why go to Sydney?  Everything there is either vicious or poisonous. 

Hey now!

You're the one with that ratbag president!   


 

[jpanhalt]

Of course, you need an employer, and that was I.  The bar is pretty low.   There is of course the much larger number of "illegal" aliens.  I do not recommend doing that, but it is an option.

[jpanhalt]

Steer DEAR CLEAR of the USA. I'm headed to Germany as soon as I can. I am willing to say we are one of the worst countries in the first world.

Not to mention, immigration is incredibly stupid. It's not a good time to be trying any of that. Heck, even entering the country as a citizen is a painful process. Seriously.

I took a flight from the US to Germany (Frankport) via Keflavik/Reykjavik. Going to Germany, I went through the US TSA (which was painless enough) flew to Iceland, stood in a line for 10ish minutes, got our passports checked, and we were on our way. After that the flight to Germany was without any border checks, and we were allowed to grab our bags and leave the terminal without any issues.

On the way back, we went to Frankport, German TSA is fine, and we boarded the plane to Keflavik. I don't remember if there was a passport check there, I think there may have been, but it wasn't that painful if there was one. Next, we flew to Boston Logan, and oh boy, that's where the fun starts.

We grab our bags, and head to border control. First off we need to enter our info into a load of electronic kiosks, and go through a load of eye scanning and recognition stuff. Then we had to be interrogated by a border control guard about a few different things, and then we were spat out of the ominous looking US customs area of the airport.

My only suggestion for moving to Australia is have money, and lots of it. I've heard stuff gets real expensive there.

Do you need some assistance with your airfare?

[ataradov]

Of course, you need an employer, and that was I.

Did those people apply for a job while abroad? And did you actually had to go though H1B process?

[jpanhalt]

Why go to Sydney?  Everything there is either vicious or poisonous. 

Hey now!

You're the one with that ratbag president!   


 

Boy, are you  out of date.  That election was last November.  The ratbag didn't run for a third term, and his sycophant lost.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Steer DEAR CLEAR of the USA. I'm headed to Germany as soon as I can. I am willing to say we are one of the worst countries in the first world.

Not to mention, immigration is incredibly stupid. It's not a good time to be trying any of that. Heck, even entering the country as a citizen is a painful process. Seriously.

I took a flight from the US to Germany (Frankport) via Keflavik/Reykjavik. Going to Germany, I went through the US TSA (which was painless enough) flew to Iceland, stood in a line for 10ish minutes, got our passports checked, and we were on our way. After that the flight to Germany was without any border checks, and we were allowed to grab our bags and leave the terminal without any issues.

On the way back, we went to Frankport, German TSA is fine, and we boarded the plane to Keflavik. I don't remember if there was a passport check there, I think there may have been, but it wasn't that painful if there was one. Next, we flew to Boston Logan, and oh boy, that's where the fun starts.

We grab our bags, and head to border control. First off we need to enter our info into a load of electronic kiosks, and go through a load of eye scanning and recognition stuff. Then we had to be interrogated by a border control guard about a few different things, and then we were spat out of the ominous looking US customs area of the airport.

My only suggestion for moving to Australia is have money, and lots of it. I've heard stuff gets real expensive there.

Do you need some assistance with your airfare?

Don't send him here! 


 

[jpanhalt]

Of course, you need an employer, and that was I.

Did those people apply for a job while abroad? And did you actually had to go though H1B process?

Yes, and yes.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Why go to Sydney?  Everything there is either vicious or poisonous. 

Hey now!

You're the one with that ratbag president!   


 

Boy, are you  out of date.  That election was last November.  The ratbag didn't run for a third term, and his sycophant lost.

I'm with you. Note the winky smiley. 

[ataradov]

Yes, and yes.

Then you should know that it is not an easy process. Not a lot of employers are willing to wait for 6+ months to hire a person. That's the whole point of H1B, candidate must have skills worth the wait, It is not a trivial to find a company like that.

[jpanhalt]

Yes, and yes.

Then you should know that it is not an easy process. Not a lot of employers are willing to wait for 6+ months to hire a person. That's the whole point of H1B, candidate must have skills worth the wait, It is not a trivial to find a company like that.

You need to find more enlightened employers. 

[ataradov]

You need to find more enlightened employers. 

It is easy to say, much harder to do in practice.

[EEVblog]

I was advised to use seek.com.au and not rely solely on the city I'm in - that is being open to move anytime anywhere, though I feel I'd prefer Sydney (meet Dave and EEVbloggers someday!!!).

Good idea, as something interesting may come up in another state where there is less competition for the job 

Second idea is to look for companies through google maps/google search and email them.
Third idea is to just go and knock on the door ("Hi, hire me!" - LOL).

Most jobs are likely to be in "business parks". So it's possible to drive/walk around them and look at the company names on the boards in the foyer.
Note down the tech sounding ones and then research them.
Find a direct engineering contact, don't go through Human Resources.

I've noticed, that some offers state "permament residents" only (does not apply to me yet... maybe someday).
Is it gonna be hard? Should I expect being somewhat "abused" (financially or by doing "lame" work)?

I won't lie and say it's going to be easy. Full time jobs will almost always have preference toward permanent residents.
Your best bet is to look for a contract or fixed term role.

Will one-page resume and one-page cover letter be enough for Australian standards?

Yep, one or two pages, no more.

Eventually I'd add a separate document with an overview of projects I've done including photos when possible; that's what I'd do in Europe.

No, do that now!
Add an annex to the Resume if you have to. One page Resume, 2-3 page annex with photos for example is fine. People don't want to read, but photos are fine.

[cdev]

It would be nice if this wasnt the case, but I would be reluctant to come here (US) until we get some very pressing issues, like health care insurance fixed, BUT unfortunately, they are being "fixed" (as in #rigged) but in the absolute worst possible way and the whole country is being deceived, and because of the unnameable WTO services deal from 1995 (similar to your Services Directive) our mistakes there will be locked in and will become irreversible.

Also, engineering as a profession is likely to be targeted for the same deskilling and dewaging process as other decently paid professions here are being, soon.

Read between the lines of Trumps recent proclamation. Atarov got it. Hint, whats the second biggest English speaking community in the world.

Important: I am PRO-IMMIGRATION, just against the creation of artificial trade agreement-based handicaps to enslave people who deserve more than unsustainable artificially lowered wages and being tied to specific jobs as a condition of their presence in the country. (Thats the future if the neoliberal attack on democracy wins and the oligarchs get their way)

[cdev]

Its going to get harder and harder for non-subcontractors. People who come here under the aegis of their foreign multinational corporation's entitlements  can be paid whatever they agree upon elsewhere. Its deemed outside of US jurisdiction.

Of course this is completely legal. In fact it may soon be illegal for countries not to allow it unless they exclude that service sector explicitly in writing beforehand. Even ones that havent been invented yet.

This will keep wages "competitive".

Its going to add up to a pretty hard nut to crack if you're a student with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans you have to pay back.

You would almost think they wanted most people to never get an education.

Quote from: jpanhalt on Today at 16:25:06

Of course, you need an employer, and that was I.  The bar is pretty low.   There is of course the much larger number of "illegal" aliens.  I do not recommend doing that, but it is an option.

[vk6zgo]

Why go to Sydney?  Everything there is either vicious or poisonous.  We need good people in America -- excluding our West coast and regions on the East coast above the Mason-Dixon line (basically the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania).  I like the upper mid-West -- somewhere between Interstate 80 and Interstate 90.  No vicious creatures, no venomous snakes.  Much north of I-90, it is too cold. South of I-80, it is too hot and humid.   If that doesn't bother you, and you don't mind rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads, try Texas.

Best wishes for your move.

This from  a country which has land animals which can actually EAT you!!

Mountain Lions & Wolves, & Bears----Oh my!!

The best we can stack up against that is Feral pigs  (crocodiles aren't really land animals).

[EEVblog]

The best we can stack up against that is Feral pigs  (crocodiles aren't really land animals).

Rubbish, we have Sharknado!

https://www.livescience.com/58494-cyclone-debbie-dumps-shark-on-street-australia.html

[Halcyon]

Where in Sydney are you going to be living? Transport to and from places is probably something you want to think about. If you're living in the city itself or one of the inner suburbs (Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Ultimo, Barangaroo) you can most likely get around on foot (or use the trains that go around the City Circle).

If you intend on using public transport (Train, Bus or Tram), you'll need an Opal card which is just an NFC card with pre-paid funds loaded on it. You can no longer just pay cash for single/return tickets. Most newsagents, some supermarkets (especially in Sydney) and post offices have them, so you don't necessarily need to order one online.


If you plan on driving, you can use your international driving licence for up to 3 months. After 3 months you must obtain a New South Wales driving licence. If you don't, you are considered to be "unlicenced" and will cop a heavy fine or be sent to court which could possibly prevent you from obtaining a licence in the future. Driving isn't a bad option in Sydney as car sharing services like GoGet and FlexiCar are everywhere.

Depending on how long you've held a driving licence overseas will depend on what "class" of licence you can apply for here. Have a look at the Roads & Maritime Services website for information and what you need to do.

Speaking of driving, if you plan on getting your own car and intend of driving outside of inner Sydney, you'll need an electronic tag for the toll roads. There are plenty of tag providers in Sydney and they all charge the same price, so it really doesn't matter. Transurban Linkt, E-way and the RMS themselves (the Government body in the state of New South Wales that handle all things registration and licence related) all provide tags. Toll tags also work on every other toll road in Australia, so if you go travelling, you can use the tag you obtained in NSW.


A bank account is probably something you want to sort out sooner rather than later. There are literally hundreds of banks and credit unions to choose from. You just need to shop around and compare interest rates, fees and services and pick the one that suits you better. I personally bank with a smaller member-owned bank (profits go back into the products and services, rather than into the pockets of shareholders). Their service is excellent and rates are very competitive. The downside is they only have a few physical branches in Sydney, which is very rare I need to physically go into one anyway. Everything is done over the phone or online. Finder.com.au is a good site to give you some basic comparisons and let you filter banks and products that you're interested in. It'll give you a good starting point.


Above all else, enjoy Sydney, it's expensive, but it's one of the best cities in the world. There is a lot of opportunity here and the weather is nice. Those who on insist on calling it "poisonous" or "vicious" have obviously never lived here and are talking out of their ass. But don't just limit yourself to Sydney, explore the outer suburbs and indeed the rest of Australia when time and finances permit. It's a HUGE country with a lifetime worth of things to see, do and places to visit (add Tasmania to your bucket list, it's absolutely beautiful).

Sydney itself is expanding rapidly and the majority of people who work in the city (or other major commercial centres like North Sydney, Parramatta or Penrith) commute 1 hour or more each way just getting to and from work. Getting to work in under 30 minutes in Sydney is a luxury, so don't limit yourself to one small geographical area. Then, when you get jack of spending an insane amount on rent in the city, move to the outer Western, North West or Northern suburbs. ;-)

If you just type "Sydney" into Google maps, you'll see just how large an area the Sydney basin is. It extends over 70 kilometers west past Springwood in the Blue Mountains, 58km north-west to Richmond, as far north as Palm Beach and south-west to Camden/Campbelltown.

[alank2]

caret underscore caret, good for you for taking a big risk in trying a new life!  I hope you find all you are looking for!

[EEVblog]

If you just type "Sydney" into Google maps, you'll see just how large an area the Sydney basin is. It extends over 70 kilometers west past Springwood in the Blue Mountains, 58km north-west to Richmond, as far north as Palm Beach and south-west to Camden/Campbelltown.

I've lost count of the number of people who say they are stopping over in Sydney for a day and want to drop by the lab and meet me. Err, not really practical!