Brisbane Cost of Living

[comet555]

Well, first what sort of visa are you coming on? If you are coming over on a student visa then you will have to pay full school fees for your children which could be as much as $4000 a year per child. Plus you'd also have to pay for private health care which could be $3000 a year for the family. Then there is your own tuition which is generally expensive as well because you'd be classed as an international student.

However.... if your husband is eligible for a permanent visa you can apply for one of those and come over that way. Then you could get Medicare for free (essentially) and the kids schooling would pretty much be free too (plus uniforms, books, etc). Or, if he's coming on a temporary employer sponsored visa (457) then that would change things too.

If you're coming on a temp 457 then I would not go to Sydney, you would have to pay extra for the kids schooling there. In QLD even on a 457 the kids school is free. Other than that I can't really tell you much differences about the two. We've probably only spent about a week in total in New South Wales. Although I can say that while in Sydney we found it very expesnive and were happy to leave.

The big difference though between the two is the weather. Sydney cools down a lot more during the winter months than Brisbane, and might be a touch milder in the summer. I haven't experienced it but so far we've loved the weather in Brisbane so we have no complaints.

As for family oriented areas we really like the Redlands which is just south east of Brisbane. It's close enough to work in the city, but not big and crowded as you would find closer in. We live in Capalaba and we were very happy with the type of houses we could afford here, and the area in general is lovely.

When we first arrived we stayed in a hotel for 3 days while I found a house to rent. Then we moved into the rental and after 3 months we bought a house. We only had the rental for 4 months so we knew we had to move out very quickly. We brought no furniture or anything (besides our clothes) so we bought a few camping items to do for a week or two while we furnished our hosue.

Hope that helps a bit. Gotta go, it's time for dinner here.

[waters]

comet555 and fellow Canadians,

Happy New year!

Seems Canada experiencing the coldest winter in decades while OZ got it another way - hot.

I am finalizing my job offer terms with the employer, few more questions,

1. If I am holding a 475, do I have or opt to have short or long term disalibility insurance or benofits?

2. Can I change employer and get a new 475 during my term with current employer?

Thanks

[comet555]

Are you sure you're not going over on a 457 visa? That's the normal temp visa, I'm not quite sure what the 475 is all about.....

Assuming you're talking about a normal 457.

1. If you're on that sort of temporary visa you will need private health insurance because you will not be covered at all in Australia. The employer may pay for the costs of private health for you, but more often than not they will build it into the contract so that you are the one responsible for the costs. Either way, you will need private health care which is pricey.

As far as other sorts of insurance they might be provided along with your superannuatinon (or super funds for short). This is like your RRSP's in Canada only here by law the employer must pay 9% of your salary into your super fund. If you're coming over on a temporary visa then you should be able to get it back when you leave Australia. We are permanent residents so we can't do that, if we leave it stays here and we can get to it once we reach retirement age.

Now, for example, the company my husband works has some additional insurance provided along with the super. These benefits are things like life insurance, disability insurance, long term illness, etc. So for us we get it through his company and the people they use to do their super funds. I should mention that I think we pay a small monthly fee for it. So either way it's probably up to you, although it's general best (cheaper, more benefits) if it can be done through work. If you don't have that option then it's your decision if you want to take out additional insurance.

While you are over on your temp visa it is possible to change jobs and get a new 457. For example, if you were fired or something you'd have 28 days to find a new employer to sponsor you or you'd have to leave the country (or so they say). However, if you just don't like you job and want a new one there is nothing stopping you from job hunting if you want. Once you've found a new employer to sponsor you then you'd need a new 457 visa.

It's easier said than done though for some people. I've heard of whole families coming over and then the sponsored person loses their job and can't find another one. So the whole family has to pack up and leave. So, in short, nothing is guaranteed on a temp visa and there will always be a certain element of risk.

I should also mention that if you do come over on a 457 and intend to stay for good then you should apply for a permanent visa (175) if eligible. If you are already on a 457 then you would stay on that visa until your permanent visa is granted. If you were to do that you'd have the benefit of being eligible for Medicare (the "free" public system) as soon as you apply for a permanent visa. This of course only works if you are already in Oz on a temp one.