Hi there all fellow LYN-ers!

I'm planning to head to Australia to work, as the wage there is around AUD9-15 per hour for casual workers...though I realize working as casual labour over there will not build me an impressive resume, but I've made up my mind that the monetary gain I may get over there is definately more rewarding then me working my butt off and getting demotivated over here in Malaysia.

Right now, my question is ..

Does anyone know how long does the Visa Application and costs are like?
I've heard that its around RM1k+ plus it takes quite a while...

So was wondering if anyone here can provide some better facts and details ... or any other details regarding what I can expect from my jobs and life over there...

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Thanks, will look into it..

I was thinking of applying for WHV ... casual jobs including farm work is hard to get nowadays? You're currently based in Aussie?

How about cost of living in Australia such as food, house and so on ? is it too expansive compare to malaysia?

Rental - Depending on where you are planning to stay. I can't speak for the rest of australian states but will try and provide info on NSW (Sydney) as its where i am based. Its usually the saying of the further you stay away from the city the cheaper it gets except for those upper class luxury suburbs which are expensive

Ranges from AUD120 - AUD200 sharing with others.  if you do not mind sharing a room with others or having 7 people in an apartment you can get really cheap deal since you probably want to spend most of your time working anyway. Certain accommodation only have 1 toilet. A lot of notices are sticked onto traffic lights and poles looking for housemate... if you are a hot chiq, your chances are higher in getting the accommodation.

Job - if you are staying in the city, i highly doubt you will wanna take a casual job as a fruit picker as they are like pretty much very far away, not mistaken last time i went and pick fruits when i stay in the city area it takes me about 2 + hours drive away... Buses and trains may not reach the area or you have to transit many times. Working in retail on a WHM visa for instance restaurant staff, clerk, data entry, customer service maybe an easier find but not sure the chances of malaysian.

i once worked in restaurant casually and received AUD12 per hour + super + tax returns in sydney. It kinda ranges from employer to employer as I know some friends who works in thai restaurants received AUD7 an hour without any benefits and some who works in better upper class restaurants receive better remuneration. If you work in a professional sector the chances of better remuneration is higher.

Food - it can be cheap or expensive depending on your diet. If you like to eat steak everyday or eat a lot then its gona cost you pretty much a lot. but if you buy your own groeceries and cook then it could save ya more. the portion of food are higher therefore if you pack like from the fellas from chinatown in the take aways, it may last you for 2 meals for AUD10.

It does seem that things are generally more expensive in australia if you convert them to ringgit everytime you spend but with the higher remuneration it may make things actually cheaper than in malaysia

My answers are in no way accurate but based on my experience and information that i have gathered while living in sydney.

annielee: with the soon electricity price hike a lot of ppl earning aussie dollars find it difficult to cope =( survive yes but then to do more than surviving is a tad bit difficult lolz

Thanks annielee for the reply,

I was scheduled to migrate to Austaralia sometime next 2 month for working reason. I will be based at Welshpool, Western Australia. Do you know about this place? is it a rural or urban place? How about cost of living there? Can I save some money to bring back to Malaysia when I'm working abroad at OZ?

lets see what the coalition has to say lol this labor government like to eat money only lol

this is my 5th year in sydney... wont be going back for good in the near future since theres a steady job right now though might wanna change lol...

yea i do agree with your purchasing power in regards to the dollar... thats coz probably coz you spend a lot... judging by your handle, you seem to be female... shop lesser please (no offense on any discrimination as it is not intended) but then if we take a petrol pump attendant that is near my malaysian home, the last time i check with is a couple of years back his wages are RM600 a month and he is able to survive just that kenot get luxurious stuffs...

No witch. We are willing to listen your chit chat with annielee as it might be interesting and moreover it more or less can help somebody like me or anyone else whose never been to Aussie before. heheh..

Anyway, how about Australian people? are there kind & friendly? what else the important things I should know about Australia if I were to work there?

Cheers.

Hi everyone, I have a few doubts. Does an expatriate who is residing in Australia need to pay tax? if so, what are those taxes?

Thanks.

theres marginal tax rate / marginal deduction rate

the more you earn the more they tax ya... they dont tax the whole 40% of your salary... that would be overkill.

Always get a Tax File Number!! even keeping money in bank you get taxed... but then after my calculation, i still earning similarly to in malaysia if we are having dollar to dollar comparison =( i iz phailed

them_me_you : marketing... actually i do not intend to make it sound that my life is that bad... not saying that my salary is in anyway bad atm...

annielee : i think we went through that before which I agree you can spend on more stuffs cause with the exchange rate you will live way comfortably with your AUD being spent in malaysia.. but then right if go out eat chicken rice in in sydney, will cost me bout 9 bux a plate malaysia 5 ringgit (extra rice extra chicken the last time i ate)... if talk bout branded goods then don't really need to compare already if wanna take LV products and pricing for both malaysia and australia.

My sister is looking to apply for a job in Aussie, anyone got any pointers?

I was thinking of applying an Aus PR a few months ago coz I heard my occupation as a mechanical engineer has quite a strong demand there. However, most job ads that I came across require PR/citizen. Since I do not have enough points (only got 115/120...sad), I am unable to get PR. One possible way is to get 2 years job exp in Aus to secure another 15 points...more than enough for me to get PR by then.

The problem is....If I cant get a PR, I cant get a job. If I cant get a job, I cant get a PR. Sienz

I kinda feel is a chicken and egg situation for me....Dunno which one comes first.

Another option is to go for state sponsorship. I am eligible for that but the downside will be having myself stucked in the state for a few years.

Any advice?

Guys,

Hi fellow Malaysians. Just want to check with you all.. Will I survive with the salary of AUS $ 5000.00 per month in Aussie when considering the cost of living there is quiet high. Actually. I just don't know how high is it. I hope someone will enlighten me about this thing. I'm still single which mean I will be going there alone, so is it enough for me to survive there utilizing the said figure above? and would I have some money to bring back to Malaysia?

As all of you know there is a tax for expatriate being implemented is Australia and it is higher compare to other countries, so how it is calculated? and how many percent of the salary one have to pay taxwise?

For your information, I will be working at Perth/Western Australia. Are there any additional and useful information I need to know before going there?

Thanks in advance.

cooking? you must be kidding right? I'm afraid that I will be lazy to cook... hehe,, I'm in Oil & Gas line and the company's office is located at Perth. I forget to ask before, beside the basic salary, does the offshore allowance still have to pay tax?

hey there,

i would like to know normally if one were to go for work and travel to Australia, would it be advisable to apply through australia agent like http://www.morganconsulting.com.au/ ?
or stick to the other option of contacting the employers directly through: http://www.backpackerboard.co.nz/australia/index.php ?