Hi All,

I’ve been browsing Lowyat Forum on and off for the past decade or so and I’ve seen a lot of threads every now and then that centres around the topic of moving to Australia. There’s a lot of good information on here, but there’s also an equal amount of misconceptions about living and working in the land down under.

One saying that I’ve come across a lot which stands true is that the grass is not always greener on the other side, and this is something that I’ve always kept at the back of my mind when I was planning the big move. I’ve seen many migrants struggling as they did not deliberate enough when making the decision to uproot their established lives in Malaysia to give what they perceive as the land of opportunity a go.

I have a bit of time to spare over the next week, so I’d be happy to shed light on and provide some first-hand insights into moving, living and working in Australia. Some context about myself to kick start the AMA:

- I obtained my Australian permanent resident visa prior to the COVID pandemic
- I moved early 2022 at the tail-end of COVID border restrictions
- I am English-educated while my wife is Chinese-educated
- My wife and I are in our early 30s
- We are both currently working in our respective industries, either at the same level or higher that the jobs we had prior to leaving Malaysia
- We had a combined monthly salary of approximately RM35k per month in Malaysia with our house and cars paid off, which made the decision to move even more difficult

Feel free to ask me anything and I will endeavour to provide a candid answer based on my personal experience.

How to find full time employment in Australia from MY ?

Is it possible to get PR in australia if I start working as fruit picker?

If yes can you tell me what are the steps in brief?

Did you apply for Visa first then apply for jobs? Is your visa 190 or 189 class?

I have a UK Degree and been working for my current company for 10 years with constant travel to Australia. The EOI says my English is still insufficient and was asked to take IELTS or PTE. English test are common for Malaysians?

For professional roles, I wouldn’t say it’s impossible but you’ll only stand a chance if you already hold a permanent resident visa AND offer a niche skill that employers are not able to source locally or have strong contacts with hiring managers here. You can try and take advantage of the current labour shortage, but don’t bank on it. I only know one person within my circle who secured a job in his field before he migrated, but his line of work is incredibly niche.

I’ve been applying to professional roles actively for two years prior to my move and did not get a single call back despite being a permanent resident. One month in Australia with an Australian number and address on my resume and I’ve had several interviews lined up.

Think of it this way, would a Malaysian company even look at a resume with a foreign address and number for a role that can be filled by a local easily?

Did you graduate from an Australian based university? How's your wife IELTS score?

Not unless you hold professional qualifications and experience that falls under the relevant permanent resident visa’s occupation list or if your employer is willing to sponsor you.

Do not trust any employers or agents that gives you a “guarantee” for PR sponsorship after X number of years - never gonna happen for unskilled labour.

Yes, I applied for my PR under subclass 189 before moving.

189/190 will require you to go through IELTS or equivalent, and if I recall correctly you’ll need to score band 6 for all 4 parts as a minimum. You’ll get additional points for straight band 7’s and straight band 8’s.

This post has been edited by Salary: Jun 11 2023, 01:11 PM

Yes, I graduated from an Australian uni which added a couple of points to my PR application.

My wife didn’t go through IELTS as I applied for a partner visa for her cause we weren’t married when I applied for my PR.

What's your overall total score?

IIRC two 9’s one 8.5 and one 8.0.

I see. What about your points tested stream? I know 65 is the minimum but from my research rarely they'll touch anything below 75.

1. Can you do a comparison of how much you can save and invest before and after moving to AU? Have your expenses increased or decreased?

2. Can you do a comparison of how much tax you need to pay before and after moving to AU?

3. Do you still have an active MY bank account? Do you transfer your cash between both MY and AU accounts?

4. What do you think is the biggest challenge residing in AU?

5. Do you plan to retire in MY in the future?

Mine was 70 back in 2018 and I didn’t bother to include my work experience cause it was just sufficient for an invite. I think the points system has changed a little since then.

can give example or elaborate on the grass is not always greener there?

do you took out all of your kwsp ?? both of you ??

1. Definitely more (both expenses and savings) after I move to AU due to the currency, but I think everyone’s circumstances are different. We have a decent combined income here. However, we felt that we had more financial freedom back in Malaysia but that’s primarily down to the fact that we were debt-free whereas a huge chunk of out expenditure goes to our mortgage here. But then again, we wouldn’t be able to afford a house of a similar value in Malaysia against what we were earning back then.

2. A lot more. You may refer to the income tax rates here. https://www.ato.gov.au/Rates/Individual-inc...ates/#Residents

In Malaysia you get taxed 25% or thereabouts for income over rm250k, but in Australia it starts from 19% and goes up to 45%. I’m currently in the 45% tax bracket, which means any increments or bonuses I get, I’ll get back only around half.

3. Yes. I do all my transfer using Wise and they’ve been great so far. I did transfer a significant amount (7 figures) using Wise during my initial move - RM60k max per day between me and my wife over a period time. No issues.

4. For most people, it would be the cultural fit - I see a lot of migrants struggling in the workplace or getting a job because they couldn’t assimilate into the Australian culture. For me personally it’s getting myself up to speed with their regulatory processses (e.g. buying a house, taxation laws, etc) in the first year.

5. Probably not, but I’ll probably spend up to half of my time in Malaysia.

This post has been edited by Salary: Jun 11 2023, 01:09 PM

How long did it take for you to get approved from the initial application submission to the final approval letter?

Much higher income tax.
Your EPF-equivalent contributions and employer contributions are taxed.
Your EPF-equivalent earning are taxed.
Everything is taxed.
Have I mentioned the tax?
Need a plumber? Minimum call out fee $120 or more, and that’s just getting them to your door.
Closest holiday destination is Bali. Flying anywhere takes at least 5 hours. Can’t just hop on a flight from KUL to BKK for a weekend.
Even with childcare subsidy, we pay around $2.5k per month for childcare for just one toddler.

With that being said, at least the taxes I pay goes back into enriching our lives. And knowing my children can pursue any career path and make a living wage is pretty much why I’m here.

No, but we plan to. In order to withdraw, we will need to give up our Malaysian citizenships. We won’t be able to renounce our Malaysian citizenships until we’ve gotten our Australian citizenships.

The reason why we’d like to withdraw is because all our annual KWSP dividends are included as part of our taxable incomes in Australia. Mine’s being taxed at 45% which is pretty painful.