Questions on Migrating to Australia!

So a lot of people have been asking me what it is like to migrate and live in Australia. Of the various questions I got, I have consolidated them into the following. These are my views of the current situations I have gone through and experienced in Australia and others may have completely different views and opinions about it.

Is it a good idea to get a PR?

It is always a good thing to get out when you still have time and get the PR. The PR gets converted to Citizenship after 4 years of continuous stay in Australia, which is up to you to take or remain a Citizen of your own country.

There are no additional benefits of PR, except you can buy a property here, and with Citizenship, you get to vote.

I get good money in India, will be it worthwhile to shift?

There is no relation with the in-hand you get in India to what you will get in Australia; it all depends on your negotiation skills and if your skill is in demand in the location you select to settle in.

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are the 3 major cities which have good jobs and prospects of jobs. Sydney is the most expensive to stay in and the Salary is also relative to it. Adelaide and Darwin are growing in popularity and jobs. Those might be a good place to go to also, with good schooling and cheaper to stay and enjoy life.

How is the Work Culture in Australia?

Don't expect the culture to be any different from other European companies, they are not like the US companies; except if you work for one (which is rare for development jobs here). Exposure is something which you need to create yourself, and will not be handed to you on a platter anywhere :-) [In fact, I believe I had greater exposure in India, than I currently have in Australia or earlier in US]. Likewise for new cultures and travel, it is also totally dependent on you; if you take up a higher paying job, they do not spare you and want you to work for it...

How is the IT industry there? Do I need to start afresh there? What kind of salary can I expect?

As I have said earlier, here it does not depend on your years of experience like in India. If you have the relevant skills, then you will be absorbed in relatively quickly and can demand a higher salary, if not, then it all depends on your negotiation with the company. You might not start as a fresher, but yes, you might not get something like a Lead/Manager job. Like I said the work culture is in more tune to the European standards and based on Services industry (Telecom, Banks, Financial, and Govt.) rather than like US where the IT industry is more research and product driven.

Should I go for state sponsored visa or normal one? If state sponsored, which state is good for IT guys? - NSW, Victoria?

I cannot advice on this, it is your perspective and if you are getting the guarantee of a job in any or not. Sydney is the best for jobs and has a good climate too, but is expensive and you might need to travel a lot. Melbourne climate is cold and there are not many general IT jobs there, but is a more specialized niche. Brisbane is good, the climate is tropical, and there are jobs there, but you might not get a high salary. In the end it all works out to how much you save, and I think in all the cities the saving to salary ratio is the same. I would advise going through a migration agent for all such details, he will be able to advice you properly. I know a good one, through whom I came: http://www.visaspring.com, who specializes in IT people; feel free to drop them a mail and ask. :-)

How long will it take to get the visa?

It all depends, I cannot comment on this. Ask an agent or go to the http://www.australia.gov.au. This site has a lot of information pertaining to Australia in general and migration.

And finally how is the life there? Are we welcome there?

Life is as it was in India, except it is a bit more peaceful and clean :-)

Overall, I don't think I am the right person to provide a relevant answer, as I am more biased towards the US.

As for being welcome, there is no issue with that over here as far as I know.

Overall, it is a good experience, but only if you want to come and enjoy yourself. If you plan to come here because of the extra savings or the exchange rate, then I would say, try for the US or Europe.

Finally, my own views on general topics and some suggestions!

I know, it is always apprehensive to leave a steady/stable job and go elsewhere.

The thing with getting a PR is multi-fold. You need to understand that although life for you might be in a cleaner environment here, it might not be so easy for you both in terms of household management, where in India you are able to procure maids and other servants for things, here all those have to be done by self. People do say that there are gadgets here, but still it is a painful transition for a couple. You will be able to enjoy life, but it totally depends on you and if both of you are working and then get time for enjoyment :-)

You can try out http://www.seek.com.au, but the recruiters usually do not entertain you if you are not in Australia (except some coveted fields, where the reverse may be the norm). I am not too aware of these areas and you can do some research on the sites I have mentioned in the earlier mail (visaspring.com, australia.gov.au, seek.com.au).

Contractual jobs are as easy/difficult to get as permanent ones. A good site to view contractual jobs is http://www.skillsapien.com. Contractual ones may look lucrative overall, but have a higher risk factor and require you to manage your money and time or hire someone to manage it. Permanent ones also are good, but have their own drawbacks, if your employer is a task master.

Sometimes I have seen people get a job as soon as they land (within a week), and at other times they might need to wait more than 2-3 months to get a desirable job with the salary they wish to get out of it. As I said, it is a dynamic market and things keep changing and you need to make the changes accordingly. Some companies are technical and they do ask technical questions in-depth pertaining to your knowledge, while others are not much interested in technical qualifications, but soft skills and may just hire you based on how you present yourself and how good a communicator you are. Communication is a key factor, if you want to grow in Australia.

Indian Driving License in Australia

There are different rules in each of the Australian States/Territories. But basically, if you are coming from Overseas, specially if you have an Indian drivers license, then you will need to follow through with the below:

1. Before you leave India, get a letter from your RTO validating and verifying the drivers license and all the details on it. It needs to be in a format where all the details of the license as well as your details need to be mentioned in a paper, which is certified by an official at the RTO.

2. You need to go on-line and make a booking for getting verification of the License done by the VFS Indian Consulate Offices, which are located, in Sydney, at: 64, Clarence Street, Sydney 2000 (very near to the Wynyard Station on the York St side). The Licensing Authority might provide you with a letter stating the Actual Embassy/Consulate address, but it is no use going there, as they will redirect you to the VFS address, and the VFS people will ask you to fill the form on-line. So, save yourself the trouble :-)

a) Main Site: http://www.vfs-in-au.net/
b) Offices in the various Territories: http://www.vfs-in-au.net/submityourapplication.html
c) Instructions to get your License Verified: http://www.vfs-in-au.net/indiadriverslicence.html
d) The Online Application: https://www.vfsglobalonline.com/IHCAUSOnline/

Once you have booked an appointment with them and submitted the required documents, they will "Again" provide you with "another" document which verifies that the document and license that you have is authentic and can be used by the Roads & Transport department to provide you with a Permanent Drivers License. (The VFS Site has a good step-by-step guide to take you through the process, given at the above link)

The caveat in the above is that your existing license should be more than 3 years old, else you are back to getting a Provisional or even a Learners License from the Roads Department.

3. Once you have this letter with you. Go ahead and book your initial Drivers Knowledge Test (or DKT) on the respective states transport site:

a) New South Wales: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/tests/index.html (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/)
b) Victoria: https://billing.vicroads.vic.gov.au/bookings# (http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/)
c) Queensland: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Licensing/Getting-a-licence.aspx (http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/)

4. Most of the territories will have practice tests on their online sites and these should be given before going for the actual tests:

a) New South Wales: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/tests/driverknowledgetest/demonstrationdriverknowledgetest/index.html
b) Victoria: http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licences/GetYourLs/PracticeLearnerandLicenceTests.htm
c) Queensland: http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Licensing/Getting-a-licence/Licence-tests/Practical-driving-test.aspx


Most of the time getting your Drivers License authenticated, may not be required, as the Agency already has your License registered with them; and they just check that the License is in the correct format and allow you to give the DKT. But, it is a good thing to do the above in advance before approaching the Licensing Authority to provide you with an Australian License.

So, once you have your letter from the Embassy, stating that the Indian License is authentic, book your DKT on-line (links given above) and at the designated time and date, be sure to arrive atleast 15 minutes earlier with the following documents:

1. Passport Original
2. Original License
3. Original Authenticity letter
4. Proof of your address in Australia (Gas bill or Lease agreement)
5. The Printout of the Test booked Online
6. The Printout (details filled) of the RTA form, which has your details for giving the DKT

You could also get a Photo ID card created, which will save you the time and effort to carry most of the above documents. But, usually if you are sure of passing the DKT, it amounts to spending that amount extra, as it gets cancelled once you get a Learners, Provisional or Full License. (usually within a day of your passing the Tests).

Beijing Subway vs. Mumbai Trains

During my recent trip to Beijing, China; I got to make good use of the extensively laid out Subway trains of the capital city. It was an experience unto itself, when I climbed one of the older lines and was instantaneously reminisced of the Mumbai trains...

The crowd in China is to be seen when you try and get onto the subway during the office hour rush (morning 9-10 and evening 6-8). It looks like a tin packed with sardines. You are not required to hold on to anything except what you brought on board with you, holding you up and pushing you either side is taken care of. It is a good reminder that China is still in competition with India on the population :-)

Anyways! that said, it really was a great experience, and very convenient too. We could visit maximum number of places due to the availability of the same subway nearby and stay on to enjoy the surroundings, without thinking of how we get back to our place of blissful sleep. I am mentioning some of the places and associated stations below:

Line 5: Tiantan Dongmen - for the Hong Qiao Market (good place to go for electronic goods and toys)
Line 1: Yong`anli - For the Silk Market (good place to shop for leather good - handbags, shoes, jackets. Also, good place for souvenirs and small trinkets. You need to be careful and bargain well... mostly bring down the price to 10% of the quoted price. More of this is given on a different blog).
Line 8: Olympic Green - For the Nest and Aquarium (Olympic Stadium and a good nice BIG ground to jog in the mornings)
Line 13: Wudaokou - Good eating joints around this place. Student community and you can find many IT companies also around. You can ask for references here, as people speak and understand english. I liked the Japanese restaurant and the disco/bar alongside it :-)
Line 4: Beijing Zoo - good to visit and see the Panda
Line 4: Beigongmen - For the Summer Palace. This place is good to see over (take the 50 Yuan ticket and a guide to go over the place). Serene and green, with the minimal of traffic noise and a lake to sit by :-)
Line 1: Tian`anmen East/West - For the Forbidden City and and the Tian'anmen square. Forbidden City is Ok, but would prefer going to the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace.
Line 5: Ciqikou - Temple of Heaven. Similar to Forbidden City and would recommend it over the other (60 Yuan vs. 30 Yuan) :-)