MOVING TO AUSTRALIA

Moving to Australia has got to be one of the best life-changing decisions you will ever make.

City life

With a laidback culture and attitude to life, Australian residents normally have time to enjoy the rest of the day after work. It’s not in every country you can go surfing after your class – in Australia, you can! But that’s not all. Australian cities breathe a life of their own throughout the day. You will not run out of things to do, like shop, visit interesting places, or just relax by the beach and watch the sunset. At night, the city transforms into a bustling area of parties, shows, and events that are a regular feature. If you’re looking to wind down with some cocktails, Australian cities provide just the right entertainment for you plus more.

Landscape

Within Australia’s barren plateaus are breathtaking landscapes straddling one territory to the next, and offering some of the most magnificent views in the world. The Great Barrier Reef, the Red Centre (the world’s biggest monolith), Sydney, and the rainforest village among others are top world destinations flocked by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year.

Culture

The diverse Australian culture is a mixture of influences by the indigenous Aborigine tribes that dominated the entire continent prior to British colonization. Anglo-Celtic theme also heavily abounds in the country because of its long colonial history. Moreover, the influx of immigrants from across Europe and neighboring Asia continue to enrich the country’s cultural diversity.

Economy and Property

The country has a stable economy compared to Europe, the US, and other members of the G20 countries, making it less likely to feel the itch of the global financial crisis. Australia’s abundant and diverse natural resources – including, iron ore, gold, natural gas, copper, uranium, and renewable energy sources – continue to attract large-scale foreign investments. Among the major investments to the country, the US$40 billion Gordon Liquid Natural Gas project, is seen to significantly expand the resources sector.

Australia currently has a record low unemployment rate (originally expected to reach 8-10%) which peaked at 5.7% in late 2009 and fell to 5.3% February 2010 according to the latest report from the Australian Labour Statistics. Australia’s main industry areas of employment are mining, agriculture, and commodities with the desert lands outstretching the outback as the key source to the nation’s wealth and prosperity. The country is home to some of the largest mining companies in the world, yet only a fraction of the land available for mining have been explored and yet to be exploited.

The Australian economy grew consistently for 17 years and still outperformed the major economies in the world even at the height of the global financial crisis. As of June 2010, Australia enjoys an unexpected trade surplus of AU$1.65 billion. GDP per capita (PPP) for 2009 estimate is $38,800.

State Benefits

One of your main concerns when moving to Australia might be state benefits, such as social security system, and more importantly, if as a new migrant, you and your family can be eligible to enjoy state benefits the same as all other citizens are. If you are a new resident of the country, we are pleased to inform you that Australia does have state benefits, called social security, that are available to all residents, including new migrants provided you have met the required waiting period conditions.

Social security is non-contributory but is exclusively financed from general taxation. Those who are sick or infirmed by sickness, unemployed, single parents, and families and children among others are the top beneficiaries of the Australian security system.