Where to live in Sydney and work Sponsorship

battser

So I have read the main thread about all this oz stuff from Faith (Thanks ) but Basically I have two questions im not sure I could get definative answers to.

I dont want to live near bondi when I go over and am looking for some advice on
- good location
- Cost of living ie rent

And secondly - I haven't read a post yet with the real in's and outs of sponsorship there. I plan on doing a working year and hopefully Ill get sponsored. Obviously I will want to end my year with travelling the coast and what not so
How are they offered?
Should you push for one when in a job?
Do companies allow you time off to finish the travelling you have planned?

Has anyone been with an IT firm or in an IT position and got sponsorship?

Coileach dearg

battser wrote: »

So I have read the main thread about all this oz stuff from Faith (Thanks ) but Basically I have two questions im not sure I could get definative answers to.

I dont want to live near bondi when I go over and am looking for some advice on
- good location
- Cost of living ie rent

And secondly - I haven't read a post yet with the real in's and outs of sponsorship there. I plan on doing a working year and hopefully Ill get sponsored. Obviously I will want to end my year with travelling the coast and what not so
How are they offered?
Should you push for one when in a job?
Do companies allow you time off to finish the travelling you have planned?

Has anyone been with an IT firm or in an IT position and got sponsorship?

I came to Sydney on a one year Working Holiday Visa and within three weeks I got an IT contract role. That is probably your best bet, you will be employed via an agency. In my case they kept extending my contract and after 3 months they offered me sponsorship. My advice would be not to tell them about travelling around. Say you intend on staying in OZ for a good while (tempting them to sponsor you). If you say you just want to work for a few months and head off travelling they will not want to know you. Just use your own initiative. Maybe just take a 3 month contract and at the end when they offer to extend you, tell them you want a week or two off and when you come back you can continue working. They should be ok with that as agencies get a good chunk of your wage. Once they know you are willing to work and are not a backpacker type there is a good chance they will offer you sponsorship.

This is the agency I am with: http://www.finxl.com.au/

If you not in Sydney yet, wait until you get here and give them a call and have your cv ready.

As regards places to live, you are right in staying away from Bondi unless you want to become an alcoholic. I live in inner-west Sydney and pay $160 per week rent in a three bedroom house, this is cheap in Sydney terms. Sydney has excellent public transport so commuting in and out of cbd isn't bad at all. The further west you go, the cheaper the rent.

deadfingers

Hi,

I work in I.T in Sydney and myself and two of my friends have recieved sponshership (all in I.T). It is as battser says, we each worked for an agency and after the inital 3 month contract we were offered sponshership with the company that was paying the agency. I think this is the normal process.

As for living and renting. Yeah stay away from Bondi or Bondi Junction as you pay through the nose for a hole and it also seems that people get stuck in a rut of going to the same two bars each weekend. I live in Padddington which is nice. Its close to the CBD and also the eastern beaches. A couple of area's I would also recommend would be Balmain and Glebe. I pay 200 a week for a room in a 3 bed house which I think is good.

Jumpy

Cronulla I say again. Easily the nicest area in Sydney.

battser

Any Ideas on what I would expect to earn a week over there in IT? Thanks for the info guys. Great input.

hussey

Since Oct 1 2007, agencies can NO LONGER sponsor employees. (however there may be a reverse in the future)
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23312804-15306,00.html
I am too sponsored from an agency, but that is now gone.

Good location - Balmain, paddo, surry hills, newtown, glebe, pymont, randwick, Cremorne, Mosman

Plenty of Choice

What IT? are you?
it is too general to say IT ...
Programmer contract rate between 60-100 PH or full time 70-130k PA

battser

Hi Hussey

So are you saying that if I get a job with a company thru an agency it is harder to not possible to get sponsorship?

I am doing IT support. I started doing ****ty support now doing deskside and server admin work. 2 years experience overall.

hussey

battser wrote: »

Hi Hussey

So are you saying that if I get a job with a company thru an agency it is harder to not possible to get sponsorship?

I am doing IT support. I started doing ****ty support now doing deskside and server admin work. 2 years experience overall.

Until the rules are reverted back, you won't be able to be sponsored through an agency. You may find a job through an agency and be sponsored by the company.

Michael Cusacks

Hi there,

Pyrmont and Ultimo in the Inner West are nice - only 5-10min walk from Darling Harbour and close to the city for work etc... Expect to pay between $170 - $200 for a room in a share house. www.gumtree.com.au is a good place to look for share accom.

Solutec is a specialist IT Recruitment Agency and is owned by an irish guy www.solutec.com.au, you should have no problem being offered sponsorship with a company as IT is in demand here.

Also if you want to meet new friends, have a bit of craic and play a bit of sport while in Sydney check us out www.michaelcusacks.com

Zubes

I have degree + masters in computer science. Would I be able to get a job in Sydney? Is it possible or advisable to get sponsorship before you take the one year work visa? Or, do you just obtain the work visa, arrive in Sydney, stay at a hostel for a while until you get a job? It sounds pretty adventurous to be staying in a city, with a depleting bank account, no income and looking desperately for a job without any experience? How has everyone found it? Do you just have to opt for whatever you can get?

hussey

I have degree + masters in computer science. Would I be able to get a job in Sydney?

Yes.

Is it possible or advisable to get sponsorship before you take the one year work visa?

Yes possible, Not advisable, get a year first - much easier and cheaper (and can change jobs easier)

Or, do you just obtain the work visa, arrive in Sydney, stay at a hostel for a while until you get a job?

Yes that is what most people do

It sounds pretty adventurous to be staying in a city, with a depleting bank account, no income and looking desperately for a job without any experience?

Adventurous? No not really, you make it seem so bleak. Life is to be lived my friend. You don't have to look desperately surely, unless your financials are screwed?

How has everyone found it? Do you just have to opt for whatever you can get?

Most people found it quite easy, it will depend on your situation, if you want a well paying job then I would wait until teh right one comes around, if you want a job to just pay the beer-mortgage then I wouldn't be too fussy.

Zubes

Well it is an adventure when you are going on your own!

So basically:

USIT Work Visa: 500 Euro
Return Flights: @1.5k Euro

So to get to Sydney around 2-2.5k Euro. Then looking at 30ish Euro a night for hostel, plus living expenses.

Then you just hook up with a job agency and they'll get you work. The thing is, you can only stay 6 months max, so does this not hinder the number of offers that they make to you. Most IT jobs want you to stay longer because of the learning curve when you start?

After you got a job, you look for suitable accommodation where you can rent?

Is it advisable then to have a few k euro stashed away before you head in case of emergencies? How much is advised?

Cheers for the info, I appreciate it. I just dont want to be stuck around the other side of the world with no money and no way of getting home!

hussey

Zubes wrote: »

Well it is an adventure when you are going on your own!

So basically:

USIT Work Visa: 500 Euro
Return Flights: @1.5k Euro

So to get to Sydney around 2-2.5k Euro. Then looking at 30ish Euro a night for hostel, plus living expenses.

Then you just hook up with a job agency and they'll get you work. The thing is, you can only stay 6 months max, so does this not hinder the number of offers that they make to you. Most IT jobs want you to stay longer because of the learning curve when you start?

After you got a job, you look for suitable accommodation where you can rent?

Is it advisable then to have a few k euro stashed away before you head in case of emergencies? How much is advised?

Cheers for the info, I appreciate it. I just dont want to be stuck around the other side of the world with no money and no way of getting home!

500 euro for a visa??? Errr what it cost $195 see Here and given within 24hrs. Never let a 3rd party process your visa, they charge you ridiculous amounts for you to fill out the same form, and they give you a bunch of stuff that is free anyway. (sim card can cost $2, free to open bank) ... they are complete rip off .

30euro a night??? No. You can get hostels as cheap as $20-25 a night (12-15euro) if you stay at YHA in central they are around $30 a night. (for a dorm).

You can stay 6 months max. SO WHAT? are you looking for a career in Oz? or a job to fund your trip? There is a lot of short term work out there.

Where to rent - do a search on this and other forums there are lots of threads.

Just have a visa card in case of emergency.