Oz Itinerary

ElecKtrA

Hi guys,

I'll be leaving Ireland at the end of the month and moving to Sydney.

I'm basically looking for some advice (especially from ex-pats) is there anything I can do in the interim i.e. setting up jobs (interview) etc. Any recommendations on websites?!

I have accommodation sorted for a week and I'm hoping I will fall on my feet and land into a job pretty quickly - perhaps I'm too wishful.

Any suggestions or advice would be very much appreciated.

pete4130

That first week:

- Get your Construction white card....can't work on any sort of construction site for any job (cleaner, traffic control, labourer, in a kitchen, site office etc) without it. It's about $100 to do and can be done online.

- Get your RSA and possible RCG cards. RSA is responsible service of alcohol. Can't work in a bar/licenced establishment without it. RCG is for gaming rooms in pub/club/casinos etc. About $150 for both. Available to do online.

- If your Sydney based, then get an Optus Sim card. Their pay as you go rates are probably the best value.

- Hit up seek.com.au and touch base with as many recruiters as possible. It's hard to line anything up unless you are here. Replies from applications take longer to come back to you than you are probably used to.

- Don't pi$$ your money up the minute you get here.

Utah

pete4130 wrote: »

- Don't pi$$ your money up the minute you get here.

That's the really hard bit

Tipperary Fairy

OP how are you moving to Sydney without already having a job lined up?

Just to correct the previous post, the white card course cannot be done online, authentic ones have to be done in a classroom and the price is $120.

Also I would recommend Telstra over Optus. And NAB, for your bank.

You should also make sure to apply for your tfn the first day you get there.

minzabud

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

OP how are you moving to Sydney without already having a job lined up?

Just to correct the previous post, the white card course cannot be done online, authentic ones have to be done in a classroom and the price is $120.

The white card can be done online when your in Australia but is more hassle than it's worth if your in a city, I did mine online and had to get forms signed by a justice of the peace to get the card sent to my address in Australia.

Tipperary Fairy

minzabud wrote: »

The white card can be done online when your in Australia but is more hassle than it's worth if your in a city, I did mine online and had to get forms signed by a justice of the peace to get the card sent to my address in Australia.

My boyfriend was advised by the awarding body that in order to get a legitimate white card it has to be done in a classroom.

ElecKtrA

Thanks for all the replies thus far.

I've a Working Holiday Visa and I think this somewhat works against me in the sense of getting a job. I've signed up to lots of recruitment agencies already but again they said to get in touch once I am over in Sydney.

I know how expensive it is to live in Sydney, as I have friends there and I've been before approx. 3 years ago for a months holiday. The ideal scenario is that I get work soon after I land so I don't have to worry about scrimping.

Also, I've been considering the regional/farm work!? can anyone explain to me how this works?! I know I have to do at least 88days to get signed off, but when does the second year visa take effect and how long do I have before it becomes invalid?

Can anyone suggest farm work, in/around Sydney?! or any recommendations at all. Do they accommodate and feed you whilst working on the farm?

pete4130

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

My boyfriend was advised by the awarding body that in order to get a legitimate white card it has to be done in a classroom.

It depends on the Employer. I did my first one years ago online, no bother working in the mines with it. I did another one for another job later on that required the physical aspect of being in a classroom, so I've been employed on multi-billion dollar projects with an online card no problems, and the next employer, Sydney based, small time wanted a different card. IT doesn't really matter too much. If the online courses were not legal, then OHS would not let anybody onto site with the online course card.

Optus is by far better value compared to Telstra. Telstra has better nationwide coverage outside the cities. Again, this experience comes from 5 years working in rural Australia where noting but Telstra would get reception. The moment I started working in the city I ditched Telstra for Optus for better value. At the moment their deal are similar but with Optus they are offering bonus data, so for $40 you get about 8-10GB of data compared to Telstra's 3GB.

ElecKtrA

pete4130 wrote: »

That first week:

- Get your Construction white card....can't work on any sort of construction site for any job (cleaner, traffic control, labourer, in a kitchen, site office etc) without it. It's about $100 to do and can be done online.

- Get your RSA and possible RCG cards. RSA is responsible service of alcohol. Can't work in a bar/licenced establishment without it. RCG is for gaming rooms in pub/club/casinos etc. About $150 for both. Available to do online.

- If your Sydney based, then get an Optus Sim card. Their pay as you go rates are probably the best value.

- Hit up seek.com.au and touch base with as many recruiters as possible. It's hard to line anything up unless you are here. Replies from applications take longer to come back to you than you are probably used to.

- Don't pi$$ your money up the minute you get here.

Thanks for your reply.

I've registered on SEEK and I am constantly applying for jobs but I've not heard anything back! which is surprising because of my working background and qualifications but my cover letter does state that I have a working holiday visa and I won't arrive until end of April. I think a lot of positions are advertised for permanent jobs, and I guess all I am entitled to is temporary work!

ElecKtrA

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

OP how are you moving to Sydney without already having a job lined up?

Just to correct the previous post, the white card course cannot be done online, authentic ones have to be done in a classroom and the price is $120.

Also I would recommend Telstra over Optus. And NAB, for your bank.

You should also make sure to apply for your tfn the first day you get there.

Thank you for your reply.

NAB bank?! are they nationwide? would I need any details before going into them. How does ATM cards work over there, is there a transaction fee everytime you use/withdraw money?

pete4130

If you aren't here in the country and they can't call you, straight to the bottom of the pile I'm afraid. Leave out the WHV on the cover letter. Let them ask that question when you are speaking to them. It gets you one step closer than them seeing your on a WHV and putting it to the bottom of the pile.

There are plenty of call centre jobs/customer service jobs for backpackers, openly advertised for backpackers and all at about $25 per hour.


If you don't mind monotonous work, traffic controller is a good option. Again, you'll need your white card for this and the extra traffic controller tickets (which can be about $420 to get). It's $25 an hour roughly and can go up to $32-$40 if you are on night shift, depending on the company you work for. Be warned....any traffic controller teams I've had to work along side with my job (surveyor) have been some of the dumbest, laziest people I've encountered. More interested in their phones than actually doing their job controlling traffic.

pete4130

ElecKtrA wrote: »

Thank you for your reply.

NAB bank?! are they nationwide? would I need any details before going into them. How does ATM cards work over there, is there a transaction fee everytime you use/withdraw money?

NAB are nationwide. I'm with CBA. Not a whole lot of difference between them. It's abotu $2.50 to use an ATM that isn't belonging to your bank. ING bank Australia have free use of any ATM.

NIALL D

Nah thats bull.
Can be done online .
Can be done from ireland , you do it on the webcam and they watch , and you need to show photo id / passport ..
Then just give them an australian address and it gets delivered within a few days !
Simples...

Tipperary Fairy

Sorry op just you said you were moving to Sydney, sounded permanent.

NAB are good, no transaction fees afaia.

I don't have experience of Optus personally, I was just advised that telstra were better for coverage, and we were planning at the time to go travelling around small towns (currently are) so went with them. I find the data a little restrictive for my use, but not too much bother.

Only thing I would seriously advise op, now that I think of it, if you have money that you want to transfer to Oz with you, you should sort out an account with Currency Fair before you leave Ireland. I had roughly €10000 to take with me and nothing worked very well for not losing money through transfer fees and poor exchange rates. The best option for me was Revolut, but they're an awful service. So would recommend if you have money to move, look up your options, especially Currency Fair.

ElecKtrA

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

Sorry op just you said you were moving to Sydney, sounded permanent.

NAB are good, no transaction fees afaia.

I don't have experience of Optus personally, I was just advised that telstra were better for coverage, and we were planning at the time to go travelling around small towns (currently are) so went with them. I find the data a little restrictive for my use, but not too much bother.

Only thing I would seriously advise op, now that I think of it, if you have money that you want to transfer to Oz with you, you should sort out an account with Currency Fair before you leave Ireland. I had roughly €10000 to take with me and nothing worked very well for not losing money through transfer fees and poor exchange rates. The best option for me was Revolut, but they're an awful service. So would recommend if you have money to move, look up your options, especially Currency Fair.

Thanks. Are NAB nationwide?! Yes, I had been with Optus when I was in Melbourne - GOR and Tasmania - I found it fine. But then I probably will be tapping into free WiFi when I can get it.

Tipperary Fairy

ElecKtrA wrote: »

Thanks. Are NAB nationwide?! Yes, I had been with Optus when I was in Melbourne - GOR and Tasmania - I found it fine. But then I probably will be tapping into free WiFi when I can get it.

Yeah, I think someone else said they are.

eezipc

There are very few farm jobs in and around Sydney. The whole point of the process is to get people out of the cities.
There are plenty of places though.
I did farm work in Bundaberg and Townsville. Both the best and worst things I have ever done in my life.
I know quite alot of people who somehow paid off a farmer to sign the papers but I know Immigration are cracking down hard on that. I think everyone should do farm work though, just for the experience.
I had some crazy jobs - picking cucumbers (horrible), tieing tomato vines, planting trees , harvesting corn, worked in an abattoir. It was all very hard work but probably the best fun I have ever had in my life.
Some places provide accommodation, some don't. The hostels in Bundaberg provide work for you but I found them to be very exploitative, especially to the Asians.

If you work in the shticks for 3 months and get it signed off by an employer then you can apply for a second year visa. It's all here https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/417-

Utah

eezipc wrote: »

I know quite alot of people who somehow paid off a farmer to sign the papers but I know Immigration are cracking down hard on that.

Can confirm. Got caught

eezipc

Utah wrote: »

Can confirm. Got caught

Really, did you get thrown out?

Utah

Yeah, was given 28 days to get my affairs in order and get out. After that my bridging visa would not be valid and I would be illegally in the country

minzabud

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

My boyfriend was advised by the awarding body that in order to get a legitimate white card it has to be done in a classroom.

And that's how it should be done, my card came from Queensland and I was in South Australia at the time and worked on dozens of sites in Vic/Nsw no problem even though I hadn't set foot in Queensland, for the record I would have done it but in the area I was living it was only available every 3 months so went online and got a JP to sign the paperwork.

eezipc

Utah wrote: »

Yeah, was given 28 days to get my affairs in order and get out. After that my bridging visa would not be valid and I would be illegally in the country

A friend of mine got kicked out as well. Isn't there a 4 year ban or something like that? It's not that long I think.