Aussies Are Sharing What Non-Aussies Who Want To Move Down Under Need To Know

    "You’ll save $100k a year not paying medical bills."

    Louise Gong
    by Louise Gong

    BuzzFeed Staff

    To say there have been some controversial developments in America recently would be a bit of an understatement.

    So much so, in this Reddit thread, American user u/PartFabulous9092 asked for advice on what they needed to know about hitting the eject button on the States — and making the move to Australia.

    It's little wonder people are trying to flock to Australia.

    Here are the best responses from Aussies on all the things to bear in mind before moving down:

    1. "For most rentals they come with no furniture, so often you have to bring your own fridge, clothes washer and dryer, couches, beds, etc."

    "It's a common pitfall for people coming from the US and Europe."

    —u/Murrumbeenian

    "Moved to Melbourne from NYC and was shocked that my first apartment here didn’t have a refrigerator. I thought the place had been robbed before I’d moved in."

    —u/avidbirdpointerouter

    Flickr: giveawayboy / Via Flickr: giveawayboy

    2. "You’ll save $100k a year not paying medical bills."

    —u/Aussieman2019

    3. "[Australia] stopped selling banana Nesquik and life hasn’t been the same since."

    —u/hurricane_you_not

    4. "Immigration is a long and expensive process."

    "Unless you have a desirable trade or qualification, or a shit-ton of money, you’ll struggle to get anything more than a working holiday visa.

    To be fair, that’s not a bad place to start — you can see if you like Australia before committing to permanent residency/citizenship."

    —u/Superannuatedpunk

    "It can be a very expensive and time consuming process, which I don’t think everyone factors in. My partner's visa cost us $8k and took over 27 months for just about the simplest case possible."

    —u/NixyPix

    "Unless you have a needed skill, you aren't going to get any stay visa."

    —u/DURIAN8888

    5. "This is the country of bogans wearing shorts and no shoes in the winter."

    —u/normie_sama

    Max Wheeler / Via Flickr: makenosound

    6. "The cost of living here is pretty bad right now — fuel, transport and food are super pricey."

    "Just be aware that you may not be able to afford to go out a lot and enjoy the city to its fullest potential unless you can pick up a higher earning job, which is unlikely since you’re essentially on a temporary visa."

    —u/4SeasonWahine

    7. "There is currently a housing crisis in Australia and many people are selling, so rentals are less available."

    —u/SeaOfSourMilk

    8. "I moved to Melbourne from the States [and found] that the working class is treated far more fairly."

    —u/SeaOfSourMilk

    9. "There are a ton of trades screaming for help. I'm unsure if you're able to get a business to sponsor your way through a trade qualification. There are plenty of openings for trades positions though."

    —u/CloanZRage

    Michael Coghlan / Via Flickr: mikecogh, Michael Coghlan / Via Flickr: mikecogh

    10. "If you do farm work to stay, please for the love of god research which farm you’ll be working on! There are many horror stories out there."

    "One girl I knew had to live in a tent, and virtually all of her earnings from the farm went to her 'rent'."

    —u/a_child_to_criticize

    11. "If you have a criminal record, we won't let you in. Very strict immigration."

    —u/purity33


    12. "A huge plus for moving to Australia is you don't need a bulletproof vest to go out shopping or to school."

    —u/boredofFB

    Camy West / Via Flickr: camy, Adam Clyde / Via Flickr: adamclyde

    13. "There is very good Asian food here that is easily found. But if you long for the taste of home with American BBQ or Mexican food, you need to work to find a good place. We do both terribly on average!"

    —u/AnnoyedOwlbear

    14. Finally, "You will likely find Australia a really great place to live. There's less crime, higher wages, better weather and a shitload more green space."

    —u/thedobya

    Let us know in the comments if there's anything else someone wanting to move to Australia needs to know!

    Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.