Email us at solutions@VisaOne.com.au or if you have an urgent case matter which requires immediate assistance, please call us on 1300 61 99 77 (or +61 7 3181 5588).

*Legal Disclaimer: Please note that this article is for general information only. Always seek professional legal advice in regards to your situation as every situation is different. Immigration legislation changes regularly and thus always, get up-to-date advice on your situation. Lodging a visa application is a judicial process and is based on the quality of legal advice and legal representation you receive. It is illegal for any Migration Agent or Lawyer to guarantee 100% of a positive result as it is a judicial process.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Occupations removed on Wednesday the 19th of April 2017:

 

To find out more about the 457 Abolishment changes, please read our article release about the new changes:

457 Abolished | The Real Changes That Will Affect You Now

If you require professional assistance with your matter, please email us at solutions@VisaOne.com.au. Due to the sudden nature of the announcement made regarding the 457 visa program, you may experience 1-2 business days of delay in our response to your enquiry.

If you have an urgent case matter which requires immediate intervention and you wish to engage us to professionally assist with your case, please call us on 1300 61 99 77 (or +61 7 3181 5588) and clearly describe your situation (such as your occupation, the status of your application and any other problems you require immediate assistance with).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="It doesn't cost you to know your options" font_container="tag:h1|text_align:center|color:%23288bd0" google_fonts="font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal" css=".vc_custom_1493284229331{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/2"][ult_buttons btn_title=" 1300 619 977" btn_align="ubtn-center" btn_size="ubtn-large" btn_title_color="#333333" btn_bg_color="" btn_hover="ubtn-fade-bg" icon="Defaults-phone" icon_size="32" icon_color="#288bd0" btn_icon_pos="ubtn-sep-icon-at-left" btn_border_style="solid" btn_color_border="#ff8200" btn_border_size="0" btn_radius="3" el_class="ubtn123" css_adv_btn=".vc_custom_1493284369687{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}" btn_font_style="font-weight:bold;" btn_font_size="desktop:34px;" btn_line_height="desktop:34px;"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/2"][ult_buttons btn_title="FREE VISA ASSESSMENT" btn_align="ubtn-center" btn_size="ubtn-large" btn_title_color="#ffffff" btn_bg_color="#ff8200" btn_hover="ubtn-fade-bg" btn_bg_color_hover="#ff9b30" btn_title_color_hover="#ffffff" icon_size="32" btn_icon_pos="ubtn-sep-icon-at-left" btn_border_style="solid" btn_color_border="#ff8200" btn_border_size="0" btn_radius="5" el_class="sg-popup-id-2" css_adv_btn=".vc_custom_1493284465384{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}" btn_font_style="font-weight:bold;" btn_font_size="desktop:20px;" btn_line_height="desktop:20px;"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A surprising announcement was made yesterday by the Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, that the Australian government will be abolishing the 457 program and replacing it with the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa, which will officially come into effect in March of 2018 (next year).

This has created a ripple effect of fear, confusion and uncertainty for 457 visa applicants, and 457 sponsors, which include small businesses, medium-to-large organisations and even government bodies who all utilise the 457 program to fill a wide array of skilled vacancies with skilled workers from around the globe, including Europe, Asia and the Americas.

It is important to know that the transition of changes of the move from the current 457 program to the new TSS visa has already begun. Reforms have come into effect from today starting with the occupation lists, and more changes to follow this coming 1st of July 2017. Below are the immediate changes, effective from today, that may affect your 457 visa/nomination/sponsorship:

Changes commencing on the 19th April (today):

• Occupation list change: The Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL), which was the list of occupations that employers could sponsor people to fill, has been renamed to the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) of which 216 occupations have been removed (from 651 to 435 occupations). Note: The STSOL will be updated every 6 months
• The new STSOL will have occupation specific restrictions applied to 59 of the occupations and 24 occupations have been limited for sponsorship to regionally located employers (such as occupations relating to farming and agriculture).
• The Skilled Occupation List (SOL), which refers to the Skilled Migration category will be renamed to the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). This list will consist of occupations that have been identified as high value occupations to the Australian economy.
• 457 Visa Validity Period: The maximum duration of 457 visas issued from this date for occupations that are on the STSOL will be 2 years. The maximum duration of 457 visas issued from this date for occupations that are on the MLTSSL will be 4 years.

So what does this mean for you as an applicant or employer?

This means that depending on your occupation or vacant position:

1. You will not be able to use the 457 program for occupations that have been removed from the occupations lists.
2. For the remaining occupations, on the new lists, you can still use the 457 program but some restrictions may apply to your occupation, or will only be allowed for regional work purposes.
3. The maximum period of the visa validity of 457 visas granted from the 19th of April 2017 onwards will vary depending on what list the occupation/vacancy falls under (STSOL vs MSTSSL).

Current 457 visa holders are not affected by the change and their visas will continue to remain in effect. The only time where the changes will affect current 457 visa holders is if they intend to switch employers, which requires a new 457 nomination (which will be subject to the new occupation lists and associated restrictions).

Current 457 nomination and visa applications that have been lodged on or before the 18th of April 2017 (where the application/s have not yet been finalised) will be affected by the new occupation lists. The Department of Immigration have advised that applications affected by the changes may be eligible for a refund of their nomination fee and visa application fee.

If you are about to embark on a 457 case (or if you are in the middle of the process), please make sure you understand the above changes and consult with an experienced registered migration agent who can navigate the changes and offer you advice and assistance to help you, moving forward.

If you require professional assistance with your matter, please email us at solutions@VisaOne.com.au. Due to the sudden nature of the announcement made regarding the 457 visa program, you may experience 1-2 business days of delay in our response to your enquiry.

If you have an urgent case matter which requires immediate intervention and you wish to engage us to professionally assist with your case, please call us on 1300 61 99 77 (or +61 7 3181 5588) and clearly describe your situation (such as your occupation, the status of your application and any other problems you require immediate assistance with).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text="It doesn't cost you to know your options" font_container="tag:h1|text_align:center|color:%23288bd0" google_fonts="font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal" css=".vc_custom_1493284229331{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/2"][ult_buttons btn_title=" 1300 619 977" btn_align="ubtn-center" btn_size="ubtn-large" btn_title_color="#333333" btn_bg_color="" btn_hover="ubtn-fade-bg" icon="Defaults-phone" icon_size="32" icon_color="#288bd0" btn_icon_pos="ubtn-sep-icon-at-left" btn_border_style="solid" btn_color_border="#ff8200" btn_border_size="0" btn_radius="3" el_class="ubtn123" css_adv_btn=".vc_custom_1493284369687{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}" btn_font_style="font-weight:bold;" btn_font_size="desktop:34px;" btn_line_height="desktop:34px;"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/2"][ult_buttons btn_title="FREE VISA ASSESSMENT" btn_align="ubtn-center" btn_size="ubtn-large" btn_title_color="#ffffff" btn_bg_color="#ff8200" btn_hover="ubtn-fade-bg" btn_bg_color_hover="#ff9b30" btn_title_color_hover="#ffffff" icon_size="32" btn_icon_pos="ubtn-sep-icon-at-left" btn_border_style="solid" btn_color_border="#ff8200" btn_border_size="0" btn_radius="5" el_class="sg-popup-id-2" css_adv_btn=".vc_custom_1493284465384{margin-top: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}" btn_font_style="font-weight:bold;" btn_font_size="desktop:20px;" btn_line_height="desktop:20px;"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

We cannot stress it enough. Visa application is not a straightforward process, even with visa assistance from legal companies such as ours. It involves hundreds of people relying on twenty dozen pages of laws and policies only to decide whether they will allow you to step on the country or not.

But amid these legal complications, one major factor that mostly contributes to the bulk of the waiting time before the visa gets approved or denied is how the documents are prepared before submission. You provide an untranslated birth certificate in French (without telling us in any way what it is) and you will exponentially prolong the process (because most of our case officers are English speakers, so are those working in the Immigration). Present a passport that will expire in three months, and your waiting time will double.

Here are seven simple and quick fixes that you can do that will allow for a smoother and faster processing of your visa.

 

 

 

Prepare All Your Documents In Advance

 

Visa application is all about documentation. You need all the records, accounts, and paper works that back up everything you claim about yourself during the application. If the papers you surrendered lack one vital document, the process will be on a halt.

The Immigration wants an entire picture of your identity. With one piece of the puzzle missing, that picture will not make sense, or worse, they might think you are lying with the information you provided. Any records missing will amount to a couple of days or weeks we spend telling you to submit such paper. That is time you are losing in the application process already.

 

 

 

Have Your Non-English Papers Converted By a NAATI-accredited Translator

 

The people at the Immigration department are mostly English speakers. Therefore any documents printed in any other languages should be translated. They will not accept just any translator. It should be done by someone accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

This government agency is the national standard for issuing accreditation for practitioners in Australia. Any NAATI-accredited translator or interpreter means they are operating lawfully and are allowed to legally interpret your government documents.

 

 

 

Label Properly

 

Our case managers (the people who collect and process your documents and liaise with the Department of Immigration), as well as the Department of Immigration itself go through hundreds of paper works each day. They mostly includes three passports, ten kinds of certificates, and twenty records belonging to five people each, all in just one application. It is not very hard to get lost in all of these.

You can make the process faster by labeling the papers you submitted. We will usually provide a list of documents for your reference, you may label your documents according to the suggestions listed. If you are submitting more than one passport, label each one with the names whom they belong to. The same goes for birth certificates, employment records, and registration copies. The less time they spend identifying which document belongs to whom, the more time goes towards the decision process of your visa.

 

 

 

Scan Your Documents in Full Colour

 

Some of our Government records and ID’s are being produced in color and there is a reason for that. It improves the readability of important details and they make the pictures and logos clearer and more identifiable.

When you submit the copies of these documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, and birth, death, and marriage certificates, please do so in full colour. Our case managers can read and prepare the papers better and faster if they are not in black and white. Not to mention that the Department of Immigration also prefers the records to be in colour. You want to get it right the first time.

 

 

 

Have Them At 5MB Max

 

The Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection receives hundreds of thousands of documents each day. Given that they are not Google.com and have a finite storage capacity, they limit the documents to a total of five megabytes in size only, anything more than that and they will reject it.

You may achieve this by compressing your PDFs online via SmallPDF.com. Just upload your PDF files and the site will compress them for you.

 

 

 

If You Do Not Have the Original Copy, Certify Your Documents with a JP or Notary Public

 

Sometimes we do not have the original versions of important documents and that is fine, as long as you have your non-original copies certified by the Justice of the Peace or a Notary Public (you can search for one in our area here). Their certifications will allow your non-original copies to be recognised by the Department of Immigration as valid.

 

 

 

Make Sure Your Passport Is NOT Expiring In the Next Six Months

 

Your visa grant should be in sync with the details in your passport, from the passport number to the expiration date. And since visa application process normally takes months, you have to be sure you still have the same passport when you finally secure your visa. If it expired along the process and you get another one with different numbers and expiration dates than the one in your visa, you will have a huge problem once you set foot in Australia.

Make sure the passport you provide will be good for six months up to a year to avoid hassles with the Immigration.

 

 

 

For professional assistance with your visa case, please email us at solutions@VisaOne.com.au.

If you have an urgent case matter which requires immediate assistance, please call us on 1300 61 99 77 (or +61 7 3181 5588)

*Legal Disclaimer: Please note that this article is for general information only. Always seek professional legal advice in regards to your situation as every situation is different. Immigration legislation changes regularly and thus always, get up-to-date advice on your situation. Lodging a visa application is a judicial process and is based on the quality of legal advice and legal representation you receive. It is illegal for any Migration Agent or Lawyer to guarantee 100% of a positive result as it is a judicial process.

Relatively, getting a job is fairly easy in Australia. Unemployment rate keeps getting low, career opportunities are expanding, there are numerous places to look for a job, and all you need to do is give an impressive interview.

But starting a business in the country, that is an entirely different (and larger, nonetheless) beast to tackle. There many factors to consider. Working hours are longer than that your usual nine to five gig. And the risk of loss and failure is higher.

However, beyond those risk are greater rewards. The most successful people in Australia started as small business. They expanded through sheer will, motivation, and knowing exactly the right things to do. If you want to have your own startup, here are top seven things to remember when planting the seeds of your success.

 

 

 

Start With What You Love and What You Know

 

Bernard Vukas, being an engineer, could have started a travel app or a PC game, since those things sell like pancakes these days. But he has one simple yet quirky expertise: spreadsheets. The guys is a master on Microsoft Excel. He founded a small business providing spreadsheet tutorials on other startups. Currently, he is now a successful digital nomad with a string of a thousand satisfied clients on his belt.

Young entrepreneurs tend to jump on trends because they are “hot ideas.” This can be a huge mistake. The market is already saturated all while you pour time and money learning things from scratch. Start with what you already know and/or love to do, and then cultivate it to create your own market.

And since we are talking about ideas…

 

 

 

Patent Your Ideas

 

In the early 1990s, Paul Brown came up with a valve technology creating plastic containers that let liquids to be stored upside down without dripping. This sounds silly until you realize everyday products from catchup to shampoo to lotions utilize this technology. This new idea earned him $13 million. And that is 1995 money. All because he as an idea that nobody has and nobody can steal. He patented it.

If you have an idea or innovation that can potentially evolve into a world-changing technology, be sure you put your name on it. You don’t want your competitors to copy your concept and take away your edge. Australia’s International Property laws let innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs protect their ideas and products by applying for patents, trademarks, and copyrights, whichever is applicable.

 

 

 

Realize That It's Not A Straightforward Process

 

When Bethenny Frankel was asked what the greatest lesson she had ever received was, the Skinnygirl Cocktails founder said it was an advice from Ellen Degeneres, “You will keep repeating the same mistakes until you actually learned the lesson.”

And true enough. You don’t start a business this year and be a multimillionaire the next. There will be ups and downs. You will fail. Lose money. Meet new people. Learn from experience. It is basically a Six Flags roller coaster ride, but longer and with more credit card debts involved. This continues until you reach the path to stability and growth. And that’s just the start of a longer journey.

If that sounds too risky and not worth the time and effort, remember that no one becomes successful by being stuck in their cubicle doing the same thing for a decade or so.

 

 

 

Register Your Business

 

You may forget half of the things in this list, but at least try not to have a run in with the law by not registering your business.

If it is an enterprise you are starting in Australia, the law requires that you register an Australian Business Number (ABN), this is a unique 11 digit number that identifies your business to the government and community. You may register through here. In addition, you also need to register your business name if you choose to operate not as a company but as a sole trader, partnership, or a trust. You will find more information here regarding business name registration.

 

 

 

Have A Good Financial Plan

 

Getting in debt maybe part of the road to success, but it is not an inevitable stumbling block. You can actually avoid this by having a good financial plan layout before you start your business.

The first step includes forecasting the startup cost, and sticking with it. It is not hard to disregard these number when you are too passionate about your business, up until you maxed out your cards already. Having a good perspective of the operational cost that will barrel you down will allow you to prepare and have more adjustments.

Second is to financially prepare for your first year, which is the most critical part of a startup. This is when you will fail, learn, lose money, learn, lose more money, and learn again. In short, this is the period when most trials and errors happen.

And lastly, ask the expert advice. Talk with entrepreneurs who had walked down your path already. Their lessons will enable you to avoid the pitfalls they have fallen into so you can encounter new ones.

 

 

 

Understand Your Tax and Legal Obligations

 

Just because you get your business registered does not mean it is legit already. You also need to mind about settling your business taxes.

There are six taxes that maybe required to depending on your business. They include the Tax file number (TFN), Goods and Services Tax (GST), Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT), Pay As You Go PAYG withholding, Pay as you go (PAYG) instalments, and Payroll Tax.

Aside from these, you may need also to learn about income tax, land tax, capital gains tax, excise duties, stamp duty, rates, and international tax.

 

 

 

Get The Right People

 

You cannot do everything alone. You are not Batman. The success of your business depends on the combined skills and efforts of you and your team, whether they are your partners or employees. So be sure you only employ the right people. They need to have the proper clout, best work ethics (you will be closely working with them), and the same fire as yours.

Business magnate, innovator, and potential Billionaire superhero Richard Branson knows exactly how essential employees’ contributions are, especially those on the top positions. The Virgin Group founder make sure he is always involved in the hiring process of senior level executives. The same mindset goes inside the head of Larry Page, aka the co-founder of the world’s most famous search engine. He too insists on being part of Google's high level hiring process.

 

We’ve already shown you the various tips and hacks for saving money while getting your degree abroad. But even those are not enough. Going to college in your own country is expensive already, doing so overseas increases your expenses exponentially as well as your chances of getting broke. And in our continuing effort to make the lives of expats and foreign students in Australia (or any part of the world) easier, we present to you five more reasons to maximize your hard-earned funds and keep bankruptcy at bay.

 

 

 

Bring Your Own

 

Bottle that is.

Because all study and no play makes college a nightmarish scenario, there will be a time when you will be attending barbecues, outdoor parties, and social gatherings. Bringing your own bottle as your share to the affair is a special courtesy expected from you.

But this hack is further helpful when it comes to dining out. Upon reservation of the restaurant, see if you are allowed to bring your own bottle of wine or champagne. If you are, then you better should. Exclusive joints like these are known to jack up their prices, and that includes alcohol. Having your own bottle of liquid courage with you would slice your expenses in half.

 

 

 

Shop From Farmers' Markets

 

This tip works well for tourists. It will work better for students.

If you love eating out every day, you might need to put that fondness on hold in this stage of your life. Eating out burns so much money. Period. Preserve your salary by learning to shop and cook for yourself. That way, you can control your servings, the foods’ taste, and the ingredients (you have no idea how much salt restaurants dump on their meals, and that’s bad for you). Also, you can practice your plating skills, which is helpful for your Instagram #foodpics.

But don’t just shop anywhere, try to go for the local and farmers’ markets. The prices here are especially low since the produces go from the farm straight to their stalls, removing the middleman in the process. Not to mention, you’re able support the local farming industry. Win-win!

 

 

 

Use your School or Work’s Coffee Machine

 

For some of us, coffee is fuel. And we could not start one task on our checklist until we get our dose of caffeine. But coffee is expensive, and it is one of the few small things we do not realize ruin our budget. A regular Starbucks latte in Australia costs four dollars. In a week, that racks up to AU$20. For perspective, that amount can already get you milk, cheese, a loaf of bread, rice, and eggs (or you know, basic actual food) good for a few days.

To cut down on coffee prices, utilize the coffee machines or dispensers on your work or school. They are cheaper, even free, and not loaded with sugar that puts a litter of soda to shame.

 

 

 

Go For BigWords

 

We don’t mean throwing technical terms you can never understand in parties so you could sound cool. We are talking about BigWords, an online resource that lets you compare text book prices from various vendors and on line sellers to let you know the cheapest prices and offers.

If you found that buying the book is still too much for your wallet, you still have your school’s library which likely has all the text books you need (you paid for that facility, anyway). Or you may borrow from a friend who already got past your class. It pays to acquaint yourself with older students, you know.

 

 

 

Interest Yourself in High-Interest Savings Accounts

 

High-interest savings accounts will let you maximize your money in the bank, especially if you already have a large deposit to start with. But please take note that such option will not supply you your daily allowance, as these accounts rely on compound interest i.e. your money has to stay for a specific amount of time to earn. Taking a job is still the best way to earn huge cash.

The Productivity Commission, Australia’s major body tasked in reviewing and advising on microeconomic policies, is proposing huge changes for the country’s skilled migration that could considerably impact the process on which Australia selects the migrants it lets in.

There are many extensive changes being proposed as per the report titled “Migrant Intake into Australia” which was submitted to the Australian Government. The recommendations aim to overhaul the measures and methods of which the country selects and adopts the permanent skilled migrants.

The proposed changes include:

 

 

 

Reduction of the Age Limit

 

Current age limit for the permanent migration under the skill stream is 50 years old, but the Commission suggested that the Australian Government consider a reduction of this, arguing that younger migrants are “likely to have a more favourable impact” compared to those who come to the country at an older age which have “lower rates of labour force participation.”

The report also stressed out that the Government reconsider giving the points‑based system for younger immigrants more significance. The Commission, however, emphasized that the Australian Government continue its existing authority in granting exemptions to the age rule for exceptionally skilled migrants.

 

 

 

Making the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) As the Sole Basis

 

The report also proposed that the Australian Government utilize the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) as the reference point for establishing the skill requirements for the various streams of the permanent skilled immigration program. These include those using the Temporary Residence Transition visa.

In addition, it suggested that the Government initiate a small pilot scheme that will determine the benefit of improving the Skilled Occupations List. The proposed improvements include a “granular” approach to some occupations that cannot be easily allocated between the different skill levels as well as the addition of particular, well defined, skill sets that are not occupationally specific.

 

 

 

Increase Points Given to Primary Applicants

 

The report advised the contributing points that the primary applicant (i.e. the main person applying for the visa) is being given be raised, up to a given maximum. The increased points should be based on the skill and other traits of the adult secondary applicant. Also, it suggested that a primary applicant without any partner be provided with the maximum points.

 

 

 

Streamlining the Points System for Permanent Skilled Migrant Applications

 

Another proposal is for the Australian Government to adopt and maintain a common points system for the entire permanent skill stream. Along with this, additional points should also be awarded to a primary applicant who has been nominated by an employer.

The Productivity Commission also indicated that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Department of Education and Training, and the Department of Employment collectively create a “systematic empirical” method for establishing the distribution of points based on the traits of the permanent skill stream and evidences on employment and other outcomes.

 

 

 

Screen Partners and Adult Children For English-Competency

 

While the current process does not assess partners and adult children on their English ability, work skills, age, and education, the Commission wants to change that by having the secondary visa applicants be screened in addition to the evaluations being made for the primary visa applicants.

These proposals handed to the Australian Government 13 April this year and was only made public last 12 September, are not yet final and effective. We will keep you updated for any changes taking effect in the migration policies and processes.

What can you say about these proposed changes?

Last week, Outside Online website threw the Internet into frenzy when it released a report declaring that the Great Barrier Reef has died, stating that "climate change and ocean acidification have killed off one of the most spectacular features on the planet." It also said that the reef is 25 million years old, in complete obituary-style.

 

 

 

Social Hysteria

 

The news has been shared 1.41 million times (as of this writing) on various social media, including Facebook and Twitter, with the netizens expressing grief and horror over the loss of one the (if not the) greatest natural wonders of the world.

 

 

 

But it isn't just the individual folks that got concerned, even the legit news outfits jump in on the craze, further fueling the apparent veracity of the article, and thus adding more reason it needs to be shared (because come on, it is bona fide news!)

 

 

 

We don't have any reason to believe it was slow news day that time, however.

 

 

 

The Great Barrier Reef Isn’t Dead…

 

Here at VisaOne, we are all about accuracy and truthfulness, whether it is with the help we provide or the information we impart. So when we saw this news exploding all over the web, we did what any responsible blogger would do: we tested the story. And we found it unreliable and hyperbolic.

Here’s the thing, it might be the single greatest living structure on Earth, but the Reef isn't just one organism. It is composed of millions of individual corals, each one being made of billions of microscopic living things called coral polyps. These tiny creatures are what make up other coral reefs around the world. They either live individually or in extremely large groups. Either way, a huge collection of corals such as the Great Barrier Reef cannot all die at the same time.

Basically, Outside just placed Australia's prized attraction along the ranks of famous personalities always being falsely reported as dead like Paul McCartney, Sylvester Stallone, and Jackie Chan (if you have seen his movies, you know Jackie Chan does not die).

The more level-headed and actual authorities on environmental science seems to concur, with environmental reporter Tony Davis calling out Outside for its “greatly exaggerated” news and Cornell University Rockland stating that "The message should be that it isn't too late... not we should all give up."

 

 

 

 

 

A good news, yes. However, not a call for celebration.

 

 

 

… But It Is Not Healthy Either.

 

The news’ veracity might be challenged, but it is not entirely false. You see, the Reef is not in a very good condition. Currently, more than 90% (or around 2,300 kilometers) of it is tremendously damaged because of bleaching, as per the report of ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. Bleaching happens when corals, stressed by the rise in sea temperatures, light, or nutrients, expel out the symbiotic algae living with in their tissues. This causes the corals to go white.

 

 

That’s correct. Only less than 10% of Queensland’s icon is alive and well.

The two most devastating bleaching events happened in 1998 and 2002, where 42% and 54% of the reefs, respectively, were damaged.

There are two factors that are being looked at to be major contributors to these wide spread coral death. One is the El Niño phenomenon, a cyclical climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean that causes sea temperature to rise. And the other is the scarier and larger monster called Climate Change. It has affected the Reef not only through constantly increasing water temperatures, but through the rise in sea levels, ocean acidification, and the surge in frequency of severe weather events.

 

 

Human activities have also given their fair share of damage, through indiscriminate fishing, burning fossil fuels, pollution, mining, waste dumping, and overuse of natural resources.

Yes mate. The Great Barrier Reef hasn't kicked the bucket yet. But it is slowly doing so. It is only matter of time before it is completely done.  And when that happens, we all got blood in our hands.

More than two-thirds of the countries in the world drive on the right hand side of the world. So when people come to territories that cruise on the left side such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, or United Kingdom, they felt their world flipped literally and suddenly driving is a distant and avoidable option already.

As a former British colony, Australia has been driving left since the 19^th century, and didn’t changed so since it is an island continent and never share any roads with other countries. But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid taking the wheel forever. Driving on the left can be learned without much headache and mishaps. And we will show you how.

 

 

Don’t Go Behind The Wheels Right Away

Trying to learn how to drive on the left after a long flight is like trying to ride the bike for first time after you just got off from a doze. It could turn ugly. After your flight, you still don’t have enough sleep, your body isn’t well adjusted yet, and you are still trying to survive the jet lag.

Give yourself 24 to 48 hours to be accustomed to the new environment (and the new laws). After then you can take the plunge.

 

 

Do Your Homework

Here's what you can do when getting your one-day rest: study the traffic rules. Since you are in a right-hand drive country (meaning the steering wheel is on the right side of the car), the rules can be different. Australia, for one, still follows the "priority to the right" rule when it comes to four-way intersections. Give yourself time to get immersed on signages, laws of the road, and traffic flow.

 

 

Go For A Small Car First

A small car is easier to maneuver, has faster time reaction, is easier to park, and has less margins of error. That means quicker turning and easier braking, which you will do a lot when learning to drive left. If you fancy the bigger cars, you may rent one later once you get adjusted.

And since we are on the topic of choosing cars…

 

 

Go For An Automatic

Sure, you have been driving stick all your life. But when trying to learn a right-hand drive car, you need your hands on the steering wheel all the time. Remember, the gear sticks on manual transmission cars here in Australia is positioned on the left of the driver, so adjusting to switching gears with your left hand (which you formerly do with your right) will add more distraction to this already complicated vehicle maneuver.

Once you completely adjusted yourself, you can start driving stick again.

 

 

Test It On A Parking Lot

Once you got your rental car, don't hurtle it down the road yet. Find an almost empty parking lot (you may ask the attendant where to find one). There, you cat get a feel of your car, the reaction time, the pedals, the steering wheel, everything. Take your time to calm your nerves and gather your focus, and slowly drive your car until you get adjusted on it.

 

 

Wear Your Seatbelt

Australia is one of the very first countries to enact a seatbelt law, and takes pride in it. Seatbelt laws here is very strict and there are huge fines and demerit points for not wearing one. And there is also the matter of safety. You are a beginner on the road and therefore should protect yourself from mishaps.

 

 

Learn Off The Road

City driving is hectic, frenzied, and requires a certain amount of manipulation. If an off-road course is available, take advantage of it. If it is an open field, the better. This should prevent you from ramming yourself into another car or jumping off the curb and ruining somebody’s lawn in case of untoward accelerations. However, we advise that you do not go to extreme and difficult terrains. You might have more problems on them than on street level.

 

 

Avoid Heavy Traffic

And if possible, avoid the city roads.  It can be very chaotic and intimidating. Multiple cars overtaking and swerving, traffic jams, pedestrians suddenly crossing the street, and don’t even get us started with the cyclists. There are just too many to watch out for. Go for a road with minor traffic such as the suburbs or anywhere off the city. The less road users there are, the more focused you will be.

 

 

Take it Slow

Like the first time you learned how to drive, it will be awhile before you get used to it. Do not overcrowd your day with driving lessons. Take a break to completely absorb what you learn, realize your mistakes, and process the tiny details of your experience. Tiring yourself on long driving hours will only lead to stress, frustrations, and accidents.

Enjoy the experience. Australia is a beautiful place. Once you are settled and get used to driving, not getting late for work will be your first priority already, and will miss the opportunity of appreciating the good view. Do it now while you still can.

When we plan to migrate, we tend to look on things that will satisfy our senses. Is the food good? Will the sights be superb? Are people friendly enough? Do they have Netflix? While taking these into consideration toatlly make sense (you will settle there for the rest of your life, after all), we have to see beyond these things and look at the more important factor that actually affect sustainability of life here. These factors overall economy, employment rate, optimism and the likes.

Worry no more. The Land Down Under takes care of these smoothly, as evidenced by reports we have gathered that implies Australia is going north when it comes to economic sustainability. Here are five of them.

 

 

 

The Economy Is Still Surging Up

 

Despite the scares and panic caused surrounding the Brexit last June on a global scale, Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew in the first quarter of 2016, making it the 99^th quarter of which the country is in a state of economic prosperity. This hikes up the acceleration growth rate to 3.1%, the fastest since 2012’S September quarter.

Gross domestic product is the value of all the products and services produced by a country within a specified time. This is one of the indicators of a country’s general economic activities.

It has been almost 24 years since Australia had undergone recession, a period of significant decline in economy lasting for a few months. While going through this is quite normal even for developed countries, the Lucky Country has managed to avoid this.

Compared to other first world nations such as Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and Japan, Australia has outperformed them when it comes to GDP, unemployment, and consumer price index (CPI).

 

 

 

Manufacturing Is On A Rebound

 

The growth of the manufacturing sector not only the by-product of a good economy. In fact, most often than not, it is one of the causes. A country’s GDP is dependent on manufactured goods and services, and between the two, goods is the one on which global trade hinges on.

Recently, Australia bid good bye on Ford’s 91 year-old manufacturing business in the country. But despite this loss, the manufacturing sector is rocking it again.  The third quarter of 2016 saw the pillar of economy bouncing back, led by the food industry and increasing the Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index by 2.9 points to 49.8 last month.

And while this is going smoothly, technology has also jumped in to take the manufacturing up a notch by some companies making their factory staff utilise wearable devices to keep an eye on fatigue, preventing workplace accidents in the process.

But this breakthrough isn’t just something that jumpstarted two months ago. The rise of production sector has been already reported as far back as January, with the petroleum, wood and paper products, chemical & rubber products, coal, food, beverages and tobacco, furniture, clothing, textiles, and other industries all witnessed increased activities during this period.

And what happens when production has increased?  That means more jobs, which leads us to…

 

 

 

Unemployment Is At The Lowest

 

Australia is already known to have very low unemployment rates. But last month’s numbers defied even the most optimistic expectations when unemployment rate from 5.7% to 5.6%, reaching its lowest level in three years. Economist predicted that the numbers will stay at 5.7%, which is already good, but went further lower by 0.01% in August.

The Turnbull government welcomed the development warmly, is this is a result of the 186,000 more jobs they have added to the workforce.

A low unemployment rate means that the number of Australians actively seeking for a job is low in relation to the population of actively employed people. This boosts up the economy in a number of ways. First, it improves efficient utilization of resources and equipment. When this happens, production efficiency increases, meeting customer demands and maintaining good consumer and supplier relations.

Second, it makes finding job easier for Australians, not only because there are more jobs, but also because the companies have confidence in the job market demand in the near future. Third, this means more buying power for the consumer, which in turn increases demand, opening for more jobs. Making at a virtuous cycle.

And since we are on the topic of buying power…

 

 

 

Consumer Spending And Sentiment Is Still Upbeat

 

And it seems like this virtuous has begun already. Because of improvements on their personal finances, Australians now a more likely to spend, advancing consumer spending and consumer sentiments in the process, as reported by the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank survey last month.

The survey, which included 1,200 participants, found that consumer sentiment stepped up to 0.3% in September from a 2% increase in August. Consumer sentiment measures people opinion about their current financial wellness, as well as the short term and long term growth and wellness of the economy. This is one of the powerful economic indicators available, as if it measures and displays the economic advancement on the human level.

The ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence index also reported the same thing. Despite the falling of a mere 2.2%, consumer confidence in the country remains above its long-run average of 112.8, making it higher than normal.

 

 

 

Retail Sales Are On A Roll

 

Rising retail sales are on one of those numbers people will relegate only to increase of department store sales and huge discounts, but as stated above, it is another essential economic indicator. Increase in sales of everyday items exhibits the consumers’ confidence in the market, in the economy, and in their pockets. If they think financial circumstances are bleak, then they will keep their money and save it in the bank. It is good, but not that good, because it does not encourage circulation of money.

With Australia’s August retail sales hitting a +0.4%, it defies (again!) expectations from economists. This amounts to $25.128 billion worth of sales from consumers, and is now the biggest monthly increase since October 2015.  Along with department store goods, jumping sales have also been in reported in cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (1.2%), food retailing (0.3%) and household goods retailing (0.2%).