Last time, we showed you a list of some of Australia’s most distinguished destinations (and the things you can do there to make your trip more memorable). And there’s a reason these places are popular and inconic. In a single glance from postcards and travel websites, you can pretty much recognise them. The Sydney Opera House with its sales soaring regally in the sky. Barossa Valley and its lush and thriving vines. And the Parliament House with its familiar flagpole.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but these buildings and landscapes do not always look like these. You switch the camera angle or you take the picture on a different time of the year, and they will look instantly unfamiliar, even boring places. They are no different from those cute girl from Instagram who look somebody else when viewed on a different angle.
Let us count the ways.
Image: therealbest.com
We always see Australia’s most iconic landmark from the side. The sails (or shells, depends who you ask) angling upwards, covering each other in succession, and mounted on a majestic podium. The building’s structure is akin to modern expressionist design.
Sydney Opera House in western view
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
But viewed from the front, the Opera House looks like a weirdly constructed church, or even an ambitious event tent. But this doesn't even take away the beauty of the building’s design. What you are seeing at the foreground of the entrance is the smallest of the shells, the Bennelong restaurant. And yes, that’s where the most expensive cheese toast in the world is being served.
Image: flickr.com
Ayers Rock, or Uluru, is the Australian Outback’s shining gem. Its far-reaching, horizontal grandeur is darling for any panoramic shot of the otherwise barren desert land. This natural wonder is also the largest and most famous single rock formation in the world, only slightly rivaled by Dwayne Johnson.
Ayers Rock during sunset.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
From an aerial view it looks like, well, a huge piece of rock. The white lines around are not added digitally to encircle the geological marvel. Those are roads constructed around the rock to give tourists access and a good view of Uluru from all angles.
Image: abc.net.au
The Great Barrier Reef’s wonder can be mostly appreciated when you dived down and get yourself face to face with the hard corals, sponges, echinoderms, mollusks, fishes, mammals, and other aquatic marine creatures that populate its ecosystem, making it one of the most popular eco-tourism destinations in the world.
A variegated lizardfish, one of the creatures inhabiting the reef.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
But people tend to forget that it is also the largest coral system in the world and one of the very few landmarks that can be seen from space (and no, the Great Wall of China isn’t one of them). The aerial image was shot from the International Space Station and shows a section of the north Queensland coast near Cooktown and Hope Vale.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
The 12 Apostles is one of the most awe-inspiring beach sights on the world, and the Google image searches can’t even argue against it. Towering pillars of limestone are standing proudly and bravely guarding the beach off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park. Right now, there are only eight apostles left, as the other four have collapsed through erosion. But still, the name remains intact.
The 12 Apostles as viewed from the beach
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
Looking from the sea side reveals a different beauty, however. On the background of the Apostles are tall, smoothly chiseled walls of stone that make up the rugged and jagged shoreline of Victoria. Its convex formation only reveals how wind and water shaped the shoreline, and the carved nature displays the different layers of the rock over various geological eras.
Image: news.com.au
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria popular among snow sports enthusiasts because of the thick sleet enveloping this alpine region all year round in place where extreme temperatures can reach 50.°C, making it hold the distinction of being a wrong mountain in a wrong country. A quick search in Google reveals a winter wonderland where hundreds of thousands flock every year to ski, compete, or throw snowballs at each other.
Skiers flocking to Mt Buller resort.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
However, it’s not always like this. Last 2014, Mother Nature played a prank on the mountain and robbed it of snow, resulting in bare, boring, and non-white slopes with misplaced chair lifts. According to the owners, this phenomena isn’t the first time to happen. As expected, the snow returned a few weeks later.
And conversely…
Image: adelaidenow.com.au
Barrosa Valley in South Australia is one of the largest wine-producing regions in the country. But you don’t even have tastes their red liquids to be a fan. The picturesque view of the place is a huge draw enough. Rows upon rows of grape vines neatly juxtaposed to each other as they extend towards a lush horizon, while the warm rays of the sunrise or sunset blankets them. Seriously, it’s like stepping inside the postcard, being able to smell the berries and the grapefruits that permeates the atmosphere.
A postcard-worthy shot of the valley's vineyard.
Image: eiseverywhere.com
But last July 2012, a thunderstorm hit the valley, pelting and covering it with hailstones the size of ten-scent coins. And the result is a white and barren landscape with only the vine poles standing. It is quite desolate if you’ll ask us, but the people of the valley think it’s a rather picturesque and charming look of the valley
Image: learn.nearmap.com
Opened on May 1988 by Elizabeth II, the Parliament House in Canberra is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, and undoubtedly one of the most important and famous government buildings in the country. It is built into Capitol Hill with the main entrance as its emblematic and expansive facade.
The Parliament House in its iconic view.
Image: commons.wikimedia.org
The aerial view of the building, however, gives us a glimpse on how big the place really is. Visible are the two "boomerangs" overarching the western and eastern part of the ground. The famous flagpole can also be seen in the center. It does not, as many people always think from the images, actually sit on top of the entrance building.
As part of its election commitment, the Turnbull Coalition Government announced last Friday, 23 September, that it will roll out a new temporary sponsored parent visa. The new visa will permit parents to be sponsored by Australians and have them stay for five years. It will be rolled out in July 2017.
The plan was made on the heels of the Productivity Commission’s recommendation to either abolish the permanent visa for migrants’ parents or have the fee increased tremendously. Currently, temporary visa for parents only allow them to stay in the country for two years.
With the new plan, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Alex Hawke issued a succession of community consultations and encouraged public submissions to aid the Government in coming up with the final design of the new temporary visa and the legislative adjustments required to implement it.
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Alex Hawke
(Image: theaustralian.com.au)
Hawke emphasized that the Turnbull Government “recognises that many Australian migrant communities face particular pressures through the separation of children from parents and grandchildren from grandparents.”
He also said that they aim to provide better channels for families to “reunite and spend time together” while guaranteeing that it must be achieved in a way that does not place strain on Australia's health care system.
"Improving arrangements for parents of Australians to spend time with their family in Australia, whilst mitigating costs to the Australian taxpayer was a key objective of both major parties at the recent election. It is now important we get this balance right in the design of the temporary sponsored parent visa," he added.
There are 190,000 places available for the immigration program last year, 14% of which belong to parents. (Image: Fotolia)
As part of this, one of the conditions being planned to impose for the visa grant is for the aged parents to obtain private health insurance and financial guarantee from their children in Australia. "If we are to have more aged parents who have come from overseas here with us visiting or staying, we have to ensure that our already overburdened health system is protected from extra cost," Hawke said.
Right now, there is an option available in place for parents to get a permanent visa. However, it has a waiting time of up to 30 years. While this can be expedited, it requires higher visa application charges for faster processing. The new option, on the other hand, will require only two years. And will be accessible to parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible New Zealand citizens once rolled out.
The current temporary visa for parents only allow them to stay in Australia for two years.
(Image: Fotolia)
A month ago, Tasmania officially supported same-sex marriage, a news that counts as another win for the LGBT community (more details below). Such events only proves that Australia is a dynamic country where world changing-developments and advancements come from the most unlikely occurrences.
We rounded up the most mind-bending (and soon ground breaking, probably) news from around the country.
In what would be another step towards greater equality in the country, Tasmania became the very first state government to support same-sex marriage when the Upper and Lower House have voted for it in principle. The motion was passed eight votes to five on the heels of a lengthy debate.
Marriage equality advocates lauded on this development and described it to be significant, noting that Tasmanian Upper House is traditionally quite conservative in its views.
But this shifting political perspective isn't limited to Tasmania. A week ago, South Australia introduces bill to recognise same-sex marriages. The bill will permit the establishment of a relationships register to which same-sex couples could legally put their marriage on record. The state has yet to officially approve of this but at least, the efforts for gender equality is gaining greater grounds in the political arena.
What it means to us: Australia is the paramount of equality in the western world, be it in culture, educational background, and gender. Pushing for marriage equality for the LGBT community further solidifies this trait and make way for other positive changes in the country.
It is indeed one small step for a man, one giant leap for meat-and-bread lovers-kind.
An Australian entrepreneur has secured a patent for the Hamdog, an odd shaped merging of hamburger and hotdog sandwich nobody actually thought they ever need. Mark Murray, an Antipodean from Perth, officially secured the patent in 2009, but kept his invention in secret for seven years until he gathered enough investments to share this gift to the world, like a fast food Prometheus giving the gift of fire to mankind.
He launched it July this year, and it was massively successful, proving the judges of Shark Attack (basically Australia’s Shark Tank) wrong when they turned down Murray’s concept.
The Hamdog consists of a burger patty sliced into two and with a frankfurter wedged in between, and with a customized bun to contain the two.
What it means to us: For those who are constantly confused between having a hamburger and a hotdog sandwich for lunch, this is a huge relief. Also for lovers of meat pies, your favorite treat will soon have a rival.
The Hamdog
(Source: metro.co.uk)
Ironically, the Hamdog isn’t the weirdest amalgamation of name you can find in Australia. That distinction belongs to the towns and villages in Northern Territory.
English company ST and G created a map of Australia showing all the quirkiest, funniest, and rudest names in country, a bulk of which is in NT. From Boing Boing, to Humpty Doo, to Moolooloo. There is also Rum Jungle, Mount Delight, and Mount Mistake. Head to the south and you have Dead Dog Waterhole, Cockroach Waterhole, Touchy Touch Bore, Crazy Creek, and Fiddlers Lake.
Also, many are explicit, swear-based, and innuendo-filled names (that we just cannot put here).
You may buy the map here though, and have a good chuckle.
What it means to us: The country is home to the weirdest name places for centuries now. Being aware of all these provides a wider perspective of this humorous side of our national identity. Also, it will be a lovely conversation piece in your living room wall.
And since we’re on the topic of quirky place names…
To wake up to eggs and bacon is one of the best things in life. A community in Tasmania has been doing this everyday (at least not literally) because that’s the name of their place.
Ironically, the town of Eggs and Bacon Bay was not named after every person’s dream breakfast, but after a wildflower of the same name popular in the area (why that flower was named such is still a matter of mystery to us). However, a group is pushing a campaign to change the town’s name for a better one. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says the town might as well be called “Heart Attack Bay” because of the cholesterol and saturated fat-filled namesakes.
The mayor seems to concur, saying that the name change is helpful if it will “promote healthy lifestyles.” The residents are not as enthusiastic, though, as the town has been named such for quite a while and people might not be able to find and recognize it once altered.
What it means to us: If the name change where to push through, that means Beefsteak Creek in New South Wales and Leg of Lamb Bank in Western Australia need to rethink their town's name also. Not to mention the hundreds of wackily named places we mentioned above.
The Bacon and Eggs flower, scientific name Lotus corniculatus
Source: Wikimedia.org
If your pizza delivery is getting late these days or you are somehow getting lost while driving to the next town because your GPS is betraying you, you blame the tectonic plates that seem to never get itself together.
Australia is currently moving at 2.7 inches northward a year, making it one of the fastest shifting land form in the surface of the earth by geological standards. This is caused by the constantly drifting tectonic plates. The Global Positioning System is the one that gets constantly affected by this, as the country needs to modify its longitudes and latitudes so they line up with the coordinates. In the last 50 years, Australia has changed its official coordinates four times already just for the sake of accuracy.
What it means to us: A mere three inches a year will not make us cozy neighbors with Indonesia in a decade or so. But such small movements can affect airplanes’ navigation which rely also on GPS. Not to mention the self-driving cars Google and Tesla are trying to roll out.
I almost thought that Australia is the same with America. Almost. I was under the impression that Australia was just like the US, but warmer and with more kangaroos than San Diego, California. The two nations share so much similarities, both have gone under the (and maintain good relationships with) Great Britain, indulge in western fast-food, and are English speakers.
So it came as a shock when I got here and found out that Oz was nothing like my country. Everything is done differently. I’ve seen Kangaroo Jack and Wolf Creek and Crocodile Dundee and this land was a far cry from what pop culture fed me.
It wasn’t necessarily bad, but rather challenging. Australia is filled with great people, a friendly climate, and lots of beaches. Also, these weird changes that might take me a lifetime to adapt to.
If you were not from Japan, Singapore, United Kingdom, or certain parts of Africa and you drive a car to and from the work and/or school, the first few weeks of driving here is like learning to ride a bike again.
Australia, just like these countries, drive on the left hand side of the road. That means the driving wheel is on the right side of the car. And you need to keep left. It took me time to learn. And it gets tougher when there were like four of you in the same lane learning to drive this way for the first time.
Perhaps this is the part where I throw my hands up for the Aussies in admiration. They dry their clothes like how Mother Nature will do it: through the sheer power of the wind and the sun.
No. They don’t use windmills and solar cells to power their clothes dryers. But rather, they use this low-tech contraption called a hills hoist. It basically looks like a giant umbrella planted solidly on the ground with the canopy removed and the ribs protracted (yes, I have a great imagination). They hang the clothes to the ribs and let the wind and sun to the job. The hills hoist also rotate to follow the wind.
This method, I believe, is better since it doesn’t use so much electricity like we do back home. And takes advantage of the country’s rich sunshine.
A hills hoist.
wikimedia.org
If you grew up playing basketball, ice hockey, or like me, baseball, you may give up on hopes that you will ever play or watch those games again on big sporting events, because as far as Australia is concerned, those games do not exist (at least in the city I am in).
Here, cricket is the source of madness. It is very much like baseball, but with people paddling (not batting) the ball while the others try to catch it mid-air sans any pitcher gloves. I was getting the hang of it while watching. But I will never try to play it, not if I want to keep a pair of functioning phalanges.
Oreos were part of my child hood. You open a pack, dunk them in a glass of milk, consume, and forget about all the worries in the world because eating these biscuits was all that matters at the moment.
Here in Australia, I couldn’t find Oreos anymore (or probably I was just looking in the wrong place). But what I can see so many though, are Tim Tams. These ubiquitous chocolate biscuits filled with chocolate cream and wrapped with more chocolate might as well be the country’s national food if meat pies and Vegemite do not exist.
But to my surprise, Tim Tams are great. Especially if you bite the opposite ends and use what’s remaining as a straw to drink hot chocolate or coffee (or what they call as “Tim Tams slam”). It’s insanely addicting. Sorry, Oreos-dunked-in-milk, we were done.
Tim Tams slam.
firstwefeast.com
I lived most of my life inland, so a sight of the beach made me hear angels sing. Here in Oz, everybody is within 30 minutes of a drive from beaches. Which is understandable, since most of the Aussies live in the coastal areas, as the Outback, or the middle area of the continent, is pretty much an uninhabitable desert. So if you like coastal living and the sight of the setting sun as waves gently kiss the shore, you will have fun here.
We might be notorious for our humongous fast food staples, but once you see the Aussies’ burgers, suddenly our burgers pale in comparison.
Introducing, the burger with the lot. This monstrosity looks like someone got tired of eating breakfast and lunch separately so he just packed everything between two buns and called it a meal. It contains burger patties, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cheese, barbecue sauce, damper rolls, parsley leaves, fried egg, pineapple rings, and beetroot. I am still at a collective loss over the last three ingredients but so far everything works as far as the taste concerned. They even included a side of salad because come on, the meal needed to be healthy.
Burger with the lot.
globaltable.files.wordpress.com
Like our neighbor Canadians, we use the zigzag method, in which we hold the fork with our left hand and the knife with the right, cut the food, put down the knife near the top of the plate, and switch the fork to the right hand to pick up the food. Then we switch everything back to cut the food again. We really do not know why we waste so much energy with this method, but it’s been the way we do it.
Here, I admire the Australians’ commitment to their cutleries. There’s no putting down or switching of anything. Fork stays on the left, knife on the right. I’ve never felt being an outsider in any event than when I am eating steak with them.
America lives in a frantic mess of complaints, stress, disappointments, and more complaints. Perhaps, this was a product of a self-entitled culture. You see how I am complaining here the entire time?
Aussies, on the other hand, unbelievably knows how to chill.
They don’t put things inside little boxes of expectations and go on speech rage every time something goes wrong. At the very least, they do not expect things to happen urgently, or happen the way they want it to be. They can wait in queues for food, buses, ATM machines, or concerts without whining how long it has been taking. They never complained of being tired, or being bored, or being stressed. They just know that everything will work out in the end. I hope this won’t change. If anything, this kind of positivity is what the world needs.
We have already told you about the things you should do and expect before you even hop on the plane and study in Australia. But guess what, there are no mental preparations that can get you ready for the deluge of expenses when getting your degree from the Land Down Under. Australia is home to some of the best universities in the world and will totally make your effort and money worth it. But on the flip side, it is quite costly to study here.
But that doesn’t mean you should be discouraged, as there are work arounds to circumvent these huge expenditures. You only need a handful of creativity and a dose of self-discipline. Let us show you the ways.
This perhaps is the most underrated weapon in the arsenal of money-saving ideas. Your school ID is the hall pass for the many pricey products and services in Australia such as retail stores, movie theaters, museums, and restaurants. You may inquire your student activities office for any student discounts and perks your ID can take advantage of.
And before you make purchases on clothes, food, concert tickets, or just about anything, you may ask first if you can avail of any discounts for being a student. Asking won’t hurt. Worst case scenario, they will say no. Otherwise, you get a great deal. Also, you may join Student Club, which will further maximize your ID and further broaden your access to student discounts.
When strolling or jogging around town, you may take on a lookout for closing sales on groceries and food shops and take of note of them. Some of these stores hold clearance sales during evening where they sell products that are about to go out of date on insanely marked down prices. Food items like seafood, fresh produce, vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products are usually the ones getting slashed.
They may still be days from getting expired, but it helps to take note of the expiration dates before purchasing and avoid those that are already too close to their due, especially when it comes to dairies. And make sure you consume them before such dates. Going through a bout of diarrhea as a tradeoff for saving five dollars on your food expense is not worth it.
And since we are on the topic of food already…
Have you ever opened your fridge and found that you only have a disparate of food ingredients such as bananas, apples, chicken breast, and peanut butter that it is next to impossible to come up with a decent meal? A group of entrepreneurs and web designers probably go through the same episode every day and cooked up (hah!) a brilliant culinary innovation: Supercook.
Supercook is a website where you can input whatever ingredients you have in your fridge or cupboard and it will come up with recipes that involve those what you have. The website does this by scanning other legit recipe websites such as AllRecipes, Food.com, and Martha Stewart, among others (you can create two meals from the above ingredients, by the way). This is a great way to maximize what you have, be adventurous with your meals, and stop throwing food because you think they have no use.
If saving money won’t cut it, earning it will doubtlessly do. Working while studying definitely pays off, not only monetarily, but in terms of creativity and learning new things. But working hard isn’t enough, working smart is the way to do it.
When you enrolled in Australia, you will be given specific amounts of weeks available for holidays, so be sure to inquire on your school for the maximum number of weeks available for your course, as these are the days when you are allowed to work for as many hours as you prefer. Also, take your holidays on schedules when there is the most work available so you may earn as much as you can. These may vary depending on your industry or job. You may ask your superiors or coworkers for such days. They’d be happy that somebody is eager to fill in on these peak days.
But all work and no play can make your student life exhausting and arduous. You need to go out and have fun as well. And yes, that also costs money. But that doesn’t mean you cannot cut the expenses. Australia is filled with events and venues you can enjoy without making you weep on your empty wallet. You just need to take an effort in looking for them.
Some of these include museums, art galleries, and cultural institutes. These venues are cheap and even free to visit, and you may learn a thing or two about art and history, too. If staring at paintings and relics aren’t your thing, you may go for botanical gardens, parks, zoos, and precincts (not the place where the cops hangout) with your friends to chill, relax, play ball, or even have barbecues.
Sometimes, a couple of barbecues and trips to the zoo will never do. You want your night outs the way you do it back at home: with friends, alcohol, and dim lights. But going to bars and clubs will make you bleed money (possibly more than what you can earn), no matter in which city you are living. Your workaround? International student nights.
If you have one in your school, better ask for the date(s) and take note of it. It is the time when beer and other alcohols’ prices are getting slashed. Go with your friends or make new ones. If you have more company with you, the less you tend to drink, therefore the more you save.
If you are not living half a mile from your school, you should try biking instead of commuting. It is fun, gets you to school quickly, lets you avoid traffic jams, needs no fuel, and helps you burn calories. But we know, bicycles are very expensive. So owning one is already out of the questions.
It’s a good thing bike sharing websites like SpinLister lets you rent a bike to try for a couple of days before you can return it and rent another one if you get the hang of it. This creates a good opportunity for you to try it out around your city, town, or campus before you invest in your own bike. And when you are already have the money, you can buy a second-hand one through Craigslist.
So, you finally arrived here in Australia. You are ready to be comfy on your new home, immerse yourself on the new culture, try all the Aussie food, and live your new life. It’s a brave new world out there!
And then two weeks later, boom! It hits you. You miss your old room. You miss grandma’s cooking. You miss the neighborhood. The sense of isolation and melancholy is getting the best of you. You want to go home. All these excitements of starting a new life now taking a backseat. You now want your old life back.
Homesickness has been plaguing people for ages, from European explorers to pilgrims to World War I and II soldiers to the modern expatriates and exchange students. It is an underrated and underestimated emotional condition that has drove people to desolation and breached contracts. And while going back home isn’t really an immediate possibility, there are ways to tide the longing and continue what you set out to do.
Homesickness isn’t necessarily missing home, but the habits and routines associated with it. Since you can’t go back to those anymore, creating new activities to revolve your daily life on will work just as fine. And no, we’re not discussing about you waking up, getting your coffee, and taking the drive to work. We’re talking about the extra things that give your otherwise conventional day into something extraordinary. It could be meeting a few friends after work, reading a good book on your favorite coffee shop, doing yoga, or a jog in the morning. These will provide distractions as you get immersed in your new life.
And speaking of jogging…
It is no secret that working out releases happy hormones in your body. This is perfect to combat depression commonly associated with homesickness. Also, being physically active keeps you away from bad eating which again, is a huge tendency of those experiencing stress and longingness.
So choose a physical activity that you like and stick with it. A morning jog, yoga sessions, weightlifting, or even playing your favorite sport (Australia’s obsession with sports is huge). It will strengthen your immune system, which means you will have more ammunition to fight off sickness while you adjust to a new atmosphere.
Also, by joining fitness clubs or workout classes, you will meet more people and have more friends, which lead us to…
Of a different family that is. It might the household on your shared apartment, or your coworker’s core relatives. Having them “adopt” you will get rid of any feelings of loneliness. Have them invite you to family functions, dinners, or parties. No, they will never replace your folks back at home, but they can provide a sense of belongingness which is way, way better than getting yourself drunk alone at home during Thanksgiving.
And since we’re on the topic of Thanksgiving …
Since your real family is away, there’s no way you can slice turkey with them. But you can celebrate it with your adoptive family! Treat them to a thanksgiving dinner (you may use chicken, turkey burgers, or other alternatives instead) once a year. Or, if you’re from the Philippines, celebrate Christmas Eve with a Chinese ham and leche flan with them on the table
This works on both ways. First, you will get a taste of home by sharing your traditions with other people. And second, your new family will have new experiences and new food to try. Win-win, if you’ll ask us.
If you think you are helping yourself by spending four hours a day on Skype keeping in touch with your family back home, you are wrong. This will only bolster the longing and homesickness. The same thing happens when you drown yourself in social media, constantly keeping in touch what your friends are having for lunch because you can’t afford to miss out.
You have an entire world to discover out there. Make new friends, try new foods, join groups, and learn new hobbies. You have a new home now. Know and enjoy it. Your relatives and buddies back home are going on with their daily lives, you should too on your end.
Homesickness doesn’t only make you spiral down into depression, but makes you absentminded as well. Counter this by acquiring new skills and hobbies such as learning a new language, attending cooking classes, learn painting or even martial arts. Doing so will keep your brain on foot, alert, and able to retain more information. Plus, it can get you occupied and helps you create a new network of friends.
No matter how much you feel alone about being homesick, the thing is, well, you are not alone. You are not the only one who had struggled to cope up with this dilemma. Actually, there is definitely someone in your workplace, group, or club going through the same thing. Reach out and find someone who you can open up about this. Better if that person had gone through the same thing.
You need to remember that it is OK to feel bad about it. It is OK to burst in tears once in a while. Ignoring it and pretending that such trouble isn’t happening will only make things worse. You lost productivity at work, become temperamental, or worst, become self-destructive. Opening up to a person or a group doesn’t hurt.
And speaking of which…
Expatriates, foreign students, and newly migrants, in a futile attempt to deaden negativity, engage themselves in unproductive behaviors that only hurt them more in the long run. They drown themselves in alcohol, they gamble, spend so much in shopping, do dangerous and illegal pursuits, and worst of all, they resort to substance abuse.
Such endeavors only numb the pain in a short time. When they get back to being sober or on their normal routines, the emotional trouble returns and then it becomes a viscous cycle. Remember that establishing connection with other people and focusing on your positive growth as a person are the things you need to concentrate on. If you feel complete and productive as a migrant, the waves of homesickness are easier to tide on.
It doesn't matter from what industry your business is, or from which country you are, there is no escape from the problem of skills gap, and this is especially true in Australia, a country who thrives on the aggregates on its workers’ individual talent and ability.
A skills gap happens when there is a huge disparity between the skills required for the job and the actuall ability of the employee doing it. Not that the worker is inept or incompetent, it’s just he/she isn't the right person for the position. Like an ill-fitting piece of the puzzle or a cog grinding on the gears, skills gap results in loss of money, unemployment, and even closure of companies.
If you cannot obtain the right employee in your city or country, the best solution is to hire them from abroad. With the increasing globalisation, better traveling technology, and better migration policies, expatriating people to fill the skills gap has become more common. However, very few companies try to take this step as they do not know how to do it properly and legally.
This article provides a clear and concise step by step process on how you can employ staff from overseas without violating any laws or employees’ rights. The procedure can be taxing and demanding, but with the right knowledge and the right people to help you, this can be done right. And your business can continue to prosper.
Not all businesses in Australia can hire and sponsor overseas staff. As mandated by law, you are required first to meet specific conditions before you are allowed to enlist foreign workers. You need to prove that:
This step is quite complicated as it is essential. You need to closely study the type of visa suitable for your worker, lest be prepared to be entangled with issues from the Immigration Department, jeopardizing your business and your employee(s)’ record.
There are three types of sponsorship visa available, each one with different conditions and obligations:
This visa permits your sponsored skilled workers to come to Australia and work for up to four years. By law, your business is mandated to be actively and lawfully operating, as well as having no conflicting or negative information known about your business or any person associated with your business.
You may either apply to be a standard business sponsor or negotiate a labour agreement to be able to sponsor someone for a temporary work visa. For more information, you may check here.
Your employee can apply for this visa within six months after you have you nominated him or her under a 457 Temporary Work Visa. Also, the employee should be under the age of 50 at the time of application (unless exemption is granted), as well as possessing the required skills and qualifications for the position and the appropriate English language skills. You may check here for other conditions.
As an employer, you may also transition your staff from the temporary work to this visa subclass, given you satisfy the requirements of being an approved sponsor and that you are not subject to any labour agreement, as well as the adhereing to the following (but not limited to) conditions:
You may check the other requirements here.
The 187 RSMS visa is very much like the subclass 186, in function and conditions, except that this visa subclass is applicable only if you (actively and lawfully) operate a business in regional Australia, i.e. outside Gold Coast, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong or Melbourne. You are in regional Australia if your post code is listed here.
The Sponsored Occupations List (SOL) and the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL) is replete with hundreds upon hundreds of job titles that can sometimes create a lot of confusion among sponsors and visa applicants alike.
Are you looking for a cook with culinary degrees and substantial restaurant or hotel experience? Then you need to hire a chef, not just a cook (both occupations are in CSOL). If you hire an optometrist to deal with eye and injuries and perform surgery, you will be trouble, because that’s an ophthalmologist’s job (optometrists are limited to vision problems and corrective treatments). Also, all psychologists are psychotherapists, but not the other way around.
Australia’s immigration policies are very specific with the kind of workers it will let in the country, to the point that each one has an assigned number. And speaking of which, make sure you and your employee(s) take note and input the number as accurately as possible. A mistake even in a singular digit will land a person to the job of a plumber (334111 in CSOL) instead of the child care center manager (134111 in CSOL) he/she is originally aiming for.
Hiring people is tough work. It requires a large network of applicants and potential employees (which itself takes time to build), a knowledge of the talent market, and expertise in selecting the right person for the job. It is something you don’t do perfectly off the cuff, not to mention it is expensive. And all these challenges will double since you are looking for people across the ocean.
These are the reasons why recruitment agencies such as Manpower Hub, Internations, and Scott Recruitment exist. They know where in the world to find which type of worker, have protracted reach to pools of global candidates, and could better market your company or business as an attractive employer. Also, they save you more money since they have become more efficient in doing this thing.
After you have zeroed in on a couple of possible candidates, it is time that you look for the qualifications to be sure you can nominate them and bring them here in Australia.
For employees to be nominated for subclass 457, they must:
For visa subleases 186 and 187, employees must:
After nomination and all requirements are complete, you are now ready to sponsor your employee. For the 457 visa, you may lodge your application online here. For those who will sponsor for 186 and 187, be sure you complete the document checklist here and here, respectively. You may also lodge the application on any Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) offices. After which your employer can now apply for the visa.
All the nomination and sponsorship process can be done all by yourself. However, doing so can be time consuming, burdening, and be overly expensive. Asking advice from the inexperienced and the shady can be more dangerous, as scams and fraud migration services are everywhere, expanding the already sizable cost without going anywhere, and worse, can land you on legal issues.
Established and competent migration companies like VisaOne have experienced lawyers and migration experts that handle such visa-related inquiries, applications, nominations, and sponsorship, to make sure you maximize your money, get the job done, and no law or policy is being broken. VisaOne has been doing this for more than a decade now, granting visa to people from different countries so they can come to Australia and start a good life.
If you have any questions or clarifications regarding employee sponsorship, just leave a message below. It is free and you will get the reply immediately.
We already discussed the five things you need to do before boarding your plane to make sure your travel is convenient and less of a hassle. And even by that is not complete, as air travel is littered with inaccurate information that considered many as life-saving truths. While trivial things that can have life and death consequences gets buried.
Here, we busted the myths and unearth the life-saving tips for your peace of mind and pleasure.
Contrary to what you believe, the scariest part of the plane travel is not when you are at the highest and the buildings below look like Lego blocks. It is in the few minutes when the plane is taking off and landing on the ground.
These are the moments when the plane is closest to the ground, requires the most maneuvering by the pilots, and most fatal accidents happen. It is in this window of time when you should be wary the most and follow the instructions. When the plane gets into the air, it is the computer that mostly does the job.
Bermuda Triangle is that region in the North Atlantic Ocean where many ships and airplanes have reportedly gone missing under still unknown circumstances (mostly attributed to paranormal and extraterrestrial causes). So it is only logical that airplanes completely avoid this area, right? Come on, we cannot let these aliens take more lives.
Well first, the missing reports are highly sensationalized and exaggerated. And second, planes never avoid this area unlike what you always hear. Aircrafts and ships have been passing the Bermuda Triangle for decades without much incidents. The 1,800-mile detour is not worth it.
Again, contrary to what you’ve heard, your iPad cannot actually remotely mess up the flight control (old school laptops in the past can, however). But these and other electronic devices should be kept or stored, not just turned off, during take-off and landing because they can fly around and act as deadly projectiles in case something happens during these dangerous moments. You don’t want to risk getting hit in the head by a 20-inch HP Pavilion Dragon darting in at 200 miles per hour, do you?
Before the 1990’s, people are allowed light up a puff during the flight, but it has stopped since then (it took them two decades before realizing secondhand smoke in an enclosed cylinder 20,000 feet from the ground is actually a health hazard), but ashtrays are still a legal requirement in airplane comfort rooms. If broken, the law mandates it to be replaced within 10 days.
But no, it’s so you could ignite a roll in secret. It is so the crew can have a place to put out the cigarette in case some hardhead decides to smoke. Putting them in trash bins could start the fire and throwing them in the toilet can cause clogging. So ashtrays are the way to go.
You are tired and only wants to catch a nap, but the attendant insists your seat should be on the most uncomfortable position possible to man: upright. Because, well, the plane is taking off.
Again, this goes to the most hazardous moments during the flight. In case things go wrong, an upright and locked seat will allow more space for people to get out on the shortest time possible. Also, a reclining and unlock seat can act as a catapult that can throw you forward during an accident, which is fatal. Getting slingshot in the air is fun during lake parties. Inside a plane? Not much.
If Carl the captain gets a braised beef with asparagus and tartar sauce from First Class, Mike, his co-pilot, needs to make do with the brisket chili and cheese from Business, no matter how likes the same meal as Carl. No, Mike isn’t under reprimand and being punished, it is a rule most airline will impose to avoid a case of food poisoning for both aviators (both is the operative word here).
They can only afford to have one pilot to be incapacitated, as the other can still manage to fly the plane and do an emergency landing. Both navigators going down will literally take the plane with them.
Lightning can burn forests, incinerate houses, and smolder Iron Man. But can they crash airplanes? Not really.
Decades of aviation technology have discovered ways to protect planes from Thor’s wrath by wrapping the jets with aluminum (or any other composite material) to conduct electricity and let it travel on the plane’s surface, while keeping the insides (read: people) insulated. The last time an aircraft crashed due to Zeus’ bolt was in 1967. These days, planes respond with an alarming "meh.”
No matter how drunk or bored you are and how fun it could be, NEVER point a laser to an airbcraft. It can be fatal for the passengers and it can land you in jail. We are not even discussing about the high-powered ones they use in NASA. We are talking about those pocket-sized novelty pointers lecturers and rave party goers prefer.
You see, planes use Plexiglass in their windows to maximize incoming light (helps a lot during night travel). The concentrated light from these miniscule pointers, no matter how weak they could look like, can become overly blinding and disorienting to pilots once it passes through the glass. Because of the dangers it could bring, FBI offers $10,000-rewards for information leading to laser-related arrests. Yes, you’ll be hunted down like a serial killer because you think pointing lasers to helicopters is cool.
What is the dirtiest part of your office table? That’s right. Your keyboard. And you are the only one using it. And you get to clean it regularly. Imagine something being used by hundreds upon hundreds of people from all over the world to place their food, things, and dirty napkins, with little maintenance. Yupp. You just environed the airplane tray.
The tray is a constant home to 2,155 germ colony–forming units per square inch, which probably involve E.coli, salmonella, and molds i.e. the usual suspects for food poisoning. Wipe the tray first with alcohol or sanitizing gel before using, and do not let it directly contact your food. Use a plate or mat instead.
Choosing the country to live in for the rest of your life isn’t always easy. You need to consider the health care, the quality of life, the standard of living, and the weather, among others.
Australia has been a prime destination for international skilled talent and partners for decades. Those who have already obtained citizenship rarely think about going back to their home country and just choose to retire in the Land Down Under.
What are the reasons behind the charm of this country? We outlined some of them for your careful consideration.
The Australian Health Care system, private and public, are amongst the best in the world. As a resident, you have access to thousands of well-trained doctors and the most technologically advanced facilities in the world.
Regulated by the Department of Health and funded by both state and federal entities, the Australian health care is a two-pronged system made up of the public and private health sector.
The public system is being taken care of by Medicare which allows access to GP (general practitioners) and hospital services. It provides financial assistance so that Australians can have low cost, if not free, access to medical and hospital care. The private system provides access to a private treatment in either a public or private hospital or specialist services.
The health care system enables citizens to have access to a wide range of services. In public hospitals, these include acute and moderately-acute care services, geriatric care for old people, and palliative care for patients with serious illness, care for people with terminal illnesses, and emergency services.
Australia has an average life expectancy of 80.3 years for males and 84.4 years for females. There are only less than ten countries whose life expectancy goes above 80. This is the result of many positive factors that revolve around Australian life. The country is also ranked as one of the happiest countries on Earth in terms of health, civic engagements, and housing.
With a Global Peace Index Score of 1.425, Australia is ranked 12th as the most peaceful country in the world. The index focused on major factors such as militarisation, society & security and domestic & international conflict.
Since Australia has a subtropical climate, and sometimes straddle between continental and cool grassland temperatures, you will experience a comfortable range of seasons that are not as harsh as Europe or the Americas.
The overall temperature is friendly, inviting, and gets you in the mood for outdoor physical activities. The sun is also very abundant here, which means more vitamin D and better health effects for you as you take a walk, jog, or even run outside while enjoying picturesque views, which in turn also lowers stress levels.
And lastly, it is all about the human factor. It is always great to be in a place where people are friendly, warm, and will treat you as one of them. The Lucky Country is such. Australia runs on an egalitarian principle. People will treat you based not on your gender, ethnicity, or age, but on your character.
If you are worried because you are a foreigner, remember that the country was built through a consistent flow of migration, and there are thousands upon thousands of migrants here fitting in and enjoying their lives in the country. The spirit of mateship, a cultural idiom that embodies and promotes equality, loyalty and friendship, will assure that you will not be treated as something less as long as you deal with others with respect and politeness, too.
*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.
Aside from being a haven for migrants and expatriates, Australia is also a prime destination for students from around the globe. And it only makes sense, the country cradles some of the best universities in the world, plus a whole lot of other perks and advantages.
But we have to admit, the life of a foreign student here is never straightforward. It is laden with surprises (“We can drink tap water here?!), disappointments (“I thought it’s always beach season here.”), and culture shocks (“I volunteered to take the wheel aaand it’s right-hand drive!”). But fear not. We have gathered the things every aspiring foreign learner needs to know before if they want to set foot here and get their precious degree from the Land Down Under.
The Student visa (subclass 500) allows you to come and stay here in Australia to study full-time until your course is finished. However, you need first to be accepted in a recognised education institution in the country before you may apply for the visa. And a forewarning: it can be expensive.
We understand, you miss mom and dad, and your BFF needs to see that tropical henna you got, but consuming your entire day communicating and updating people from home is a no-no. Australia is teeming with people, places, and things to be discovered.
So go outside, meet people, join clubs, create your network, eat Aussie food, and explore the places. Australia is a free-market place of (purely legal) activities. You can update your family and friends under five minutes (that’s what social media is for), then get out. It’s an exciting world out there. Within these are hidden opportunities you may never find again when you get back to your country. So don’t waste time. Carpe diem!
And since you are already out...
We know, we know. A few days in Australia, especially in bigger cities, brings out the inner child from people. What with the cool atmosphere and the quirky architectures and… is that a living statue? Better take a picture with it!
Despite the ultra-low crime rate, some pick pockets still roam in the crowds here. So be alert, ditch the souvenir t-shirt and the digital camera hanging on your neck, and stop zoning out. You don’t want to have that precious allowance be a goner.
And speaking of allowance…
Australia fosters independence and resourcefulness among its youth, which is why it gives foreign students the opportunity to work while studying. However, you can only start working once your course has commenced. You will be allowed to work for 40 hours per fortnight (fortnight = 2 weeks) if your course is in session. If not, you can work for as long as you want. Employment that is a registered part of your course won’t be part of this 40 hour-limit. So yes, you will have a lot of options coming.
Most likely than not, you have a bank account in your country. Get this, withdrawing them here in Oz can get you ridiculous amount of fees. Opening a bank account can be more practical, especially if you want to be employed and earn some side cash. Not to mention, some banks here offer considerable interest rates, all while saving you from a lot of banking fees.
Back home, getting a D on your card means you have to rethink your life of partying and skipping classes, probably while having a drink or two. Here in Oz, receiving a D means your hard work paid off and it’s a reason to be happy, probably while also having a drink or two (there is always a reason to drink, doesn't it).
A grade of D means “Distinction,” and is equivalent to an A in other countries. Other grades include (in descending order) C or Cr for Credit, P for Pass, PC for Pass Conceded, and N for Fail, which are respectively equivalent for B, C, C-, D, and F. Anything higher than D is HD, for High Distinction.
Students from the United States and Canada will come here during June expecting to see a lot of sun and warm weather, thus bringing only their loosest clothes and sandals. And alas! They are greeted by a chilly winter.
If you are from the northern hemisphere, anticipate Australia’s seasons to be a complete reversal. The warmest months are from December to February (during summer) while the coldest are June to August (winter season). And this gets more complicated depending on wherever you are in the country. Likewise, never rely too much on the weather forecast. Be ready for anything.
If you just landed here and excited to see the Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, and Ayers Rock within your first year (they sure would look great in a single Instagram collage), then we need to tell you to quit that fantasy.
Most people live here all their lives and never visited all of them. Because Australia is huge, and there’s no way to exaggerate it. It takes a lot of money and time to visit these one by one. Unless you have lots of disposable income, then it would be possible. Slightly.
Unlike in the United States, Canada, or much of Europe, Australians still hold on to their coins. They never relegate them to be just stuck between cushions and be forgotten. That’s because the one and two Australian dollar denominations are still in form of loose change.
And what can these coins buy? A liter of gasoline (AU$1.28), a kilo of potatoes (AU$3.14), a liter of whole milk (AU$1.38), a kilo of apples (AU$4.00), or a piece of bread for a day for two people (AU$2.22). Losing these metal currency means wasting the money that can buy you everyday things.