IT Relocation. From Bangkok to Sydney

Good day, dear reader. If you are familiar with my story of moving to Bangkok, then I believe you will be interested to hear another tale of mine. In early April 2019, I moved to the best city on Earth — Sydney. Take your cozy chair, brew some warm tea, and welcome to the section where many facts, comparisons, and myths about Australiaawait you. Let's go!

Introduction

Living in Bangkok was incredible. But all good things eventually come to an end.
I don't know what happened to me, but day by day, I began to notice various little things like the lack of sidewalks, street noise, and high levels of air pollution. A very unpleasant thought stuck in my mind — “What will I gain here in 5 years?”.

After Russia, living in Thailand is amazing because it allows you to go to the sea every weekend, live in warmth, eat fruits all year round, and it greatly relaxes you. But despite this wonderful life, I did not feel at home. I didn’t want to buy home decor items, and the transportation was purchased with the thought that it would be easier to sell it later, and so on. I wanted some stability and a feeling that I could stay in the country long-term, independent of visas. Also, I really desired for the country to be English-speaking. The choice was between the USA, Canada, England, and Australia — countries where one can obtain residency.

Each of these countries has its pros and cons:

• Canada — there is the possibility to move through independent immigration, but the weather is a complete disaster.
• England — a highly developed cultural life, but the process of obtaining residency can take up to 8 years, not to mention the weather.
• The USA — a mecca for programmers. I think that the overwhelming majority would relocate to San Francisco without a second thought if given the opportunity. But it’s not as easy as it seems. A year ago, I was involved in the H1B visa process, and I was not selected in the lottery. Yes, yes, if you receive an offer from a company in the USA, it's still not a fact that you will get a visa, and you can only apply once a year in March. In general, the process is quite unpredictable. However, after 3 years, you can obtain the coveted Green Card. Moving to the States is also possible through L1 visa, but now there is a law being lobbied that will prevent applying for a Green Card through it. I'm especially concerned about obtaining tax residency in the USA.

So why should we consider Australia as a strong competitor for migration? Let's look at the points:

A few facts

I always thought that Australia was a small continent on the edge of the world, and there is a very high chance of falling off a flat disk. And indeed, how often did we look towards Australia in geography class?

Australia is the 6th largest country in the world.

A map comparison will be quite illustrative. I believe that the distance from Smolensk to Krasnoyarsk is quite impressive.
And this is Tasmania, which can be compared to Estonia.

The population is approximately 25 million people (an average of 2 kangaroos per person).

HDI (Human Development Index) third in the world.
GDP per capita 52,373 USD.

80% of the population are immigrants in the first and second generations.

Pretty good indicators. But then why don’t people want to go to Australia...

Nature and climate

Perhaps this is the best combination of climatic conditions I have ever experienced.

It seems you live in Thailand and everything is fine. Eternal summer. +30. The sea is within reach. It seems, where could it be better? But actually, it could be!

In Australia, the air is very clean. Yes, my dear friend, you start to really appreciate the air.There is such a thing as the Air Quality Index. You can always compare
Bangkok and Sydney. Breathing here is much better.

The heat in Thailand quickly becomes tiresome. I missed wearing warm clothes. I really wanted it to be +12-15 degrees for 2-3 months a year.

To be honest, I feel very comfortable with the temperature here. In summer +25 (9 months), in winter +12 for 3 months..

The fauna here is truly amazing.Kangaroos, wombats, koalas, and cute quokkas—here you will meet them in their natural habitat. Just look at the ibises (commonly known as Bin Chickens).

Cockatoos, parrots, and flying foxes are here instead of pigeons and crows. At first, the foxes can indeed scare you. Especially if you watch vampire movies. Usually, the wingspan of these little bats reaches 30-40 cm. But don’t be afraid of them, they are quite cute, and besides— vegetarians.

Emigration

I believe that immigration to Australia is one of the most accessible in the world, alongside Canada. There are several ways to emigrate:

• Independent (Immediate PR acquisition)
  Australia is great in that it immediately provides the opportunity to obtain residency for people with in-demand professions. You can check the availability of your profession in the Skilled Occupation List. To obtain this visa, you need to score a minimum of 65 points, 30 of which you receive for being aged between 25 to 32 years. The rest come from English proficiency, work experience, education, etc.

I have many friends who moved precisely on this visa. The downside is that the application process can take over a year..

After obtaining your visa, you will need to move to Australia and settle into your new place. The challenge with this method is that you need to have initial capital.

• Sponsorship visa (2 or 4 years)
  It is similar to other countries. You need to find an employer who is willing to provide you with a sponsorship visa (482). A 2-year visa does not allow for residency, but a 4-year one does (rather, it grants the right to be sponsored by a company, which entails another 1-2 years of work for them). Thus, you can obtain the coveted residency much faster.

The entire visa application process will take about a month.

• Student visa
  You can enroll in local institutes. For example, pursuing a Master Degree (Master's). The advantage of this approach is that you will have the right to work part-time. Additionally, one year after obtaining your diploma, you can remain in Australia. Usually, this is enough to find a job here.

All visas require you to take an English test. For the independent visa, a minimum of 6 (IELTS) in all sections is required, while for the sponsorship visa, just 5 is needed (for technical professions).

Unlike America, a significant advantage of Australia is that your partner will receive a similar visa with full work rights..

Job Search

How can one find work in coveted Australia? What pitfalls might there be?

To start, it's worth considering popular resources such as:

• Seek — arguably the main aggregator in Australia.
• Glassdoor — I prefer it. You can always find an approximate salary for the position, as well as very good anonymous reviews.
• LinkedIn — A classic of the genre. I get 5-8 HR messages a week specifically about this.

I moved on a dependent visa and was looking for work locally.. I have 9 years of experience in mobile development. After working for a large company, I wanted to find something homely, close to home, and a bit more relaxed.
In the end, I went through 3 interviews in the first 3 days. The results were as follows:

• The interview lasted 25 minutes, the offer (a bit above market rate)

• Similarly, 25-30 minutes, the offer (at market value, but after negotiations similar to the first)

• 2 hours of interview, rejection in the style of ‘we decided to move forward with a candidate who answered the questions correctly’, such rejections are template-based and there's no need to be upset.

In Australia, there are two main types of jobs: permanent contract-based and . Surprisingly, working on a contract can get youup to 40 percent more , and honestly, I considered transitioning in that direction.If a company is looking for a contractor for six months, and you wanted a permanent position — they will turn you down, which is logical.

I’ve heard that people find it

hard to land their first job , because they lack experience in Australia, but if you are a good specialist — it's not a big problem. The main thing is to get your foot in the door. After six months, local HRs will start reaching out to you and it will become much easier.After Russia, it's very hard to accept that here

Cultural fit is prioritized over your Engineering skills. Here's a small interview story from my life that happened two months ago. To say that I was stressed would be an understatement. Therefore, I’ll hide my tears behind a cut.The company acts as an intermediary between

‘those who need something done’

‘those who are willing to do it’. The team is relatively small — 5 people for each platform. and Next, I will describe each step of the hiring process.Homework

. I had to do the ‘classic’ — display a list from the API. In the end, the assignment was completed with modularization, UI & UT tests, and a bunch of architectural quirks. I was immediately invited for a Face2Face lasting 4 hours.

• TechnicalDuring the discussion of the homework, it was established that they use libraries in the project, for which I am a maintainer

• (specifically, Kakao ) .)To be honest, there were no questions at all regarding the technical part.

• Algorithms — there was all this nonsense about palindromes and palindrome dictionaries. Everything was resolved immediately and without questions, with minimal resource expenditure.

• Cultural Fit — I had a very nice chat with the lead about 'how and why I got into programming'

In the end, I was already waiting for the offer and thinking about how to negotiate. And here it is, the long-awaited call from HR:

"Unfortunately, we have to decline your application. We felt that you were too aggressive during the interview."

Honestly, all my friends laugh about this when I tell them about my 'aggression'.

So, for your information. In this country, you need to be, first of all, a "good buddy," and only then be able to write code.. This freaking annoys me.

In Australia, there is a progressive tax rate. Taxes will range from 30-42%, but trust me, you will see where they go.. And it is quite comfortable to live on the remaining 70 percent.

Tax Deduction Table

Work Style

Here is the work style which is very different from what we're used to.Be ready for the first few years to be wildly overwhelmed by many factors.

In Russia, we are used to working ourselves to exhaustion. Staying at work until 9 PM is normal.Chat with colleagues, finish off that feature… Get home, dinner, a little series, shower, sleep.In general, it's customary to live with a focus on work..

Here, however, everything is completely different. The workday is 7.5 hours (37.5 hours a week).It's customary to arrive at work earlier (8-9 AM). I arrive around 9:45. However, after 5 PM, everyone is heading home.It's also customary to spend more time with family, which I think is more correct.

Also, it's customary to bring children to work. But, what's more strange — is coming to the office with a dog; it’s quite normal here!.

Once, after work, I wrote to the designer that he was blocking me in developing a feature, to which I received the reply:

Konstantin – apologies for being the blocker on this….I would have done it last night but it was the Game of Thrones final episode and I had to weigh up priorities.

And that's normal! Damn, I really like prioritizing my personal time!

There will always be beer and wine in the fridge at every office. Here, it's normal to have a beer during lunch. On Fridays, no one works after 4 PM.We usually just hang out in the kitchen and have conversations over freshly ordered pizza. It's very relaxing. I really enjoy Fridays turning into Saturdays.

However, there are some really funny moments. Once, during a heavy rain, our office roof leaked and water dripped right into the wall-mounted TV. The TV was deemed non-operational and replaced with a new one. Guess what happened three months later during another heavy rain?

Facepalm

Where to live

Finding housing was probably one of the biggest fears when moving. We were told we would need to gather tons of documents confirming income, experience, credit histories, and so on. In reality, none of that was needed. Out of the three apartments we chose from, we were approved for two. In the last one, we didn’t want to move in ourselves.When you're looking for housing, be prepared for the prices to be

per week. Before choosing a neighborhood, I recommend reading about it, as the idea of living in the Central Business District of Sydney isn't the best decision.(to me, it's too noisy and crowded, but everyone picks what suits them) . After 2-3 stations from Central, you get to residential areas with a calm atmosphere.The average price for a One Bedroom is

2200-2500 AUD/month. If you search without a parking spot, you can find cheaper options. Many of my friends rent Two Bedroom apartments in the center, and the price can be one and a half to even twice as high. It all depends entirely on your needs.Yes, unlike in Russia, a One Bedroom will consist of a guest room and a separate bedroom. Most apartments

are rented unfurnished, but if you try, you can find fully furnished ones (as we did). Visiting an apartment is always a group event. A day and time are scheduled, around 10-20 people come to view the apartment. Afterwards, you confirm or decline on the website. Then the landlord chooses whom to rent the apartment to.You can check the housing market at

Domain.com Food.

Food

I think it's no surprise that you'll find food to your taste in Sydney. After all, there are so many first and second-generation immigrants here. I work in the city of Alexandria, and near my office, there are two Thai cafes, as well as about four Chinese and Japanese ones. Interestingly, all these cafes are staffed by immigrants from these countries, so you don’t have to worry about the quality of the food.

My wife and I have a small tradition — to go to the Fish Marketon the weekends. Here, you will always find the freshest oysters (large, 12 pieces — about 21 AUD) and delicious salmon for about 15 AUD per 250 grams. The best part is that you can buy champagne or wine for an aperitif right there.

One thing I don't understand about Australians is that everyone cares about healthy eating, choosing gluten-free and organic bread, yet at lunch in the office, everyone loves to indulge in tacos or burgers. A very popular dish is fish’n’chips, which you will encounter in practically any fast-food place. As for the 'healthy' aspect of this set, I think it's clear — 'batter on batter.'

Australian steaks are often considered the tastiest meat in the world. A good steak will cost around 25-50 AUD at a restaurant. In the store, you can buy it for 10-15 and prepare it at home or in a park on a grill (which is free).

If you are a cheese or sausage lover — this is paradise for you. The selection of various groceries I've seen here is only comparable to what I've seen in Europe. Prices are very reasonable; for a 200-gram block of Brie, you will pay about 5 AUD.

Transport

Having your own transport in Sydney is more of a necessity.All recreational activities, such as beaches, camping, and national parks , are exclusively accessible by car. The average bus or subway fare is around 3 AUD. And the main issue is the time wasted waiting. Taxis are very expensive — an average 15-minute ride will cost about 25 AUD.

Surprisingly, vehicle prices here are quite low.. We often go snowboarding and wakeboarding, so we need a car with a roof rack. The ideal solution for us turned out to be a 2002 RAV4.It's one of the best purchases in terms of price-quality I've made in my life. Attention 4500 AUD!We initially looked for a catch, but after 6000 km, we calmed down. The most important thing is that cars here are in very good condition, despite the mileage.

However, we also use motorcycles. The main advantage is free parking everywhere! However, it is important to adhere to the time limits, otherwise there is a risk of getting fined approximately 160 AUD.

There are three types of vehicle insurance:

• Mandatory which is done once a year and covers only physical damage.

• If you want coverage for damage to your vehicle, you need to pay for additional insurance, around 300-400$.

Just the other day, my colleague was telling frightening stories about his friend who caught up with a Ferrari. He had no insurance and is paying 95,000 AUD to the owner. This insurance also covers towing and a replacement vehicle; otherwise, you will be paying out of your pocket.

• The third type is similar to KASKO (damage is covered to your vehicle regardless)

I find it quite amusing that with a full license, you can drink 1-2 bottles of beer and still drive, however, the fines for speeding here are just astronomical.

Before you click on this, it’s better to sit down and prepare some ammonia (or Corvalol).

It’s exactly as you say, my dear racer. Next time you are driving on the highway at 100 + 20 km/h, remember this. In Australia, speeding starts from 1 km/h! In the city, the average speed limit is 50 km/h. That means, you will be fined starting from 51 km/h!

Also, for 3 years, you get 13 Demerit Points. When they expire for any reason, your license is suspended for 3 months. After which, it’s again 13! I think it’s a very strange system.

Metro and suburban transport here are integrated. Roughly speaking, in the center, you get on the metro and the train goes 70 km from Sydney. And at each metro station, there are 4-5 platforms. Honestly, I still make mistakes and end up going somewhere wrong.

To save time and money, we bought electric scooters. Xiaomi m365 and Segway Ninebot. It's very convenient to get around the city on them. The sidewalks are seamless, perfectly suited for scooters. One big drawback is that, for now, it’s illegal, but there are already some areas testing laws so that riding will be allowed. In reality, many people ignore the law, and even the police themselves understand that it's absurd.

Entertainment

I really like that you can find practically anything for your leisure here. I will tell you about what I managed to try during my six months in this wonderful country.

• Perhaps the first thing we tried was the local Wakeboarding downward API support (simultaneously with this in Cables Wake Park. We already had our own equipment from Thailand, so we just had to pay for the pass. From May to October, it's winter season here, and the price of the pass during this time is 99 AUD! Honestly, it's quite warm to ride, until you fall into the water. Well, nothing, it's always good to toughen up. Also, to avoid thermal baths, you can always buy a wetsuit (250 AUD).

  Our video

  

• As winter approached, it would be a sin not to go to the Snowy Mountains to snowboard. Snowboard. After two years in Thailand, seeing snow felt like a fairy tale. Of course, it's an expensive pleasure — about 160 AUD for a day of skiing, plus 150 AUD for one day of accommodation. In total, an average weekend trip for two costs about 1500 AUD. The drive takes about 6 hours. If you leave on Friday at 4 PM, we usually arrive around 10.

  Our video

  [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= FOHKMgQX9Nw)

• Just two weeks ago, we discovered Camping.You can clearly see where the taxes go! In Australia, camping or staying in campervans is very common. And through Camper Mate you can always find a spot. Most of these places are free and 95% of the time, you will have a barbecue and a clean toilet.

• A month ago, we celebrated my wife's birthday and decided to go to Melbourne. However, we don't look for easy ways, and decided to go by motorcycle. So, for motorcycle tourism there are endless horizons here!

• Of course, Australia is a paradise for Surfing.

• There are many national parks, where it's nice to walk on weekends.

• Wonderful beaches within the city that were greatly missed in Bangkok (you still need to go at least to Pattaya)

• How funny it may sound, I started brewing beer.It's quite fun to host get-togethers and invite friends to try your brew.

• Whale watching — you can go on a boat into the open ocean and watch the migration of whales.

  Our video

  

Myth-busting

In Australia, everything tries to kill you.

Probably — this is the most popular misconception..

In the last six months, I have seen numerous articles about deadly creatures from Australia. Australia is a deadly continent.I really like the title of this post! I think that after opening it, you should lose any desire to come here. Huge spiders, snakes, deadly box jellyfish, and even hail with spikes! What kind of idiot would come here looking for death?

But let's face the facts.

• If I remember correctly, since 1982, no one has died from a poisonous spider bite.Even the bite of that redback spider is not fatal (perhaps for children). Recently, my friend wore a hoodie and got bitten by this individual. He said that "his arm hurt and went numb for about three hours, then it was fine."

• Not every spider is poisonous. One of the most common is the huntsman spider.And it is not dangerous. Although this little guy can reach 40 cm.
  Once, I came home and started filling the bathtub. I took a glass of wine, got into the warm water… I closed the curtain, and there was our little friend. I laid so many bricks that day, it was enough for a down payment on a mortgage. (Actually, I just released the spider out the window; I'm not particularly afraid of them.)

Box jellyfish— for those who don’t know, this is a super tiny jellyfish that can kill you in 2 minutes. Here, as they say, there’s no chance. According to statistics, about 1 person a year.

A more dangerous situation involves animals on the road.If you want to guarantee seeing kangaroos, just drive 150 km from Sydney. Every 2-3 km (sometimes more often) you will see dead animals. This fact is quite scary, as a kangaroo can easily smash your car’s windshield.

The ozone hole.Many people picture Australia somewhat like this.

Somewhat like this.

It seems to me that everywhere beyond the 30th parallel, the sun will no longer be your friend.The fresh ocean breeze exacerbates the problem. You simply don't feel how the sun is slowly baking you. In Thailand, the sun is very intense, but the winds are less, so you feel the heat, but here, it’s not the same.

Conclusion

It's nice where we aren't.

In any case, the choice of residence is an extremely individual preference.Some of my acquaintances, after living here for a year, decided to return to Russia. Some dislike the mentality, others find the salary insufficient, and some just find it boring here because all their friends are elsewhere. (in the literal sense) the end of the world. But they had this wonderful experience, and now returning, they know what awaits them in that distant country.

For us, Australia has become home for the coming years. And if you happen to be passing through Sydney — don't hesitate to write to me. I’ll tell you what to visit and where to go. Well, if you already live here — I’m always happy to grab a beer or two at some local bar. You can always reach me at Telegram or Instagram.

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and stories about this country. After all, the main goal is to inspire! Deciding to step out of your comfort zone is always difficult, but believe me my dear reader — in any case you're losing nothing, because the Earth is round. You can always drive your tractor and head back the other way, and the experiences and impressions will always stay with us.

Source: habr.com