move your residency

Let know your country where you live, it's useful for tax reasons, to vote and to access some services of your embassy. To move your address from Italy to Australia follow this link at this page and complete the form, which I did by editing the pdf as an image and resending it completed to the email in the header.  Unlike what is said in the form, you are also required to attach a proof of address.

TIP: I made a photo with my camera of my signature and I pasted where the sign had to be.

Blue card & yellow bikes

The blue card is the one you'll use to travel with buses and trains, is a pay as you go and works by tapping on/off. To get it just visit any train station, 5$ and something to top up your account, other 5$ minimum, 20 suggested.

This card is needed to subscribe to city bikes, do it sooner rather than later and you'll sure find it useful (60$ a year, first half hour free, then 2.20$ for the second half etc... but one day it's going to cost you as much as buying the bike).

Another good one is the public library card. Also don't forget to download the map of the bike racks and the trains timetable to your mobile.

Proof of address

This will be required sooner rather than later, so I suggest to get is as quickly as possible, even one with a temporary address, such as your working place, a good and quick way to get it will be through a bank account, or the medicard.

Bank account

A bank account is also a proof of address, probably the easiest to get. If your boss is ok with that you can use the office address. I had good experience with Commonwealth Bank, but I've been told that XXXXXX is the best for international transfers etc. Branches usually open from 9 to 5.



NOTE: If you need to transfer money from abroad currencyfair.com is well worth a try.

• which:
  
  • XXXXXXXXX
  • Commonwealth Bank
• currencyfair.com
• when: 9 to 5

Phone and Internet

I found Amaysim unlimited (39$/month) to be the best fit, at least at the beginning: unlimited calls, txts and 4GB data, very useful to call tenants and keep in touch with the first people you meet. Also the data connection is good to navigate around the city with a smartphone or send emails home.

You can buy it in many 7-11 or supermarket chain such as Coles, the sim itself is 2$ and you activate it with a call to their call center, I didn't wait long to speak with an operator.

Some numbers (few) are outside your unlimited plan and therefor it's better to get an extra 10$ credit for those calls.

NOTE: The emergency number in Australia and New Zealand is 000

Health insurance

Even if you're on a 457 sponsorship you might still apply for 6 months basic cover (doctor and emergency) if you're passport comes from a country with reciprocal healthcare agreement (RHCA). If that's the case, in Brisbane, in the Mayer Center there's the Medicare office, go there with your passport, bank details (not mandatory), your national health card and the paper provided from your country's national health care system. Open 9 to 5. An address is needed, ask your boss if you can use the office, you can later on update it calling 132011.

Another detail, health insurance is mandatory for this kind of visa, but I signed online with a company that first emailed me a pdf with my customer id, then told me they couldn't take my card (I guess because it was a visa debit), after I got the visa I got interested in the medicare RHCA...

• where: Medicare at the Mayer center
• when: 9 am- 5pm
• what:
  
  • passport
  • own country health plastic card
  • request for RHCA made in your own country
  • Australian address
  • bank details (not mandatory)

•  tel:
  
  • 132011
  • also for updates (when you have a real address and a bank account)
   
• time: 1 / 2h
• next: Medicard sent to your address (valid proof of address)

Find a room in a shared apartment

• http://www.gumtree.com.au/
• http://au.easyroommate.com/
• http://flatmates.com.au/

Gumtree being the most useful, I don't recon a premium subscription is needed for any of these sites but if you do get it at soon as possible and sign for the shortest deal, 10 days should be enough to find a good place to stay.

The most of the rooms I found were in 2/3 flatmates apartments.

I found a very nice and extremely well located single room with queen bed and own bathroom in a two flatmates apartment for 260 pw including expenses. Expect to pay between 200$ and 300$ if you want a decent single room in the center. Expenses are around 20$ a week, if not included. The bond is usually 2 weeks of rent.

Look for a guide on the internet to help you out, for example I found this one.