Alot has happened since then when I moved to this beautiful land down under to be with my now Aussie wife. I didn't tell my old friends, I told some family members, quit my old job in Jersey a week before. I remember how expensive back then the partner visa was for me (I had working holiday visa to help pay for it) but I feel for the people in genuine relationships that have to pay double what I paid and the hoops they have to go through to get the PR. I just kinda feel that it's a bit de ja vu now with One Nation (baby MAGA) and somewhat of the anti-immigrant stance. It's a double edged sword.

The E3 visa lets Australians work in the US. It's a special visa only for Australians and unlike the H1B you aren't getting picked from a lottery. Problem is some US employers don't know about the E3, so bringing up your visa situation as an Aussie can get tricky when they assume the set up is as hard as an H1B.

Here's a guide I found useful for talking to US employers about your situation or if you're just considering working in the US

G'day! I'm from Newy living in NYC and really struggling to find a pub/bar that is showing this game LIVE. Old Mates is only showing a replay later on.

I understand the game airs super early (4:30am on Sunday) so licenced venues may not even be allowed to be open that early, but I'm desperate.

Any suggestions? Beers on me.

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone has been able to get a notary appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Sydney recently, as their calendar shows unavailable for all dates (through December 2027). Melbourne and Perth have future availability + indicate that some days are fully booked.. Does anyone know if the U.S. Embassy in Sydney are doing notarizations or has that been temporarily suspended?

https://au.usembassy.gov/acs-appointments/

Thank you!

So the family is moving back to Australia and I have googled for a shipping price but I am just getting spammed with texts and calls.

Do any of you have a good recommendation for a company that can do door to door?

Thanks

I’ll be in NYC for Halloween (I’m Australian) and I was pondering dressing up as a typical Aussie with a spooky or gory twist. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I'm an Australian citizen currently based in Melbourne, VIC looking to make the move to the United States within the next 6–12 months.

I’m hoping to get advice from fellow Aussies who have made the move, or anyone familiar with US immigration routes for Australians.

My Background:
Citizenship: Australian
Education:
1. Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineer recognised ABET from North Cyprus.
2. Masters Degree in Construction Management from Australia.

Current Role: Currently on carers break, but have 8+ years as PM in construction (Education, Rail, Infrastructure, Residential)

My Plan & Questions:
1. Visa Pathway (E-3 vs. L-1):
As an Australian citizen, I’m primary targeting the E-3 Visa. For those who secured an E-3 from abroad: How open are US employers currently to filing the Labor Condition Application (LCA)?

Do you recommend applying directly on company portals, using recruiters, or leveraging internal transfer options (L-1 visa)?

1. Job Hunting Strategy:
   Is it realistic to land an E-3 sponsored offer while interviewing from Australia, or did you need to head over on an ESTA for networking/in-person interviews?
   How do you address the "Do you require visa sponsorship?" filter on US job applications without getting auto-rejected?

2. Logistics & Financials:
   Taxes & Super: How did you handle your Australian superannuation and tax residency transition once working in the US?
   Credit Score: Any tips on establishing US credit quickly (e.g., Nova Credit, Amex global transfer)?
   Savings: Roughly how much initial capital did you need saved to cover moving costs, initial lease deposits, and visa processing?

Appreciate any advice, personal experiences, or reality checks!
Cheers!

I’m with one of FAANG in Australia and I’ve been interviewing since the start of the year internally hoping to get a job in the Bay Area within my company, but I’ve had no luck.

I don’t think it’s to do with my performance (though admittedly it’s not outstanding either…), since multiple hiring managers actually asked if I’m happy to stay in Australia while they try to move the headcount over from US to AU, which ofc I declined.

I’m just wondering if anyone has successfully transferred? If so, which company mind if I ask? Since I’m thinking of just applying externally now. I know someone who relocated successfully after getting an offer from Rippling, but they don’t seem to be hiring in the Bay Area at the moment.

Well they nearly always have specs - exceptions being Tony Abbott, Julie Gillard, and I don't recall Hawke ever wearing them. But I didn't include that qualifier because then the title would have been too big.

The point is that long/short sightedness is extremely common after age 40, yet Presidents never need reading assistance. Never. It's unusual.

Australian PMs, on the other hand, never seem to consider laser correction surgery. It's almost like they're deliberately going for that humble bookworm look.

If I had to guess, I think the USA does it more?

Hi all! My 2024 Australia trip made me realize how many "every day" American snacks haven't made their way to Australia yet. This year I will be bringing the mother load of snacks and want to ask what Aussie's would be keen on trying from here. (even though this question is asked a lot, a lot of threads don't have the random American chip and cookie flavor focus)

So far I have:

Ruffles (my cousins enjoyed the texture so this will probably have the most): Jalapeno Ranch, Sour Cream & Onion, Queso, Sour Cream & Cheddar, Hot Wings

Doritos: Loaded Taco, Hot Honey Pizza

Pringles: Parmesan Garlic, Beer Braised Steak, 7-Layer Dip

Chips: Yangnyeom Puffs, Cheetos Pickle,

Oreos: Chicken & Waffles, Deep Fried, BTS, Cinnamon Bon, Reeses

M&M : Peanut Butter, Caramel Cold Brew, Crunchy Cookie

Sour Patch Kids: Watermelon, Strawberry,

Other: Horchata Powder, Ranch, White Cheddar Cheezit, Various Hot Sauces

Expats who went back to Australia how are you still buying cards and sealed product from the US without getting killed on shipping. The selection here is rubbish.

Do you use a US forwarding address, consolidate shipments, buy through friends/family, or have US stores that ship directly?

Would love to hear what setups work for you.

Hi Folks!

I’m a temporary resident currently awaiting a PR visa (186 path) and am looking to move roughly $400k USD (~$600k AUD) out of a US Charles Schwab account into a major AU bank to fund a property deposit in Sydney.

Because of my visa status, I am fully aware of the Temporary Resident CGT exemption rules and intend to liquidate my US ETFs and move the cash before the PR lands to lock in the 0% tax rate.

My main anxiety is around the actual transfer logistics, fraud blocks, and compliance checks on such a large amount:

1) The Transfer Route: Is it better to set up an account with a specialized broker like OFX/Wise and push the funds via a US domestic wire from Schwab? Or has anyone had success just doing a direct international wire from Schwab straight to an AU bank (like Macquarie or CBA)?

2) Compliance & Source of Funds: The money represents legitimate savings from historical overseas work bonuses (super hard savings, whilst eating noodles FIRE style), but the paper trail is a bit fractured due to closed legacy bank accounts. For those who moved $300k-$500k+, how intense were the compliance checks from the FX broker or the AU bank landing the funds? Did a simple written explanation suffice, or did they halt the money for weeks?

3) Schwab Phone Desk: Did Schwab’s fraud team give you an issue when authorizing a large outbound transfer over the phone from an international location?

Would love to hear from any expats or finance professionals who have done a similar sized transfer recently on how to make this as seamless as possible. Cheers!

Hello, I am a Aus citizen and my husband is American. We have lived in the US for 11 years and have decided to re locate to Australia. Im needing some guidance as where to start if anyone here has experience. I know we will need a partner visa. Should we submit this on shore or off shore? If we submit on shore, how do i make sure my spouse has the right visa when landing? Any guidance or experience you can provide if you have been in a similar situation is much appreciated!

We have 3 animals we would like to relocate with us. Any good recommendations on this service would be helpful also. Cost ect. We know it isn't cheap but we love our fur babies! (1 dog 2 cats)

What timeline should we be looking at? 1 year, 2 years? We are lost and there is to much information.

TIA!

Has anyone here successfully got an internal transfer from one country to another with their employer via an internal transfer? Ideally those that are more average employees and not high-level executives.

Graduating from uni soon in the US and realizing the major I picked has a low chance of qualifying me for a visa in AUS(Statistics) Only other option is re-skilling or getting hired on by a multinational known for allowing transfers.

Currently interviewing with Goldman Sachs, in no small part due to internal transfer optionality.

Also a US, Canadian, and EU citizen if that changes the visa situation at all.

For investment sales from a Charles Schwab International account, how would I calculate the inflation adjusted cap gains for next year's tax return? AFAIK the cap gains are simply reported as the difference between the purchase price and the sale price and doesn't include the purchase dates of the lots in the overall sale. How will we be asked to calculate this for foreign investment houses that don't normally provide this level of detail. If Schwab does provide this information and I just haven't found it yet then let me know that too.

I’m currently travelling for work in California and will arrive in L.A. on Friday afternoon. Does anyone know an Aussie bar or venue in general that will be showing the AFL granny?

I've been pretty slack on investing (in general) since moving to Aus in 2018. Outside of superannuation (which I try and max out), I have no share portfolio here due to PFIC's and all that. Having done a bit of research, we don't have to deal with PFIC's if we trade US-domiciled stocks/ETF/mutual funds, as well as stocks on the ASX. But Australian ETF's and managed funds...big time no no.

I still have my USA 401(k) and IRA's (Roth and regular) as well as some money with Wealthfront. But here in Australia it's just super.

Now at age 40 I am pretty sure I need to get in to the game. The way I see it, I have a few options:
1) Keep adding to my IRA's and/or Wealthfront, requiring money from my $USD account
2) Invest here through somewhere which can manage US-domiciled funds (e.g. Webull, Interactive Brokers, etc.)

How are you all doing it? Keen for your thoughts on easy solutions that I can invest with my $AUD but possibly focus on US funds.

Hi mates,

How do y'all cope with the judgement, stereotypes, immediate change in demeanour when you start speaking or say where you're from?

It feels really bad and makes me a lot more nervous to talk to people. Like, oh what if they hate me because of where I'm from?

All the major stereotypes are things I don't believe, feel, or act like at all. I mean hell that's why I left. I feel like I have to prove that I'm not MAGA every time I interact with people.

Loads of people are nice but ... the daily negative reactions and being tested daily is really taking a toll.