From Downtown to Down Under

Moving on its own can be quite daunting. From packing all your stuff (I mean, where did half of that stuff even come from?) to finding work and housing and getting acclimated to a new area, it can be too overwhelming when you don't know where to start.

When I met my partner in 2017 while traveling in Greece and our two-year long-distance relationship from New York to Perth that followed started to feel too long, I was more than happy to pack up and join her in Australia. Although both of us are travel enthusiasts, I had never made a change like this before, and all the googling in the world couldn't seem to prepare me for that year of planning.

So whether you met the love of your life on a Contiki tour, are backpacking through Europe, re-locating for work, or want a change of scenery. This list of things I learned will help you prepare for your big move abroad.

1. Visas (Arguably the most challenging but most crucial step of the process)

No matter where you're moving to, looking into the country you're moving to and what visas they offer and their restrictions are incredibly important. I applied for and entered Australia on a Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462). While this visa allowed me to stay in and travel throughout Australia for one year, it had limitations on my work, and I could only be employed with one employer for six months at a time.

To qualify for a visa, you'll have to make sure you tick all the boxes before applying. Requirements often involve age, education, money, health and character requirements, language, previous visas, and your current passport details. Each visa type and subclass will have their requirements written out for you. If you're going a Work and Holiday route, you'll need to:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 30
• Hold a Secondary Certificate of Education
• Have a functional understanding of the English language
• Not have applied for a Work and Holiday visa in the past
• Give proof of $5,000AUD at your disposable to support yourself in Australia
• Be in good health
• Complete a police background check
• Have a current and valid passport and ID

Remember that every visa you apply for will have it's own cost and processing time associated with it as well, so factor that into your moving timeline. A Work and Holiday visa like mine cost $353USD (in 2018) and took about a week until approval from my file date; however, based on your visa, these costs and processing times can range dramatically (I'm looking at you Partner Visas). I wouldn't recommend planning any part of your move until your visa is secure. Wait times on the Immigration websites are just an estimate, which can significantly affect the rest of your planning.

Secondly, if you're coming to a new country on a temporary visa but intend to extend this visa or make a permanent move, make sure to research and plan for staying. This planning may involve three months of farm work, meeting with a migration agent early on for advice on other visa types and how to apply, or making plans with your partner for your future together.

2. Money, Money, Money Hunny

You've got your visa secure, your ticket purchased, and counting down the days until your new life. Now what?

Now is the time to tie up all the loose ends with your accounts in your home country. First, write down every bill that comes your way, utilities, rent, credit cards, and your bank. Now grab your phone with a snack in hand and prepare to do a lot of sitting while being on hold calling contacting all these companies.

For credit and debit cards (aka your banks), you need to advise them you plan on traveling or moving abroad for the time you are so that your accounts don't get frozen due to suspicious activity. For all your bills, whatever you can pay off in total before your move, the better. You don't want to start your new life with old baggage! But for those that can't, make sure you're contacting all your providers to update your address and contact information so they can send them to your new address accordingly.

If you're living someplace else for a considerable amount of time, you'll most likely set up a new bank account in that area. The choice to keep your current bank account or close it depends on your circumstances, but it doesn't hurt to keep it open if you aren't getting charged for not actively using it. The same thing goes with your phone plan. You'll most likely get a new number and SIM card in your new location, but holding onto your original phone line and SIM card may make sense based on your length of stay or how often you plan to travel back home. Due to my student loans that I wasn't going to be saying goodbye to anytime soon, I chose to keep my New York bank open and transfer money from my Australian bank into my American one to pay off those monthly payments.

It's also a good idea before hopping on that plane to take out some cash in your new country's local currency, just in case. Check your bank or airport foreign transaction fees for the best exchange rates out there.

3. Keep a valid address in your Home Country.

Keeping an address from where you're moving away from may seem counter-intuitive; I mean, you want to make a permanent move for goodness sakes. Maintaining a valid address from where you moved, even if it's just a PO box, can prove beneficial in several ways.

First, you'll still get mail sent to you no matter how hard you try to switch everything. As good as I thought I was on changing my address on everything and anything, if you've lived somewhere a long time, there may be a few things you miss. Maybe it was that gym membership you forgot to cancel or that magazine you've been mysteriously receiving for years that you never ordered? When mail shows up, you weren't expecting; hopefully, you have a family member, friend, or roommate at this address, keeping tabs on what's coming in for you. Addressing these random pieces of mail one at a time makes it easier to contact these places individually and have them stop being sent or re-directed to your new address. I found out that some things, like overdraft notices for banks or some student loan statements, won't allow you to stop the notification by mail, and that's why keeping an address can be helpful for these random stragglers. However, keep on eye out for essential pieces of mail like 1099s or W2s from jobs you forgot about when it's time to do taxes (Yes, you still have to file taxes in America even after moving away).

Another reason to keep an address in your home country is that not everything will ship to where you're moving. I found this especially true moving from America to Australia when I couldn't Amazon Prime anything anymore. Certain things that I wanted to online shop for couldn't be sent to Australia. Keeping this address can allow for items to be sent to your home and wait for you for your next visit, or if you have very kind family members, they can ship it to you. Even a few online services allow you to set up a PO Box so that you want something sent to you for a cost. Hey, sometimes those snacks from home are worth it, okay.

4. Look for housing and work before you move.

Looking for a place to live and work can be tricky when you're not physically present in your new country yet. However, looking before you move can save valuable time and stress when those plane wheels touch down and your new life starts.

For my move, housing was already sorted for me since I was moving in with my partner. But there are plenty of sites where you can view apartments, townhouses, and houses for rent, such as RealEsate.com.au. Or if hotels or hostels are your mainstays for the beginning, you can look at places like Hostelworld or AirBnB.

For work, this can get tricky based on your time difference between where you are and where you're moving, but it's possible! And now, in uncertain times with COVID-19, we've proved that even things traditionally are done in person, like interviewing, can be done remotely. Just be sure to give your future employers an accurate and honest move date and set clear expectations based on your visa and length of stay.

Check out job boards like SEEK, LinkedIn, or this Backpacker Job Board. Just be sure when scheduling interviews, you're clear on which timezone the talk has been set to avoid any unnecessary confusion and rescheduling. You may have to be flexible at the beginning and coordinate interviews outside your typical 9-5 business hours to meet the interviewers' timelines and interview slots.

You're ready to move!

So you've done it. You've secured your visa, saved up some cash, tied up all your loose financial ends, found a spot to live, and sent out your resume to prospective job seekers in your new country. All in all, remember to have fun with it! Making an international move is supposed to be an exciting fresh start in your life, and even though the process can make the journey a little overwhelming and complicated, never forget what drove you to make this change in the first place. Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime, and don't forget to pause, breathe, ask for help when needed, immerse yourself in the new culture you're surrounded by, and live your best life. The hardest part is over, and you have a lot to celebrate, so get to it!