Getting a contract in Australia

[Fred Bloggs]

There are no 'non' expensive countries to live in now - well the ones that have jobs anyway.

True. especially if you are earning in £'s right now. Recently went to Milan and it was stupid prices for everything when converted to £'s.

[TiroFijo]

Rates seem fairly attractive, ~AUS$1000 a day but Oz is now a very expensive country to live in, I understand.

There are no 'non' expensive countries to live in now - well the ones that have jobs anyway.

[Stan.goodvibes]

I'm Australian, contracted in Oz for 5 odd years before moving to the UK.

Right, firstly you don't make as a big a whack in Oz as over in the UK. Because you can't do a limited company (well you can, but a max of 80% of your companies income can come from one client a year, and you need a minimum of 3 Directors with shares in the company), you pay normal tax rates. e.g. in Oz almost 50%. So as a contractor I was only getting around 30% more than a permie.

The only tax break you get is the living away from home allowance, where you can declare your rent as an expense. If you are clever, you get your name on a big house, rent out all the rooms on the sly and claim the full amount.

Most of the high paying work is in Canberra, working for the government. Canberra is a hole.

Most rates are hourly, not daily. The banks do daily rates, most others do hourly. Unless that has changed massively in the past 4 years.

I checked recently with some contractor pals in Sydney, $85 an hour for a senior developer (either java or c) in govt work. $75 an hour for private work.

I'm a kiwi - contracted in London (The City) for 6 years in the late 90s (The Golden Years) and have now been contracting in Sydney for the last year. Just got another year extension, so will probably stick it out. I also have a British passport so I can't help you on the details of getting a job here. But a few facts from my perspective.

I've been keeping an eye on the UK contract market because I was planning on returning to London, but right now you can't beat Oz as a place to work - TONS of roles, and rates of $600-$700 are the norm (and higher). I don't agree with the above comment about rates and tax - firstly the LAFHA (living away from home allowance) is very generous i.e. my flatmate gets $2000/week and pays a meagre $300/week tax and super. You can do that for at least 3 years. Also currently I am STILL using my NZ company (so havent applied for LAFHA) and the agency just send my wages off to my NZ bank every payday (they can't pay into a private account and I can't open a business account without an OZ company so its the only way they'll pay me) so I claim a load of living abroad expenses and pay squat-all tax in NZ.

From everyone I have spoken to it seems that accountants just go large with claiming LAFHA on your behalf and revenue don't seem too bothered. I'm not sure where the above tax rates are coming from - everyone I know has been contracting for years at the same client using the same company and paying not much tax (one contractor has been here for 25 years). Mostly use umbrella companies like CXC, but the single director company approach is used as well.

The standard of living is WAY higher than the UK, and a hell of a lot cheaper. My flattie and I rent an inner city apartment (2-bed, 2-bath, balcony, rooftop pool spa, gym sauna steam room concierge etc etc) for AU$780/week. Thats 480 squids a week (240 each)! And its a 5 minute walk to work for both of us and smack in the middle of chinatown so we eat like Kings for less than 5 quid and there are world class beaches within 20 minutes of here. Try doing THAT in central London. Lunchtime swim and sunbathe on the roof anyone? (for about 6 months of the year).

For us Antipodeans the UK is always a win because we get the exchange rate in our favour. For you guys coming this way its got to be more of a lifestyle choice. But with the strong AUD and sterling languishing its not a bad time to be down this way and sending some money home. I figured I need at least 3000 quid a week to beat what I'm getting here, and even then it wouldn't be half as much fun.

This place is rocking on the back of China buying everything we can dig out the ground. They don't even have a word for 'recession' in the australian language (however there are at least 6 words for barbeque).

NEVER go to Canberra, it makes Slough look like Pandora.

If you can get here, get here (Sydney). Its gotta be one of the best places in the world to live at the moment I reckon.

[SimonMac]

Would it be easier if you had family over there? My uncle is in Melbourne and he keeps harping on about coming over

[stek]

Yes, it's much better to have it in the middle of winter when your flight gets cancelled because of the snow and everyone is stuck in the house for 3 days getting cabin fever.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles!

JOHN CANDY: You play with your balls a lot........

STEVE MARTIN: I DO NOT play with my balls. But you know what would REALLY make me happy?

JOHN CANDY: Another pair of balls and an extra set of fingers?

John Candy - star, it's the way he delivers the line - class....

[Wanderer]

How can you guys have Christmas in Summer - that's just stupid.

Yes, it's much better to have it in the middle of winter when your flight gets cancelled because of the snow and everyone is stuck in the house for 3 days getting cabin fever.

[stek]

How can you guys have Christmas in Summer - that's just stupid.

[bjayakody]

I'm Australian, contracted in Oz for 5 odd years before moving to the UK.

Right, firstly you don't make as a big a whack in Oz as over in the UK. Because you can't do a limited company (well you can, but a max of 80% of your companies income can come from one client a year, and you need a minimum of 3 Directors with shares in the company), you pay normal tax rates. e.g. in Oz almost 50%. So as a contractor I was only getting around 30% more than a permie.

The only tax break you get is the living away from home allowance, where you can declare your rent as an expense. If you are clever, you get your name on a big house, rent out all the rooms on the sly and claim the full amount.

Most of the high paying work is in Canberra, working for the government. Canberra is a hole.

Most rates are hourly, not daily. The banks do daily rates, most others do hourly. Unless that has changed massively in the past 4 years.

I checked recently with some contractor pals in Sydney, $85 an hour for a senior developer (either java or c) in govt work. $75 an hour for private work.

[zebedee]

The only agencies I know of that will sponsor a contractor to head over to Oz are Peoplebank and Paxus.

If you're not looking at travelling for 12 months, and you're under 45, then you could apply for a permanent residency visa. The rough sequence is:

1. Get your skills assessed by the ACS.
2. Apply for state sponsorship. (NSW is tricky, you'll probably have better luck with Victoria or Queensland as a programmer.)
3. Apply for a 176 state sponsored visa.
4. Wait.
5. Supply medical and police check results.

If you're young then you might be able to get a 175, and live anywhere in Australia. Also bear in mind that the points test is probably going to chance in June or July this year.

Most of the IT work is in Sydney (something like 60% of all positions), then Melbourne (around 30%), followed by everywhere else.

In terms of the economics, I reckon that you're looking at rates equivalent to those outside of London, with living costs being equal to (or even in excess of) London.

The rates that I've had quoted to me are around $600 to $700 per day. I've heard similar numbers for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

There's a massive property bubble, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne (a friend was looking at nearly £300K for a modern, one bedroom flat in one of the inner suburbs in Melbourne ), and rents tend to be very high. This, combined with the weak pound, make it a really bad time to be selling up to move over.

I got a visa through last year, as I applied when it was all feeling a bit end of the world in 2009, and am considering heading out there later this year. I don't know if it would be a permanent move, but spending six or twelve months out there could be fun.

Did you get a permanent residency visa? I'm not sure I'd want to go through all the hassle of applying for residency until I'd tested the waters so to speak (even though I've travelled fairly extensively around Oz a few years ago). I'm 30 now so the working holiday visa is still (just about) an option, but again I'm not sure how willing an employer would be to take on someone who could only work for a maximum of 6 months before having to move on (I know this is the norm in contracting - but still may be a limitation).

The rates really aren't an issue as I would just be renting for a while so as long as I could cover living expenses I'd be happy.

[Graemsay]

The only agencies I know of that will sponsor a contractor to head over to Oz are Peoplebank and Paxus.

If you're not looking at travelling for 12 months, and you're under 45, then you could apply for a permanent residency visa. The rough sequence is:

1. Get your skills assessed by the ACS.
2. Apply for state sponsorship. (NSW is tricky, you'll probably have better luck with Victoria or Queensland as a programmer.)
3. Apply for a 176 state sponsored visa.
4. Wait.
5. Supply medical and police check results.

If you're young then you might be able to get a 175, and live anywhere in Australia. Also bear in mind that the points test is probably going to chance in June or July this year.

Most of the IT work is in Sydney (something like 60% of all positions), then Melbourne (around 30%), followed by everywhere else.

In terms of the economics, I reckon that you're looking at rates equivalent to those outside of London, with living costs being equal to (or even in excess of) London.

The rates that I've had quoted to me are around $600 to $700 per day. I've heard similar numbers for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

There's a massive property bubble, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne (a friend was looking at nearly £300K for a modern, one bedroom flat in one of the inner suburbs in Melbourne ), and rents tend to be very high. This, combined with the weak pound, make it a really bad time to be selling up to move over.

I got a visa through last year, as I applied when it was all feeling a bit end of the world in 2009, and am considering heading out there later this year. I don't know if it would be a permanent move, but spending six or twelve months out there could be fun.

[zebedee]

I've been looking at this and I would go for a 457 Visa if I decide to go to Oz (partly due to my age as much as anything). Look it up on the Oz Gov't website.

That looks very promising - not sure how I've managed to miss that one before. I guess it does rely on you finding a large employer or agency who will be willing to go through the sponsorship process. I'll probably need to do some research to see which of the larger IT recruitment agencies have a presence in OZ.

What rate are you on at the moment and what would get in Australia?

Is money important?

I think you ll find it hard to get a better paying job anywhere in the world - London contract market is no like no other

Trust me - I m from Oz

Current rate in London would be around £350+ per day, equivalent jobs in Sydney look to be around $500 per day so a fair bit lower.

I'm not expecting to make the same in Oz as it's more about a lifestyle change than anything else. I desperately miss the sea, but love the city life as well so if I could earn enough to sustain a reasonable life in somewhere like Sydney then that would be the dream. I also have a fairly decent warchest of built up after a few years of contracting here (and no ties) so again, I should be able to manage on a fair bit less if needed.

[DeludedAussie]

Hi

I'm thinking of heading out to Australia later this year to potentially do some contracting over there. I currently work as a Front End Developer for a large well known media company in the UK where I've been contracting for almost 2 years now.

My questions are:

- What are the prospects for getting a contract job in this kind of role out there (seek.com.au would seem to suggest there are a reasonable amount of FE jobs going - but would be good to hear if anyone has any experiences)?
- Are there any particular recruitment agencies that are worth getting in touch with?
- Is it feasible to do this on a working holiday visa? (I'm just inside the window for applying for one). I understand you can only work in the same job for up to 6 months which would seem to be fine for a contract role but I'm still wondering if this would be a negative for a potential employer.

Would appreciate any feedback from people who've done / or are looking to do similar.

Thanks

What rate are you on at the moment and what would get in Australia?

Is money important?

I think you ll find it hard to get a better paying job anywhere in the world - London contract market is no like no other

Trust me - I m from Oz

[Fred Bloggs]

I've been looking at this and I would go for a 457 Visa if I decide to go to Oz (partly due to my age as much as anything). Look it up on the Oz Gov't website. In my line of business, many of the larger UK based agencies have offices in Oz as they tend to deal with the big O&G companies world wide, not just in the UK. I currently work through an agency who have a decent presence in Oz. The agencies I have talked to in Oz say that in the O&G industry there is an increasing number of client co's sponsoring 457 Visa applications due to the lage amount of work in progress over the next few years and limited skills in Oz already. Rates seem fairly attractive, ~AUS$1000 a day but Oz is now a very expensive country to live in, I understand.

[zebedee]

Hi

I'm thinking of heading out to Australia later this year to potentially do some contracting over there. I currently work as a Front End Developer for a large well known media company in the UK where I've been contracting for almost 2 years now.

My questions are:

- What are the prospects for getting a contract job in this kind of role out there (seek.com.au would seem to suggest there are a reasonable amount of FE jobs going - but would be good to hear if anyone has any experiences)?
- Are there any particular recruitment agencies that are worth getting in touch with?
- Is it feasible to do this on a working holiday visa? (I'm just inside the window for applying for one). I understand you can only work in the same job for up to 6 months which would seem to be fine for a contract role but I'm still wondering if this would be a negative for a potential employer.

Would appreciate any feedback from people who've done / or are looking to do similar.

Thanks