[nsahmed]

Hello All.

I know there have been various discussions here and there in many different threads about Canberra ... it will be nice to compile and consolidate everything in one place .. what do you guys think?

So all the people who live in Canberra .. i request you to please shed some light on the life of Canberra, the current job market, the rental market, transportation, ease of moving around the city, neighbourhoods to avoid, neighbourhoods to have on the whishlist etc etc... anything you can provide to help all the folks who are potentially going to move to Canberra... as there are alot of us.

I also request people who are soon to be residents of Canberra and are researching on their own about the different aspects of the city to please share their thoughts, insights and research here with everyone else.

Hope we can get a nice solid compilation of experiences,questions, opinions, thoughts and shared research about the Capital City.

Every little helps.

Best,
N

 

[nsahmed]

let me start the discussion by adding some questions i posted and the replies i got from a very helpful moderator Anj1976

1) What is best way to move our savings to Australia .. considering we dont have an account there.

Open an account online and once you get your account details, transfer your money from the bank you have your money in or carry TC, not safe but these are the only two options

2) Is it worth it to bring our household items (furniture, TV, Fridge, Washing machine etc) .. or are we better off buying new ones rather than paying shipping

Better to buy here, sell everything there and start afresh. Shipping cost will be as much as buying new plus things might be damaged while shipping, not worth the pain.

3) We will need to ship some personal belongings ... now we obviously dont have an address in Canberra .. how does that work ? what address do i give the removal company before leaving?

Interesting question. Speak to the removalist, tell them once we reach we will give you an address and everything can be shipped to that address, but you will have to get it cleared from quarantine and customs anyways, you can give even the hotel address that you book. Other option is to leave your stuff with a friend there and then ask them to ship it once you have a place here. that way life will be much easier for you, once you have all your stuff, you need a car to move things around or a cab and that costs heaps..

4) Is July a good time to move to Canberra .. all factors considering; jobs, housing etc

July is good enough, I'd say end of June is good too. Being end of financial year, you can settle and by the time it's july you can start applying for jobs.

5) Which bank has the largest network of branches and ATMs in Canberra?

Check each bank website or check on whirlpool forum, it has peoples comments, reviews, grievance for almost everything. But all banks are more or less the same I think. You will find an ATM in almost every shopping complex and a branch too. We have been here two and half years and went to the bank branch just once, to activate our account and transfer the TC to our account.

6) What is a good neighbourhood to live in Canberra.. where we can find Halal food easily and Indian/Pakistani shops and restaurants?

Not in ACT, cant cmment

7) What telco company has the best mobile network coverage? and who offers good plans for home broadband ?

We used Optus for two years, now moved to Virgin mobile, they use optus network but have better coverage. The best coverage however is Telstra but they are the most expensive too. I am not sure which one is good in ACT but have friends who use vodaphone and optus and are happy with coverage. again, whirlpool forum is the best bet

 

[ashish1e834]

awesome effort nsahmed

 

[nsahmed]

thanks ashish1e834 . trying to put a good guide together .. but unfortunately no one is interested .. lol ... its a shame really considering its the Capital.

 

[leavesnext]

This is an interesting thread. I am also planning to move to ACT and it would be helpful if we can get feedback from people who actually moved to Canberra.

 

[sid.sami]

This is an interesting thread. I am also planning to move to ACT and it would be helpful if we can get feedback from people who actually moved to Canberra.

Hi nsahmed...hopefully you would have settled in Canberra by now, if you are still posting on this thread I will like to hear from you on the preferable neighborhood, job market situation and overall experience of life in Canberra,

Regards,
Sid.

 

[Zeenat Anslem]

Canberra Migration

Hi,

Could anyone help me with Canberra Immigration on customer service occupation.

Regards,
Zeenat

 

[louisam]

http://www.canberrayourfuture.com.au/workspace/uploads/documents/act-occupation-list-feb-15.pdf

All the customer service jobs are in closed state. So you need a job offer or a close family for applying for 190 State Sponsorship.