Start here...

https://www.expatforum.com/threads/read-this-first-want-to-go-to-australia-what-you-need-to-know-read-this-first.1241401/?post_id=12225545#post-12225545

you might also want to do some research on the type of visa that you might be eligible for...

Immigration and citizenship Website

Find out about Australian visas, immigration and citizenship.

immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

What if any research have you done on Australia and your questions?

I would suggest do not focus on the reasons why you wish to leave the US, but rather focus on why you wish to move here..

I have moved back and forth between the US and Australia several times.. and regularly here the complaints of those who make the move here for the wrong reasons

 

These are the following reasons I am considering to move to Australia
1) Better education
2) very low to none crime rate
3) better stability and work life balance in lieu of just running behind the money

Please let me know if you see any other better reasons per your experience in US and Australia

 

You need to make quite a bit more to get your standard of living. Work life balance is generally a day dream for those fresh of the boat and that everywhere. Best of luck. Please keep us posted.

 

1. I guess it depends on what level, primary, secondary, tertiary. I have been out of the loop for a very long time (no school aged children) but I suspect like everywhere there is a pretty broad spectrum. But a blanket statement of "better" across the board might be a stretch.. Like everywhere public schools here are (i would suggest) chronically underfunded, places at selective public schools are highly sought, the and the top end private schools charge an arm and a leg (30k+ per year and up). As to University, do bear in mind that while Permanent Residents are eligible for a Commonwealth subsided place , they are no longer eligible for certain HECS-HELP type loans that are repaid through the tax system (university in Australia has not been free (or even cheap) since the early 1990s).. sitatuation is different for the TAFE sector (primarily vocational trade type training) as these are State funded

2.Just because crime in Australia does not make the US news that is not to say it does not exist. But yes, as a whole, Australia tends to be safer... few places you would feel uncomfortable walking alone late at night but they do exist

3. Definitely better workplace minimum conditions, 38 hour work week, 4 weeks annual leave, compulsory superannuation among a host of other nation wide employment minimum standards. But Australia is also significantly more expensive in many regards. In part because minimum wages are significantly higher, but also the tyranny of distance, and a relatively weak AUD, means the cost to get goods into Australia is significantly higher and generally competition in the market is limited, meaning there is less downward pressure on prices. Housing is hard to come by and expensive particularly the rental market is extremely tight. Median house-price in Sydney is over 1.5 Million, Melbourne its over a million and the larger other capital cities are not much below than that - median incomes are about 98k

Given you are talking about buying businesses here, and continuing to run ones in the US, don't forget to factor into the equation the fact that as a US will treat everything you do here as toxic. Those Oz franchises you set up will most likely be considered foreign controlled corporations which will up your US tax compliance issues, In the other direction, any 401(k) or IRA you hold will not be treated as foreign superannuation (because it is too easy to withdraw prior to retirement) and thus will be treated as ordinary investments. Similarly the way things like capital gains tax are treated here (50% of the gain is taxed at your marginal rate) can be problematic if you hold real property in the US. To cut a long story short, you will need to do your homework to make sure you do not paint yourself into a corner with your business income and if you remain employed by a US employer (even if it is a business you own) it will need to comply with Australian tax law (super, income tax withholding, potentially gst). Unlike the IRS, the ATO is quite well funded, and has significant data matching initiatives. I know several Americans who have gotten unexpected taps on the shoulder from the ATO "... based on your declared income... how are you paying for that car/mortgage etc ..."

But the million dollar question is... what visa out there do you think you are eligible that would allow you and your family to move permanently to Australia? Pretty much all of the Business Innovation and Investment visa categories are closed to new applicants. Which would fundamentally leave just the Skilled Independent and Skilled Sponsored visa classes.
In the intervening week.. what have you done to figure out if there is even a reasonable pathway..

how many points do you think you have from a skilled migration eligibility perspective?
what ANZSCO code does your work skills and experience fall into and is it eligible?

None of this is meant to scare you... more highlight some of the issues that most Americans who have never left the country fail to factor or consider.

 

I think that you need to research the crime rate, I live in Sydney and all I hear are Police and Ambulance sirens constantly
It takes a good week to get a Dr appointment and the wait in hospitals is very long. It has just taken me a year to get a kidney stone procedure as some hospitals are in Code Black
Businesses are closing left right and centre

 

It takes a good week to get a Dr appointment and the wait in hospitals is very long. It has just taken me a year to get a kidney stone procedure as some hospitals are in Code Black

This is kind of the dichotomy of the public / private hybrid in Australian medical care that does not quite align with the OPs simplistic view of "better health care system"

Better, in that Medical bankruptcy is pretty rare (but not unheard of) While the public Medicare system covers the costs of many treatments, its not everything. Better in that you can rock up to pretty much any public hospital in an emergency and emerge owing zero dollars but... and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme means the costs of a significant drugs is heavily subsidised for patients. (combination of buying power of the Federal Government from the perspective manufacturer pricing contracts , through to price subsidies and dispensing fee controls through the PBS) but again, if you need something rare, or very expensive, or its use is considered "off-label" its entirely possible that it will not be covered.

The public system has in some cases very long waiting lists for things deemed elective.. (ie not emergency care) and getting more timely treatment through the private system can be very expensive without additional private hospital cover

As the cost of general practice has exceeded the general practice subsidy, people are turning up to emergency rooms simply to avoid, what in the US might be called a co-pay. They are also delaying and avoiding early preventative treatment and then presenting at hospitals in a far more acute state.

Hospital staffing levels have not kept up with population grown, many public hospitals are now under private management contracts to the State and thus a focus on costs / profits that once didn't really play a part in treatment management

 

This is kind of the dichotomy of the public / private hybrid in Australian medical care that does not quite align with the OPs simplistic view of "better health care system"

Better, in that Medical bankruptcy is pretty rare (but not unheard of) While the public Medicare system covers the costs of many treatments, its not everything. Better in that you can rock up to pretty much any public hospital in an emergency and emerge owing zero dollars but... and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme means the costs of a significant drugs is heavily subsidised for patients. (combination of buying power of the Federal Government from the perspective manufacturer pricing contracts , through to price subsidies and dispensing fee controls through the PBS) but again, if you need something rare, or very expensive, or its use is considered "off-label" its entirely possible that it will not be covered.

The public system has in some cases very long waiting lists for things deemed elective.. (ie not emergency care) and getting more timely treatment through the private system can be very expensive without additional private hospital cover

As the cost of general practice has exceeded the general practice subsidy, people are turning up to emergency rooms simply to avoid, what in the US might be called a co-pay. They are also delaying and avoiding early preventative treatment and then presenting at hospitals in a far more acute state.

Hospital staffing levels have not kept up with population grown, many public hospitals are now under private management contracts to the State and thus a focus on costs / profits that once didn't really play a part in treatment management

This is kind of the dichotomy of the public / private hybrid in Australian medical care that does not quite align with the OPs simplistic view of "better health care system"

Better, in that Medical bankruptcy is pretty rare (but not unheard of) While the public Medicare system covers the costs of many treatments, its not everything. Better in that you can rock up to pretty much any public hospital in an emergency and emerge owing zero dollars but... and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme means the costs of a significant drugs is heavily subsidised for patients. (combination of buying power of the Federal Government from the perspective manufacturer pricing contracts , through to price subsidies and dispensing fee controls through the PBS) but again, if you need something rare, or very expensive, or its use is considered "off-label" its entirely possible that it will not be covered.

The public system has in some cases very long waiting lists for things deemed elective.. (ie not emergency care) and getting more timely treatment through the private system can be very expensive without additional private hospital cover

As the cost of general practice has exceeded the general practice subsidy, people are turning up to emergency rooms simply to avoid, what in the US might be called a co-pay. They are also delaying and avoiding early preventative treatment and then presenting at hospitals in a far more acute state.

Hospital staffing levels have not kept up with population grown, many public hospitals are now under private management contracts to the State and thus a focus on costs / profits that once didn't really play a part in treatment management

This is kind of the dichotomy of the public / private hybrid in Australian medical care that does not quite align with the OPs simplistic view of "better health care system"

Better, in that Medical bankruptcy is pretty rare (but not unheard of) While the public Medicare system covers the costs of many treatments, its not everything. Better in that you can rock up to pretty much any public hospital in an emergency and emerge owing zero dollars but... and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme means the costs of a significant drugs is heavily subsidised for patients. (combination of buying power of the Federal Government from the perspective manufacturer pricing contracts , through to price subsidies and dispensing fee controls through the PBS) but again, if you need something rare, or very expensive, or its use is considered "off-label" its entirely possible that it will not be covered.

The public system has in some cases very long waiting lists for things deemed elective.. (ie not emergency care) and getting more timely treatment through the private system can be very expensive without additional private hospital cover

As the cost of general practice has exceeded the general practice subsidy, people are turning up to emergency rooms simply to avoid, what in the US might be called a co-pay. They are also delaying and avoiding early preventative treatment and then presenting at hospitals in a far more acute state.

Hospital staffing levels have not kept up with population grown, many public hospitals are now under private management contracts to the State and thus a focus on costs / profits that once didn't really play a part in treatment management

This is kind of the dichotomy of the public / private hybrid in Australian medical care that does not quite align with the OPs simplistic view of "better health care system"

Better, in that Medical bankruptcy is pretty rare (but not unheard of) While the public Medicare system covers the costs of many treatments, its not everything. Better in that you can rock up to pretty much any public hospital in an emergency and emerge owing zero dollars but... and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme means the costs of a significant drugs is heavily subsidised for patients. (combination of buying power of the Federal Government from the perspective manufacturer pricing contracts , through to price subsidies and dispensing fee controls through the PBS) but again, if you need something rare, or very expensive, or its use is considered "off-label" its entirely possible that it will not be covered.

The public system has in some cases very long waiting lists for things deemed elective.. (ie not emergency care) and getting more timely treatment through the private system can be very expensive without additional private hospital cover

As the cost of general practice has exceeded the general practice subsidy, people are turning up to emergency rooms simply to avoid, what in the US might be called a co-pay. They are also delaying and avoiding early preventative treatment and then presenting at hospitals in a far more acute state.

Hospital staffing levels have not kept up with population grown, many public hospitals are now under private management contracts to the State and thus a focus on costs / profits that once didn't really play a part in treatment management

This is kind of the dichotomy of the public / private hybrid in Australian medical care that does not quite align with the OPs simplistic view of "better health care system"

Better, in that Medical bankruptcy is pretty rare (but not unheard of) While the public Medicare system covers the costs of many treatments, its not everything. Better in that you can rock up to pretty much any public hospital in an emergency and emerge owing zero dollars but... and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme means the costs of a significant drugs is heavily subsidised for patients. (combination of buying power of the Federal Government from the perspective manufacturer pricing contracts , through to price subsidies and dispensing fee controls through the PBS) but again, if you need something rare, or very expensive, or its use is considered "off-label" its entirely possible that it will not be covered.

The public system has in some cases very long waiting lists for things deemed elective.. (ie not emergency care) and getting more timely treatment through the private system can be very expensive without additional private hospital cover

As the cost of general practice has exceeded the general practice subsidy, people are turning up to emergency rooms simply to avoid, what in the US might be called a co-pay. They are also delaying and avoiding early preventative treatment and then presenting at hospitals in a far more acute state.

Hospital staffing levels have not kept up with population grown, many public hospitals are now under private management contracts to the State and thus a focus on costs / profits that once didn't really play a part in treatment management

[And to add to that, as of today entire States have that Emergency Room backup suspended for a bit while the Code Orange has been declared]

 

as some hospitals are in Code Black

[And to add to that, as of today entire States have that Emergency Room backup suspended for a bit while the Code Orange has been declared]

I was going to allow the first point slide as an overstatement because I had better things to do with my time.. but let me just call BS on these - at a minimum you are conflating things. Yes, there are personal threat indicators in hospitals.. there always have, as individuals, particularly family members bringing on a loved one for care, over catastrophise an injury.. particularly things that are not in fact life threatening...

and yes, hospital evacuations happens .. and when this happens there are protocols for surrounding hospitals to deal with an influx of admissions and patient transfers, but this is rarely a regular occurrance. The current flood emergency in NSW is a rather exceptional circumstance (becoming all too common as a result of global warming), and yes, I think I recall reading a piece on the complete relocation of Ballina Hospital a little while back and no doubt other impacts to other regional medical facilities that were inundated.. but I think it is a stretch to blame a decline on healthcare services as the cause as a stretch..

Context is important.

 

I was going to allow the first point slide as an overstatement because I had better things to do with my time.. but let me just call BS on these - at a minimum you are conflating things. Yes, there are personal threat indicators in hospitals.. there always have, as individuals, particularly family members bringing on a loved one for care, over catastrophise an injury.. particularly things that are not in fact life threatening...

and yes, hospital evacuations happens .. and when this happens there are protocols for surrounding hospitals to deal with an influx of admissions and patient transfers, but this is rarely a regular occurrance. The current flood emergency in NSW is a rather exceptional circumstance (becoming all too common as a result of global warming), and yes, I think I recall reading a piece on the complete relocation of Ballina Hospital a little while back and no doubt other impacts to other regional medical facilities that were inundated.. but I think it is a stretch to blame a decline on healthcare services as the cause as a stretch..

Context is important.

Then you missed the news article yesterday about Victoria. I have a personal experience at Port Macquarie Hospital, they didn't even had Saline...don't waste your energy trying to make the OP think that he is coming to the land of plenty please

 

I am not trying to convince anyone of anything. But that said, at least we don't have to have magnetometers at emergency room entrances (yet at least) and if one has a critical care need you are not likely to get turned away at the door because you do not have insurance, which

As to Saline... well that is an interesting one. There is actually global shortage of all IV fluids. This is just one of many examples of the problems Australia faces when it is almost completely reliant on its critical medicines from overseas manufacturers and is just part of the same global supply chain constraints. Stock conservation actions are currently underway across all medical and veterinary facilities (so it may not be true that Port Macquarie didn't have the right IV fluid but rather your need was not sufficient to allocate it) as all registered providers of saline are impacted (no doubt because they procure stock from the same impacted manufacturer(s).. in conjunction with heightened global demand affects everyone. Welcome to the world of global supply and demand.

 

Yes, I learnt something with rehydration that Apple juice, half a cup every half an hour does the trick. I assume that the saline available is reserved for those in need.
We are all certainly going to have to adjust to a new World.

 

Well If that's the case, I am wondering how bad Canada's "Free health Care" system looks. Having lived here from more than a decade, with the influx of population, it takes more than a month to get a doctor's appointment and if you are looking for a specialist - you are looking at atleast 6 months minimum for the appointment or even MRI / ECG etc.

 

I hear things like this more and more. Monday called for appointment non emergency with PCP. Tuesday 9:00 appointment and with PCP at 9:05 after triage. Xrays, 20 minute conversation, no fracture but a lump she questions. Wednesday 9:00 ultrasound. Cost to patient - zero and peace of mind (hopefully) tomorrow.