Thai wife moving to Australia - a few questions

[aussiesteve1203]

Hi All

 

So my wife's visa has been approved to come to Australia and just have a few questions about things when she actually gets here...any support will be greatly appreciated. The visa she has been approved is the Partner visa (subclass 309), which is the temporary visa until it is made permanent in 2 years time (after yet more paperwork is submitted). Just if anyone was curious it took just under 6 months from to be approved from the date of application.

 

1. Is she eligible for Medicare? From what I can find out it's only for permanent residents however I have also seen that some temporary visa's can get access. Is this type of visa eligible? Is there any limitations on her use of Medicare that would differ from mine or any other citizen/rezident?

 

2. Is she eligible to enrol in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)? Her English is ok but I figure if we can get her 510 free hours of English courses it'd be worth it to help her getting work etc.

 

3. Can anybody recomend a bank in Aus which is reasonable with transferring money back to Thailand? I envisage she'll still be sending money back home once she's working so just want to see if anyone uses a bank which doesn't charge exorbinant fees/poor exchange rates. I'm currently with CBA and can't say I'm a big fan of their charges when I transfer money to my wife...

 

4. Is her Thai drivers/motorbike license valid in Victoria? I think you can use it for 6 months after her arrival but does she need to get anything else to legally drive here or is that one sufficent (becuase it has an English translation on the license)?

 

5. What are other's experience like in getting their Thai gf or wife jobs here? I was thinking of getting her a job with my work in the housekeeping area if I can sort something out with HR, but just want to see how others have gone getting their missus a job. She's worked in various jobs before: housekeeping, bars, quality inspector at a factory...

 

Any other tips you guys might have with the initial relocation here would be great.

 

Thanks in advance for any replies...

 

 

[vbbitter]

1= medicare has changed ,i think you may have to take out insurance ?

2=yes she gets her 500hrs
3=check other postings on money transfers,as banks cost too much

4=she will have to get a valid aussie licence ,check the transport web site it will tell you about international eligibilty if there is one because of the type of visa she has arrived on ,holiday versus resident

5=go to your local thai wat on a sunday as she will meet other thais and talk about work oppurtunity,better if you can get her a job at your work though

6=GOOD LUCK

[TNTucker]

Depends where you are located and I think she is eligible to work on that visa. Housekeeping is the go, teach her the words for all the usual items you would see in a hotel room and prep her for interview, you will find many hotels have thai, phillipines, Taiwanese students etc working so should not be a problem if she has basic English.

 

Also helps if there are some thai friends at her work to help her transition into Australian life. Be ware of the bad thai girls in Australia that gamble and will want to borrow money. Good luck.

[rhodie]

3. I know of Thais who send money home using a bank card that they pay $10 for here in Sydney. They pay something like $2 per transfer. There must be something similar in Melbourne I am sure.

[LRanger]

Best way to send money is via an account with currency online or ozforex. Best rates, low cost transfers.

 

Difficult to get job that doesn't fuck around with your lifestyle....

 

Most other answers covered....definitely try to get her working - or you will be sending your money!

[Scumbag]

1= medicare has changed ,i think you may have to take out insurance ?

Not according to the Immigration Department's website:

 

2. Register with Medicare

The Australian Government provides help with basic medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare. You may be eligible to join Medicare and gain immediate access to health care services and programs. These include free public hospital care, help with the cost of out-of-hospital care, and subsidised medicines.

How to enrol

To enrol in Medicare, you should go into a Medicare office 7 to 10 days after your arrival in Australia and bring your passport or travel documents. There are also many different private health insurance options you may wish to consider, as Medicare does not provide for all services.

 

(source)

[PattayaGik]

aussiesteve 1203

 

I wrote something on PA a while back called something like "Getting My Thai Wife Settled into Australia".

 

You might find some of the things I encountered on my journey informative, perhaps it qualifies as general info rather than addressing the specifics of your questions.

 

A search should find the post. I'll link to it if I can find it. Here 'tis.

 

http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/122012-getting-your-wife-settled-into-australia/?hl=%2Bgetting+%2Bthai+%2Bwife+%2Bsettled+%2Binto+%2Baustralia

[Skalliwag]

Not according to the Immigration Department's website:

 

2. Register with Medicare

The Australian Government provides help with basic medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare. You may be eligible to join Medicare and gain immediate access to health care services and programs. These include free public hospital care, help with the cost of out-of-hospital care, and subsidised medicines.

How to enrol

To enrol in Medicare, you should go into a Medicare office 7 to 10 days after your arrival in Australia and bring your passport or travel documents. There are also many different private health insurance options you may wish to consider, as Medicare does not provide for all services.

 

(source)

Correct.My wife is entitled to medi care if we move under the same Visa.

[aussiesteve1203]

Thanks to all of you for your help. Much appreciated.

[matto]

Congrats on the visa aussiesteve! We applied for ours back in April... Still waiting to hear from them