One of Australia’s greatest assets is the one million Australians overseas, particularly the 500,000 Australian professionals around the world.  Research indicates that one half of those one million Australians intend to return to Australia one day.

Planning your relocation back to Australia will no doubt fill you with a sense of excitement and anticipation, and perhaps some trepidation too when you think about the time and effort involved in executing this next milestone in your life.  Fortunately there is a wide selection of professional services available to save you time and energy as well as simplifying the process.

Your next career move

High up on your list of things to do is of course planning your next career step.

The hurdles and challenges expatriates can face when wanting to return home to Australia includes:

• the time it can take to secure a position (on average three to six months);
• out-of-date Australian business network;
• being physically absent from Australia; and
• the investment of time and effort required for the job search process.

Housing
One of the first things expatriates do when planning their repatriation is look at property back home – availability, affordability etc.  The quickest way to search out a property in Australia, either for rental or purchase, is to visit www.realestate.com.au or www.domain.com.au.

A useful general site for house purchasing, rentals, legal, mortgage & finance and removalist solutions is www.australianhousehunters.com.au.

Finance

ANZ in the UK can assist you to arrange your banking in Australia before you leave the UK. ANZ's International Personal and Private Banking team is based in London will take care of your financial requirements leaving you free to concentrate on moving back to Australia.  Depending on your circumstances, ANZ is able to open bank accounts, arrange mortgage finance, transfer your funds home at a competitive rate and introduce you to a Private Banker back home ( www.anz.com/uk ).

If you require financing for investment purposes including real estate, you might like to consider the services offered by Proper Finance Solutions (www.properfinance.com.au/australian_expatriate.htm).  PFS specialises in supporting Aussie expats with property purchases back in Australia. You find the property, PFS covers the rest - bank finance, conveyancing, building inspections, insurance & property management.

Relocating and reconnecting

Often the biggest hurdles in the repatriation process are caused by the seemingly smallest tasks, such as connecting your utilities.  If you are fortunate enough to have your employer plan your relocation, these hiccups will be dealt with for you. If you are responsible for your own relocation, there are a wide range of services available to you so you can delegate all or part of the relocation process to the experts. 

The Relocation Network (www.relocationnetwork.com.au) is a free Australian directory which brings together hundreds of specialist relocation service providers throughout Australia and internationally.  Member Companies listed in this Directory provide quality, efficient and cost-effective services to thousands of companies for those seeking expert assistance in diverse areas such as housing and accommodation, schooling, expatriate services, employment, transport of household and personal belongings, just to name a few! 

Reconnecting with family and friends

A major consideration in deciding to repatriate back home for many expatriates is the opportunity to reunite with family and friends.  However, if you are moving to a new state, forming new friendships and connections can be critical to the likely success of your repatriation.

Newcomers Network (www.newcomersnetwork.com.au) Australia’s first network for newcomers, is an online guide for people who have moved or people who like to network, within Australia.   All of the resources listed on their website from government, non government and private organisations can be accessed free of charge or registration.  Newcomers Network produce a free monthly newsletter, host various events every month, have a Business Membership program, answer questions from around the world via email and online forums free of charge, participate in a variety of educational and promotional campaigns and create new initiatives.

To Do List…

Health Insurance

Public Health Insurance

Medicare is Australia’s national heath insurance system.  You can access Medicare if you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen or hold/ have applied for a permanent visa. 

You will need to provide documents to support your residency in Australia or your severing of ties with the previous country of residence if:

• you are an Australian citizen returning to Australia to reside after living overseas for more than five years; or
• you are a New Zealand citizen requesting enrolment as a permanent resident.

To enroll in Medicare, complete the enrolment form and lodge it at your local Medicare office. For more information and to download application forms, visit http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/yourhealth/our_services/am.htm

Private Health Insurance

In addition to Medicare, many Australians choose to self insure through private health insurance. If you annual income is in excess of $50,000 (single) or $100,000 (couple) and you don’t have an appropriate level of private health insurance, you will be charged a Medicare Levy Surcharge, which amounts to 1% of your income (this is on top of the 1.5% Medicare Levy that all Australian taxpayers are required to pay). The surcharge is administered by the Australian Taxation Office which can be contacted on 13 28 61. 

For more information about private health insurance in Australia and how it interacts with Medicare, visit the Department of Health and Ageing’s Web site at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/private-1

Visit the Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC) Web site which details all registered health funds within each Australian State. It also provides contact details for each fund and, if they have a web site, a link to each fund's website.

Not sure which private health insurer will best fit your needs?  To compare and contrast Australian health insurance plans, contact iSelect to search by best plans, immediate benefit coverage, basic cover and “cheapest cover to avoid government penalties”. Visit http://www.iselect.com.au

EDUCATION

Primary & Secondary Schools - Government

School term dates in Australia vary by state. Exact dates of terms and holidays can be found on the Department of Education, Science and Training’s (DEST) website for each state:

Australian Capital Territory Term Dates 
New South Wales Term Dates 
Northern Territory Term Dates 
Queensland Term Dates 
South Australia Term Dates 
Tasmania Term Dates 
Victoria Term Dates 
Western Australia Term Dates

Each Australian state has its own education website, which lists Government schools:

ACT Department of Education and Community Services 
NSW Department of Education and Training 
Northern Territory Department of Education 
Education Queensland 
South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services 
Tasmanian Department of Education 
Victorian Department of Education and Training 
Education Department of Western Australia

Non-Government (Private) Schools

Non-government school term dates can often vary from Government school dates.

For a comprehensive list of non-government schools in Australia, visit the Internet Schools Directory http://www.isd.com.au/

For a more descriptive listing of each school and links to individual websites, try http://www.nationwide.com.au/frontpage/schools/index.html

Tertiary (Higher) Education (including university, TAFE etc)

For a list of accredited higher education institutions and information about applying for positions, fee schedules, the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), student loans, scholarships and other resources, visit the Higher Education page on the DEST website at http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/Main/CoursesAndProviders/
ProvidersAndCourses/HigherEducationProviders/Default.htm 

AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP

Resuming Australian Citizenship

If you lost your Australian citizenship by becoming a citizen of another country prior to April 4, 2002, you may be eligible to resume Australian citizenship. 

For further information and to download application forms, go to http://www.citizenship.gov.au/australians-os/families/resuming-au-citz.htm

Australian Citizenship for Spouses & Children Adopted Overseas

Spouses of Australian citizens, whether legally married or in a de facto relationship, do not have an automatic right to Australian citizenship. To be eligible for Australian citizenship, the spouse of an Australian citizen must be a permanent resident of Australia. Policy requires that spouses also satisfy the requirements applicable to other adult applicants. There are some exceptions to the residence requirements for spouses.
See: Form 1027i How to apply for grant of Australian citizenship

Australian Citizenship for Descendents

You are eligible to apply to become an Australian citizen by descent if you meet the following three requirements: 
   - one of your natural parents was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth 
   - you are under 25 years of age OR were born between 26 January 1949 and 15 January 1974 
   - you are of good character if you are over 18

For more information and downloadable application forms, go to: http://www.citizenship.gov.au/australians-os/families/by-descent.htm