#Melbourne crew, I’ve been a wreck for 48 hours but I’m starting to respond to messages.

Peter

@hacks4pancakes @joannaholman @skinnylatte so find a well connected place to get you into the city. I always find Americans don’t even consider public transport is a thing but I always take it into consideration even if I don’t plan to use it daily. Closer to the airport IMHO isn’t so important as you can expense that. But daily commute you’re on your own coin.

Lesley Carhart :unverified:

A lot of people say “get an Airbnb or extended stay first to apartment hunt” but I do not understand how that works with shipping belongings and selling my house.

Lesley Carhart :unverified:

Home bar sold. No more gin until Australia. Australia or bust.

Lesley Carhart :unverified:

Oh good… I plead with the universe for any ACS member who can zoom.

sabik

@plambrechtsen @hacks4pancakes @joannaholman @skinnylatte
Melbourne doesn't have an airport rail link, so options for getting to and from the airport are basically car, shuttle bus, taxi...

(They may be building one, but even if they are, it won't open for a decade, so it's not relevant for planning now)

Joanna Holman

@sabik @hacks4pancakes there’s also the much cheaper option of train to Broadmeadows and public bus from there. Not super complicated and worth learning eventually but probably not worth the effort when just arrived

Adrianna Tan

@joannaholman @sabik @hacks4pancakes the bus is pretty good!

Lesley Carhart :unverified:

The wait for IELTS is currently a month, so if you are waffling on this you might want to start checking those boxes - IELTS, very old tax statements and paystubs (I had to go back to 2008), apostille transcripts, birth certificate, and diplomas. Identity History Summary (there's a wait at the post office for that, too). My university made ordering that stuff very easy online, but a lot of the other stuff I am very fortunate to live in a big city for - a lot of you may need to plan significant travel to Chicago, DC, etc.

Anne at Millrace

@hacks4pancakes English language test?? Or does it mean something else in US?

Lesley Carhart :unverified:

@annehargreaves Yes, that is a worldwide standard english language exam. You can be exempted from taking it in Commonwealth countries, but they then give you a low score (less points).

Anne at Millrace

@hacks4pancakes How odd. I can't imagine why you would need it. I hope it's not like the Life in Britain test for citizenship in UK which is impossible to pass if you have lived here all your life.
Good luck with it anyway.

Lesley Carhart :unverified:

@annehargreaves I am old and lose points for it. I need every single path and edge I can possibly get. No, I think this is pretty much speaking and writing.

Anne at Millrace

@hacks4pancakes "Old" being relative

Lesley Carhart :unverified:

@annehargreaves Yes, relative to immigration. A desirable skills immigrant is 25-32. I am 41 years old.

GunChleoc

@hacks4pancakes @annehargreaves IELTS is also not something you can get preemptively and just keep, because it expires every 2 years