Moving to Perth on a 457 ;)

[Guest colonel]

Hi,

 

I have been offered a 457 sponsorship with a large WA based company. My salary will be in the region of $130-150k with full relocation package.

 

My main question is what is the most popular area/suburb for expats ?

 

Also, I have 2 children, one is primary age and the other is high school age....what are the approx costs as these will not be paid as part of the package ?

 

Also, is this a fair and reasonable assessment of Living Costs ?

 

[Guest donki]

I think thats a pretty fair assesment...the rent will change all depending on which suburb you choose ( plus you may go for a home with a pool which will push you up) We spend more on food (i'm an unorganised shopper though) If you are working in the city you probably wont need to use a car for work the public system is good and clean. Its hard to speak of where to live, as your idea of life is yours not everyone will think or feel the same. We are south of the city there are really good suburbs down here as there are north of the river too. Needless to say the further away from Perth you get the quieter it gets, the hills area to has some great areas good luck to you and your family

:)

[Guest Stu]

Hi colonel

It seems like a fair assessment. We're south of the river to which is nice and handy for the city. That said the city is only busy during the week, think of Perth as a series of villages each with their centre then your close to the picture.

 

I notice your using the midline exchange rate, I would take a couple of cents off to get a clearer idea and also account for rate changes. Also as you earn over the limit you are expected to get private health cover. This should be around 250 to 300 a month for the four of you but you get a tax break if you have it.

 

When we moved there were a lot of one off expenses I wasn't expecting like deposit for renting (4 to 6 weeks rent) tax when buying a car (5% of car value) amongst other things.

 

Check ato.gov.au for your tax they have a calculator on it.

 

Good luck

[Guest colonel]

Thanks. We have savings to deal with the house bond/rental. Also, are second hand cars readily available ? Or are we going to be forced down the new car route ?

 

We are looking at Mandurah as a base. My work is based in Henderson so it will be an hour commute roughly. Other than Fremantle and Rockingham are there any other expat areas near Henderson ? Google Earth is good but it is difficult to find built-up areas which cater for the needs of a big family !

[Guest donki]

HI we are near Rocky! ( Secret Harbour) good primary schools , my girls go to Kolbe Catholic in Rocky which i think is a great school ( schools again everyone has a very personal opinion on) Baldivis is just up the road an area very much on the move forward buildings going up and land being cleared left right and centre! Mandurah is a large area the foreshore is great as is Rocky!

 

There are plenty of car dealers around again in Rocky and Mandurah private and dealerships.

[Guest John1983]

Have you been told about Living Away From Home Allowance? Basically you get paid whatever your rent is per year tax free plus a fixed allowance for food (not sure what the figure will be for a family of 4 but you can check on google). You then only get taxed on the remainder of your salary after these allowances have been taken off. Means you would be $6-10k a year better off than if you just got taxed on your whole salary.

 

To work it out take 6% of your salary for the superannuation, then take off whatever your annual rent is likey to be and the food allowance. Then put your remaining salary into the tax calculator (you will be classed as resident for tax purposes and will need to check the box for medicare levy). Minus the tax from your salary and then add the LAFHA back on top.

 

Note though that you will lose LAFHA if you apply for permanent residency.

[Guest John1983]

9% for the superannuation i meant!

[Guest colonel]

Thanks John....LAFHA is going to be the main point of negotiation with my employer and this has the most financial benefit.

 

Is the offering of LAFHA common practice on 457 visas in WA ?

[Guest JaneArchie]

We're due to move out to Perth in January on a 457 visa. Fortunately, my husbands employer offered him LAFHA straight away. No negotiating required. Phew!! Fingers crossed you don't have any problems getting this included.

 

Jane