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Welcome on board SlamDunk21,

I have moved the discussion to the Sydney forum. You can make contacts on this page: Americans in Sydney

Hey SlamDunk21! I have been living is Sydney for the past couple of months in Surry Hills, which is a pretty cool area. Have you moved already? What kinds of advice are you looking for?

Just some stuff off the top of my head:

- Since you're an American citizen, you qualify for the Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462), which allows you to stay in country for one year from arrival. Applying is fairly easy, and there's even an online application for us. Just Google it to find more info.
* You can try applying for the Work Visa, but the process takes much longer and your skills need to actually be in demand as defined by the "Migration Occupations in Demand List".
- You'll need to find an apartment. Use sites like gumtree.com.au, craigslist, or flatmatefinders.com.au
* If you decide to start the apartment search once you get here, you can stay in hostels for the time being. I'd stay in hostels in/near the CBD, like the Sydney Central YHA. It comes highly recommended by Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor.com
- To get paid, you'll need a bank account. I've looked around a bit and I'm joining up ANZ. It seems practical enough and I've heard good things through word of mouth.
* You'll also need to apply for an Australian Tax File number. Without this, the government takes out much more taxes than it should (I think they take out 40%).