Everyone who has been to Australia loves it. Sidney seems to be the epicenter of this widespread love. What kind of things would I have to worry about if I showed up with the clothes on my back and a couple hundred bucks MAX in my pockets? Would it be hard for me to get a job, a car, a place to stay? Is a stunt like that really practical? What major things should I know about Australia before hopping my uninformed ass on a flight? I really feel like I need to leave the country for at least a couple of years right now. I’m 100% serious about this and all of my extra money is going to be saved towards it until I can afford to go.
Just stay away from Dingo Creek…
First, it’s “Sydney”. 
Second, you’ll need a visa. Staying for a couple years without PR could be problematic – just as if any foreigner decided to decamp to the US for a indeterminate period.
As for jobs, what’s your field?
A couple hundred bucks max could make things tough, probably impossible. Like any big city, Sydney is expensive – particularly for accomodation.
D’oh. Ok, Sydney. Sorry.
How do I get a Visa? My job field…Ummmm, I’ve done a little bit of computer hardware work. I’m willing to do anything though. I’m not too proud to dig a ditch if that’s what it takes.
BTW, I don’t understand the Dingo Creek reference. 
I should also disclaim: I’m not a Sydneysider (thank og! ;))
For visa information, I’d check out The Department of Immigration’s website. There’s stuff on permanant migration and also on visiting Australia. It’s pretty well set-out, better than I could explain in a few paragraphs.
Some general info:
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It’s not as easy as just hopping on a plane, sadly. (Says she who is in DIMMA purgatory at the moment.)
Your best bets are to check the immigration website Narrad gave you. How old are you? You might qualify for a working holidaymaker visa if you’re under 27. That would give you some time to decide if you like it here.
If you want to try to make it on points, good luck. I suggest you check the occupations list (again, all the info is on the website) and see if you qualify. But if you’re under 27, the working holidaymaker visa is probably your best bet if you want to get a job and stay for a bit. Can’t stay forever on one of those, though.
Sydney IS lovely. But plan it out, do it right, don’t just run over here and expect to stay. Because if you get deported, and you probably will, you can’t come back, maybe forever, maybe just for 10 years.
Please, think it through if you want to come do more than just visit.
Also, this isn’t the cheapest place in the world to live, either.
Grace
I’ll be 22 in July. I’m estimating it will be AT LEAST August before I can afford it but this isn’t just a fleeting desire. I really want to do this.
I have a kiwi working in my office and he says that immigration to New Zealand is pretty simple; that they are encouraging it actually. I know, I know, NZ doesn’t have everything that Australia does, so you’ll just have to suffer with the scenery you saw in LOTR…
I will reiterate, for Australia, US citizens require a valid visa. Doesn’t matter what type as long as it is valid or you WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE PLANE.
I speak from experience.
As an Aussie let me say that Sydney is fabulous!!
But if your looking for a cultural experience go somewhere else.
Sydney is expensive, and crowded.
Sydney is so similar to so many other cities around the world that you may not get the experience you want.
GO NORTH!!!
Firstly the rent is cheaper, the food is cheaper, the pace gets slower the further North you go, and the people are bloody great!
The weather is magnificent up North and the scenery will blow your mind.
So do some research on the following places :
Cairns
Maroochydoore
Brisbane
Port Macquarie
Arlie Beach
1770 (yes that’s the actual name of the town)
Cape Town
Better yet, start in Sydney and make your way up. Coach, drive or hitch… it is awesome!!
Be prepared for that trip to take a few months.
How much $ will you need?
Probably about $2000 or $3000 at least to really enjoy it.
I can affirm that you will have an easier time of it if you go north.
Sydney is hellishly expensive, and if it’s backpacker fun you’re after then I’d say Cairns. Loads to do and see, and easier to get work on a casual basis. Brisbane’s OK but to be quite honest I’ve found it a little dull. It’s a bit like going to Reading.
Cairns on the other hand is a great place. Fond memories!
Byron Bay is a great backpacker’s destination, too!
Actually the visa’s not much of an issues a buddy of mine and i were going to Sydney for business, he forgot to apply for his visa, turns out it’s all electronic and at the airport they filed and got a visa for him on the spot in a minute or two.
But as someone who’s traveled a lot and considered relocating, it’s not as easy as it seems, If you’re coming from the US a lot of places may not hire you without a permanent work visa, and as such if they have to do the paperwork somethiens it’s not worth it to them. Some countries also try not to hire people without visas when there are people just as qualified in the country to do the job. THink long and hard before making the voyage… and maybe have a backup plan in case… like parents holding onto enough to buy you a return E Ticket if you need it.
Last time I checked, unless you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident, you have to have a return ticket before you even depart for Australia.
Best you follow Narrad’s advice and do your homework, because without it, you won’t be visiting Sidney (sic).
I got my visa to aus on the spot at the airport, but then all I wanted was a month’s tourist visa and I had a roundtrip ticket.
You said you do some computer hardware work, but you’re willing to do anything – keep in mind that the less skilled the job is, the more australians there are who are qualified, thus the less likely you are to get a work permit for it. Expert in hardware engineering? No problem, you can probably get a visa and a job, assuming you follow whatever the procedure is. Ditch digger? Sorry, no luck. The gov’t doesn’t want to import unskilled labor.
He could probably get some form of illegal work like picking fruit or whatever, couldn’t he?
Now that I think about it, how on earth are you going to get a place to stay and a car for a couple of hundred bucks (max)? Even putting aside the fact that you don’t have a work visa, think of it this way - would you be able to get a place to stay and a car for a couple of hundred bucks here in the US???
You will definitely need a couple/few thousand, at least!
Sydney’s too expensive to live if you’re starting out new. Brisbane and further north is cheaper. Byron Bay is also very pricey now.
You won’t do it with a couple of hundred dollars either. I think even fruit picking is not as easy to get illegally as it used to be.
NZ – while NZ wants skilled immigrants with dosh, I don’t think they’re crying out for immigrants. It’s worth looking at but don’t get your hopes up. I know it can act as a ‘backdoor’ to Australia but it’s rapidly closing. It’s getting harder and harder for NZ citizens to immigrate to Australia.
So to sum up – you need money, a visa and look at other options than Sydney. When we came to Australia it was the last place we could have afforded to live in. I’d like to live there or Melbourne but geez, it’s expensive now.
OK, so stay North of Sydney (Brisbane/Cairns), get more than a couple hundred bucks, get a skill, get at least a thousand or more dollars to start with.
I’m not looking for a comfort trip here btw. The less money and resources I show up with the better I’ll feel if I eventually manage to get my feet planted.
I know this sounds crazy but I kind of want to do something that’s going to be really hard (NOT so I can complain about it or brag about it though, just simply for the self-satisfaction of it.)