LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi

[KiwiBird 132]

I'm wondering if there was a way he could just transfer the money to me.... Is it really cheaper to do the Paypal route? He already transfers money to my Paypal... but they take like 5%, don't they? (We're talking an amount where 5% would be $500+.)

I should see if my bank has a SWIFT code... seems stupid that they don't, you know?

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I'm wondering if there was a way he could just transfer the money to me.... Is it really cheaper to do the Paypal route? He already transfers money to my Paypal... but they take like 5%, don't they? (We're talking an amount where 5% would be $500+.)

I should see if my bank has a SWIFT code... seems stupid that they don't, you know?

No they don't take 5%. You can do a test if you like.. it's not REALLY a test but if you go and try and send the money, without clicking confirm it will tell you the fee. I sent about $1K from Aus to the US and was charged less than $5. The fees have changed since then and are actually lower than they were.

[Dave and Shannon 9]

Hey sorry to butt in on this topic.. but is paypal cheaper then using travelex cards? I have been using travelex cards to put my savings into, i loose about $20-25 depending on rate out of $400 on a weekly basis.. is paypal cheaper then that? if so i might get my mrs to set up an account for me and do it paypal way...

and another question... is there any qlders out there that have got there police check done??????? i have read that victoria and other states can get there report sent to them and take it to there interview with them but for nsw and qld people we have to get it sent to the consulate.. which makes no sense to me at all... Im just wanting to get it done before my approval so it wont hold up my process as it can take up to 28 days to get.. cheers

[Wayne-Rachel 8]

Hey sorry to butt in on this topic.. but is paypal cheaper then using travelex cards? I have been using travelex cards to put my savings into, i loose about $20-25 depending on rate out of $400 on a weekly basis.. is paypal cheaper then that? if so i might get my mrs to set up an account for me and do it paypal way...

and another question... is there any qlders out there that have got there police check done??????? i have read that victoria and other states can get there report sent to them and take it to there interview with them but for nsw and qld people we have to get it sent to the consulate.. which makes no sense to me at all... Im just wanting to get it done before my approval so it wont hold up my process as it can take up to 28 days to get.. cheers

The nsw form allows you to nominate who and where the report gets sent to... I put my own details on it, the officer read them and didn't have a problem with it.

[Dave and Shannon 9]

The nsw form allows you to nominate who and where the report gets sent to... I put my own details on it, the officer read them and didn't have a problem with it.

Oh ok, so you have yours now? just from what i read it said nsw and qld get it sent to the consulate... My form from the qld police gave me the option of sending it to myself or the consulate and it was only $42.60 i think it was.. and they said nothing about fingerprinting.. but ill have to go in again and ask about that.. thanks for the reply

[CareBear 18]

Oh ok, so you have yours now? just from what i read it said nsw and qld get it sent to the consulate... My form from the qld police gave me the option of sending it to myself or the consulate and it was only $42.60 i think it was.. and they said nothing about fingerprinting.. but ill have to go in again and ask about that.. thanks for the reply

Hey I'm a QLDer (well was lol). I had mine sent direct to me and posted it onto the Consulate with the rest of my packet 3 forms when the time was right. The $42.60 option is NOT the one you want. You want the one with fingerprints which is around the $140 mark (sorry baby brain memory right now). When you're at the police station tell them you want the police check with fingerprints and they will sort it from there

[Wayne-Rachel 8]

Oh ok, so you have yours now? just from what i read it said nsw and qld get it sent to the consulate... My form from the qld police gave me the option of sending it to myself or the consulate and it was only $42.60 i think it was.. and they said nothing about fingerprinting.. but ill have to go in again and ask about that.. thanks for the reply

Still waiting for mine to come back, be another couple of weeks I think? Reading the consulate website, it says that NSW and QLD police reports get sent straight to Sydney Consulate but as CareBear said, she got hers sent straight to her. I will update this if anything changes with mine, but at this time as far as I know, mine is coming straight to me.

Heres a link to the canberra embassy website for the info on police checks too: Canberra Embassy - Qld Police reports

And a link to the relevant page on the Qld police website Qld Police Website - Background checks

[Dave and Shannon 9]

thanks for all of that.. i will be going in today to get all this sorted and sent out to me.. thanks heaps for the info

[KiwiBird 132]

Ugh, 6 days until his interview!! I'm going nuts! And 41 days until he arrives.... given all goes well. He kept telling he that Aus requires a month's notice for leaving a job. I keep hoping his work will be sympathetic and let him leave earlier than that....

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hey sorry to butt in on this topic.. but is paypal cheaper then using travelex cards? I have been using travelex cards to put my savings into, i loose about $20-25 depending on rate out of $400 on a weekly basis.. is paypal cheaper then that? if so i might get my mrs to set up an account for me and do it paypal way...

Hell yes! That $40 fee is insane! It's the only way i transfer money now. The first time I sent money I sent around $500 and sent it from bank to bank. ANZ charged me $25 to send it, Wells Fargo charged me $25 to receive it. I haven't even spent that much since using paypal. I've sent lots of money over the time.

I did a test for you.

This pic shows you how it works. I've done a fake send of US$400 and you can see underneath in small print it's done the exchange rate so it's actually costing me AUD$406.07 (that's the exchange rate, no fee mentioned yet):

So from the first pic I hit "continue" to get to this page where it tells me the fee associated with the transfer(if I untick the "I will pay the fee" button it will deduct the fee from the money I'm sending):

Here is where the blue hyperlink on the second pic where it says "fee" takes you: https://cms.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/marketingweb?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=ua/FeesPolicy_full&locale.x=en_AU

---

So you can see that it's already cheaper I did a test send of US$5000 ($5,075.86 AUD) and the fee was **drumroll** US$195.30. Now I need to point out that that's because it's drawing money from my account and sending it immediately. If I was to first send the money to paypay (there's a different way to do that) and THEN transfer the funds from my paypal to the other paypal the fee would be 1% of the money I'm sending.

Anyway I still think it's cheaper but you can always try it once and see what you think.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Ugh, 6 days until his interview!! I'm going nuts! And 41 days until he arrives.... given all goes well. He kept telling he that Aus requires a month's notice for leaving a job. I keep hoping his work will be sympathetic and let him leave earlier than that....

Some jobs depend on whether your full-time, part-time or casual, and how long you've been working there. I personally only needed to give 2 weeks notice. Some jobs even write a certain notice period into their contract so that they have more time to find someone else. In theory he could give the months notice but request that any leave he's accrued (so holiday days) be taken off the time he has left. he'll end up with less money (instead of paid for a month then holiday pay it'll be paid for whatever days he works + holiday pay) but it will mean he'll have no problems... depends on his job.

Why isn't he giving notice already? I don't think he'll have an issue getting the visa but some people feel like they're jinxing it...

Anyway.. 6 days! So close!

[KiwiBird 132]

He just won't give notice until he passes the interview. He also wants to make a trip to see family in NZ before he goes.

It's just so hard for me to be patient. :\

[VanessaTony 3,567]

He just won't give notice until he passes the interview. He also wants to make a trip to see family in NZ before he goes.

It's just so hard for me to be patient. :\

I do completely understand. Just like the interview though it just won't seem real. I wasn't really sad when I left home I was too... I don't know... dazed.. just kind of functioning. Took a while for it to feel real... even after I was here.

When I got the visa packet I pulled my passport out and I just kinda stared at it... like wow. Months of waiting and FINALLY I can just pack my ####### and GO! Tony told me his co-workers were like "what is up with you?" because he was kinda bouncing around and that's when he told them that day was when I was arriving. He had school the morning I felt arrived at LAX (and you know POE was a little nerve-wracking) and he actually told his professor that he would have his phone out but on silent and if it rang he was answering it because his fiancee was landing. It was cute. The phone rang once and cut out and he was like NOooooo. Part of me wanted to do a dance when I got through POE but I was concerned I would look suspicious so I just grinned like a fool and hurried off to get my bags to take them through customs.

It'll come around quicker than you think and you won't feel prepared enough

[Dave and Shannon 9]

Hell yes! That $40 fee is insane! It's the only way i transfer money now. The first time I sent money I sent around $500 and sent it from bank to bank. ANZ charged me $25 to send it, Wells Fargo charged me $25 to receive it. I haven't even spent that much since using paypal. I've sent lots of money over the time.

I did a test for you.

This pic shows you how it works. I've done a fake send of US$400 and you can see underneath in small print it's done the exchange rate so it's actually costing me AUD$406.07 (that's the exchange rate, no fee mentioned yet):

So from the first pic I hit "continue" to get to this page where it tells me the fee associated with the transfer(if I untick the "I will pay the fee" button it will deduct the fee from the money I'm sending):

Here is where the blue hyperlink on the second pic where it says "fee" takes you: https://cms.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/marketingweb?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=ua/FeesPolicy_full&locale.x=en_AU

---

So you can see that it's already cheaper I did a test send of US$5000 ($5,075.86 AUD) and the fee was **drumroll** US$195.30. Now I need to point out that that's because it's drawing money from my account and sending it immediately. If I was to first send the money to paypay (there's a different way to do that) and THEN transfer the funds from my paypal to the other paypal the fee would be 1% of the money I'm sending.

Anyway I still think it's cheaper but you can always try it once and see what you think.

Thanks heaps for all of that.. it actually does sound alot cheaper doing it that way then using travelex... i just dont think it will be worth all the hassel as im within 2 weeks of hearing about my visa and wont be here long... as soon as i know that interview is happening ill be organising my work resigning haha.. i cant wait to have all this settled, i have an awesome woman to be with, a car and a heap of friends waiting!! wish it would hurry up

[Wayne-Rachel 8]

is there any qlders out there that have got there police check done??????? i have read that victoria and other states can get there report sent to them and take it to there interview with them but for nsw and qld people we have to get it sent to the consulate..

Hey I'm a QLDer (well was lol). I had mine sent direct to me and posted it onto the Consulate with the rest of my packet 3 forms when the time was right.

Still waiting for mine to come back, be another couple of weeks I think? Reading the consulate website, it says that NSW and QLD police reports get sent straight to Sydney Consulate but as CareBear said, she got hers sent straight to her. I will update this if anything changes with mine, but at this time as far as I know, mine is coming straight to me.

Dave and Shannon... Update for you - my police report arrived in the mail this afternoon, seems I had no problem getting mine sent straight to me. As for timeframe, it took 14 days (submited about 11pm on the 10th of this month, so 13 days kinda sorta)

Edited March 24, 2011 by Wayne-Rachel