Archive-name: australian-faq/part2
Last-modified: 6 July 1994
Version: 2.0

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PART I (separate posting)
1.About soc.culture.australian
2.How to find Australians, Australian Information
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PART II (this posting)
3.Citizenship/Visas/Immigration
  3.1 Australian citizenship
  3.2 Dual Citizenship of other countries
  3.3 Visas
      3.3.1 For Foreigners in Australia
      3.3.2 For Australians in other Countries
  3.4 Immigration
      3.4.1 Addresses
      3.4.2 Criteria and Points System 
      3.4.3 Spouse/fiance(e) immigration              
  3.5 Emigrants
4.Coming to Australia
  4.1 Quarantine
  4.2 Standards
  4.3 Cars
       4.3.1 Car Insurance 
  4.4 Shipping Information
  4.5 Miscellaneous        
5.Studying in Australia
  5.1 Overview of Australian Higher Education
  5.2 Postgraduate Study
  5.3 Miscellaneous Questions
  5.4 "Classification" of Australian Universities 
  5.5 Academic Addresses
6.For Australians Overseas
  6.1 Radio Australia
  6.2 Newspapers:
  6.3 Australiana in the USA
  6.4 Video Conversion 
  6.5 Expatriate organisation
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PART III (separate posting)
7.History
8.Politics
9.Geography, Natural History
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PART IV (separate posting)
10.Australian Life
11.Travel
12.Language
13.Culture
14. Contributors
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A major reorganisation has been done (June 1994) and some sections are
incomplete. Contributions welcome - send to Stephen Wales,
stephenw@mincom.oz.au.

PART II 

3.CITIZENSHIP/VISAS/IMMIGRATION

Disclaimer: The information in this section may not be complete, or
correct, or up to date. Contact the Australian Embassy or Consulate in
your country for up to date and accurate immigration information.  If
you still want commentary from within Australia, write to:

The Department of Immigration & Ethnic Affairs 
Canberra, ACT
Australia

and inclose an international reply coupon or similar with your request
for information.

3.1 Australian Citizenship

Informally, you are an Australian citizen if one of the following applies:
- you are born in Australia
- you are born overseas to Australian parents and they register your birth
- you become a naturalised Australian
and
- you don't do anything to give up your citizenship

3.2 Australian (Dual) Citizenship [CW]

Here are some excerpts form the "Hints for Australian Travellers"
booklet produced by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs - its the little
booklet you get when you get your passport (at least it was a year
ago...). Portions in [...] are my comments. [CW]

* Nationality or Citizenship

Each country is free to determine who it will regard as its citizens,
and under what conditions its citizenship can be acquired or lost.
Citizenship laws are often complex and they can be quite different
from Australian laws.  In many countries, for example, citizenship is
not considered to be lost simply because the person has acquired
Australian citizenship.  The laws of some countries require people who
wish to renounce their citizenship to make formal written application
to do so.  Because of such laws many Australian citizens are also
citizens of other countries and therefore, possess what is
internationally referred to as "dual nationality".

[translation - dual citizenship is possible; whether or not you retain
your original citizenship upon becoming an Australian depends on the
laws of the original country.]

* Dual Nationality

Australian citizens who hold another citizenship are likely to be
those who:
o   were not born in Australia;
o   were born in Australia but had one or both parents or grandparents
    who were not born in Australia;
o   are married to a person with another citizenship.

[stuff deleted about being citizen of certain countries may make
you subject to certain laws if you return...]

* Loss of Australian Citizenship

Australia provides in its own citizenship law that an Australian
citizen, who is 18 years of age or over, who does an act or thing, the
sole or dominant purpose of which is to acquire the citizenship of
another country, ceases to be an Australian citizen from the date he
or she becomes a citizen of that country.

If you marry a citizen of a foreign country you may, under the law of
that country, automatically become a citizen of that country. Under
these circumstances you will not lose your Australian citizenship
provided you are not required to take any further action yourself (eg.
registration) to acquire your spouse's citizenship.

If you lose Australian citizenship as a result of doing an act or
thing to acquire another citizenship, you can apply to regain it by
grant any time after 12 months from the date of loss, provided you are
in Australia and have been present there as a resident for 12 months
in the 2 years immediately prior to lodging your application.
Alternatively, you can apply to resume Australian citizenship by
making a declaration to the Minister for Immigration, Local Government
and Ethnic Affairs that at the time you did the act or thing:

o you did not know that by doing it you would cease to be an
  Australian citizen; or
o if you had not done it, you would have suffered significant
  hardship or detriment.

The person making the declaration must:

o have been legally present in Australia for a period, or periods,
  amounting in aggregate to not less than 2 years; and
o intend to continue to reside in Australia or, if living overseas,
  intend to return to reside in Australia within 3 years of making the
  declaration; and
o have maintained a close and continuing association with Australia
  whilst abroad.

If the Minister believes the statement is true, he may register the
declaration and you may become an Australian citizen again.

Persons needing up-to-date information should consult the Department
of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs or an Australian
mission overseas.

A child under 18 years of age loses Australian citizenship if his/her
responsible parent or guardian ceases to be an Australian citizen, and
o he/she possesses another citizenship at the time, and
o his/her other responsible parent is not an Australian citizen
  at the time.

Should you lose Australian citizenship before your 18th birthday, as a
result of a responsible parent ceasing to be an Australian citizen,
you can, within one year after your 18th birthday (or later if special
circumstances apply), make a declaration that you wish to resume
Australian citizenship on the date the declaration is registered.

Anyone who loses Australian citizenship is no longer entitled to hold
an Australian passport. If you think you may acquire another
nationality in some way, you should seek advice about the effect this
would have on your Australian nationality from Australian authorities.

* Children born overseas

A child born outside Australia may be registered as an Australian
citizen by descent at the time of birth of the child.  Registration
must be made within 18 years of the child's birth by a responsible
parent or guardian.  Applications can be obtained from any Australian
mission overseas or the department of Immigration (etc.) in Australia.

[translation - if an Australian deliberately acquires citizenship of a
foreign country, they lose citizenship for at least a year... if it is
involuntary then there is no problem...]

[SW] Personal experience on dual citizenship for Australians with
children born abroad.  The child automatically has the citizenship of
the foreign country. To register as an Australian by descent, you have
to provide originals of both parents birth certificates, the child's
birth certificate, the parent's marriage certificate (if appropriate)
and parent's passports.  Send all of this plus the correct form and
$80 USD (in the USA) to the appropriate consulate for the region you
live in and then eventually you get a Certificate of Australian
Citizenship by Descent for the child.  To get a five (5) year child's
passport you must present yourself (in Person) at a consulate with the
passport photos, the application form and the appropriate endorsement
on the photos. They'll then give you the passport.

* Joint US/Australian from a US perspective 

[ZS] The situation with USA citizenship is that the US constitution
says that anyone born or naturalised in the USA is a citizen.  US
citizenship is a right, not a privilege.  US citizenship cannot be
taken away from you against your will.  However, you still have the
right to renounce it, and other countries often require you to do so
in order to become naturalised.  This used to be the case in Australia
up till 1986.  The oath of citizenship used to include the phrase
`renouncing all other allegiance'.  When the oath was changed in 1986,
it became possible for US citizens to become naturalised Australians
without losing their US status.

The US doesn't like it, and for many years the local US consulates
actively tried to bamboozle USAns into renouncing their US citizenship
if they became Australians.  If you sign anything acknowledging that
you have renounced, or give away your US passport, or anything of that
nature, the USA will assume that you have voluntarily renounced, and
it's up to you to go to court and prove otherwise.

I was born in the USA, have lived here since the age of six, and was
naturalised in 1989.  The Department of Immigration demanded that I
turn in my US passport, because they had an agreement with the US
embassy to do so, and return the passports to the embassy.  I insisted
that I didn't want to lose my US citizenship, and they refused to
process my application until I gave over my passport.  They said if I
needed it before the naturalisation went through, I could get it back,
so after a long argument I gave them my passport, and then on the day
before my naturalisation ceremony I went in and asked for the return
of my US passport.  On the form they gave me, under `reason', I ticked
`other', and wrote that I wanted it back because I didn't want to lose
it.  I don't know whether they read the form or not, but I got the
passport back.

Then I got a letter from the US consulate.  The Department had
informed them of my naturalisation, and they asked me to fill in a
questionairre, with the questions slanted to produce answers that
would constitute voluntary renunciation.  I sent them a letter
explaining why I refused to fill in the questionairre, and setting out
quite clearly the circumstances.  I regarded the very fact that I had
my passport as the greatest proof that I wanted to keep it.  I got a
letter that my case was on hold.

A few months ago I went in to the consulate to renew my passport, and
they were a bit more helpful.  The attitude seems to have changed in
the past few years.  They still made me fill in the same
questionairre, but I did it in front of them, explaining verbally my
objections and putting down N/A all over the place, and waited there
until I got an official determination that I retain my citizenship.  I
probably made a nuisance of myself, but I insist on my constitutional
rights.  If they don't like it, let them change the constitution.

[FN] The following is a short extract from the (US) Dual Citizenship
FAQ, available via Internet anonymous FTP from mks-gate.mks.com
(142.77.7.224), as "usr/richw/dualcit", or via e-mail by sending a
message to: richw@mks.com with the Subject: send dualcit

..The US State Department now says that it will assume that a US
citizen intends to =retain= his US citizenship if he (1) is
naturalized in a foreign country, (2) takes a routine oath of
allegiance to a foreign country, or (3) accepts foreign government
employment that is of a "non-policy-level" nature.  A person in such a
situation will eventually be asked to fill out a State Department
questionnaire on the subject (e.g., the next time he/she applies for
renewal of a passport); but unless he/she affirmatively intended to
give up US citizenship, no action will be taken to revoke said
citizenship...

The minus side of retaining US citizenship is that the IRS retains
rights to tax worldwide income, and say you must file even when the
deductions cancel out the tax. I have met many US citizens living
outside the US who ignore this - how does this work out when they
apply for passport renewals?

* Australian/Canadian

[FN] According to the 1977 Citizenship Act, which applies to all who were
Canadian citizens as of Feb. 15, 1977 or later, citizenship is a right
that cannot be revoked by the voluntary act of a citizen in doing such
things as applying for citizenship in another country, or being absent
from Canada for any length of time. Has anything happened to change
this? 

3.3 Visas

3.3.1 For Foreigners in Australia

[Using information obtained June 1994]

* Application for a visitor visa to Australia in the US

All Applicants require:
- a valid passport contianing at least 2 blank _visa_ pages
- completed and signed Application form 48
- one pasport-type photograph
- return postage (if applying by mail)

If you are a foreign passport holder (i.e. not US or Australian)
- all of the above
- Alien Registration card or valid visa, I-94 or I-20

If applying for an extended stay (i.e. more than 3 months or 4 year validity)
- US$21.00 bank check or money order payable to "Australian Government
Impreset Account" as processing fee. (NB-not refundable regardless of
the outcome)
- evidence of funds (i.e. bank statement)
- letter of leave from employer stating the length of approved leave
and the proposed date of recommencement of employment
- itinerary or airline ticket
- proposed plans whilst in Australia and on return to USA

If traveling on business
- brief letter from employer or company explaining business activities,
duration of stay and contact in Australia

If under age 18 traveling on own or with one parent
- notarised letter of consent from both parents or legal guardians

If answered "YES" to any health conditions
- if a _minor_ condition, provide a brief statement outlining condition
- if a more _serious_ condition (eg diabetes), provide a recent
medical report on your health now and for your proposed period of stay
in Australia

If answered "YES" to any character questions
- statement outlining any convictions, sentence, dates and relevant factors

Occasionally our computers do random checks and requires some
applicants to complete an additional information form. Once the form
is completed and returned to this office, processing takes 7-10 days.

How to Apply:
(1) In person during office hours whereby a visa is usually granted on the spot
to USA passport holders. Other passport holders require 24-48 hours.
(2) By mail - we accept all forms of mail, but can only return using
the post office services, including: (a) US Post Office Express Mail
(b) registered mail (c) priority mail (d) first class. Your postage is
required for these services. Postage stamps are required Metered stamps cannot
be used unless undated.
(3) Using a visa Service.

Allow 3 weeks at our office once received for visa processing.

* Application form 48 Explanatory notes

[Some things already included above left out]

Form to be used to apply for visa to visit Australia for any
of the following purposes;

Tourism: for a visit to Australia as a tourist

Business: For entry to conduct business, undertake negotiations
and discussions or attend seminars,e tc, within a short stay.

Close Family: for a visit to parents, spouse, child, borther or sister
who is an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident.

Medical: for people who have made prior arrangements to undergo medical
treatment or consultations in Australia

Other: 
- for a parent or guardian of an overseas student studying in Aus
- visiting fiance or toher family
- an unaccompanied child under 18 years
- extended tourism

Where there are several reasons for seeking to enter Australia,
identify primary purpose of stay on the form.

This application form can be used to apply for Short Term Visit Visa
(classes 670-675) for stay of less than 3 months
 or a Visit Visa (classes 680-685) if you want to stay for more than 3
month on any one visit (A$30 processing fee).

Do not use this form for settlement, temporary residence, studies
(except incidental studies), or transit.

You may get a visitor visa only if you:
- are intending a genuine visit to Australia
- are of good health (except medical visitors)
- are of good character
- do not have any restrictions on your travelling to
Australia (such as having breached conditions of entry on a previous visit)
- have adequate funds to support yourself during your visit,
or provide evidence of assurance of support from a permanent resident
of Australia; and
- are not seeking to remain permanently in Australia.

Business Visit.

Visitors are generally barred from working in Australia, however,
business visitors are permitted to conduct business where the work os
of a short term nature and is not going to disadvantage a local
resident. Persons not usually included within this, or other visitor
provisions are entertainers coming to perform and religious workers
entering for religious activities.

Study. Visitors may undertake study in Australia provided it is:
- non-formal or recreational in nature,
- incidental to the purpose of the visit.

Visit for Medical Treatment.

Pre-conditions for this visa include confirming your condition will
not affect the health of others; having adequate funds to pay for the
full cost of treatment and having made adquate arrangements with those
providing the treatment.

Medical Report

Visitors applying for classes of entry other than medical treatment
just be of sound health, free from any disease or condition which is
likely to require significant care or treatment and/or not become a
significant charge on public funds. If there is any doubt about your
health, a recent medical report or statement from your doctor, will be
required to confirm your good health.  If you already have a medical
report, please attach it to the application form.

Conditions: When you are in Austrlai as a visitor, 
- you will not be allowed to undertake work unless you
have prior approval in writing of the Department of Immigration
and Ethnic Affiars in Australia
- you will not be allowed to do a formal course of study

Further periods of stay in Australia

If you apply for a Short Term Visit Visa (classes 670-675) you will
not be able to obtain a further period of stay in that class after
arrival (beyond a total stay of 3 months). Extensions beyond that
period involve a change of visa class and an increased charge.

If you apply for a Visit Visa you may be able to obtain a further
period of stay in Australia as a visitor where the need and adequate
funds can be demonstrated. If you believe you have a case for extending
your stay, you will need to apply to an office of the Dept of Immigration
and Ethnic Affairs before your period of authorised stay expires.
Among the circumstances the Dept considers are the applicant's record
of compliance with the conditions of entry. A fee is payable when
the application is lodged.

Leaving Australia: you must leave Australia on or before the date your
entry permit expires. A departure tax is payable when you leave
Australia.

Healthcare. Overseas visitors are not generally covered by Medicare,
private health insurance or travel insurance with a comprehensive
health coverage is recommended.

Currency requirements. Any person taking or sending Australian and/or
foreign currency equivalent of AU$5,000 or more into or out of
Australia must report the currency transfer to Customs, at the time of
arrival or departure. There is no limit to the amount of currency
taken into or out of Australia.  Currency means cash -- coins and
paper, not traveller's cheques.  Penalties for not reporting are
severe and non-reported currency may be seized.

* Migrating to Australia (957i January 1994)

Everyone who is not an Australian or New Zealander needs a visa for
Australia.

3.3.2 For Australians in other Countries

* Visa requirements for Australians in Britain

[I have heard both that Australians need a visa, and that they don't! 
Needs updating. AN]

* Visa requirements for Australians in the United States

[No guarantee that these are completely up-to-date or accurate]

Visa for the US are as follows:

J-1: Exchange Visitor visa (for students, researchers).

* student J-1, J-2 experience [SD]

I am here at Penn State University to do a PhD. The max amount of
time I was given to do this is 6 years. I applied for a J1 visa so
that my husband would be on a J2, this allows him to apply for a work
permit (which he now has - the application was not as straightforward
as we were led to believe, let me know if you are interested in any
details). Initially I was on funding for 1 year, and as a result our
visas were valid for one year only, even though all my paperwork said I
was accepted into a PhD program of at most 6 years. With my J1 visa
comes a pink form called the IAP-66. This form, not the actual visa is
our permit to reside in the US. The visa is for (re-)entry purposes
only. 

My supervisor recently acquired 4 more years of funding for me, so I
got my IAP-66 renewed without any problems, the university took care
of it and it was all done within a week. The visa, however, is another
story. It is not possible to apply for a US visa within the US or even
from Canada! I wouldn't trust Mexico, so the only safe option would be
to go home and re-apply.  We want to travel to Canada, Mexico, etc
while we are here, so not having a valid visa is a huge pain!! I have
been assured that with a valid IAP-66 it is trivial to get a new visa.
So when applying people should make sure they have funding for the
entire period that they plan to be in the US, that way both visa and
IAP-66 will be valid and you can travel outside the US during your
stay.  When I applied I think it cost A$120, they wanted a letter from
the university that accepted me including financial details and proof
of US$5000 in our bank account. It took about 4 or 5 weeks for the
embassy to process everything.

And yes, when I am done here, I have to go home. I applied in June
1993, and I think the amount of personal funds has gone up to 5400 US
dollars now. This money, plus my University stipend is meant to
support both my husband and myself.  They will allow a J2 to work, but
only for their own benefit (to see the country and do other activities
and just to have something to do), but NOT to support a J1.  A J1 is
only allowed to work in the job they came to the US for, a student is
allowed to work on campus only (I tutored during my first year here,
officially called a TA - teaching assistant). A J2 can work anywhere
they like, but their visa and work permit are valid only with a valid
J1 IAP-66 form.  Another thing to note is that the immigration service
is as changeable as the weather, they change their rules very
frequently.

* postdoc J-1 experience [AN]

I came in on a J-1 for my postdoc at Brown University. Brown organised
my original IAP-66 for my 1-year contract. I took the IAP-66 to the US
consulate in Melbourne, with passport, passport photo, filled in the
appropriate form, paid them money and acquired a J-1 visa for a
year. When my contract was extended for a second year, again, Brown
filled out the IAP-66 form, and I sent it off to Immigration in the
US, together with US$80, and got it validated. I was supposed
to get the actual visa in my passport the next time I went out of the
country. As it happened, I went to Bermuda for Christmas, arriving
late on Dec 23rd, nothing (consulates, etc) was open until after
Boxing Day, when I was due to leave, so I could not get my visa done.
So I just explained this to the person at Immigration (which was
actually done in Bermuda) and that seemed to be ok. When I was next in
Melbourne, I filled in the same form, gave in my passport, a photo,
and another A$158! I was very annoyed about having to pay again, but
as I was told rather rudely, lots of people would be happy to pay a
lot to be able to work in the USA!

J-1 holders are called non-resident aliens.

U.S. Visa Type J-2: For spouse of J-1 holder.  A J-2 can work anywhere
they like, but their visa and work permit are valid only with a valid
J1 IAP-66 form.

U.S. Visa Type H-1

An initial h-1 is issued for 3 years, it can be extended for 3 more
years. If you change jobs on an h-1, your new company has to get you a
new one in their name, but the time period does not reset i.e. you
cannot remain in the us more than 6 years after you first get an H-1.
[NF]

U.S. Visa Type L-1 [DS]
 
L-1 visa a working visa issued to foreign citizens working for U.S.
corporations.  They are known as Intercompany Transferee visa and are
typically valid for a period of three years from the date of issue,
although this can usually be extended for an additional 3 years.
Application for an L-1 must be made on your behalf by the employer.
Holders of L-1 status are known as "Non resident Aliens" (charming
name really).  I am not sure of the cost of an L-1 as typically it is
paid for by the employer.
 
Dependents of L-1 holders are recipients of L-2 status.  L-2 holders
are not permitted to work.
 
Approval of an application for L-1 status is dependent on some or
all of the following:
 
        1.  Period of employment with the U.S. firm
        2.  Specific reasons why the beneficiary is uniquely
            qualified for the particular task
        3.  Evidence that the job in question has been advertised
            and no suitable applicants found 
 
 
Any L-1 holder that has travelled outside the U.S. will have
learned that re-entry into the U.S., even with your valid passport
and visa, is near impossible without some additional documentation.
Typically, an L-1 holder will need to carry:
                
        1.  The *original*, repeat *original*, petition approval 
            (I have been asked for this document on each re-entry --
            [DS]) 
        2.  A letter from the sponsoring employer stating
            your continuing employment with the company (signed
            notorized and dated within 3 months)
 
[NF] I am here on the L-1 visa, basically for executives or essential
technical personnel on intra-company transfers.  For example, I worked
for a company which had offices in Adelaide and Santa Clara and
transferred between the two on the basis of technical knowledge which
I possessed. This is a nice visa to get because you don't have to do
labour certification to get a green card which speeds up the process
somewhat. 

Green Card

Basically, you apply, fill in the (what seems like) thousands of
forms, and wait. If you're over here on an H-1 or L-1 visa it's pretty
much a formality (especially with the new H-1's that already have
labour certification). [NF]

Becoming a citizen.

[Entry needed. AN]

* Visa requirements for Australians in France [JB]

Yes, Australians need visas fro France. In 1986 (je croix), it might
have been 1987, there were some bombings in Lyons, which were
suspected to have been done by <ethnic-minority> fanatics. In the
midst of the howls of "what is the government doing about it", the
French Govt, in a particularly stupid knee-jerk reaction, brought in a
requirement that visas will be required for all non-EC nationals. (As
if needing a visa ever stopped a terrorist. And the border checks had
long since gone.)

This rule is waived in cases where there is a bi-lateral agreement,
e.g.  with New Zealand, and in cases where it was feared to hurt the
tourist trade, e.g. US. As Australia doesn't play footsies about visas
for visitors, we need them to go to France.

French visas are in two flavours:

(a) less than 90 days. These are done over-the-counter here. They cost
FF200 (about $A54). I had to provide a letter for my 19-yo son stating
that we were supporting him financially, etc. Otherwise they would
have wanted bank statement proving he had enough money to live on in
France.

(b) 90 days - 1 yr. Do get these I needed:
(i) three interviews at the consulate;
(ii) FF600 ($A162)  per person in cash or bank cheques.
(iii) the letter of invitation from the French university
(iv) a letter from Monash saying everything about my status, salary,
travel grants, insurance, etc.
(v) tickets or confirmed itinerary
(vi) a medical certificate, in French, from an approved physician
(only one in Melbourne!) certifying:
        A) good health
        B) free of TB (X-ray result)
        C) free of syphilis (blood test) [the French bureaucracy hasn't
        discovered AIDS or hepatitis yet.]
Once I had all these, my application, because it was "pour la
sabbatique" had to be couriered off to Canberra to be "assessed" by
the Scientific & Cultural Attache at the French Embassy.  Well it's
all done. Each of the long-term visas set us back about $250 (such
medicals are, rightly, not covered by Medibank.)  Fortunately the
consulate staff were very helpful, polite and understanding. The total
time was was nearly two months, largely due to the queuing delays in
waiting for inteviews and medicals.

3.4 Immigration

3.4.1 Addresses

Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs,
Chan St,
Belconnen 2617,
Australia

* USA 

Australian Embassy              New York Consulate General
1601 Massachusetts Ave NW,      630 Fifth Ave, Suite 420,
Washington,                     New York, NY, 10111
DC, 20036-2273                  (212) 245 4000
(202) 797 3222                  
(202) 797 3000     

Australian Tourist Commission.  
489 5th Avenue, 
New York,
NY 10017
(800) 395 7008  (note: new number June '93)
212 687 
1800 333 0199 for tourist information

San Francisco Consulate General         Houston Consulate   
1 Bush St, 7th Floor,                   Suite # 180, 1990 South Park Oak Blvd
San Francisco,                          Houston, 
CA, 94104-4413                          TX 77056-9998
(415) 362 6160                          (713) 629 9131 

Denver Consulate:                       Boston Consulate:    
The Honorary Consul is                  The Honorary Consul is
Mr Brent Emmet                          Margaret Stanzler
C/- Australian/American                 20 Beacon St, 5th floor
        Chamber of Commerce             Boston, Ma.
999 18th Street, Suite 1370         (617) 248 8655
Denver, 
CO 80202
(303) 297 1200 
Fax: (303) 2972050

* Southern England, Southern Wales, Channel Islands
 Migration Branch,
 Australian High Commission
 Australia House
 Strand, London WC2B 4LU
 (UK) 071 379-4334

* Central England, Northern Wales, Isle of Man
 Australian Consulate
 Chatsworth House
 Lever St
 Manchester M1 2DL

* Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England
 Australian Consulate
 Hobart House
 80 Hanover St
 Edinburgh EH2 2DL

* Republic of Ireland:
 Australian Embassy
 Fitzwilton House
 Wilton Terrace
 Dublin 2

3.4.2 The Immigration Process

To get the relevant forms, write to an Australian consulate and they
will send you some info asking you to send them some money (about $5)
for the forms.  When you get these forms you send about half a ream of
photocopies back with the "application processing fee" of $250 (this
fee is regardless of which class you are applying under !!).  If they
decide that they like you, you need to get various medicals done
(which in England cost about #100) with a nominated (probably private)
practice - if you happen to be a medical doctor, mention this when
making your appointment and they don't charge you (as my wife found
out :-).  This medical includes an AIDS test (Note: this can stuff up
your life insurance in the UK) as well as X-rays for TB, checks for a
bad heart and anything else that will cost Australia lots of money.
The whole application process takes a minimum of 3 months (once you
have sent them the forms).  All correspondence must be by mail.

With the points test, if you are <30, have a degree or trade (plus
some experience) and can speak English you pass.  As a friend of mine
found, being employed on a graduate program doesn't count as
experience.  He was also told "even if you had the experience we don't
need any professional buyers at the moment".  That is, passing the
points test only eliminates a reason for not letting you in.  Some
occupations get preferential treatment, but as of October 1992, there
are no occupations on the list, although these change with the times.
If you have a criminal record there's probably not much point
applying.

Should you get past all this, you get a visa stamped in your passport
that is both for migration in the next year and multiple-entry for the
next 4 years.  They also send you lots of stuff telling you that there
is little chance of getting a job at the moment.  [PW]

After you make the points test, you submit your application.  You also
neads loads of other official papers to make an application (marriage
license if you're married, certifications from your jobs if you've
been working, etc.).  After application, you also need to pass a
medical test and provide a set of chest x-rays and other things, but
they'll tell you when they want you to do it (I guess it's to save you
money if you flunk the points test).  The whole process takes four
months at least.  When and if you pass and are granted permission to
migrate, you have the opportunity to move within the space of one
year, and are given to enter and leave Oz freely for a period of four
years after that. [CB]

[CD] adds: I had to file ALL forms, including medical and educational
forms, etc.  at the same time. I was applying as spouse and you can
still get turned down if your medical or criminal record offends. If
the embassy/consulate has to send things back to Australia for
approval it can take MUCH longer.

3.4.3 Criteria and Points System 

In summary, to immigrate to Australia, you must fall under one
of the following categories.

* Family (almost automatic): spouse, de-facto spouse, immediate family
* Skill:
- you have a job that was advertised extensively in Australia without success
- you pass the points test, and they feel like letting you in
- "distinguished talent" ie., bloody good at sport
* Special eligibility: former citizen, former resident, relative of a 
  New Zealander living in Australia

There are two ways to get entry to Oz; via an Independent Entry Class
and via a Concessional Family Class.  The former works if you just
say, "Hey, I want to go to OZ" and put in an application.  The latter
works if you have a family member in Oz who is willing to vouch for
you.  You can only rack up points in one of the two categories.
Here's the list of points:

CONCESSIONAL FAMILY VISA CLASS AND INDEPENDENT ENTRANT VISA CLASS

Employability Factor
  80  Trade certificate/degree/diploma, 3 years post-qualification work, 
        on Priority Occupation List [changes yearly].
  70  Trade certificate/degree, 3 years post-qualification work
  60  Trade certificate/degree, between 6 months and 3 years post 
        qualification work.
  55  Diploma, 3 years post-qualification work.
  50  Diploma, between 6 months and 3 years post-qualification work.
  30  Trade cert/degree/diploma (recognised by overseas authorities 
        and assessed by Australian authorities), and 3 years 
        post-qualification work.
  25  Trade cert/degree/diploma but qualifications held are unacceptable.
  25  Post secondary school qualification.
  20 12 years of primary and secondary schooling
  10  10 years of primary and secondary schooling
  0   Less than 10 years schooling

Age Sub-Factor
  30  18 to 29
  20  30 to 34
  10  35 to 39
  5   40 to 49
  0   Less than 18; more than 50

INDEPENDENT ENTRY VISA CLASS ONLY 

Language Sub-Factor
  20  Proficient in English
  10  Reasonably proficient; some training required
  5   Bilingual in languages other than English, or only limited English
  0   Extensive English training required

CONCESSIONAL FAMILY VISA CLASS ONLY

Relationship factor
  15  You are the parent of your sponsor
  10  You are brother, sister, or non-dependent child of sponsor
  5   Nephew or niece of sponsor

Citizenship factor
  10  Your sponsor has been an Oz citizen for 5 years or more
  5       "       for less than 5 years

Settlement Factor
  10  Sponsor has been resident in Oz for 2 years and they or their 
        spouse have been continuously employed for the last two years.

Location Factor
5  Sponsor has lived in a State or Territory designated area for the last two
years.

Okay, tally up the points, and if you have a high enough total, you're
Oz-bound!  The point total changes each year, but I think it goes
  120  Priority Mark
  110  Pass Mark
  100  Pool Entry

NB: the number of points required for entry to the ppol is the same no
matter what country you come from. [JM]

([SK] For Independent application you have to reach min. 110 pts.  For
concessional family application (with relatives that sponsor you,
other than spouse) you have to reach 100 points.  After that you have
to take an English test (for non-english speaking people) at the
moment it's the IELTS test. If you don't have enough marks at the
test, you will have to pay the "English Education Charge", about 4000
AUS$!!)

In the last category, you are placed within an entry pool, and I think
winners are chosen by lot from the pool.  Note that there is also a
Business Entry Class, for folks who are going Down Under to start
their own business.  There is also an entirely different system
whereby you bypass the points test and the wait if you somehow manage
to get a job, and your employer will vouch for you.

3.4.3 Spouse/fiance(e) immigration [LS]

[To make things simpler, 'you' will refer to the person in the United
States, and 'spouse' will refer to the person in Australia.]

* Once you have applied for permanent residence in Australia, you may
not reenter Australia until your new visa has been issued.  The
process is handled in stages.  The total time for obtaining your new
status will usually take three to six months.

* The spouse must go the Australian emigration officials and get a
copy of Form M40.  He/she should complete that and send it and a
certified copy of his/her birth certificate (assuming Australian
birth) to you.

* Locate your nearest Australian embassy to get the forms you will
need for the first stage of the process.  The application processing
fee is $285 (US) which must be in the form of a certified check or
money order. You need to file the following documents: your spouse's
completed sponsorship form and certified birth certificate, a
certified criminal record clearance for yourself (from your local
police), a certified copy of your birth certificate, a notarized
outline of the chronology of your relationship, 3 passport photos, a
certified copy of your divorce decree (only if you have been married
before, obviously), a form they call 'personal particulars', your
passport, and either a letter from a marriage celebrant of your
intention to marry or a certified copy of your marriage certificate.
Return all of this paperwork to the Australian embassy.

* After this initial paperwork has been approved by the immigration
officer, you will receive the forms for your physical.  When you have
your physical, ask the doctor for a detailed report of *anything* that
isn't absolutely "normal", including things you may consider
unimportant like allergies.  Basically if there is anything at all on
your forms that could be considered any sort of medical "condition"
ask for a separate letter describing what medical treatment or
followup is necessary (if none, make sure the doctor states this).
This forms should then be returned to the immigration office at your
local Australian embassy.

* While it appears to make no difference to immigration officials
whether you are married or engaged to be married, if you are engaged,
you will have to be married within 2 or 3 months (the answers given on
this varied) of your arrival in Australia.

3.5 Emigrants

[The following needs to be confirmed. AN]

If you have lived in Australia for more than 2 out of the last 3
years, you are eligible for a return visa, so that you are able to
come back to Australia after you left for overseas. The visum is
granted to permanent residents, and is valid for 5 years.

If later on you come back to Australia and live there for 2 years, you
are eligible for another 5-year extension. (1-year extension after 1
year).

4.COMING TO AUSTRALIA

4.1 Quarantine

Quarantine regulations are extremely strict.  Food, furs, and any
other animal or wood products may have to be quarantined.  Pets will
have to be quarantined for several months in both countries, an
expensive procedure.

* Bringing Pets into Australia from the USA [LS]

As of July, 1993, all pets coming into Australia from the United
States must be quarantined for a total of 9 months.  Pets will be
held in quarantine in special facilities for four months in Hawaii.
They will then be kept in a regular kennel for an additional month
before being allowed to enter Australia.  Once they have entered
Australia, they will be kept in one of four approved quarrantine
stations for 4 additional months.  During the stay in Australia, you
will be allowed to visit the pet once a month.  However, these rules
are currently being revised, and it is expected that the following
rules will be applicable before the year's end:

Pets may be flown directly from anyplace in the United States to one
of the four approved quarrantined stations.  The pet will be held in
quarrantine for 4 months.  During that time, you will be allowed to
visit the pet once a week.  Please note that the new rules have *not*
been finalised and are subject to change or may never even come into
effect.

Whatever rules are in effect, you will be expected to pay for the
upkeep of your pet during this entire time.

[ST May '94] We are sending over our two cats to Melbourne next month.
There are new rules coming into force in the coming week which permit
direct importation >from Canada (I don't know about the US, but
presume it will be the same) of cats and dogs. There is a 120 day
quarantine requirement followed by rabies antibody tests (like the old
rules). However, only the Sydney and Melbourne quarantine stations can
be currently used for this type of importation. The others can only be
used if the pet has been quarantined for 4 months plus 1 month
residency in Hawaii.  Details are available directly from the
Australian Quarantine Service in ACT. The Vancouver consulate was
unaware of these changes.

4.2 Standards

* language: The national language of Australia is English.

* TV/VCR: Our TV/video system is PAL-B.  Multisystem videos (view NTSC
on a PAL TV) cost around $700.  Standards converters (output a
recordable signal NTSC from PAL, or vice versa) cost much more.  The
difference between PAL-B and PAL-D? [DH] According to the World Radio
TV Handbook, Australia uses PAL-B, not PAL-D.  The difference?  About
a MHz...  The technical differences (B vs. D) are:

 Channel width: 7 MHz vs. 8 MHz
 Vision b/w: 5 MHz vs. 6 MHz
 IF:  5.5 MHz vs. 6.5 MHz.

* Electricity: The electricity supply is 50Hz, 240 volts everywhere
(no longer 253 volts in W.A.).  Step-down transformers are available
(but wasteful),and the 50 Hz may throw off your clock-radio and other
things using the mains as a frequency reference.  AM broadcast
stations use 9 kHz spacing, in common with mostof the civilised world.
Your fancy USA radio with its 10 kHz spacing won't like this.  FM
broadcast stations use 50 micro-second pre-emphasis; USA uses 75 usec,
so the recovered audio may sound funny. [DH]

[JL] Power outlets have two slanting slots (hot and neutral, somebody else
will have to tell you which is which!) and a third vertical ground
slot. The configuration looks something like this...

   /   \ <--- active and neutral pins
  /     \

     | <--- ground pin
     |

BTW all three slots are identical in size, but the configuration
prevents the plug from being inserted incorrectly.

* Appliances and Transformers 

[LS]: Although many people have warned about the differences in
electricity between the two countries (Aus and USA), people who have
purchased step-down transformers have reported no problems with small
appliances such as mixers and coffee pots.  Also, appliances that will
convert from 120 to 240 will need adapators for Australian outlets.
It has been advised that you should buy these items while you are
still in the States.

[PR] In the USA, Magnetek (1 800 624 6384) transformers are: n-259mg
1000 Watt weighing 35lb, or n-257mg 500 Watt, 23lb.  $71 with a U.S.
power-cord which you can either adapt or cut off and replace
(trivial).  My take was that it was worth it for the stereo but not
much else.

[DH] Don't think it will matter where you buy it.  It is low tech, no
real cost advantage by getting it here.  As for the power rating, the
bigger the better, the more you can plug in at once (And the more
"Safe" overhead you will have) If you are concerned about weight to
ship things home, buy it in Oz.  They are a dime a dozen and available
anywhere.

[EG] First the basics.  In Canada and the U.S., power is approx. 120V,
60 Hertz.  In Australia it is 240V, 50 Hertz.  Very few appliances
depend on the line frequency (50Hz vs. 60Hz).  An exception is that
some clocks use the line frequency for timing.  I've also heard that
certain things like tape players or VCRs could potentially use the
line frequency for timing.  I brought a General Electric VCR with me
from the U.S. and it runs just fine on 50Hz.

Because just about everything runs okay on 50Hz, what people are
looking for is a device that transforms 240V 50Hz to 120V 50Hz.  I've
seen people naively say that they want something that converts 240V
50Hz to 120V 60Hz.  Such devices, which convert frequency as well as
voltage, are not necessary for most people and are extremely costly.
A simple voltage converter is all that most people need.

A crucial issue is the wattage of the converter.  Basically, this
specifies the maximum wattage that the converter can handle at any one
time.  So if you're going to run a bunch of appliances off of one
converter, you should first figure out the maximum wattage that each
may draw and add these up.  Usually appliances will have a label that
specifies maximum power usage.

One problem is that different manufacturers seem to rate things
differently.  You can get a cheap converter at Radio Shack that is
supposedly rated at 50 watts.  But when you read the fine print it
says something like "not for continuous usage".  I asked the salesman
about this (a dangerous thing to do, I know) and he said it could
handle 25 watts of continuous use.  Make sure that the rating you get
is for continuous use.  Also, be aware that reputable U.S.
manufacturers are likely to be more conservative in their ratings than
cheap imports.  I bought a high-quality transformer from a U.S.
manufacturer (Stancor) that's rated at 150 watts (at constant use).  I
have another transformer (made in Taiwan) that is about the same size
and claims to handle 500 watts.

The next issue is whether the transformer is grounded or not.  I'm not
sure why, but most of the transformers I've seen are not grounded.
For safety reasons it is best to get a transformer that will ground
your 3-pin appliances.

An additional issue is whether the transformer is a normal transformer
(autotransformer) or an isolation transformer.  An isolation
transformer will provide a cleaner power source than an
autotransformer since there is no direct DC path for voltage spikes to
follow.  I've seen isolation transformers recommended for computer
equipment.  This isn't necessary but if you want the extra protection
an isolation transformer is better than an autotransformer.

The next question is: where can you buy a transformer?  That's a good
question.  When I knew I was going to move to Australia, I called
around to a bunch of local electronics stores and electrical supply
houses to try to find a good quality, grounded, isolation transformer.
I couldn't find one locally, but was able to get one by mail order
from Allied Electronics.  I bought a Stancor GISD-150 transformer
(GISD = Grounded Isolation Step-Down).  It is designed to convert 230V
to 115V, and hence will convert 240V to 120V.  The input to that
converter is a grounded 3-pin U.S. 230V plug, and the output is the
standard U.S. 3-pin jack, which I have a power strip plugged into.
Since Allied Electronics also had Australian power cords, I bought one
of those and got the necessary 230V jack (at Hechinger's) to add to
the end of the cord.  Alternatively, one could buy the necessary
Australian plug and replace the U.S. plug.  In any event, it cost me
$60 for the transformer and $10 for the Australian power cord.  I'm
not necessarily recommending this route for making an Australian
transformer (because I don't know of the alternatives), but this is
what I did and it has worked fine for me.

Incidentally, I did find other non-grounded transformers locally.
They were much less expensive...approximately $25 for seemingly
low-quality transformers rated at 150 watts.  Allied sells a whole
line of Stancor transformers, with a wide variety of wattage ratings
and a choice of grounded vs. non-grounded and isolation vs.
autotransformer.  They also have an 800 number (1 800 433 5700).

* Monitors

[DE] If you have a Macintosh 12" colour monitor it won't work on 240
volts in Australia unless you buy a transformer. All other Macintosh
monitors should be dual 110/240 volts, and you will only need to cut
the plug off and put an Australian plug back on. Check the back of
your monitor to see what the specifications are. You will need 50 Hz
as well as 240 volts.

* Telephone: The telephone system is strictly regulated, but has
recently undergone a change from a monopoly to some real competition.
There are currently two national land-line telecommunications
carriers: Telecom and Optus; and three national mobile telephone
carriers: Telecom, Optus and Vodaphone.  From 1997 onwards unlimited
competition will be permitted.  Austel is the Federal Government's
telecommunications regulatory body.

In the meantime, don't even _think_ about connecting your answering
machine etc to it; it must bear an appropriate "Austel" compliance
sticker.  Besides, the signalling conventions are different (two short
rings instead of one long ring as in USA etc).  Australia is slowly
converting to AXE telephone exchanges, offering various features via
DTMF.  Examples are Call-Waiting, Third-Party-Conference etc.  Local
calls attract a flat fee, irrespective of duration; there have been
proposals floated to introduce timed local calls, but so far the
Federal Government has not had the courage to introduce it.  "Free"
calls exist - they are 008 numbers (like USA 800 numbers).  The other
end of the spectrum also exists - don't call 0055 numbers unless you
like paying a timed fee to the service provider - in some cases (time
etc) free alternatives exist.  There are various "free" services, such
as Time (1194), News (1199) etc.  There are also numbers starting with
"13" - they offer the same number country-wide, and are routed to the
nearest service provider (courier companies, airlines etc).  Finally,
a mobile telephone service is accessed via the 015, 018 and 041
prefixes; it is costed at STD rates, but the actual split of
caller/callee paying varies.  One more thing - the emergency number is
000; don't abuse it - they know from where the call was placed,
however Caller-ID is not generally available.  Cordless telephones are
prohibited imports; they will be confiscated by Customs.  Not only are
they not Austel-approved, they are not DoTaC (Dept. of Transport and
Communications) approved either, and they may stomp all over some
frequency assigned to another service. [DH]

* Modems [summary of responses: AN]

It seems that dial tones are the same these days, so there is no
problem usually with modems working. The thing is (as with phone and
answering machines), are they Austel approved? The fine for plugging
something non-approved into the phone socket is $12,000 apparently!
You have to get an adapter plug for the phone cord (OR wall socket).
You also have to get yet another small power supply to feed you USR
modem 9 volts or 12 or whatever it wants.

[AJ] I have US Robotics Sportster modem I bought while in the US.  It
works fine (as will the other US Robotics modems).  For the Sportster
at least you can buy a replacement for the external mains transformer
here [AUS] for around $20 (I scavenged mine).

* Currency

The Australian currency is the Australian dollar. The change from
pounds and pence took place in 1966, with the following ditty used
[AW]:

In come the dollars, in come the cents
Out go the pounds and the shillings and the pence
So be prepared when the money starts to mix
On the fourteenth of february nineteen sixty six

Bob Menzies wanted to call the new currency the 'Royal'!  Apparently
although dollar is a widely used name and can cause confusion with the
greenback, it does have local (historical) relevance as it was the
name of the first locally produced currency. Another name put forward
was the 'Austral'.

The 1 and 2 cent coins have been removed from circulation, however are
still legal tender. Prices are rounded up or down to the nearest 5
cents (ie 82c -> 80c, 83c -> 85c), although plenty of the larger
retailers round down all the time.  All coins have Queen Elizabeth II
on the "heads" side. The image of the Queen used was updated (so that
she now looks old!) a few years ago.  Current coins, colour, shape
(round unless stated) and their "tails" side are:

5c: silver, echidna
10c: silver, lyrebird
20c: silver, platypus
50c: silver, 12 sided, coat of arms roo and emu holding shield of 
        6 state emblems (also commemorative alternatives). The 1966 50c
        was round.
$1: gold, 5 kangaroos, also many years had commemorative $1 coins 
$2: gold, bearded aboriginal man and southern cross

"silver" is copper nickle alloy.
"gold" is copper aluminium etc alloy.

Coins in order of size are: 5c, $2, 10c, $1, 20c, 50c.  The old $1 and
$2 notes were replaced by coins. The other notes are as follows:

new $5: Plastic film purple/grey.
 Queen Elizabeth + gum leaves/ view and plan of new parliament house in 
 Canberra.  Hollogram(me) of a gum flower over a clear bird in flight.

new $10 plastic film blue/green.
 Banjo Paterson, with picture of a horseman, and some of the words to 
 "The Man from Snowy River". Also the words "Waltzing Mathilda" in the top 
 right corner. Mary Gilmour, with picture of some oxen pulling a wagon.

$20 parchment range/red Kingsford Smith/Hardgraves
$50 parchment yellow/brown Howard Florey, Clunies-Ross
$100 parchment black and blue (looks grey although uses 10
colour printing process). Mawson on Antartctica/Florey

* Exchange Rates: Exchange rate is roughly AUS$1 = .67 US cents, Y67,
$HK5.01, $S1.03, Ringgit 1.65, $NZ1.17, $Ca0.85, Pound 0.42, FF3.65,
DM1.05, SF0.91, ECU0.55

Source: Asiaweek, September 29th, 1993. 
Legend: Y = Japanese Yen, $HK = Hong Kong dollar, $S = Singapore Dollar,
        Ringgit = Malaysian currency, $NZ = New Zealand Dollar, 
        $Ca = Canadian Dollar, Pound = British Pound, FF = French Franc, 
        DM = Deutschmark, SF = Swiss Franc, ECU = European Currency Unit

(Most newspapers should have more reliable information.)

June 94 update: AUS$1 = ~0.72 US cents.

* The metric system is used.  Conversion to the metric system
officially began in 1971 and was officially completed in 1981.  It has
been remarkably successful, with even conversational use of metric
measures more the norm than the exception. (See more in Section 12.4 on
Australian language usage)

4.3 Cars

NB. Australians drive on the left.

Anyone can import a vehicle, but all privately imported vehicles
attract the same rate of Duty and Sales Tax as commercially imported
vehicles.  If not valued before importing, the Customs value will be
normally assessed on the purchase price. There are additions and
deductions available for this method.  If owned and used overseas then
depreciation is allowed on the purchase price.  Alternatively, the
likely local value of the vehicle can be used.  There is also a limit
of one car per person per year. (Note that these conditions only apply
federally, there are state variations).

Combined Duty and Sales Tax rates:
  Vehicles under 30 yrs old, new or used
Customs Value           Sales Tax & Duty
$1 - 19583              60%
$19584+                 84%
  As above, but older than 30yrs
$1 - 26437              18%
$26438+                 36%
  Off road 4wd passenger vehicles
$1 - 22989              44%
$22990+                 58%
Motorcycles             24%

The Motor Vehicle Standards Act, 1989 makes it illegal to import a
vehicle unless:
i) it meets the safety and emissions standards applying to vehicles to
   be used on Australian roads
ii) arrangements are in place to modify the vehicle to meet these
   requirements after its arrival.

Approval will be given to import a vehicle if :
i) It has a valid compliance plate fitted; or
ii) arrangements are in place for it to be modified to have a
    compliance plate fitted; or
iii) you have a letter of compliance from the manufacturer; or
iv) you have owned and used the vehicle overseas for a continuous
    period of not less than 3 months, you are of driving age and are an
    Australian citizen or migrant holding permanent residency; or
v) the vehicle was manufactured before 1 Jan, 1974 for cars or 1 Jul
   1975 for motorbikes.

If it brought in under points iii-v, it will get a personal import
plate, rather than a compliance plate. This is sufficient to allow it
to be sold.  Note that at least some states require left-hand drive
vehicles to be converted to right-hand drive, which is likely to be
expensive (and troublesome to drive in).

[JM] Cars are more expensive here than most countries, but the days
when it was worthwhile importing your own are gone.  In the lead up to
the last election, there was considerable discussion about how much
more expensive Australian cars are, and the worst figure I heard of
was around $4,000 more for an average family saloon.  In any case, you
have to pay customs duty if you import a car and it usually isn't
worthwhile.  Be aware however of two points regarding cars in
Australia:
- European cars are luxury items, more expensive than you might expect,
- second hand values are higher than you would expect (rust isn't a
  problem so the beasts stay on the road longer.)

4.3.1 Car Insurance 

[JC] Be aware that insurance history is *personal* rather than per
policy in Australia. I had trouble with getting my Australian No Claim
bonus accepted in UK because I wanted to maintain the insurance policy
on my Australian car. A year ago when I wanted to start a policy on a
second car in Australia, my no claim bonus was accepted automatically.
I suggest you get a statement from your UK insurer stating not only
the level of no cliam bonus but also the period for which you have had
no claims, since the period that it takes to get to 60% varies.

Many Australian insurers will record but not penalise you for you 'no
fault' claims i.e. where you claim through your insurer to get repairs
done quickly and then the insurer recovers the cost of the repairs
through the insurer of the other party. E.g. Someone backed into me
while I was stationary.  I claimed through my insurer who recover the
money from the other party. My 'no claim' history was preserved.

Car insurance is somewhat differently organised between UK and
Australia.  (All?) States require you to obtain 'Compulsory Third
Party' (CTP) before registration, but this is only Third Party Injury
insurance.  You can then take out a separate Third Party Property
policy (a 'bomb' policy for your car (UK: banger) which is not worth
insuring), or Comprehensive Insurance. I have never heard of Third Part
Fire and Theft in Australia.

4.4 Shipping Information

* From USA to Australia [LS]

It would appear that the cheapest way to get books to Australia is by
using an M-bag from the US Postal Service (this service is for books
only).  The surface rate for this is $.72 per pound (this is the rate
from Washington, D.C., to Sydney).  Each M-bag can contain from 15-66
pounds and from the experience of netters, it takes about 8 weeks to
arrive.  One netter said that Australian postal carriers are not
allowed to handle packages over 20 kg (~44 lbs) so the bags are opened
when they reach Australia, and the packages inside are delivered.
Therefore, put an address on each separate package inside an M-bag.
An air M-bag is available for $5.96 (same origination/destination as
previous) per pound.

Whether or not to ship your belongings from the U.S. to Australia
appears to be a highly subjective matter.  However, most people seem
to believe it is well worth the effort and expense if you have quality
furniture.  What to bring with you varies wildly, too.  It all appears
to go back to something that each person feels is important.  The only
consistency: a lot of people were sorry that they had sold electrical
appliances.  With the use of a step-down transformer, most everything
(except tvs) will work just fine.

While you will want to get your own estimates, be prepared to spend in
the thousands of US dollars (the average price seemed to be around
$6,000).  The experiences people had ran the gamut--some had no
damages and some found crates with items just thrown into the boxes.
If you are using door-to-door movers and a container, insist that the
container be packed at *your* house to avoid breakage.  Which brings
up the issue of insurance.  Be very certain that you understand what
method of determining value is used.  One person had bought more than
enough insurance to cover the value of her goods.  However, the policy
paid on the percentage of the shipment weight lost, not on a
cost-to-replace basis.

[AN] Standard insurance I was offered was $25/1000 of the value I put
on my things. I decided to value for replacement cost.

There are three basic parts of a move from the States to Australia.
The first is the packing at your house and delivery to a port, the
second is overseas shipping, and the third is customs clearance and
shipping to the final destination in Australia.  It has been suggested
by many people that you insist on having a quote broken down into
those stages.  Almost everyone felt that you would be best served (and
save *lots* of cash) by working through a shipping agent to cover
these stages rather than using a moving company for door-to-door
service.  The possibility to do either exists, and there were a couple
of people who felt door-to-door service was the best way.

There are two basic types of containers for overseas shipping: ship's
containers and waterproofed crates.  Ship's containers come in two
sizes 40' and 20' and everyone agreed that you can fit an amazing
amount of stuff in a 20' container.  The waterproofed crates are for
smaller shipments where using a container is not cost effective.

It is very important to get an inventory of what goes into every box.
Do not pack any boxes yourself.  The moving company will mark all such
boxes as "packed by owner", and this may delay you in customs.

Moving from your house to the port is based on total weight; the costs
from the States to Australia are based on volume.  So, if you were
planning on taking heavy, small stuff or big, light stuff to save
money, forget it.  However, most people felt that the approximate
weight of an average container was used in figuring weight, and
unless, you went *way* over the average, you weren't charged more.

It will take your belongings at least three months to arrive and clear
customs.  Remember to use other means (you might want to talk to a
mover about a small air shipment) to ship the stuff you are going to
have to have in the interim like sheets.

* From USA to Australia [BJ]

Surface shipping is very expensive; but also quite "flexible."
Standard price LA->Oz is $450 a cubic metre.  (Yes, that is absurdly
expensive).  Of course, one place at a whim cut the price from $450 to
$250 a cubic metre.

In general excess baggae is the cheapest; both United and QANTAS
charge $90-$100 a bag.  Still, this is cheaper than surface shipping
*AND* you get your stuff straight away.  No waiting anything upto 2
months (mayI9Path: planet!isdnlin.mtsu.edu!darwin.sura.net!howland.reston.ans.net!swrinde!sgiblab!brunix!aen
From: aen@cs.brown.edu (Ann Nicholson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.australian,soc.answers,news.answers
Subject: soc.culture.australian FAQ (Part 2 of 4) (monthly posting)
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked
Message-ID: <1994Jul6.203238.10065@cs.brown.edu>
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 20:32:38 GMT
Expires: Fri, 12 Aug 1994 00:00:00 GMT
Sender: news@cs.brown.edu
Reply-To: stephenw@mincom.oz.au (s.c.a. FAQ maintainer)
Followup-To: soc.culture.australian
Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science
Lines: 2284
Approved: news-answers-ruts).  For afew bucks more you can get a suitcase, though obviously some thingsHAVE to be boxed and packed.  If you have a computer etc keep theoriginal packaging and save yourself some money.  (My obsessivecompulsive roommate kindly threw my "tatty" boxes out without asking me- Grrrrr)If you have books and printed matter you can save a bundle sendingthem bookpost.  That's 72 cents a pound; the boxes you use must besmall enough to fit in an "m-bag" (yes, you actually get to try andstuff them into those big canvas mailbags).  They take 4-6 weeks (I'veyet to receive my first) but at 72 cents a pound they work out to beapproximately half the price of excess baggage.Hints about packing/moving:+ start early; its a hell of a lot of work.+ you really will regret those "useless" things you leave behind.+ It costs a lot; I spent $700 mooving my stuff - and I don't   really have all that much.+ Be prepared for many tears and anxiety attacks.ie. MOVING SUCKS!Customs: You get judged on the spot.  They won't guarantee howmuch duty you will be charged in advanced.  Everything older than 12months is duty free.  They may or may not charge you for personalpossessions less than 12 months old.  It comes down to the disgressionof the customs officer who examines your luggage.  If they thinkyou're importing stuff that you'll resell, you will get charged.Generally, be polite and honest; declare everything, and if you'resmart you will have receipts handy.  Some inlaws of mine bought a fairbit of stuff overseas and "forgot" about it; they got $2,000 in fines.Duties (actually duty is both real duties (tarrifs) and sales tax;mercifully the Oz government is finally starting to trim tarrifs).All things electrical: 54%.  Computer Hardware: 21%.  Shoes andClothes (for personal use): 0%.  Computer Software: 0%.  (HEY! Ifcomputer software is duty free then why does a game that costs US$45(A$65) in the US cost A$150 in Australia?)Actually that fits well with my next point; many things are much muchcheaper in the US.  Reeboks US$22-US$30.  Brand name jeans US$27-US$37(eg. red tabs, other Levis).  I got a really good black leather jacketfor US$150.  Bitchin!  CDs US$13-17 first release.  Computer softwareis cheap.  Consumer electronics are cheap.  Computer hardware isbetween the same and cheaper depending on what youy are buying.  eg.CDroms and ISA carsd are *MUCH* cheaper, but system units are prettymuch the same.  Even with the Australian dollar at 72cents there arelots of bargains to be had over there!  If you're going to the US beprepared for some heavy duty shopping!  The food is also excellent,and once you get used to the concept (many Australians get the shiversfrom it) tipping isn't that bad after all (at least for restaurants);actually works out well for all the parties involved.  One last point;LA does in fact have a public transport system; call 1-800-2LARIDE.LA is by far the prettiest in the winter when there is no smog.  Lotsmore to tell but that will do for now.* From Australia to the UKI have just moved to the UK and if you are sending a lot of books,there is a *very* reasonable way using Aus. Post. They have this thingcalled "Print Post" where you can send printed material (books, notes,photos etc.)  for $2/kg. Parcels of books have to be divided intogroups with the weight of each group being between 6 and 16 kg (Ithink, check with AP for the correct bracket) and you then get a postbag (which weighs 1kg) to put the parcels in. The whole bag withcontents is then weighed to determin the price. This is a fifth of thecost of the cheapest freight I could find and is post-office toaddress rather than dock to dock. The delivery time to the UK is about8 weeks, I imagine it would be similar for the US.  Even if you areonly sending 10kg of books, this is a considerable saving on sendingit via normal freight channels. [DF]* From Edinburgh to Oz [LC]Here's a summary of a couple of replies I received to my queryregarding shipping household goods back to Oz from the UK;specifically from Edinburgh.  The main recommendation was to go with alarge reputably company rather than a smaller, perhaps cheaper, one.Using the latter may involve lengthy delays, with boxes sitting inwarehouses for anything up to months at a time. Having a local officeat either end is also very useful. In Edinburgh, this narrows thechoice to Pickfords or Scotpac. (There's lots of shipping companiesbased in London advertised in the London TNT mag. for Aus/NZers, but Ihave no idea on how recommendable they are.) I was warned off theformer, with tales of delay and damage, while Scotpac were reported tohave involved no delays (about 3 months transit time) and no damage(apart from a buckled bike wheel: lesson is to obtain a bike cartonfrom a bike shop; actually, shipping bikes is quite expensive, and wehope to use ours as the second piece of checked-in luggage if flyingvia the US).As far as the choice between door-to-port and door-to-door goes, oneperson strongly recommended the latter as saving lots of hassle,although he did have his moving expenses paid for!! The othersreported no hassles with pickups from Sydney depots, with no extracharges involved; one had her stuff shipped from Sydney to Armidale(arranged in Oz) for a *lot* less than the extra it would have costfor door-to-door.* AirlinesIt has been said that some airlines will allow persons with permanentresidence visa to enter the Australia with additional baggage at noextra charge.  United Airlines does not allow this.  United allows twochecked bags and charges $100 for each additional bag (bags may notweigh more than 70 pounds).  It has been said that Quantas will honorthe additional baggage deal, but this has not been confirmed. [LS] Ifyou are a U.S. government employee, the government will give youadditional baggage credits; make sure you check into this.[AN] For US to Australia, going to Brisbane, Sydney or Cairns, Qantascharge US$92 for each excess bag weighing less than 70lb, US$92x2 foreach bag between 70 and 100lb, and more for bags over 100lb. The womanI spoke to said that would be the same for going on to Melbourne.4.5 MiscellaneousIf your children are in Scouts get international transfer papers fromthe local council.  Otherwise, they might not be able to get into atroop.  Cub Scouts did not start until boys were 8 -- a bit differentthan here in the US.5.STUDYING IN AUSTRALIA5.1 Overview of Australian Higher Education [CP,April '93]A few general points: the academic year in Australian universitiesusually runs from about March 1 to November 1 with an examination termin November. Applications for undergraduate programs are usually madethrough a centralised organisation in each state.  Internationalstudents wishing to study in Australia should check with the nearestAustralian embassy on where and when to send their applications.Offers of places are usually made in late January and early February.The costs of attending Australian Universities include the HigherEducation Contribution Scheme (HECS) charge (Graduate tax) and astudent services fee.  The student services fees vary from universityto university (at major universities its around $300 +/- $75) but theHECS contribution (about $2300/year) is set by the federal governmentand is the same for all universities. Payment of the HECS contributioncan be deferred until after graduation, however if its paid up frontthere is a discount of 15%, otherwise it is repaid as a surcharge onindividual income tax. Nominally it should cost you the same (fortuition/HECS) to get a B.Sc. in Brisbane as in Perth.Foreign students are not subject to the HECS but instead are subjectto an annual tuition fee (the equivalent of out-of-state tuition inthe US) charged by the university [JB], half of which has to be paidbefore a visa is granted (note that students in exchange programs maybe exempt from this fee). The fee varies with the university and thedegree program and is on the order of A$10-15,000 p.a. depending ondegree program (Medical, dental and veterinary programs are more:A$20-25,000 p.a.)  Foreign students are also required to purchaseprivate health insurance, which currently costs ~$350 p.a.  Foreignstudents are permitted to take part time employment up to 20 hours perweek during the semester and full time during vacations.Degree programs in Australian universities show greater similarity toBritish degree programs than to American ones.  Thus, even before theystart an undergraduate degree, Australian students have to choose whatgeneral field they wish to get their degree in. In addition to science(B.Sc.), arts and humanities (B.A.), commerce (B.Comm.) andengineering (B.E.), these fields include professional training whichis usually only available at the graduate level in the US (e.g. Law,Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science).  As a general rule there areno "breadth" requirements, indeed science students may not be able totake more than 1 or 2 arts courses (liberal arts and humanities) andvice versa. In general, ordinary degrees in arts (B.A.), science(B.Sc.), and commerce (B.Comm.)  require 3 years of full time study.Honours degrees in these areas usually require an extra years studyand the preparation of a small thesis. An honours degree is normallyrequired for admission to graduate study.  Students without an honoursdegree may be required to complete a "masters preliminary year" beforebeing admitted to graduate programs (masters programs inadministration seem to be an exception). In the case of degreeprograms which are normally four years (e.g.agriculture, forestry,engineering) an honours degree is obtained by completing extra workand receiving high grades in core classes.While Australian universities do participate in local and intervarsitysporting competitions such competition is pretty low key and there isnothing like the big-bucks semi-professional athletic programs onesees in the US. Athletic scholarships are unheard of.In general, Australian universities are commuter universities.  Thevast majority of undergraduates live at home while doing theirdegrees, although many share housing in suburbs close to theiruniversity or live in residence halls or residential colleges.Students tend not to go interstate for undergraduate study, and evenat the graduate level their is very little incentive to relocate toanother city or even another university: most do their graduate workat the same institution they did their undergraduate work at.5.2 Postgraduate Study [CP]I don't know how universal my experience was (I did a MSc inbiochemistry) but my experience was that people admitted into MSc orPhD programs in Australia were admitted to work with a specificsupervisor, i.e. the decision to take on a particular person as a gradstudent rested with the specific supervisor that the student wanted towork with. This is very different from the situation in the US wherestudents are usually admitted to a department and spend a year or twotaking classes and finding a supervisor/advisor to work with. Ingeneral, Australian PhD programs don't involve any course work. Partlybecause of this their "usual" duration is about 3 years and theirmaximum duration is usually 4 years (cf 5 and 8 years in the US!!!!).Another thing which is different between graduate programs in the twocountries is the way students are supported. In Australia most of thescholarship support for graduate students comes directly from thefederal government, foreigners are not eligible for thesescholarships. Some postgraduate scholarships are offered by theuniversities themselves and by charitable research foundations (egNational Heart Foundation), these are the only ones that foreignersare eligible for!!! In the US most graduate student support ischanneled through the universities.  There are a few federally fundedfellowships that are similar to the old CPRA's, but only a VERY few!Most of the students in the sciences get their stipends from theirsupervisor's research grants, or from federal training grantsadministered by the institutions.  Alternatively they may serve asteaching assistants (the main source of funds for humanities gradstudents).5.3 Miscellaneous Questions[NB: most ITs and CAEs have now been merged with or converted intouniversities.)  [JB]Q. Can I assume that a degree from a UC, IT or CAE carries just asmuch weight as a degree from a University?  A. (1) To be frank, no, but the difference is a lot less than it isbetween various universities in the US. The main quality difference isin the undergraduate degrees; an EE degree from Monash is verytheoretical, whereas one from RMIT is more practical. This is not tosay one is "better"; some employers prefer one approach, others theother.(2) A PhD from anywhere in Australia is equally-regarded.  (3) [RA] adds: I wouldn't be so sure.  For people looking for academicemployment, I suspect that in most disciplines, certain supervisorsand/or departments are a lot more highly regarded than others.  Iimagine the same thing applies for Ph.D.s looking for jobs outsideacademia, as well.  This is really very similar to the U.S.--exceptfor a very few institutions there, which are in the lucky position ofbeing highly prestigious in most fields, the quality and saleabilityof a Ph.D. depends more on the department and/or supervisor than onthe institution.  This is something that anyone contemplating a Ph.D.should think about carefully, though, as it is a hell of a lot of timeto invest if you aren't going to get a good degree.Q. Is there an accrediting agency for MBA programmes (in the U.S.,business schools are accredited by a nation-wide body called AASCB).Should I even be looking for a parallel?A. No. Each state accredits the universities and degrees, then theFederal Govt (which funds them) keeps an eye on things.  Australiareally does not suffer from the shonky mailing_box_university problemthat exists in the US.Q.  Is there higher prestige attached to certain Aussie MBAprogrammes?  (If this concept has no place in Aussie culture, Iapologise. I have only experienced the U.S. educational system.  I,therefore, constantly try to find a parallel. Here in the U.S.,degrees from certain schools are very highly regarded ...  likeStanford, Harvard, Univ. Chicago ...)A. Same here. The two highest-rated in Australia are the AustralianGraduate School of Management at the University of NSW, and theUniversity of Melbourne Graduate School of Management. The others areof varying quality, but all quite good by world standards.* Which universities have the most overseas students?[SP] The following info was extracted from: 'Campus Review' May 26-Jun 1, 1994which reviewed Australian Universities.  Listed below are the 'top 10'Australian Uni's in terms of percentage of overseas students.                                   Total   Per cent                                  Students  Overseas                                           Students                                 --------  --------Curtin Uni. of Tech.               18739     14.3Royal Melborne Inst. of Tech.      23748     13.4University of New South Wales      26073     13.3Murdock University                  7454     12.6Monash University                  36467     12.4University of Woollongong          11056     12.2University of Southern Queensland  12518     11.3Australian National University     10225     10.9University of Western Australia    12227     10.5Swinburne University of Tech.       8831     10.15.4 "Classification" of Australian Universities I thought that it might be more useful for those unfamiliar with theAustralian Higher Education Scene to try and classify the institutionsaccording to their history and aims in life.  I have tried to keep mypersonal biases out of the short descriptions, but they will no doubtshow through.  I have also probably left a couple of the smallerinstitutions off the list - with the rate of amalgamations andinstitutional divorces, it is hard to keep track off all of them (forexample there may now be a University of Northern Rivers, whichresulted from U.N.E. breaking up).  The order of the classes is NOTmeant to indicate any ranking of the universities.  A very good sourceof information about these institutions is the essay in theCommonwealth Universities Handbook, which unfortunately I don't havehandy to check on all my details!  Let me then apologise to anyone Ihave left out or misrepresented in the list below.To give you some idea of sizes, the largest Australian universities,(Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, New South Wales, Monash) have 20,000+students. Government policy makes it undesirable for institutions tohave less than 5,000 students.Ian (iand@hydra.maths.unsw.edu.au)-----------------------------------------------------------------Class 1.  The large old institutions in the big cities.  I think allfounded pre WWI, these institutions offer a full range of courses atboth undergraduate and postgraduate level, including medical and legaldegrees, and large research programs.  Whether deserved or otherwise,these universities still carry more prestige than others in theirstate.* Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Adelaide, Western Australia.Class 1a.  Old, like class 1, but in a much smaller city, somewhatlimiting its development.* Tasmania-----------------------------------------------------------------Class 2.  Large post WWII universities.  Originally looked down on alittle (although the standards weren't questioned [JB]) theseinstitutions are now very similar to those of class 1.  With those ofclass 1, these institutions take the lion's share of governmentresearch money and the good students.* New South Wales, MonashClass 2a.  The Australian National University was set up after WWII tooffer more postgraduate education in Australia (while manyuniversities had PhDs, they were nothing like as popular as they arenow [JB]).  Although it now teaches undergraduates as well, it isstill the home of the Institute for Advanced Study, which is devotedto postgraduate education and research. It's range of courses is morelimited than those of U.N.S.W. and Monash.* A.N.U.-----------------------------------------------------------------Class 3.  1960s-1970s suburban universities.  These were set up tocater for the rapid expansion in higher education in Australia thattook place at this time.  As befitted the period, they were often setup with unconventional academic structures (stressingmultidisciplinary courses for example), and with some programs notoffered elsewhere. Designed to be teaching and research institutions,their full development is perhaps hampered by the difficulty they havein attracting very good students away from the universities in classes1 and 2.* Macquarie, La Trobe, Flinders, Griffith, MurdochClass 3a. Regional universities of about the same age.  Usuallybeginning as sponsored colleges of one of the institutions fromclasses 1 or 2. Perhaps more conventional than those in class 3, butotherwise having similar strengths and weaknesses, and broadlycomparable on the prestige scales.* Newcastle, Wollongong, New England, James Cook, Deakin (Deakin was abit different, in that it was a CAE (Gordon IT) which was converted[JB]).-----------------------------------------------------------------Class 4.  Institutes of Technology.  Although most of theseinstitutions have now changed their names to "university", they beganby offering undergraduate education of a more applied nature than thetraditional universities.  They gradually developed postgraduatecourses and research programs to a sufficient extent that thedistinction (in particular with respect to research funding) betweenthese institutions and the "lesser" universities was difficult tosustain.  Although these are now rather large and broad institutions,they are still somewhat different in their aims to those of classes 1,2 and 3.* Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, University of Technology  Sydney (was N.S.W.I.T.), Curtin University of Technology (W.A.I.T),  University of South Australia (S.A.I.T.), Queensland University of  Technology (Q.I.T. and BCAE) Victoria University of Technology   (was Footscray I.T.), Swinburne University of Technology (was   Swinburne I of T) -----------------------------------------------------------------Class 5.  Former Colleges of Advanced Education.  Originally set up asundergraduate institutions, offering a limited range of courses, suchas teacher training, nursing, accounting etc.  In the Dawkins era(mid-late 1980s), these were "encouraged" to band together to formlarger (but often quite geographically dispersed) institutions, sothat they could get a bigger share of the funding pie.  Despite theirchange of status, they are probably destined to remain as essentiallyundergraduate teaching institutions for the forseeable future.* Edith Cowan, Charles Sturt, Western Sydney, Canberra, Southern  Queensland, Central Queensland, Ballarat University College, Northern  Territory (perhaps misplaced here...it's geographical position makes it  a bit of a special case).-----------------------------------------------------------------Class 6.  Private Universities and Universities with ReligiousAffiliations.  During the late 1980's private universities made theirfirst appearance (all the above institutions are government funded).The loudest of these in announcing its arrival was Bond University, inQueensland.  There still seems to be a degree of resistance to privateinstitutions in Australia - it is too early to tell how successfulthey will be.  Mainly funding considerations dictate that theseuniversities offer only a limited range of courses.* Bond, Notre Dame, Australian Catholic University (although perhaps  this belongs in class 5)5.5 Academic Addresses* "The Directory" (6 months=$90 airmail, fortnightly) advertises manyacademic jobs.    Barry Thornton and Associates Pty. Ltd.    PO Box 217    Black Rock, VIC 3193    Australia* "The Australian Directory of Academics" ($130 airmail) is comprehensive.    Universal Consultancy Services,    PO Box 1140    Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450    Australia* A useful source of information on higher education in Australia is:    Campus (Australian campus review weekly)    Locked bag 19    Post Office    Paddington, NSW 2021    Australia* "The Independent Monthly Good Universities Guide to AustralianUniversities and Other Higher Education Institutions", by DeanAshenden and Sandra Milligan, 1991.    Octopus Australia    PO Box 460    Port Melbourne, VIC 3207    Australia    +61 3 646 6688* Carter and Stone Consulting Services. 275 Alfred St North Sydney Phone 62,2,955-5477. Contact: Sharon Stone. Comment: A very small agency. (Two women + one guy at last count).   VERY good, Very professional. No mess, no fuss.* Clayton and Partners. Also 275 Alfred St. North Sydney. Phone: 62,1,959-3448 Contact: David Burgess, Brian Clayton. Comment: Slightly larger, but not big enough to be impersonal.   Proffesional.Efficient. Have found me a few jobs over  the years, some I've taken, some not. Do have a habit  of finding you a job, settling you in, waiting 6  months then ringing up to see if you wan't another  job.  Generally, an impressive agency.At present there are very few university administrators using the net.You're unlikely to have much success in trying to contact universityregistrars and vice-chancellors by email! You're much better ofsending a letter by regular mail. Remember to pay for airmail postageif sending the letter from outside Australia!!!!  Also remember thatletters sent between mid-December and mid-February are likely to getfairly slow responses.If you're trying to find an email address for a student please realisethat net access is still fairly restricted in Australia and the greatmajority of students do NOT have net access. This situation ischanging slowly, but at present those who are most likely to have netaccess are in the sciences (particularly maths, physics, and computerscience) and engineering.Here are some regular mail addresses of Australian universities,together with the institutional internet domain names:Australian Catholic University                     acu.edu.auChrist CampusPO Box 213 Oakleigh Victoria 3166 Australian Institute of Marine Science        postmast@aims.gov.auCape Ferguson, Queensland, AustraliaMailing Address: PMB No.3, Townsville MC, Q 4810Ph: 077 789211,Fax: 077 725852Telex: AA47165Cable: MARINESCI TOWNSVILLEAustralian National University,GPO Box 4,Canberra, ACT 2601        anu.edu.auBond UniversityPrivate Bag 10,Gold Coast Mail Centre,Queensland 4217          bu.oz.auCharles Sturt University (Includes former Mitchell CAE andRiverina-Murray Panorama Avenue   Inst of Higher Ed.)Bathurst NSW  7795         csu.edu.auCurtin University (Former WAIT)GPO Box U 1987,Perth, WA 6001          curtin.edu.auDeakin University (Includes former Victoria College (Rusden, Toorak, Geelong, Victoria 3217   Burwood) and Warrnambool CAE)  deakin.oz.auEdith Cowan University  (Formerly WA CAE)Pearson St,Churchlands, WA 6018     cowan.edu.auFlinders UniversityBedford Park, SA 5042     flinders.edu.auGriffith UniversityNathan, Queensland 4111     gu.edu.auJames Cook UniversityTownsville, Queensland 4811    jcu.edu.auLatrobe University (Includes former Lincoln Inst. of Health SciencesBundoora, Victoria 3083   and Wodonga Inst of Tert. Educ. latrobe.edu.auMacquarie UniversityNorth Ryde, NSW, 2109     mq.edu.auMonash University (Includes former Frankston, Caulfield and Bendigo  Clayton, Victoria 3168   CAE's)    monash.edu.auMurdoch UniversityMurdoch, WA 6150     murdoch.edu.auNewcastle UniversityNewcastle, NSW 2308     newcastle.edu.auNorthern Territory UniversityPO Box 40146, Casuarina,NT 0811     ntu.edu.au  Queensland University of Technology (Includes former QIT and Brisbane CAE)GPO Box 2434Brisbane, Queensland 4001    qut.edu.auRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology 124 Latrobe StMelbourne 3000      rmit.oz.auSwinburne University of TechnologyPO Box 218 Hawthorn Victoria 3122                                  swin.edu.auSouthern Cross University(was Lismore campus of Uni of New England)University of AdelaideGPO Box 498 Adelaide SA, 5001     adelaide.edu.auUniversity of Canberra (Combines Aust Inst of Sport and former Canberra CAE)PO Box 1,Belconnen, ACT 2616     canberra.edu.auUniversity of Central QueenslandRockhampton Mail CentreQueensland, 4702     ucq.edu.auUniversity of Melbourne  (Includes former VCA, State College of Vic at Parkville, Victoria 3052   Melbourne, negotiating with Vic College of       Ag and Horticulture,  unimelb.edu.auUniversity of New EnglandArmidale, NSW 2351     une.edu.auUniversity of New South WalesPO Box 1, Kensington NSW 2033     unsw.oz.auUniversity of QueenslandSt. Lucia, Queensland 4067University of South Australia    uq.edu.auUniversity of South Australia (Includes former SAIT and SA CAE)North Terrace,GPO Box 2471Adelaide, SA 5000     unisa.edu.auUniversity of Southern QueenslandToowoomba, Queensland     usq.edu.auUniversity of SydneySydney, NSW 2006     su.oz.auUniversity of Tasmania (Amalgamated with Launceston CAE?)GPO Box 252 C,Hobart, Tasmania 7001     utas.oz.auUniversity of Technology, SydneyPO Box 123,Broadway, Sydney 2007     uts.oz.auUniversity of Western AustraliaNedlands, WA 6009     uwa.edu.auUniversity of Western Sydney (Includes former Hawkesbury Ag. CollegeHawkesbury                    Nepean and Milperra CAE's)Richmond NSW 2753     uws.edu.au(also includes former Orange campus of Uni. of New England)University of WollongongPO Box 1144, Wollongong, NSW 2500     uow.edu.auVictoria University of Technology (Includes former Footscray IT and Western Ballarat Road,                     Institute)Footscray, Victoria 3011                                vut.edu.auA *small* number of departments provide email contacts for enquiriesfrom prospective graduate students. The following contact addressescome from a compilation posted to soc.college.gradinfo by NainishBapna (nb2@doc.ic.ac.uk):AdelaideComputing               Andrew Wendelborn       andrew@cs.adelaide.edu.auAustralian NationalComputing               Brendan McKay           bdm@cs.anu.edu.auStatistics  Dr. Peter Hall  Peter.Hall@anu.edu.auCanberraComputing               Mary O'Kane             mok@ise.canberra.edu.auCentral QueenslandBusiness  Kevin S. Fagg  fagg@ucq.edu.auGeneral   Judith Anderson  j.anderson@ucq.edu.auFlindersComputing               Chris Marlin            marlin@cs.flinders.edu.auJames CookComputing                                       compsci@coral.cs.jcu.edu.auLatrobe University College of Northern VictoriaAccounting/Business    business@redgum.ucnv.edu.auComputer Science    pwg@ironbark.ucnv.edu.auGeneral                 Vance Ashlin            ashlin@ironbark.ucnv.edu.auInformation Systems    pwg@ironbark.ucnv.edu.auOutdoor Education    brookes@redgum.ucnv.edu.auMacquarieComputing  Rod Bell  rod@macadam.mpce.mq.edu.auComputing  Glenn Johnson  glenn@macadam.mpce.mq.edu.auMelbournePhD enquiries           Michael_Tomlinson       research@muwayf.unimelb.edu.auScholarship             Jean_McCulloch          research@muwayf.unimelb.edu.auInternational students must apply through the International Office,telephone: +61 3 344 4505  FAX:    +61 3 344 4504financial aid people telephone: +61 3 344 7621MonashComputing               Lloyd Alison            gradenq@bruce.cs.monash.edu.au                        Other addresses [JB]    gradenq@rdt.monash.edu.au                                                gradenq@ct.monash.edu.auNewcastleComputing               Bryan Beresford-Smith   bbs@cs.newcastle.edu.auNew South WalesBiomedical Engineering  Arthur Brandwood        arthurb@cbme.unsw.edu.auQueensland BrisbaneComputing               Ian Holmes              holmes@cs.uq.oz.auPsychology              Graeme Halford          igsh@psych.psy.uq.oz.auSouthern QueenslandComputing               M. McFarlane            mcfarlan@zeus.usq.edu.auSwinburne University of TechnologyComputing  Earl Livings  earl@saturn.cs.swin.oz.auSydneyMath and Statistics Dr. Neville Weber pg-director@maths.su.oz.auWestern Australiapostgraduate enquires                           gradprog@maths.uwa.edu.auComputing               J. Rohl                 jeff@cs.uwa.edu.auWollongongComputing               John Fulcher            john@cs.uow.edu.auComputing  Greg Doherty  greg@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au6.FOR AUSTRALIANS OVERSEAS6.1 Radio Australia (update)Up-to-date information on frequencies can be found on rec.radio.shortwave, or ftp from nic.funet.fi:/pub/dx/text/schedules/Oceania/australia.prog.txt.These frequencies are for August 1992:  21740 - 0100 to 0400 GMT  17795 - 0100 to 0400  "  15240 - 0300 to 0500  "  13605 - 1600 to 1800  "   9580 - 0830 to 1500  "  11800 - On the east coast of the USA, I can Radio Australia on 9580 Hz and11800 in the morning. In the spring and summer I can get RA on 15240late at night when they are doing sporting broadcasts.  I can also get15365 during the evening. Radio Australia comes in better in springand summer in North America, than in autumn and winter, especially forthe higher frequencies, due to differences in the ionosphere.  [AN]Sports Broadcasts [JM]: Radio Australia broadcasts the Saturday sportsprogram called `Grandstand' on Saturday afternoons. The broadcasts areprimarily aimed at Asia and the Pacific but the transmissions can bereceived all over the world.  Grandstand is broadcast between 0200 and0730 UT (= 1200 and 1730 AEST) on Saturdays for AFL football and 0300and 0730 UT (=1300 and 1730 AEST) on Sundays for Rugby League. Updatesof the Sunday AFL match scores are available during the Rugby Leaguebroadcasts. The frequencies published for Radio Australia broadcasts are:  Pacific          - 17795 kHz, 15240 kHz, 11720 kHz  Papua New Guinea - 11880 kHz  South Asia       - 21595 kHz  South East Asia  - 17715 kHz For other areas during these times, try these frequencies:  Japan                 - 17715 kHz  Middle East/NE Africa - 21595 kHz  UK/Europe             - 21595 kHz  USA/Canada            - 17860 kHz, 17795 kHz, 15365 kHz, 11910 kHz, 9860 kHz,                           9580 kHz            For a copy of the Radio Australia guide, write to:      Radio Australia, PO Box 755, Glen Waverly VIC. 3150, Australia                          Telephone 61-3-881-2222                             Fax 61-3-881-23466.2 NewspapersNYC: on 42nd St between 7th and 8th Avs., south sideUCSD: Melbourne Age (4-6 weeks late)- International Relations & Pacific Studies LibraryPalo Alto: Mac's Newsagent, Printers Inc., Kepler's Books, Tower Records BookstoreBoston: The Newsagent's in the middle of Harvard Square has  copies of the Australian (and maybe the Sydney Morning Herald) [AN]"The Australian" is a national (Murdoch owned) daily which advertisescomputing jobs in its Tuesday edition, and other jobs in the Wed. andSaturday editions.  Available from most Australian consulates.Address: The Australian, 2 Holt Street, Surrey Hills, 2010, +61 2 288 30006.3 Australiana in the USA* The Australian Catalogue Company: 7412 Wingfoot Dr., Raleigh, NC27615. Tel: 919-878-8266 Fax: 919-878-0553.  They have a fairselection of food [biscuits, sweets, etc], Australiana (pins,calendars, posters), a range of Women'sWeekly Cookbooks, tapes ofAustralian music, boomerangs, didgeridoo, books on Australia, etc. Theprices aren't particularly cheap because they get things sent over byair themselves, but is probably cheaper than getting them sent to you.They will send you a free catalogue if you ring them up. [AN]They also have the "upside down map", with North at the top, with thecaption "Australia, No Longer Down Under": McArthur's UniversalCorrective Map of the World - Gives a true perspective of how theworld looks to an Aussie. A talking piece.  Item Number: rmmc00 PriceUS$8.95 + Tax & Shipping* Koala Baskets, San Jose, CA. They will send a catalog if you ask.Catalog is not that extensive and prices fairly high [SW].* Kangaroo Connection, Chicago, IL. Australian sweets, chocolate bars,biscuits, etc. They do mail order. Their number is: (312) 248-5499.They will send you a catalogue. They also sell a Vegemite Cookbook($8.95).* Vegemite: [AJ] More info on Vegemite in the U.S. I buy the mediumjars (235g.) for $4.95 from a chain store in the area --Foods of AllNations.The address to try is:Kraft Foods Limited162 Salmon StreetPort Melbourne Vic. Aust.A friend told me she wrote there looking for another product and got aresponse about where she could find it wholesale--she paid the priceof the product and shipping only, no grocer markup.In Seattle, the cheapest place I've found Vegemite is at Cost PlusImports for $2.19 for a small jar (115g). [GV]Lee's Nutritions, Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachussetts ($3/jar)Vegemite Cookbook available from Kangaroo Connection (see above)Vegemite availability for D.C. summary:- Koala Blue, Tyson's II Galleria- Dean Deluca's, Georgetown- Kangaroo Katies, Greenbelt- Beautiful Day and other health stores (maybe)- Gourmet Giant, McLean, Cabin John Plaza Bethesda..etc- Magruders, Rockville6.4 Video Conversion * There is a service in Raleigh, NC where video conversion from anycountry format to any format can be made for several types ofcassettes(BETA, VHS, VHS-C and 8 mm). This will allow playback ofvideotapes made overseas, here on U.S. TV's and VCR's(NTSC System).The service will also convert the other way around, from U.S.  systemto any of the systems used anywhere else in the world (PAL, SECAM,etc..)Mailing Address: INTERNATIONAL VIDEO CONVERSION                 520 Harvest Lane                 Raleigh, NC 27606-2217Phone:    (919) 233-8689Fees:     $24.90 + $5.00 S&H (Price of a High Grade Cassette Included, 2hrs or less)Delivery:  Mailed back the next day, express shipping at request. Payment:   Cheque, Cash or Money Order mailed with tape.* We've also had a recommendation for SOMI International.  "I haveused their services and found them to be professional, and of coursetheir price is good ($12.99/tape plus $3 for UPS)."Address: SOMI International         50 Summer St,         Edison, NJ 08820.         Phone 908 548 3065.  6.5 Expatriate organisation* Info on Australian contacts, organisations, news, arts, sport, etc.-      The Australian Expatriate    3809 Plaza Dr, Ste 107-307    Oceanside, CA 92056    USA* A sort of a professional society for expats in NY and the surrounding area-    The Australia Society Inc.    P.O. Box 5441    New York NY 10185    USA