fatal3rror

Quick update - we arrived into Melbourne yesterday. Flew business with Etihad from Manchester which was pretty hassle free. Only a 1.5 hr delay but apart from that, not much to report. First leg to Abu Dhabi was busier while the Melbourne leg had only 10 passengers on board (of which 6 were in Business). Immigration, customs and Covid formalities took about 90 minutes followed by a 30 min journey to the hotel and 30 mins to get checked in.

What would be the benefit of doing this? Not comfortable with being unable to withdraw money out until the account has been activated in person, especially given the uncertainty with Covid.

Thanks for that @Ken - it doesn't show up for me but that's probably because I am in the UK and the fee only applies for Australian residents. This is a helpful data point and I agree, it limits the benefit of keeping large account balances over a long period of time.

Thank you @Jon the Hat and @psuwara - I have been keeping an eye on the flights but not checking for the specific day of the week. Seems like the Thursday flight (same code) are still flying as scheduled. I understand nothing is guaranteed and are prepared for the worst case scenario - anything can happen within a month!

We are flying business class with Etihad on the 19th of August. Booked just before the announcement of reducing incoming passengers but so far, the booking is still confirmed. From what I have read, it seems we should be ok but keeping our fingers and toes crossed...as there is only so long that I would like to stay with the in-laws!

We are moving to Melbourne in August and I have been able to open a Wise Account in GBP and AUD fairly easily. The concept seems great for expats and international travellers and there is a slick app as well. I have used Transferwise a number of times in the past for international money transfers but didn't know you could now hold money in various currencies. I also spent the £5 for a debit card so that should allow us to be pretty comfortable for any initial spending until we get a proper bank account once we have landed. We also have a low cost credit card (Halifax Clarity) just in case.

I can't seem to find this additional fee for holding money in the Wise AUD account. Is this somewhere on their website?

Background: International transfer within a large consulting firm for me (primary applicant) and spouse (dependent). Visa and Travel Exemption supported by an inhouse immigration team. Just thought I would share the timelines for my TSS/482 visa application in case this would be helpful to someone else: Visa Application Submitted - 7th May 2021 Travel Exemption Application Submitted - 27th May 2021 Travel Exemption Approved - 1st June 2021 Home Affairs get in touch directly with ACRO (relating to a spent conviction) - 10th June 2021 Visa Approved - 17th June 2021