In our previous article, we covered how individual workers could meet the short-term obligations of quarantine restrictions in place by the WA government. (Link the article here) With the pandemic and restrictions looking to be sticking around a lot longer, some workers and their families need to start considering moving their home base to WA long term. FIFO workers who do not want to be separated from their families any longer and who are willing to make the move to WA, other exempt worker categories who would like to make WA home base, and even people who were planning on moving here for work in the first place all fall into this category. New in Town have always assisted in helping make these transitions smooth, now we specialise in helping you make your home WA in the middle of these uncertain times and ever-changing restrictions.

(The following was updated on July 29th, 2020 and was correct at the time of publishing)

Do your research

To even consider moving to WA in the first place, you need to research whether you and your family fall into the exempt category to be allowed to enter WA now. These include:

Senior government officials in the course of duties
Members of the Commonwealth Parliament and their staff
Active military personnel on duty in WA
Specialist skills not available in WA
Emergency service workers
Judicial officers or staff members of a court, tribunal or commission
Persons carrying out a function under a Commonwealth law
Health services, when requested by the Chief Health Officer of the Department of Health
FIFO workers and their family members
Urgent and essential medical treatment
Attending a relative’s funeral or visiting a relative who is critically ill or whose death is imminent
Transport, freight, and logistics (not including airline and maritime crew members)
Compassionate grounds
Otherwise seeking approval to enter WA

Given the situation in Victoria at the moment, additional restrictions apply to those who have been in Victoria in the last 14 days. If a person is an exempt traveller and has been in Victoria in the 14 days before entering WA, most will NOT be permitted to enter WA unless they also get an additional exemption. A person must apply for an additional exemption into Western Australia from Victoria unless they are:

Certain senior Government Officials
Certain active military personnel
A member of the Commonwealth Parliament or their staff
A person carrying out functions under a law of the Commonwealth
A person coming to WA at the request of the Chief Health Officer
A person responsible for transport freight or logistics

Anyone who is permitted to enter WA who has been in Victoria for the previous 14 days will be required to go to a COVID Clinic for testing on day 11 of their time in Western Australia or at any point when symptoms develop[i].

Get ready…

As we covered in our last article, you need to apply for G2G pass to enter WA. If this is your first time applying you can go HERE (https://www.g2gpass.com.au/apply) to apply. As mentioned above, you need to be an exempt traveller to apply. If you are a family member of a FIFO worker, you will also need to apply for each member coming with you to move to WA. Compassionate grounds or otherwise seeking to enter WA can be potentially used as grounds for entering WA for a new job or seeking a home and employment here (The government will decide this on a case by case basis when you submit your G2G pass application, the above statement does not guarantee that this will occur, and you will need to seek further information through the WA government if you have issues with this).

Once you have all your official paperwork in order, it is time to start planning your move. With WA being one of the most isolated states in the world, it adds an extra element to the planning process. This is where New in Town comes in. To help accommodate the influx of new arrivals from interstate who are wanting to move here, we have introduced a new package with a set price which allows us to do all the heavy lifting for you in planning your move! You can see more information HERE . Basically, we can help you find long term accommodation to allow you and your family to relocate to WA, providing in depth analysis of property options where you cannot go and investigate yourself. We can then advocate on your behalf for the terms of the property and to ensure it is ready for your arrival, and finally we can help you connect everything necessary to make your move to WA as turnkey as possible!

Given our depth of experience with helping interstate and international arrivals make WA home, we have a range of other services available also, from helping you find the right school for your kids, to helping you find the right services in your area to make it feel more like home!

Given the current positive situation in WA, there is no better time to make the jump and move here so you and your family can start enjoying everything you are already working so hard for!

[i] FIFO Travel Update (July 2020), The Australian Worker’s Union, Last accessed 29/7/2020