Edwin Goh and Rachel Wan share cost breakdown and tips on moving to Sydney

It can be scary moving to another country without a job secured, but local celebrity couple Edwin Goh and Rachel Wan claimed that you “won’t starve” as long as you can speak the language.

The two moved to Sydney, Australia, in July, and they posted a YouTube video on Sunday (July 30) to share tips for others who want to do the same.

Rachel, 27, said in their video: “We had comfortable lives in Singapore.”

“And we left it…Here, we’re nobodies,” Edwin, 28, continued.

The reason?

“In Singapore, we were not dying,” Rachel said.

Edwin continued: “But we were not fully living.”

Explaining that Singapore’s fast-paced lifestyle burned her out, Rachel added that she felt like she needed to get out of the environment and “breathe a little”.

Edwin, on the other hand, wanted to “seek out new experiences” to add to his life.

In response to a comment on how they plan to support themselves moving forward, they responded: “There are tons of opportunities here to earn a living with a huge variety of jobs and industries that are beginner-friendly too.

“As long as you speak English and are willing to learn, you won’t starve here.”

The actors shared tips and their cost breakdown for the move in the same video.

The visa

Currently, the two are on Australia’s Work and Holiday visa, which allows foreigners aged 18 to 30 to have an extended stay in Australia while working to fund their trip.

With this visa, you can do short-term work for up to 12 months.

The criteria? According to Edwin, you would need to have at least A$5,000 (S$4,500) in your bank account to prove that you can “take care of yourself” while you’re in the country.

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs also stated in its website that you cannot be accompanied by dependent children.

The visa is renewable for up to three years, but there is a catch to it.

For the second year, you would have to do three months of specified “subclass 462” work, including but not limited to tourism and hospitality, plant and animal cultivation work, and tree farming in certain regions of Australia.

To be eligible for the third year, one would be required to take on six months of the above-mentioned work.

The cost breakdown

The two revealed that their visas cost $570 each, while their medical screenings and one-way flight tickets cost $210 and $550 respectively.

According to the website, each application can take up to 44 days to approve.

For accommodation, Edwin and Rachel recommended looking for places to sublet on Facebook Marketplace as it often costs “less than an Airbnb or hotel”.

Subletting is to rent part of a rented property from the tenant.

The couple stated that they pay $450 a week for their apartment in Sydney, though they did not confirm whether the amount was in Singapore or Australian currency.

A quick look at the Airbnb website shows that one night in an apartment of a similar-looking size can go for up to $200.

‘Haven’t bought a return ticket’

Edwin and Rachel made a joint Instagram post to promote their YouTube video, and local actor Romeo Tan asked in the comment section when they plan on coming back to Singapore.

“Haven’t bought a return ticket,” responded Edwin.

One netizen wrote that Rachel left her cat in Singapore to relocate to Sydney with Edwin, adding “lovers can come and go” but pets are “soulmates for life”.

Rachel explained that both her and Edwin’s cats are currently living with their families in Singapore but will be brought over to Sydney once the two “find more stability”.