Hi all, When I arrived here, I had to wait for 2 years to get any social benefits. After 1.5 years, when the "IT bubble" popped, I had to look for another job, and it took, with Christmas and summer coming up, nearly half a year (I got three offers in one week early March then.) Having no social benefits did not make it the best of times. The last budget was increasing it from 3 to 4 now. Well, just migrants, who cares? Today I read an article about the sluggish growth of Darwin's population. Many arrive, but many leave as well. One of the cited problems: "No matter how qualified an individual may be, they still do need a leg-up in the first few months of coming to an entirely new place," he said. "They're not eligible for any form of government support or welfare in order to establish themselves, and that seriously needs to be looked at." http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-04/darwins-multiculturalism-could-counter... I understand that. I had my first interview in Adelaide, and I liked to live there then, but nothing came up quickly so I moved to Melbourne instead. If you wonder why everybody comes to Sydney or Melbourne, the lack of initial support may be one reason. Regards Peter