The coronavirus crisis has shaken up all our lives. Almost everybody has been affected in some way. Some challenges have been largely shared by us all, but many social groups have also faced issues that were unique to them.

This is certainly true for the 336,000+ Expats who decided to leave the countries they had lived in for many years and return home to Australia. Many of them had to leave within days because they knew the airports were closing. Below, we look at some of the unique challenges this has created for them and how they are going about tackling those issues.

Getting their money changed into AUD

Once back in Australia, Expats had to work out the best ways to transfer money from US to Australia, or the country they have just returned from. Without access to enough Australian dollars renting a home, hiring, or buying a car was not possible.

Given the fact that, often, they needed to transfer large sums of cash, getting a decent exchange rate has been crucial. As has avoiding high fees. Many have turned to the web to quickly educate themselves about which money transfer method offers the best value for money.

Tapping into how other returnees have done things in the past

During normal times, Expats return to Australia regularly. Students who have got their degree, globe trotters who are ready to settle down and workers whose contracts are up, come back to the country of their birth. That is good news because it means that there is quite a bit of guidance available about how to transition back into Australian life.

Settling back into a different way of life

Articles like this one are a particularly good source of advice. It covers important subjects like reconnecting with friends and family, getting used to a different way of living and dealing with missing the country you were formally living in.

Finding work

Most Expats had no choice but to leave their jobs to return to live in Australia. Since the crisis started, the unemployment level has risen from just over 5% to 7.4%. So, for everyone finding work is not going to be as easy as it once was. At least not for a while.

Finding the money to live on while seeking employment

Unfortunately, some expats may also not meet the criteria to be able to qualify for some of the jobseeker allowances. For example, for some payments, you need to have been living in Australia for 10 uninterrupted years to be able to qualify.

The system is just not designed to support people who are returning from other countries without a job to go to. Expats need to be aware of what their rights are and how to exercise them. For that reason, it is important to seek advice and do so at an early stage. Fortunately, there are legal professionals out there who can provide this sort of information. In time, support groups are likely to form.

Expats are highly likely to find resettling in Australia to be harder than it was pre-CoVid. But with the support of friends and family, most will be able to do so successfully.