u/Melodic-Block-2559

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are at a bit of a crossroads.

We've been living in Australia for the past three years. I'm a carpenter, and my partner is an architectural engineer who also runs her own interior design business here in Australia. Recently, it feels like Australia's immigration policies have started to shift, and we're no longer sure we see a long-term future here.

We both hold European citizenship, so we've started thinking about relocating to Western Europe, with Portugal being our main option.

I'm trying to get a better understanding of what life is actually like there. How is the economy? What's the job market like for someone in construction? We'd also love to know what the interior design industry is like. Is there good demand for interior designers? Is it common to run a small design business, or is most of the work through larger firms?

We're also wondering how realistic it is to find work without speaking Portuguese at first, or whether the language barrier is a major obstacle.

We have a newborn baby as well, so that's another important factor. Starting over in a new country is a big step, and we'd really appreciate hearing from people who have made a similar move or who are currently living in Portugal.

We know the lifestyle and salaries we're used to in Australia probably won't be the same in Europe, and that's okay. Our biggest concern is whether we can build a stable future there. Right now, with the ongoing immigration policy changes in Australia, we're finding it hard to picture ourselves staying here long-term.

Any advice, experiences, or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

Hi peeps!,
I'm an international student in Australia, and I'll be finishing my visa in mid-October 2026.
My wife and I welcomed our baby last month. My current health insurance provider wants to charge a significant amount to merge our policies and add our baby to the cover. It seems really expensive.
I checked with a couple of other providers, and one of them quoted almost half the price for the same period and similar level of cover.
My questions are:
Can I switch health insurance providers now, or are there any restrictions I should know about?
Are there any policy details or waiting periods I should be careful of before switching?
Does anyone have any recommendations for providers that offer good value for international students with a family?
Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers!

Hi,
I got a situation here!
I'm on a student visa and me and my partner just had a baby. We contacted our health insurance to add the baby to my partner's policy, but they're asking for a crazy $3,500.
The thing is, my visa ends in October, so by then the baby will only be around 4 months old. I did some research and from what I found, the average healthcare costs for a baby between 0–4 months old seem to be around $1,000–$2,500, so honestly I'd rather just pay out of pocket if anything comes up.
My question is: do I actually have to add the baby to the insurance?
I know in a perfect world insurance is there in case of an emergency and the costs could end up being much higher. I'm not really asking whether it's a good idea financially, I'm asking if it's mandatory.
As a student visa holder, do I have to keep health insurance for the baby as well, or can I just go without it until my visa expires?