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Comment by siquick | Hacker News Reader

but health care

Typically included in your benefits package as part of the job. You don't have to give up Australian citizenship to get an E3, so if necessary you can fly back to Australia for treatment.

>if necessary you can fly back to Australia for treatment

If a sickness/injury is bad enough to need to fly back to Australia, there's a pretty good chance you won't be allowed on a plane.

That is naive and simplistic. Sure, if you were hit by a car you probably won't be making a flight. But cancer? Elective surgery? Physical therapy? There are plenty of slow roll medical issues that can survive a 16 hour plane trip.

Sure, but it's financial ruin if it isn't one of those things, even if you survive. Who's being naive?

That's fine. You're ok with taking that chance, I'm not.

If you want to get double taxed, sure you can keep your Australian Medicare and private health insurance.

As far as the ATO is concerned, unless you discontinue both, you're considered an Australian resident for tax purposes.

Even though the US considers you a resident alien, the ATO requires you to at least look like you won't be coming back for >1 year.

My experience was that the ATO did not consider me a tax resident. Basically if you've tidied up your Australian affairs, earn 0% in Australia and 100% in the US, they aren't totally bloody-minded. I did make sure to use a specialist tax agent though.

After ~3 years the IRS considers me a resident for tax purposes. The ATO only cares about my income because they want to collect HECS payments.

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