How To Send Money To Australia From Usa

How to Transfer Money from USA to Australia

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USA to Australia Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
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USA to Australia Guide

Summary

There are no restrictions when you need to send money to Australia from the USA, whether for importing, investing, or repatriating salary and income. The US is the second most popular destination after the UK for Australians living overseas. The Australian consulate in New York estimated in 2010 that the number of Australians in the US at around 200,000; some 99,000 US nationals are believed to be living in Australia, the 11th largest population of Americans overseas.

Buying property in Australia

There exist some restrictions for foreign non-residents; in most cases, a foreign non-resident can only purchase new build properties and land that they then develop, but they may not purchase existing residential units. The Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) oversees the approval of these purchases and approval is also required when selling the property if leaving Australia. Non-residents are obligated to sell their property upon leaving the country. The rules governing the FIRB approval can be complex, and it is always recommended to seek additional specialist advice in the area before committing to purchase a property in Australia if you are a non-resident and before you send money to Australia to fund the purchase.

Investing in Australia

Australia is an important destination for foreign investment, with inward investment levels much higher than outgoing flows from Australia – US$49.8bn and US$6.4bn respectively in 2013 – and the government allows unhindered access to foreign investors. Most investment originates from Asia, particularly China, but US investors are increasingly looking to the country. According to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, total US investment in 2013 stood at AUD657.9bn, of which a quarter was foreign direct investment (FDI) in local firms. American FDI in Australia is led by non-bank holding, mining, finance and insurance companies, as well as manufacturing firms.

Investment in non-sensitive sectors over AUD244m must be pre-screened, but this threshold is set much higher, at AUD1.078bn, for investors from the US and New Zealand. All other capital inflows are unrestricted. Outgoing capital transfers related to investment proceeds, loans or lease payments in Australia are also unrestricted.

Importing from Australia to the US

The US and Australia have a very close trade relationship, manifested in the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) which entered into force in January 2005. Under AUSFTA, trade in goods and services and direct investment have grown considerably; more than 99% of US exports of consumer and industrial goods are now duty-free. While merchandise imports into Australia from the US are nearly three times those heading the other way, Australia's exports to the US have grown by 23% over 2004-13 to US$9.3bn (AUD10.5bn), although the country is only the 37th largest source market, accounting for 0.4% of total goods imports. In contrast, the US is Australia's 4th most important export market, accounting for 3.7% of the total in 2013. The top five Australian products imported into the US in 2013 were: metal ores (17% of total exports to the US), meat, mostly beef (15%), gems, precious metals and coins (9.8%), medical equipment (7.3%), and alcoholic beverages (5.6%). In services, too, Australia buys from the US more than it sells, by a factor of two. Excluding travel and tourism (for which international money transfer services are less often required) the US imported AUD5bn of professional services from Australia in 2013.

Importing into the US from Australia is usually straightforward, subject to standard requirements to declare imports to customs and to pay VAT and duty on them. Some goods may require an import licence. There are many ways to finance imports, transfer money from USA to Australia and organise shipping and logistics, which helps to facilitate the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the money transfer companies shown above safe to use?

Yes, all the companies are safe and fully-regulated money transfer services. Each are authorised and regulated by the relevant authority such as the Financial Conduct Authority(FCA) in the UK, FinCEN in the US, FinTRAC in Canada or ASIC in Australia.

How long does an international money transfer take?

The speed of delivery will depend on where the money is being from and to and how you are sending and receiving the money. Transfers sent using bank to bank transfers can depend take anywhere from minutes to days and you should check the time estimates from the relevant provider. Debit and credit card payments sometimes allow for faster transfers for smaller amounts.

How do I use FXcompared?

First review the comparison results (such as for a table above) for a given amount of money sending from USA to Australia. Then select a provider based on factors such as price, speed, their rating and click the green button to be taken to their website. From there, you can register and sign up for an account. Once you have done that and the provider has verified your identity to ensure the money can be send safely, you will be ready to transfer money.

What payments methods can I use to send money overseas?

The results shown above are typically for bank to bank transfers. It is possible via some providers to pay in your funds for the transfer via cash, debit or credit cards as well but this is usually reserved for smaller amounts. Some providers also give you different options for how the money will be received - to a bank account (most common), to a debit card, to cash or to a digital or mobile wallet.

What if the price shown above isn't exactly what I am offered when I try to transfer money?

There can be a number of reasons why the final price you are offered may be different to that shown in the table above. Exchange rates between two currencies change all the time and is the most common reason. Additionally, some providers offer different pricing depending what method you are using to send funds or how the funds will be received. Others may offer you a premium service for faster payments. In some cases FXcompared has a special rate with a provider and this is reserved for first time customers who sign up to the provider starting from FXcompared's website. As prices do change often, be sure to confirm the total cost with the provider before transferring money.

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