Westpac Handycard - any good?

[Martin and Val]

This has been brought up in the past and although it doesn't help those who are having difficulties we opened our accounts with Westpac a year before we migrated while on a recci. We received Matercard debit cards without any issue or questions and when we arrived we then went in and signed up for credit cards, again without any issue.
I can't recall them once asking what type of visa we were on so it seems to be down to whoever you talk to at the time.
Westpac have been very helpful to us and one night even stayed back late after hours as we wanted to talk to them about another matter and couldn't get there until after closing.
Not much help I know just our experience.

Martin

[Runcorn2Adelaide]

just re-checked their requirements.
Do you have a job offer/income stream ?
This is taken direct from the migrant section of their website:-
http://www.westpac.com.au/internet/p...lication#Step1


Step 1 – Ensure you meet requirements iYou are coming to Australia within 6-8 weeks of making the credit card application.iiYou must have an Australian address for our correspondence to be sent to you.

Note:You must have access to correspondence from us to your Australian address, so that you will receive prompt notification of the approval and collection of your credit card. This could be the temporary address where you are or will be residing, the address of a relative or friend, or address of your employer (provided they are aware of this).iiiiAfter you arrive in Australia you have an ongoing source of income from employment, and/or investments, and/or deposits, and/or rental or businesses, either in Australia or your country of origin.ivCheck to see whether you come under the following categories of visa:

• Australian citizen or permanent resident returning to Australia
• New Zealand citizen
• Employer sponsored visa (long stay or temporary)
• Skilled – Permanent, or Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) visa
• If you are granted a Business Skills, Investor or Talent visa

[UzinOz]

Westpac, until now, have not offered temp visa holders a debit mastercard (if you got one, then good on you) they were only offered to permanent visas or citizens. Temps visas can have a credit card, usually without any probs providing you earn $15k per year and handycards are bog standard cards that are given to everyone who opens a transaction account for use in eftpos and atm only.

Because of the feedback from migrants, Westpac have changed the rule on Debit Mastercards.

Jackie

[sandar1]

I have just helped a Canadian girl here as a student to settle in, and she got a card from Westpac, strange that she was able to get one and you were not. Try the ANZ bank they seem a little bit more flexible. Basically what I do when settling people is take them to three different banks so that they can discuss all the options and then make up their mind which ones to go with. I have sat in on some of the initial offers just to see what they do offer, this is a question however that I will ask in future. Please advise how you get on, it will be handy for all on this site in the same situation.

All the best, and happy banking.

Sandra