Totally Gutted.................

[yvonne & paul]

hi, i,ve just had response from my agents about students visa and employer sponsor visa . Here goes

He has said that the occupations on the MODL list are the ones that should secure you a PR at the end of the course although not all of these can be studied in Australia.

Cost of schooling for the children to go to state school is between $5,000.00 and $8,000.00 per child per year. (We have 3!!) I did see that someone had said that you do not have to pay for your children at school but my agent has said you do.

You can buy any type of house when you get there on a student visa but you do need to get FIRB approval. (whatever that is!!)

I asked could paul get a job as a plumber/gas for 20 hours a week while i was studying even though he had not had his skills assessed (Not enough experience) He saild yes but that the 20 hours would not count for work experience although i did see that tony coates had said the TRA would pro rata the 20 hours experience - I need to check this.

Also i asked if an Empoyer was to sponsor paul how long until paul could apply for PR. Answer 4 years but he would still have to have the relevant work experience and for us 4 years down the line paul will be 46 and too old.

Back to me studying now or I have just filled in the online form at studyinaustralia for a Bricklaying course for paul to start July like the Brown family. Heather if you read this how long did it take for them to reply or did the agent do it for you?

Anyway like you Em I only work PT at the moment so I have time with the family so the prospect of me studying full time, working 20 hours and revision does not sound appealing to me as like you one of the reasons for our move would be to spend more time as a family and less stressed.

will keep you posted .

yvonne

[EM&M]

Hi Yvonne,

That makes interesting reading and again a little conflicting information that you end up more confused! Heather in a good source if info and Im sure they got a fairly quick reply from studyinaustralia.

I think that all seem to be in the same situation. I think I need to convince OH to do tiling or plastering or something (im sure hes worried about messing his hair up) lol. I think the idea of my going to study is just out, I need this time with my girls as its so important to me. OH would rather go to work its too much like hard graft being at home with the kids for him.

I keep throwing ideas in the pot and just seeing what turns up lol.....I hope if I keep doing it that something will work out in the end.

Keep us posted.

Em x

[EM&M]

Hi Chelle,

I suppose thats why people are deciding to take the chance as study on-shore as I beleive you only need the 900hrs and to pass the 2 years course to apply for TRA (that was my understanding) where to study here means that you still have to have the 6 years experience to support the application.

Its a difficult decision to make.

Emx

[brownfamily]

Hi Yvonne,

We didn't use Study in Australia. We did it all via our agent 'this is australia' (our agent is Laura) and they are based in Queensland, which has been quite helpful for us as she knows the girl at the Queensland TAFE and they have put quite a few people on that course. I have to say that so far Laura has been brilliant.

Also they would normally charge £800 for student visa but as they get £400 commission from the TAFE for introducing international students they only charge us £400.

I sent Laura the completed application form (with a copy of all Johns school certificates-after I blew the cobwebs away!) Once she had received this it was only a matter of appx 24 hours before we knew that John had been given a 'letter of offer'. This the first indication that John had got on the course, but his place is not guaranteed until you pay the first 6 months fees and also family health cover for two years (also sign & return their terms and conditions).

Once this was done then you get a 'Confirmation of enrolment' this is the letter that you need in order to apply for a student visa.

Hope this helps, but please let me know if you want any other info and I will try my best!

PS. Can't wait to tell John that someone else might be doing the same course as him!!

Heather

[yvonne & paul]

Heather , I think I read that you had children, was it 2? What do you know about the school fees ?

yvonne

[brownfamily]

Yvonne,

Yes we do (Daughter 13 and Son will be 10). Rather than picking a school (as we haven't been over there yet) we have opted to do the 'school unknown' option (which is an extra $100 per child).

This just means that we do not have to choose a specific school before we get there. But the school fees are as follows for Queensland:

$8000 per year $4000 per semester $2000 per term

The only difference is at Year 11-12 it goes up to
$8800 per year $4400 per semester $2200 per term.

I haven't paid anything for this up front yet, but will be paying £3529 which includes the unknown school fee. I would think I have to pay this with the visa, but haven't been asked yet. Agent should have applied on line for our visa either today/tomorrow.

You do need to fill in a 'dependant children confirmation of enrolment' form for each child that goes with the visa, but these are a very straighforward form.

Heather

[yvonne & paul]

heather,

How much have you worked it out that it will cost you at the end of the 2 years. We have just roughly worked it out

Visa application and medicals - £1500.00
Shipping out house contents, 2 dogs, flights etc -£ 12000.00
Rent for 2 years at say £400.00 month - £10,000.00
schools fees for 3 children for 2 years - £20,000.00
Course fee for 2 years - £10,000.00

£53,500.00 give or take - thats before any living costs and food on the table!! Argh

The only money comming in would be 20 hours of paul being at that point an unskilled bricklayer so i assume he would end up just mixing up and hod carrying for peanuts.

I could also work but again only 20 hours around the children otherwise that would end up with more childcare fees.

Although we do have the equity in the house the £50,000.00 odd would be a large chunk out of it.

We could invest the money and get interest but not sure how much that would be.

We could also buy a property perhaps outright so we had no rent/mortgage which would save some money.

Sorry to be a real black cloud but what a risk especially if at the end it doesn't work out for us. What do you think , any money saving ideas????

Yvonne

[EM&M]

Hi Yvonne,

Wow thats looks really scary written down! I suppose we r lucky at the moment that our 2 girls are under school age and I know that their school starts later than hours so although Ella goes to nursery here this Sept she misses their school year by 6 days so doesnt start kindie until 2009!

We only have £50,000 equity in the house and by the time we pay off loans and selling fees etc would only have about £30,000. Which doesnt seem enough to live on for 2 years.

Let us know how you get on.

Em x

[yvonne & paul]

Hi, all me again ,
Had a couple of barcardi's , had a talk with oh as a cut his hair and talked ourselves into apllying agian . So just sent off to "This is Austalia" as per the Browns. Although when i got to the end of the form and had filled in a load of blurb it asked for the attached CV. Well we have not done one for paul yet so I sent someone else's - HA HA Not really , I sent it without the CV and hopefully they will ask me to send it later once it is done.

As to the above post i did regrding the costs we decided :
1. Our parents should pay out inheritance before they pop thier clogs !
2. Let our dogs loose to roam the streets so that would save alot.!
3. Make our children work instead of going to school.!
PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!!! ha ha ha

No , we did think that our youngest is not 5 until 28th sept so we may save scool fees as i do not think they start until the year they are 6.
Also if we invested our Equity in a property that needed work/ doing up then we could be rent/mortgage free and make money on the sale of the property once it was done up.
Also it is still not as bad as I calculated incomparrison to a Skilled Visa(WHICH WE CAN NOT GET) as if we could get skilled we would be paying our mortgage for 18/24 months waiting for skilled visa , also we would still have to pay for us , the dogs and house contents getting there whatever visa.
There it is so easy to talk yourself around!!!
Another late night with information questions and answers and I have work in the morning!!!
Talk soon
yvonne

[brownfamily]

Hi Yvonne,

Blimey by the time I had time to post you had already talked yourself round !!

Yes the figures do look scarey, I agree and there is absolutely nothing I can say that chages that I am afraid!

The only thing that i would say is that we are investing the equity of our house and I have been told that the interest is between 5-6%. With this in mind it will virtually cover our rent (unless we get the house with the pool etc that the kids want - then I will need to add some to it!)

I have been told (rightly or wrongly- not sure) that you have to pay 10% tax on the interest, but even with this taken into account it still should virtually cover the rent. If we decide we like an area and want to buy/build then we will use some of the equity, but haven't decided on that yet. :)

All I can say is that as long as you go down the student visa route fully informed and eyes wide open then thats all we can ask.

Hope you enjoyed your bicardi's and you have my number, let me know how it goes.
Heather
xxxx