Deb Moss

Just moved to Canberra and purchased two cars. All dealers are having EOFY sales and I have found them to be slightly cheaper than in UK (probably due to exchange rate) and new or nearly new cars were not that much more than second hand cars with 60,000 KMs. Costs do add up and we are now looking at kitchen white goods (which are more expensive) and TVs etc. Make sure you budget very carefully - we didn't and savings have been eaten into. Another option would be to pay outright for cars and get a 0% credit card for other purchasers once settled (NAB are doing one at present). Good luck.

Sorry to jump on someone elses post. Just regarding your comment on school fees. We are arriving in about 6 weeks - its a very quick move so we haven't had a chance to investigate everything. If you are on a Permanent Residence Visa do you still have to pay for full school fees? ive got 3 school age children and I haven't factored in this at all!!! please advise if you can!

Thanks everyone. A good mix of opinions. Pretty much how people view IKEA here I guess. With three kids I rate their storage systems quite a bit. Have to say - I'm rather excited at the prospect of larger rooms!!

We only have a standard double here!

Hi Any IKEA fans out there? we are soon to be arriving in Canberra and I was delighted to see there is an IKEA just on the outskirts. My question is Are the IKEAS like the London stores? Size wise/stock etc. also, are they as good value as here in the UK? We are in the process of deciding what to bring and what to buy over there. Thanks

Wow - you must of been very organised!! Do you bought your mattress over there - any size problems?i

Thank you Suzukiscottie

Oh no! All that discomfort for nothing!!

Thanks everyone. Very useful. Will read up on these!

We are making a very quick (hopefully) move to Australia. I am unsure on items that are not allowed so thought I would start on this forum:- Are you allowed to bring duck/feather down duvets and pillows? we have them for all beds and they were quite expensive but was unsure if this would be allowed? I am thinking of shipping these via a courier service rather than with the rest of our heavier stuff as I want them straight away. Also, we want to bring our double bed frame but our mattress is quite old. Are beds/mattresses the same size in Oz? Dont want to bother bringing my bed if I cannot buy a suitable mattress. (some european sizes are different - ie IKEA) Thank you

I got this reply today:- Thank you for your e-mail. Please be informed that if you hold an unused/unstamped/not validated migrant visa that specifically states that you are permitted to remain in Australia indefinitely / permanently for flights departing from London/Manchester you will then be entitled to our migrant baggage allowance (i.e. 40 kilos per seat paying passenger) This baggage allowance will only be granted when you check in at the airport when this visa is sighted and checked that it has also not been travelled on before, this has to be the first time it is being used. You can have as many items of checked luggage as you wish provided: •The total combined weight of all the items put together does not exceed your total checked allowances •No single item of baggage exceeds 32 kilos in weight, as a health and safety requirement If you are not holding the correct visa mentioned above at check-in, then you will be entitled to the standard free checked baggage allowance of 30 kilos per seated passenger. For reference, for flights between the United Kingdom and Australia, the excess baggage charge is USD85.00 per kilo which is approximately GBP58.00 per kilo. Please note excess baggage is charged at check in on your day of departure using the applicable currency exchange rates for that day. We hope the above information helps. Thank you for choosing Singapore Airlines

We validated our PR visa with a 3 week fact finding trip and returned to UK to make preparations for a permanent move. We are heading out in March. Does anyone know if we would be entitled to this still? I'm guessing not ?

Hi Petal38 Im sorry to hear about your family losses, what a sad time that must have been for you all. And congratulations on the birth of your little boy! Looking at the criteria for the RRV 155 and 157, we didn't think our "special circumstances" would fall under the criteria for the 155 which gives you 1 year from the date it is granted. The 157 only gives you 3 months. When you apply, it is the same form and the officer who deals with your application will either grant you the 155 or 157. We have been granted the 155 which we are so pleased about. It has cost us $360 per person though - which is almost £1000 for us but well worth it. The visa is processed very quickly - 48 hours! Good luck xx

Here is an update on our situation. Shortly after this post my husband secured a position in Canberra, we begun to make plans to make the move. We had a few situations to get through and had just started to put things into place when the company withdrew their offer of employment as a local candidate came through. We were devastated. My husband looked for another position but there just wasn't anything out there. We thought that was it. Then in November, he secured another position in Canberra. What with Christmas and only 2 months left on the visa we knew it would not be possible unless there was some way of extending our visa. After researching, we discovered this was not possible but we would possibly be eligible for a Resident Return Visa 157, the reasons we had not made the move in the last 5 years would be taken into account. The applications are in process. This morning my husband and one of my children's has come through so it looks like we will at last be coming to Canberra! I will be seeking lots of local advice over the next month or so!!

Oh no Maggie2012. Do you mind me asking what situation you are in now? Are you in Canberra? Working?