Sian1430

Definitely Emma, come along

Sounds good Freyah, I'll PM you my details :biggrin:

Hi all! I'm 29 from Swansea and just moved to Sydney about a month ago, would be great to tag along to your next meet up if you're around? Need a good group of girly mates! Otherwise I live and work in the city so if there's a little shopping trip / coffee happening around the CBD drop me a PM. Sian x

I believe applying for a 189 visa makes you a General Skilled Migrant - hence calling GSM would be correct. I know that this is the number I called to be told everything I needed to know about our 189 application. I think you can only obtain an email address of the team to which your case has been allocated. Without a specific team I don't believe there is a specific email point of contact.

I called 1300 364 613 and got through within 15 mins or so

And we're from the UK

Hi Haseeb, All the best to you too Sorry I should have mentioned in my original thread that my husband and I are onshore. We have been living in Brisbane for just over a year on his 457 visa. However we intend to move to Sydney just before new year. The main issue with our application for PR and why the waiting is so stressful is that I am studying towards a degree here in Australia but as an international student. The tuition fees for an international student are around $12,500 per semester. When we get PR that will reduce to around $4000 per semester. So, in a nutshell we are pretty desperate!!

Hi all, I've been checking this thread regularly over the past few weeks and have found it really useful so I thought I would post our timeline thus far as I found out today (by calling Immigration) that we have been allocated a case officer! My husband is the main applicant as a Civil Engineer and I am obviously aiming for a spouse visa. We front loaded the PCC and medicals so I can't remember the precise date for those but here it is: 22nd May: Received skills assessment from Engineers Australia 22nd May: EOI submitted 3rd June: Invitation for 189 visa 3rd June: Lodged for 189 visa 26th July: CO assigned (Team 4 Adelaide) The lady at the call centre in Immigration said that the CO may not contact us at all if they don't need anything further so just like everyone else, it's a waiting game!

Can I ask, alongside the form 80 do you have to obtain an Australian Federal Police certificate if you have been in Australia over a year? My husband and I are currently awaiting a CO for a 189 visa and have been in Oz since May 2012 on a 457 visa. Our UK police checks, medicals and everything else is uploaded. Thanks for any help in advance!

Thanks Cal, we'll budget for the asking price then! Sian.

Just as the title says really - we will shortly be looking for a rental property in the Brisbane area, ideally in Paddington. Generally speaking, when applying for a rental in Australia I'm aware that demand is high and supply is short, despite this are the agents / landlords open to offers on the rental price? If so has anyone actually managed to get a good deal? Thanks in advance for any replies! Sian.

Hi all, My husband and I are flying out to Brisbane on 28th May. We're 27 and 29, if anyone fancies meeting up for a few drinks or a coffee let me know. Would be great to set ourselves up with a little circle of friends as soon as we get there. Sian.

That sounds like a great use of your skills. I've since found out that my qualification as a detective isn't work the paper it's written on in Oz. I knew I wouldn't get a lateral transfer into the CID but I now know I'll have to collect examples from uniform work in Oz from scratch as any experience I have of dealing with serious crime in the UK is considered irrelevant. I'm not up for doing that side of things again. Looking at some of the info from people like Paul1perth above, I think the fitness game is the way forward for me! My husband will be working on the mines as an engineer which leaves me to do what I'll actually enjoy! I'm sure you're making the best possible decision going back home to Oz! Enjoy it!

Hi John, that's great news that you've entered into something new! What stage are you at? Have you come out of training? How do you find policing over there? Is it what you expected? Many questions sorry!!

Thanks Belaroy, that looks like a really good site! What area are you thinking of going into? Ive heard there's a lot of money to be made in the personal training game as the Aussies are so active. Plus I'd happily say goodbye to 20 hour shifts and going to work when everyone else is going to bed! I loved visiting Sydney on my honeymoon, awesome place and loads of great beaches I'm sure you'll love it, let me know how you get on. Good luck!