Winter2014 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Hi, this is my first post as a bit of a plea for some advice. My husband has an offer of a new job in Melbourne. Although travel and visas are paid I can't help but be scared by the enormity of the situation. It would be on a temp visa. My main concern is my children's education. The boys are 14/10 and 8. Does anyone have any education advice? While my eldest could complete all education to 18 in Aus and be back for Uni. My second would have done year 10 equivalent and then be due to come back to UK, not the best time to re-enter the English system possibly. What is cost of living really like? Health system fees for a family of 5? Any real info would be gratefully received or particularly are there any mistakes that people have made that might be useful to know in advance? Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea211 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I can only speak from my own experience of moving during GCSEs and I'd say that with good support it could be done successfully. Moving to another country is also an education in itself and provides good exposure to other cultures. As for the cost of living, IMO it works out to be the same because the pay is better, but things like food and clothing generally cost more. The quality of housing is far better, although like the UK the cities can be expensive. I have spent a lot of time in Melbourne (and am moving there in a few months) and although I don't love the weather, I think it's a great city with lots to do. There is great shopping, heaps of sporting events, every type of restaurant you could imagine and plenty of interesting places to go for kids and adults. Depending on your visa, you may get covered by the government's healthcare system called medicare - if you qualify you will get covered for certain things.I doubt dental would be included , but you should really look into this yourself. There will be people on here who can advise you better on this..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortlepuss Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Your 14 year old may have to pay overseas rate at university on return due to not residing in UK 3 years prior to entry. wouldn't get a student loan either. I would factor this into the cost of taking the job. You could easily end up as counting as an overseas student in both countries if on a temp visa. Very costly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzukiscottie Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 For info, if your kids stay on for Uni after school (you never know, you may end up staying longer) ; it cost us $30,000 per year for my eldest to go to Uni here in Melbourne on our old 457 visa. He is about to star 3rd year now and thankfully the fees will drop to around $7k per year as a permanent resident. As mentioned above, he would have been an International fee-paying student in the UK too if he had gone back there for Uni, due to failing the residence requirement. Look into school fees for the kids. Every government school has "voluntary" fees which most people are expected to pay. Not unusual to have school trips regularly, or other events which you will need to pay for. Private schools are considerably more expensive. Our youngest has just moved to a private school for year 10 onwards; $7k per year. Uniforms are expensive. Whichever school the kids end up at, they'll fit right in. That was our biggest worry too, but when push came to shove, the kids strolled it! New friends, new experiences, new school culture; Much worrying about nothing. Medicare covers the basic stuff, but not dental. Your husbands employer may have a corporate policy for employees and family. Enquire about that. My employers corporate policy reimburses me for my out of pocket costs. You'll need to join Ambulance Victoria, not expensive for a family though. Prices are on their website, just over a hundred bucks I think. It's just a formality that needs to be in place if the kids have any accidents at school or suchlike. Otherwise you could end up getting a hefty bill for an ambulance ride to A&E somewhere! A visit to the doctor costs me about $75. I get a Medicare rebate of roughly $35 paid back into my bank account. So I'm out of pocket for the difference. (But I'm covered for that by the aforementioned employers policy :-)) One of the kids sees a podiatrist regularly, and a physiotherapist too. That's not covered by Medicare at all. I'm out of pocket around $70 each time. I had major cancer surgery a few years ago; then radiotherapy. Didnt cost me a single cent. Medicare covered all of that. I had a couple of impacted wisdom teeth removed just before my cancer surgery; was under $200 each time. A general check-up is under $100. Employers health insurance policy refunded me. I've had some major health issues in my time here in Australia, and the service has been wonderful. Can't fault that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I would not be moving the elder one especially if this is only going to be temporary. Aus yr 12 results don't match up too well against A levels for Uni entry (if you do bring him ensure he finds a place in an IB school). International Uni fees definitely need to be factored in if he does finish education in Aus then hope for a UK university. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter2014 Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Thank you for all the info. It appears to be the cost of uni that could impact in the long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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