Where on Earth do we start?

[samtavis]

Hi everyone, my husband (South African) and I (British) have been married and living in England for the past 11 years. We've always spoken about the possibility of moving to Australia. I've been twice before and absolutely fell in love with the country. We now have two children (aged 5 and 9) and truly believe that Australia will give them a better life.

 

My husband is currently studying an Engineering degree via Open University (he's 2 years into a 6 year course). I'm looking at the option of him getting a Student Visa (with myself and our children as his dependants). I do know it's expensive, but after his two full-time years of studying in Australia (plus possible work experience of up to 40hrs per fortnight) it could mean that by the time he finishes his course we may have enough to points to apply for a Skilled Working Visa (as he would have studied in Australia & have previous work experience in the county too).

 

Has anybody come in via this route? What are the pros/cons? He's aged 36 and I'm 33 so if we wait for him to finish his degree in this country and then find a job as an engineer and build up the experience our kids will be fully grown!

 

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Hi @samtavis the student visa has changed a lot since we came over but I know back then it was nightmares for families. We had one forum member come with 3 children. She had to pay full fees for school they got no help with medical fees, no benefits (family tax) her husband could only work Somethimg like 15 hours a week. It broke them. They had sold their house in the UK and ended up using all the profit in the first year. She ended up moving back to the UK and living with her mum whilst he stayed here alone doing his course. Once he has finished he couldn't get a sponsor and also went home to nothing.

If things havent changed then I would tell you not to do it. Wait until you have enough points then apply.

[flag of convenience]

Definitely wait and finish the course. Then check to see if any jobs available at that time.

[rammygirl]

I also doubt if they would count any part time work experience before graduation for visa purposes. Work experience needs to be full time and after any qualification required.

 

the cost of an engineering degree will be very high too, with limited work rights for you both. As mentioned school fees for children also need to be taken into consideration.

 

Will probably work out cheaper to go full time in UK to finish the degree when you add it all up.

[Quoll]

Honestly? Don't do it unless you are absolutely rolling in dough. No country is worth what it would cost you. One first world country is very much like any other. Finish what you're doing in UK, get the experience, then consider.

[Chillers]

He would need relevant experience in his field for a number of years to be eligible for skilled migration visa. To my knowledge student visa's also only allow 20 hours per week allocated to work. They are designed simply for students studying in the country and not intending to stay. If you are serious about moving i would invest in a migration agent and they will be able to tell you what options you have, they may find an alternative for you which could save you money.

[MaggieMay24]

Engineering occupations often don't need any work experience to pass the skills assessment, but by the time he graduates he would likely not get many points for age, and he may not be able to claim any work experience points. If you want to pursue this, I'd suggest you speak with a migration agent to see what options you may have and what may be the best strategy to follow.

[Marisawright]

My husband is currently studying an Engineering degree via Open University (he's 2 years into a 6 year course). I'm looking at the option of him getting a Student Visa...after his two full-time years of studying in Australia (plus possible work experience of up to 40hrs per fortnight) it could mean that by the time he finishes his course we may have enough to points to apply for a Skilled Working Visa

 

If you are going the Student Visa route then it's absolutely crucial to do a comprehensive budget and make sure you'll have enough funds to live on for the duration of the course. It will be very expensive. You'll need to budget for the cost of full school fees (or child care fees) for your children (you'll get no subsidies or tax benefits). Check domain.com.au and realestate.com.au to find the cost of rental, and do a trial shop at coles.com.au to understand the cost of food.

 

How does your husband feel about the practicality of undertaking a full-time engineering degree and also working 20 hours a week? An engineering degree is quite full-on, so he'd be working very long hours. I also wonder if he'd find an employer willing to work around his lecture times. As an engineer he doesn't need the work experience so that's not an issue, however you have to consider what you'll live on.

 

I'd say it's doubtful he would qualify for a skilled visa at the end of the course, so you'd have to bet on him finding a 457 (sponsored) visa instead - that is a gamble and you'd have to be prepared to move back to the UK if he can't get one. So in your budget, you need to include a contingency for moving back again.

 

If you're from SA then I can understand the pull of Australia as a place to bring up children. However we've had a few "stay or go" discussions on here recently, and a couple of posters have said that having moved back to the UK, they feel their children have a richer education in the UK, and will have a wider choice of employers and better career opportunities in the UK and Europe when they're grown up - particularly as Australia is on a decline with rising unemployment. Obviously there is more to life than that, so it does really depend what you mean by "a better future".

Edited February 5, 2016 by Marisawright

[samtavis]

Thank you, think we may just do that & look seriously at our options.

[samtavis]

Thanks everyone. We'll speak to a migration agent and look through everything properly. Listening to your comments it seems a student visa may not be the best option for us after all. We're happy in the UK but we're such an outdoors family that a lifestyle similar to my husband's childhood in SA is what we're looking for. Maybe SA is a better option to move to rather than Australia!

[thl4kel]

Engineers are not in demand in OZ at the moment due to the slow down in construction which looks likely to stay for a good while.

[srh82]

As an Engineer working in Australia, I would say your husband would be better completing his degree (and getting a masters) in the UK. Longer term, if your children are in any way academically bright, I believe that they will have better opportunities in the UK than in Australia, although this is only my personal view. Yes, the outdoor lifestyle is a major draw and I get that and I appreciate exactly what you are saying, Australia does not have the diversity of employment or academic opportunities that exist in the UK or continental Europe. Unless you are financially self-sufficient with sizeable investments which generate you income that you can live off without depending on your husband, I would stay put.

 

Sorry if this is not what you want to hear. We are here to get citizenship. In the interim, our careers have not progressed as they maybe should have, not through the want of trying!