Hi Sara
To be honest, I think you are narrowing your options too much. It is VERY hard to find hauliers who are willing to sponsor for visas at all, because they have the Unions breathing down their necks.
Apparently the argument is that there is no shortage of home-grown Aussies who could drive trucks but they decline to do it because the pay is not good enough. Consequently there is a huge shortage of drivers.
The Government could solve the skills-shortage element by putting truck-driving on to the list of occupations in demand. However, the Unions involved are powerful and they are implacably oposed to that idea because they fear that the market would become saturated with foreign drivers, all willing to work for less than the home-grown Aussies are demanding, and this would not help the home-grown Aussie drivers one bit.
If you have a situation where a haulier would hire and sponsor a foreign driver but the rest of his drivers will go out on strike if he tries it, egged on by their Unions, then the haulier will think twice and thrice about the idea and at the end of the day he will probably err on the side of keeping his home-grown drivers happy because they can all walk into jobs with his competitors tomorrow if they so choose.
I think that if you manage to find sponsorship at all, you are going to be more likely to find it in SA, where the shortage of drivers is acute and the whole state is "regional." You might simply have to put up with SA for 2-5 years in order to give yourselves the best chance of getting to Oz.
Also, have you thought about whether you could manage on the pay? On a 457 visa, the employer would not have to pay your OH more than A$41,850 pa gross - ie before tax. BullcreekBob has lived in Perth for many years. This is what he wrote on 15 December 2006 to a poster on a different forum:
"If you look at the scenario of a couple living in Aus on PR, with one partner working earning $41,850, the other partner looking after two children would recieve $11,722 p.a Family Tax benefit, Parts A and B (a bit like family allowance). Even the person earning the $41,850 will probably get low income supplement and additional superannuation benefits. As a 457 visa holder, I am fairly sure you would not be entitled to receive any government financial benefits, therefore you will be trying to live on an income level below that of struggling Aussie families without being eligible for Government support.
So a possible budget for you might look like:
Income $41,850 Less Tax (from the ATO 2006 tax calculator) $8,41 less Medicare levy $627.75 leaving an after tax income of $32807.25pa which is weekly $631.
Now as a very rough estimate because I don't know where you plan to live; Rent $375, Food for 5 $300, Public Transport (unable to afford car) $50, trip to movies $85, school expenses $25, kids expenses $??, McDonalds weekly treat $40 .... you get the idea.
I'm sorry this post is so negative sounding. I would like to think of some positives to add but sadly I can't think of anything to say other than to please think very seriously before doing anything and seek the opinions of others to as accurately as possible determine your household budget before you get here."
Sara, what are your plans? Are you planning to get a job too? Bob's figures are a bit out of date but they are not out of sight, my friend. There would be nothing to stop you from working full-time if you wish, but would this be feasible?
As far as schooling is concerned, in the ACT or NSW you would have to pay school fees of about A$5,000 per child per year. In all the other States, you would only have to pay for textbooks, stationery etc which works out at about A$350 per child per year assuming that the children have no Special Needs. If one of them does, that is a different scenario again.
Have you also considered that you would not get the first time home buyer's grant of A$7,000 if you buy a house whilst on a 457 visa? In WA, you would not get the first time buyers' stamp duty rebate either, plus you would need FIRB consent in order to buy a house anywhere in Oz.
I really suggest that you need to look into every possible aspect of this in much more detail, my friend.
Best wishes
Gill
Regional Areas's
