WelcomeIf you are new to Poms In Oz and migrating to Australia or currently living in Australia feel free to say hi to all the other either in or moving to Oz.
Hi everyone, I'm very glad I found this site as some moral support and information would be invaluable right now and you all seem like nice people!
We have submitted our application and got the email from our case officer yesterday, I am married to an Australian and we have two boys (nearly 3 and 9 months) so are hoping the visa will be quite quick (is this unreasonable?) I am expecting to be out of here within 6 months.
Now, we have decided to move to Cairns, is this really a good idea, given the stinking hotness and miles away from anywhereness?. We've been before, camped for a few weeks in the winter while we did lots of diving, which was great, but does anyone have any experience of actually living there With small children? Cheaper housing is a big consideration for us and my husband is in hospitality so should be no problem finding work.
Apart from that I am extremely excited about starting a new adventure and scared to death at the same time.
Would be very happy to receive any advice.
Thanks .
Hi and hello..........
I think your hubby would know more than us being Australian as most of us on here hav'nt even been to Oz!!!!!
Try looking at the "Talk about " sections of the forum.... there might be some posts about Cairns there. It would definately be tooo hot & tropical for us (have a fair skinned, auburn haired daughter who does'nt like too much sun and hubby is a plumber, and apparently the do alot of work in loft's out there, so it all had to be taken into account), we are heading Melbourne way, it sounds right for us.........
Best of luck with your adventure :biggrin:
__________________ Finally living in Mount Martha, Melbourne......... and loving it !!!!!!!!! TRA passed - Feb. 07 ...........Visa granted (136- General Plumber) 14th June !!!!!!!! Landed in Oz 9th December 2007!!! PIO Skilled Trades database for Victoria: http://www.freewebs.com/victorianskilledtraderslist/index.htm
:wink: Hi ya asylon, I´m not really sure how long a spouse visa takes to come through when you apply in the UK but i can tell you that my spouse visa application (i applied onshore in oz) took 15 days and that was becuase i had to get extra paperwork shipped from the uk - otherwise i was told by the immigration officer that i saw that it would of been the same day that i had an interview and lodged my application which would of been great but 15 days isnt long so that was great too..... i think maybe that once accepted you will go straight onto a pernament visa as you have children together etc.... good luck gizmo
__________________ ** Here There,Where Ever Be Happy**
Hi and welcome to PIO
You'll find this site invaluable and everyone is very helpful and friendly and will do their best to answer any questions you have and generally give you support!
I applied for a spouse visa in UK last year as I'm also married to an Australian and it came through very quickly indeed once all the paperwork was in and medicals, police checks, etc had been done so you should be fine and can't see any problem with your 6 month time frame.
Can't advise you on Cairns, we settled on Sydney - but all I know about Cairns is it's VERY hot!!!!!
Good luck and let us know how you're getting on....best wishes
Thanks very much all!
Just wondering Gizmo, did it cost more to do it in Oz? Thats an amazing timescale, would never have thought that.
I think we have paid around £700. No agency, did it ourselves
I did suggest that to my OH but he came up with some reason why not, can't remember now.
I have found it too cold for me in Sydney on the 3 occasions I have visited (in winter) so I think I must be pretty cold blooded, I need to bask in tropical warmth. But then I've never been to Queensland in summer.
And yes, Hubby probably does know more but he's biased and I want to see what some poms think!
hi welcome to the site any probs just give us a shout - im not in oz yet so cant answer ur questions about living there im sure plenty of people on here will be able to do though
Sorry haven't started the spouse visa process yet so can't answer your question but I also have two children 3 and 8 months, what did you do for them, just apply for aussie passports and is that all they need?
Sorry haven't started the spouse visa process yet so can't answer your question but I also have two children 3 and 8 months, what did you do for them, just apply for aussie passports and is that all they need?
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
It's easy, because Daddy is an Aussie its automatic, we got them both UK and Oz passports when they were born.
Apply for their citizenship first, download the form via Australia House, when that comes apply for a passport as normal from Australia House again. But be warned, the Oz passport photos have different requirements to ours, they are much more close up. They caught us out on that first time.
There is no further immigration stuff needed for them
But, and I hate to be a scaremonger but it happened to someone I know, you have no right to get them out of Oz again should you and your partner split up. You are stuck there. Which you might well be happy with, but I find it a bit daunting.
I'm from Newport too, if thats Newport Gwent. Liswerry.
Good Luck
Alyson
