pinkpom

Can I just clarify - I meant the Sydney bashing gets a bit boring, not Sydney itself! I absolutely love it. Yes it’s expensive but anyone who’s going to move there should know that already. I didn’t proof read before I posted. Sorry about that.

OP has already said Sydney’s not an option to live, so therefore I agree they’d be better off spending time elsewhere to decide where they want to live, no question. For those who NEED to live in Sydney due to jobs/family support/just damn familiarity it gets a bit depressing and samey, tbh. Otherwise yeah go look around OP. Where do you want to live/ where are the jobs for your family? Concentrate round there.

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. You’ve given me lots to think about. @Ausvisitor if you don’t mind me asking - where did you live in the UK? We are in the south east, so costs are very high in the UK anyway, but yes I’m totally aware how high costs are particularly in Sydney. Housing and food would be higher for sure. I’m just wondering if we would notice the increase as much as someone who moved from regional UK. We have neither a big house (just a standard 3 bed) or a nice car, but to be honest we’re not very interested in cars (totally happy with cheap but reliable second hand) and are aware we’d have to live in a unit while starting out. We live a fairly simple life in the UK and would be looking to continue that. My salary would pretty much double by moving over so we could take a little bit of a hit on OH’s and still be slightly better off financially particularly with the childcare subsidy I think. Just been having a conversation with my cousin about rates and our council tax works out double to what hers are in Queensland! I think I’m pivoting to maybe Brisbane. Also have some family and friends nearby. I don’t think OH would go for a career change, but I will speak to him about everything that’s been said on here. I’ll also get him to look at maybe doing a qualification over here that might lead to some better job opportunities. 3 days in the office would be ok but we’d need to look carefully at the commute times. @GeeBee we would also think about rentvesting! It’s interesting how rent prices (although they’re astronomical) don’t really translate to mortgages, so you can rent a house for much less than buying. I suppose it’s because they are mortgage free. How did you find the move and setting up? Do you have children?

We were actually thinking slightly further north - Hornsby, for example. The train time is 45 mins in the morning according to Google maps, I’d guess the total commute would be about an hour - we’d have to rent close to the station. And I do know there’s a rental crisis and that might be difficult. We are prepared for the first year to be tough while we establish ourselves. That’s the same as the commute time he does here in the UK. I’ve done a fair bit of research and it seems a lot of companies are still offering hybrid working - 2/3 days in the office and the rest WFH. There’s a lot of chat about family friendly policies and flexibility, same as the UK. Is that not the case then? Are they just paying lip service to it? I’m reading articles about how WFH is here to stay and companies are responding to it. He’s in the office 2 days a week at the moment and it works well. An hour commute twice a week is fine. But if the job adverts are not being truthful and there’s still a culture of being pressured to come into the office for long hours then yeah, that wouldn’t work for us. He’s in finance but not hugely high level in a very pressured role. Mid level financial services really. Thanks for the tip about going south. My family are all north so I was concentrating there to have a bit of support from them, but I’ll have a look down there.

I would have a job before I got here. Employers are snapping my hand off, to be frank ( I was slightly worried one of the hospitals wouldn’t let me leave when I visited ) but certainly I would be funding our lives on my salary for a bit until OH got a job. Childcare would be less with the subsidy, housing costs would be more in Sydney. It would be doable but tight. I guess as long as my partner got a job fairly quickly (and I know there’s lots of jobs at the moment) we would be ok. Just not as better off as I was hoping! We are travellers and coming for an adventure is a good way to look at it. OH is definitely up for an adventure!! We are very strong as a couple and aware that the first year or so would be tough. We’ve been honest with each other and I don’t think it would cause friction - or not anything we couldn’t get over. It’s definitely not all about money. I like the idea of a later school start as I think we start kids too young in full time education in the UK. We’d very likely get private health insurance as a benefit once OH got a job. We are keen for a simpler life, lots of greenery and outdoorsy stuff. I’ve been looking at the upper north shore in Sydney as it seems to deliver a compromise - but no beach I think it’s just a matter of adjusting expectations really. But then also looking at it through the lens of those adjusted expectations, if you see what I mean. Still a fair bit to digest and think about.

Having a bit of an existential crisis here - please be kind! I lived in Australia several years ago. Loved it, great quality of life, financially better off, found the healthcare system great, lived by the beach in both WA and Sydney and just generally fell in love with Australia. Had to return to the UK for various reasons which I won’t go in to here but they are no longer an issue. I have never felt settled in the UK and now want to return, but have picked up a partner and had a baby along the way. I still have a PR visa. I’m aware OH and baby will need a visa and have spoken to migration professionals regarding this. I’ve recently had a research trip back to Oz, to Queensland and Sydney, to see where we would want to move back to (have some family/friend support in both places). I’ve been horrified by how much costs have risen without it seems a corresponding rise in salaries. I’m in healthcare (nurse) and partner is corporate. I’m aware he may well not earn the salary in Oz he earns in the UK but mine will be higher. Essentially we will be financially no better off really and certainly the Australian dream of the house by the beach is pretty much out of reach. Healthcare seems to be going the same way as the UK eg crap and difficult to access, it’s crowded in Sydney and Queensland would be difficult in other ways - namely employment prospects for OH. I don’t really know what I’m asking for here. Reassurance that it’s still an amazing way of life and definitely worth the move, really. Anyone moved recently with success stories? There certainly still seems to be people trying - why and what’s made you do it? Sorry about the long post!!

Thanks Quoll. There may be a risk with applying for a partner visa from the UK though as Paul Hand has mentioned above. Lots to weigh up!! Thanks for your input

Thanks Paul. It does seem that there’s a difference of opinion between agents and the knowledgable people on this site - I have been told it’s not usually a problem if the applicant is from the UK. But it’s exactly this point that’s making me look at the onshore visa. It’s an expensive gamble otherwise!!

Thanks very much for replying. Yes that’s what we’ve been told by a very well respected agent. I won’t go into the details, but financially it would be much better if we didn’t have to weigh out the money for the visa/agent till the end of next year. So just trying to figure out all the options and decide what’s best.

Good stuff, hope it all goes well

Thanks Ken. I’ve read unemployment is exceptionally low at the moment. He works for an investment bank in financial services. Location wise would we need to go to Sydney or Melbourne? I have friends telling me Brisbane could be a possibility. I can work anywhere so we can head to the place most likely for him to find work

It sounds like you have personal experience - were you able to get work and how long did it take you, please?

Okay so you were already on a working visa then?

Currently mulling over options to get back to Aus before my PR travel facility expires next October. If we (me, partner, baby son) go and do an onshore partner application my understanding is my partner would switch to a bridging visa with full work rights after tourist visa expires. I have heard employers are reluctant to hire people on bridging visas - does anyone know if this is the case? Financially it wouldn’t necessarily be a disaster, but I would worry about isolation/loneliness for my partner not having a job and meeting people and also the effect on his career being out of work for a year or so. He works in finance. Any responses appreciated, thankyou

Oh dear. Might be a problem there. Obvs I’ll need to speak to an agent, but can you briefly advise of the definition of ‘usually resident’ please?

Just that really - I have PR but living in the UK currently. Want to sponsor my partner so we can go to Australia but we have a 4 month old baby. Do we include little one on my partners visa as a dependent or do we need a child visa for him? thanks in advance

Thanks so much to everyone that has been supportive, means a lot. Off to work now (life goes on somehow doesn't it) but I'll definitely check out those rehoming places. Just worried that if she starts over grooming they'll think she's too stressed and put her to sleep but hopefully if I explain she's fine once she settles they'll understand. thanks again xxxx

Hii guys, first time posting on here for many years..... Used to come on here a lot but got out of the habit...... anyway my dilemma is this, my partner and I moved out to WA 2 years ago from the UK. Tragically due to the pressures of emigrating (among other things) our 8 year relationship has come to an end and we are going our separate ways. We have a gorgeous little cat we adopted (she turned up at our first rental place, the previous owners had obviously been feeding her but then abandoned her when they moved out) I fell in love with her and have been taking care of her ever since, she has moved house with us etc. My partner can't take her on his new journey and neither can I - I am moving to sydney with no job and nowhere to live, will be moving about and in share accommodation. she got so stressed out when we moved house she started pulling all her fur out and I can't put her through multiple moves, possibly with no garden, etc. I don't know whether to send her back to the UK so my mum can look after her - she's a very experienced cat owner who will be able to cope with her stress levels after the move. But I am terrified the plane journey will kill her - I spoke to an airline who said that cats and dogs cages are put next to each other in the hold - she HATES dogs and I'm terrified she would die of fright spending hours next to a barking dog when she can't run away. i have put some notices up at work to try to rehome her but haven't had any luck. I will not put her on gumtree and have no idea where she's going. None of my friends can help - the Aussies aren't terribly keen on cats in general it seems! if anyone has any ideas or can put my mind at rest about the flight I'd be really grateful. I'm terrified about my mum picking her up at the other end to find her bleeding where's she's chewed herself so excessively. The funny thing is once she settled in here she's been absolutely fine, no hair pulling out for a while now. Maybe I'm being over the top but she's my little mate and has given me so much joy over the past two years, I can't cope with the thought of her being terrified. It's just one more level of stress in a very stressful time! I'm also crying my eyes out at the thought of giving her away. I just don't know what to do. Sorry for the massive long rant. To be honest I'm not sure what I'm hoping to get out of this post but I'm at my wits end. thanks for reading xxxxx

Hi there My partner and I are currently in the process of moving to Sydney on a 457 visa. My partner has an NVQ level 2 in plumbing, plus unvented hot water and solar hot water. He has 6 years experience in plumbing. We've been looking at the plumbing licences in australia and some posts on here which seem to say he needs to go to TAFE and get requalified, however these posts are specifically about queensland, and I was wondering if anyone knows if this is the same in NSW? Any information gratefully received! Thanks

Hi everybody, haven't posted in a while but am finally getting my application moving (or so I thought) and have come up against a bit of a brick wall...... Applied for AHPRA registration in November, jumped through all the hoops, got a different transcript from uni as the first was wasn't what they wanted etc, and have just received a letter from them today saying that I am eligible for registration but have to go into an AHPRA office by 29/03/2012 to get it finalised! I am sure I never read anything about this when I was filling in the application and sorting out the paperwork, and am gutted as am not planning to be in australia by then as my partner and I want to go travelling first. This also then means that I cannot apply for modified assessment by the ANMC, my IELTS test will have run out and I'm going to have to sort out the whole thing out whilst travelling which is going to be a nightmare, as well as paying twice! I've read on a couple of posts that this seems to be the norm, is it a new thing? How can you get a visa without an ANMC assessment, and why do they offer you the option of modified assessment if you can't get registered without going to aus first? Sorry this is a bit of a rant, I just can't believe all the fees to AHPRA and the notary etc have been wasted. Last question, does anyone know if AHPRA have an office or something in the UK i can go into? Thanks for reading, sorry again its a bit long!

Hi guys! Quick question (its probably been answered on here but i've been reading for a couple of hours and still confused, sorry if i'm making anyone repeat themselves) Do i have to get ANMC registration and QNC registration, or can i get the QNC and then do the modified skills assessment? I'm newly qualified (well bout 6 months now but its flown by) and am applying for the grad programme in queensland in march. Applied for WA last year when i was still a student and was told by fremantle hospital the wanted to give me a job but couldn't as they couldn't take international applicants - gutted is not the word! Could have been out there now! But on reflection hadn't really sorted stuff out, am just about to apply for the IELTS test and then need to know what to do next, am hoping to have as much stuff sorted before the application as possible. So, sit IELTS and then can they send my results to QNC, or what happens? This is more complicated then my dissertation! Thanks so much for any help guys, good luck with your plans everyone :cool: