Zoot

Freecycle, Ziilch, Trash Nothing, Facebook community noticeboards and buy swap sell for your area, also a facebook group called something like Free Melbourne. Stuff being offered regularly. If you belong to a religious or sporting group ask around many people have stuff they no longer need but too good to junk.

Yeah seemed a bit odd to me too. Even if old passport had long expired I understood that a child of PR parents or citizenship parents automatically got PR. Would have Oz birth certificate etc. This sounded so strange and if it is indeed a change that could affect many other people in that their kids would need to apply for citizenship when they became adults.

This is one for the migration agents. On my local community noticeboard a lady posted that they had attempted to get passports for the family (previous passports having expired many years before) but they were advised that their now adult children would need to obtain a citizenship certificate in their own right before they could apply for a passport this despite having an Australian birth certificate and an Australian passport as children. Apparently this is a new ruling. Is anyone able to shed any light on this?

If you go for a house or a freestanding unit you have a much better chance than if its a flat. Ads generally say no pets if they definitely don't want pets but other than that just ask. I got a rental with cats as did my sister. If you see there are lots of dogs and cats in the area it makes it much harder to justify saying no. People can be destructive as much as pets can be so dont let some anti pet landlords put you off.

Where are you going to be working? Pakenham and Clyde are very far out if you need to commute to the city daily. What are you looking for in a suburb? Near to train, shops, sporting facilities? Are you looking for new developments, old established areas? So many variables. I live in the outer east suburbs of Melbourne. Its green and leafy with lots of bird life. I reckon its pretty safe. Of course there are good and bad bits but I have walked my streets at 3am and never felt unsafe. In the west of Melbourne there have been a lot of new developments which means young families.

Probably easier to look at your local buy swap sell facebook group, op shop, freecycle or something like that. Get the basics cheaply or even better free then when your stuff arrives pass it on. I have heard it works out very expensive and there are often minimal rental periods. At least if you own the stuff even if it is older if your shipment is delayed for any reason you wont have to worry about extending a contract on furniture. Op shops have heaps of plates and cutlery, some do furniture and basic appliances too.

If you have a good job in the UK then stick with it. Even if you went regional to a city like Adelaide your job opportunities are going to be extremely limited, it is much easier for companies to fly someone in from Melbourne or Sydney who has already established their reputation in Australia and who is connected. Even if you are the greatest IT expert that ever lived unless you can convince a company of that and they offer you a role in line with your expertise you will have to take whatever employment is offered to satisfy the work component of the visa (do you want fries with that ?). As far as i understand you are also not able to consult so you couldn't live in a regional town but do consulting work for a corporate in Sydney you have to work in that town which further limits your alternatives. Even if you were prepared to do that after 2 years will your knowledge and skills still be viable.

Look at meetup groups. There are all sorts of groups and you may find you can find a few for your different interests.

Basically you need to say why qld, what is it about qld that you and your family are looking for. So show you have looked at house prices, schools for kids (even if you havent actually written to schools just some info you have showing you have looked at schools), any community type groups you are active in and would be looking to get involved with in oz. Job wise show that even if you cant get work in your specific field you have researched alternatives. Places you may find work and where you would then be thinking of living. If you have made contact with any companies or professional groups include that. If your kids are interested in something specific e.g sport or music the research you have done regarding opportunities for that in qld.

Is it cold - yes - biggest problem is the houses are not insulated and often only have a small wall heater in one room. So even though the temps are maybe not as low as you get in the UK you really feel the cold as you cant warm the house. Stayed in one place in Adelaide that despite piling duvets blankets and looking like the Michelin man to go to bed I still couldnt get warm. Obviously if you live in the hills it is cooler than down nearer to the beach. The heat can be horrific - temps in excess of 40 degrees - you may get a week or two of that or a day or two depending on the year. The very problem then that makes the house so cold in winter kicks in for summer and then the house is too hot as the sun bakes down and warms everything up. So if you like Adelaide then go for it but realise that the temps do the up and down and work around it - stay inside if hot etc - dont let the weather put you off it is a lovely city.

Probably the easiest would be to look at properties further out with a larger block - obviously need room for the four legged family. Not all rentals that are pet friendly say pet friendly on the advert so just a matter of asking at the open for inspection or when you see the property advertised. The landlord has the option to say yes or no but the way I see it if you are someone who wouldnt take care of a property having animals wont make any difference and in some cases makes you a better tenant as you want things to be safe for your pets. Council have restrictions on the number of pets you can have some do the 3 cat 2 dog thing or 2 cat 3 dog etc - it makes no sense really as in my area the neighbouring council allows 3 cats 2 dogs and my council 3 dogs 2 cats. They will usually require a pet bond for the property. When you check out areas see if there are already heaps of pets around makes it more difficult to say no. Already cats in area, already dogs barking, being taking for walks etc etc. Never heard of muzzling of rotweilers - may be a local council rule so check with various councils to see what they say, which will also help you pick an area.

Done - sent an email to the minister.

Try op shops, gumtree, also look on freecycle and zilch

What about trying freecycle or zilch?

I understand exactly what you mean regarding the 475 - I had regional sponsorship to South Australia and battled stupidly for work and that wasnt because I had no skills or was so specialised that there was only one employer on the planet I could work for. I think an added issue is that employers are not familiar with the regional sponsored visa - they understand PR - no restrictions, student visa (limited working hours) and even WHV but a visa where there are no restrictions on the type of work or hours of work but only the geographical area of work freaks them out and with all the worry about employing people with no work rights then they rather go for the easy win. I wish I could suggest something to help - only thing I can think of is trying for general office work for you just as a stop gap. I imagine in your role as a groomer your must have done basic office stuff even if just filing a bit of invoicing etc and try talk that up to see if you can get something. Many people dont understand how difficult it is when you are restricted on area - cant work there not regional or cant do that not enough hours it needs to be full time etc. What about looking for work with pet shops or vets even boarding kennels - maybe someone there would be able to help. It is amazing how many people say that they know electricians / plumbers / builders etc that are turning away work so why are you struggling but bet they never tell you about those who cant get work. Hope you get some break through soon.

What about private lets? Often it is not the owner who wont allow dogs but the rental agent who is not OK with pets - goes in the too hard basket. Blackburn, Nunawading are lovely areas and if it is an older house it will probably have a larger block. Boronia, Ferntree gully - a bit further out but some nice places out that way and probably pets not such an issue as they may be closer in. What about Oakleigh and surrounding areas - nice areas and usually have a garden associated with the house. As an alternative why not pick an area where you can see they have large blocks and therefore there are likely to be pets in the neighbourhood (hard for them to say the neighbours will complain about your dog if the neighbours also have a dog) and then contact all the agents to see what gives.

Hi CherylThe biggest issue with the last remaining relative visa is the processing time - currently about 12 years (everytime you speak to someone at DIAC it gets extended). You can lodge your visa from within Australia assuming that there is not a no further stay condition attached to the visa you use to enter Australia but then you would not be able to work. Theoretically if you could get a job sponsorship for Australia then you could work for your employer whilst waiting for the last remaining relative visa to be processed but with the July changes am not sure how the whole employer sponsored bit will work.If you are considering a move to Oz and you dont have a skill currently in demand may be worth looking into retraining into a field that is in demand although of course those lists are constantly changing.

As you say the visa business is a minefield with so many alternatives each with pros and cons mainly in terms of restrictions versus time to issue visa. Assuming you get a visa to Oz then you will both be eligible to work - even on a 457 visa which is an employer sponsored visa the spouse/partner can work. It is just a matter of putting you both on the visa at the same time either you as main applicant and him as partner or vice versa. Then the visa is issues for both of you. Best suggestion would be to consult with a migration agent (there are some that come highly recommended on the forum). At least with an initial consultation they will be able to tell you what visa they think you would best suit and then you can ask questions more visa specific.

Check out the websites of companies that are in your field as often they advertise vacancies on their own website. Speak to as many people as possible to see if you can find something that way - someone may know someone. THat seems to be very common in Oz that someone gets their friend, family etc into the company where they are working - one place I worked the boss said to the staff check out these CV's if you recognise anyone or the company they worked for we will interview else bin them. Agencies are best for temporary work but once they have you temping for them they are not inclined to put you forward for permanent roles and companies have to pay a fee to the agency for "finding" you so many companies are hard pressed to justify that additional spend.

No problem - they are the same, with the same bad habbits, attitude etc. You can hire people to go in and visit your cats in quarantine (if you are not able) and they will play with them, fuss over them and do all the things you would do for them if you were visiting.

I dont know much about carpentry etc but "evidence" that I would provide is job ads (if they hiring there must be a need), any articles that you find that mention building or population growth (I assume that he would be involved with the carpentry in new houses, shops etc?) - so if you found an article saying that the population of WA will double in x number of years or x number of migrants moving to WA annually and then something about needing houses then you draw the conclusion that his skills will still be in demand in the future. If there is any specialised niche that he works in then find evidence of the growth in that area to support your claim that his skills will be needed in the future. Others may have better suggestions.

Not sure about flying you back but before you panic perhaps people can suggest places for you to look for work when you get to Melbourne. Ok big question what is it that you do, have done? My best suggestion is to try for some restaurant work - the money may not be the best but they always seem to be looking and hopefully you would also get food. Try the restaurants in Richmond they are always looking for staff, subway usually advertises (although they may need longer staying people). Go to the local YHA or backpackers and check out their notice board (sometimes is downstairs in the lobby area) - odd jobs are often advertised there. If you have admin skills you could try some of the temp agencies to see if they need help. I dont know about things like construction - but I would imagine that you need special skills and certificates. Maybe someone else can suggest something for you to try.

Why doesnt your girlfriend apply for a WHV (assuming she qualifies) - that way you can both work and then you can be building up time towards your partner's visa? You never know she may also find an employer to sponsor her.

Been raining and pouring in Melbourne although I think those blue patches and faint glow in the sky could be the sun trying to break through (or not - maybe just imagining things)

Melbourne is far more city like than Adelaide and is very sprawling e.g. Pakenham to the city will take you about an hour by train, but Paklenham is South East if you were to work North West you would have a mega commute. When you talk about public transport are you wanting to be on a train route, happy with a bus to the train or would you prefer the tram? All have their pros and cons. Will you need public transport to get to work or will you just want it there as a back up? What type of property did you have in mind - a garden for yourselves and the dog? A small inner city apartment and the advantage of city life outside your door or a more rural lifestyle? Do you want an old established area, or a new developing area with lots of new builds to choose from? Will you need room to work from home or will you be working for a boss and then home is home? how much travelling do you expect to be doing - if your job needs to to drive around the city a lot then probably you would be best to base yourself near one of the major highways so you have easy access to all areas. Rents in Melbourne are pretty expensive - the nearer the city the higher they are generally, also the nearer to train stations the higher the rent. About $400/week seems to be where the agents start and then it begins to climb. You can of course get places a lot cheaper but you will need to really shop around. Do you have any particular interests as a family e.g. cycling, hiking, fishing so that may also help narrow down areas