el capitan

No worries on replying b4 i only pop on here same as u, as and when. Glad you got a job with good money as well! i sometimes think if id stayed a bit longer i may have been lucky but who knows money was dwindling and i had to make the decision....really not enjoying that decision at the moment as the weather is total crap here! and has been for the last 3 years...ever since i got back funnily enough!! Perth is nice thats where i was based last time fingers crossed for yr wife and i hope u have better luck than me over there. Work is still not in abundance over here but as you know when ur back where u know people, u can always get some work and luckily i have enough so all good there. Ive heard that there has been a lot of redundancies made on the mines so a lot of the trades will b flooding the cities again like they did when i came out last time! think thats gonna sway my decision for staying in the UK :-( will keep checking and being indecisive tho im sure lol. Shame cos it took me a long time and a lot of money to get the residency visa and will be gutted when it expires next august guess i just did the whole thing at the wrong time unfortunately... Thanks for replying be lucky :cute:

Hi charlie i messaged you on here a while back, not sure you still check the site but thought id say hi and message anyway. Im still in the UK and working everyDAY! lol. as i said before my very expensive residents visa expires in aug 2014, i am still unsure whether to come back and risk not getting any work again but dont want to waste my visa! a friend and fellow plumber has just returned from perth after gaining his citizenship, lucky for him his wife had a good job and was able to support them both. He told me it was worse than when i was there for getting plumbing work and didnt look like like getting any better any time soon :-( he was working as a window fitter which he got through a friend. I was just wondering how you got on in the end? did u manage to settle in ok and find a decent job? if so can i have one?!! hahaha Anyway just enquiring as just not sure what to do at the mo. Hope all good with you :-)

from my understanding and the process i went through....he'll need more than just 12 months experience! i think you have to have a minimum of 3 years work experience as well as qualifications, as rohyett suggested i would consult yr migration solicitior or whoever yr using. btw im back in the uk now as it was so hard getting a job as a plumber (or any job for that matter) even with all my qualifications!! so beware its not all that easy to find work

Hi charliebhoy I flew out to perth Just over 2 years ago, I had exactly the same problem as you! i got my tradespersons licence unfortunately i didnt have my uk gas qualification at the time and didnt feel confident enough to take the aussie one (as a lot of the plumbing jobs also specified gas licence) but i had years of uk plumbing experience so applied to LOADS of plumbing companies but all came back with the same thing...."how many years WA experience have you got?" my reply "none"....theirs..."cant help you mate!" Unfortunately i didnt have a partner, so couldnt afford to stay unless i took some crappy labourer or factory job, which for some is an honest living but im a qualified plumber and couldnt/didnt want to go backwards in my career as im not getting any younger. I applied for jobs in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane but they all came back with the same answer. I do understand that times are hard and the aussies are just employing their own which is right in my opinion, But instead of telling us we are in so much demand maybe they could tell us the truth! I have been back in the UK for a year now, have just passed my gas exams and have been working since i came back but really want to return before my residency expires in 2014, but only if the plumbing job market improves drastically in our favour! Judging by your post it doesnt look like this is gonna happen anytime soon.....do you think or is it being suggested that this will change soon?? any info/input be greatly appreciated, hope your still enjoying the place tho and not getting to hot and covered in flies like i was in perth! :biggrin: cheers chris