zoe1922

Hi we've just moved over to Oz. We both have UK pensions with our old employers which we will decide whether to transfer when we have been here about 6 months to ensure we are definitely staying :cool: My question is though, I have read something about continuing to contribute to UK National Insurance and being able to still claim a UK state pension but I am not sure why and if we stay in Oz (which we intend to) can you still claim the UK state pension from Oz. Might be being a bit thick here, as Pensions/Supers still really confuse me, also as we have a pension with our old employers I also don't understand if you can also claim the state pension from the UK too.... Thanks for any help you can give - you can probably tell I'm confused :frown: Zoe

Thanks northernbird that's perfect! Want the kids to have a good read before we get there in a couple of weeks (and might have a good read myself!) although we've driven over there before and it was fine...

Just wondering if anyone knows if there is anything like a highway code book (similar to the UK) that we can get to help our son (and daughter who will be applying for her drivers permit as soon as we arrive!) Zoe:smile:

CaptainC many thanks for your replies. Reading through I am sure you are right, which is very pleasing and he doesn't mind the P plates (and we completely understand why they do that with new drivers). He will have been driving for approx. 10 months when we arrive, so I am hoping they will take this time off the 2 years he needs to be on P plates - don't suppose you would know the answer to this at all, I can't see that it really explains that on the website?? Regards, Zoe

Thanks Rupert, I suppose I'm just concerned about getting a job the same as most people... My CV is ok but I don't have a cover letter and I need to update my Linked In profile - better get working!!:rolleyes:

Hi we are moving over to WA at the end of August and I really need to make sure my CV and Cover Letter (both of which I will need to amend each time to suit the role) are top notch. I have a CV but it needs updating to suit the Ozzie market, plus I really don't know the best way to go about writing a really good cover letter. I have a career in banking of 25 years (yes banking - no, I'm not an investment banker and don't get a big bonus!) and I currently specialise in Payments, but also have a great knowledge of Risk, Six Sigma and Change Management so I need to get this across in my CV. Does anyone know of or have any recommendations for companies at all please??:twitcy: Thanks

Hi, Bit of info for you that I know, as my OH is also an Openreach engineer in the UK. Unfortunately, BT don't give you any formal qualifications which means that your skills won't be recognised in Oz unless you are able to successfully get your skills assessed and recognised by VETASSESS I think it is. Your other option is to complete an Oz Telecommunications Certificate III once you get to Oz - not sure if you can do this from the UK but would be worth looking into. A lot of the engineers in Oz also do mobile telecoms, which is different to the UK as Openreach engineers don't do the mobile network..this is why the job descriptions aren't the same. We are moving over to Oz at the end of August as we are lucky enough to have had my skills recognised so we now have a Permanent Residency visa for WA (can't wait!), so I will keep you informed as I think its going to be easier to check on demand for telecoms guys once there.

Hi, We are moving over to Perth at the end of August - yay!:cool: I have found some short term rentals which we can move into for about a month, but I'm not sure what to do for the best. It seems difficult to get a longer term rental whilst we are still in the UK, and I'm not sure that I'd want to until I've seen it. If we go for a short term rental for about a month, does anyone have any experience of if this will be long enough to find a longer term rental with everything else we need to do when we get there? including finding a job!! Thanks for any help you can give :wink:

Hi I am wondering if anyone would have an idea of a good senior high school for our daughter. She was 16 in February this year and we are moving over to WA at the end of August. She will have finished her GCSEs in the UK - she likes (and is really good at!) Maths and the three sciences so am looking for a senior high that can help her particularly with these subjects. In the UK she would be starting her A levels in September, but I know that in Oz she will need to finish a few months of year 10 (?) before she can do her HSC - is this correct? We are not really restricted to area but I will need to be within travelling distance of Perth CBD. Was thinking Joondalup, Ocean Reef similar area's, don't mind going a bit more inland either :yes: Also, would like to meet up with others that have made the move - I am 41, my husband is 48 and we have an 18 year old son and 16 year old daughter, so similar age kids would be a huge bonus! Thanks!

Thanks for the reply just wanted to double check, as we're now gearing up for the big move in July!

This is probably a silly question :wacko: but want to check that if I am the main visa applicant (we have a 176 PR in WA), we have been over and validated our visas, but just want to check that there is no reason why my OH can't go over a few weeks before me and start looking for work? Thanks ! :twitcy:

Hi I'm hoping that you might be able to answer me a couple of questions. We have a 176 PR visa and will be moving over to Oz later this year. As part of the sponsorship email that we got in the middle of 2010, it states the following: 1. You remain living and working in Western Australia for a period of two years after obtaining your visa; 2. You keep the Western Australian Government informed of your contact details after your arrival; 3. You complete a settlement survey every six months for a period of 24 months; and 4. You transfer around A$390000 into Western Australia for living costs and domestic arrangements 1 & 2 are fine. I presume we contact them via email to let them know of our arrival and contact details? 3 - do they send you the survey to complete? 4 - I had originally estimated that we would be taking over about $390000, but since 2010 things have changed a bit and it now looks like we'll only have about $250000 to take. Do they check this and do I need to advise them that we will be taking less money? (still plenty to live on though..) Hope you have some experience of this that you can share with me :wink: Many thanks, Zoe

Hi all many thanks for your replies - he's gutted having just had to do both the theory and practical here in the UK makes it seem like a waste of time if they're not going to recognise a UK licence.:mad:

Hi, I've just been reading up about changing our UK driving licences to WA ones when we arrive in a few months. I'm now more confused about my 17 year old sons licence than when I started :cry: After much expense (!) he passed his driving test here in the UK in October. When we move over to WA in June/July 2014 I was presuming that as he had passed in the UK he was ok to just fill in the form and get his WA licence as me and my OH will. However, it now says since September 2012 if he is under 25 he has to resit both the theory and practical tests in WA - is this right?? Or will he get a WA licence but be restricted to P plates??? Any help you can give would be great...:wacko: Thanks

This will probably be a silly question but we have a bike rack here n the UK that fits on our tow bar and I didn't check when we went over last year. To validate our visas that the tow bars are the same over in Oz - is anyone able to answer this for me at all? :chatterbox: