boganbear

thats not true. Partner visas are open to opposite and same sex partners. The one year relationship rule is waived if you have registered your relationship in Australia or if you have kids or have been together more than 5 years. Imthink the OPs best bet would be a partner visa then their skills etc won't be a problem. They probably won't be able to get a federal public service job but could get a state one or local council job

If your partner has Australian permanent residency why are you not applying for a partner visa 820 I think? It's relatively easy to get. But waiting times are getting longer There are still health conditions but you won't need to worry about anything else. I have heard of some long term conditions being accepted but have no idea about yours. One thing to note. At a federal level you have to be a citizen to get a public service job. This will probably include Centrelink which is the equivalent if the dole/benefits office. There is no equivalent of the job centre and job placement agencies are private. I'm not sure if they would be covered as they are contracted out from the federal government.

From speaking to my partner his secondary school experience seems a lot more enjoyable than mine was and there is a greater emphasis on soft skills than in the UK. I don't have kids but a friend's son is learning car mechanics which is probably more useful than most of the crap I learned at school. However, the history curriculum here is laughable compared the level of detail and topics I learned. Having said that, I work with recent graduates and done are very intelligent and know stuff far more complex than I did on my degree so it goes to show Aussie degrees can be rigorous. I got a first class degree and had to get over 70% overall to get a first. Here you need around 80-85%%. My degree which was an honours degree was evaluated as being only the equivalent of an ordinary bachelors degree- damn cheek! Most Aussie degrees are not honours degrees so I would not call them equivalent. I do do find that many Aussies are not so "worldly wise" as people from the UK, have less understanding of world history and culture but this might just reflect that in the UK i learned British and European history and French literature (in French!) for A Level which is not really relevant in Australia. Why would it? I work with lawyers who cannot even say legal terms correctly and have the nerve to correct my pronunciation. I have had my English corrected in the workplace in the UK and yet I am corrected quite often. I even had my French "corrected". To finally answer your question, there is much in the Australian system which is better than the English one which is probably more rigorously academic. However, I have never used most of what I learned at school, and from my experience, GCSEs do not even compare to O levels. I'm sure if your daughter has a thirst for knowledge and learning, she will do well in either system. In the workplace what matters most are your work attitude and skills, not your school qualifications or degree.

The LNP in Queensland and the Liberals are the same bunch of ****s so perhaps i should vote Campbell Newman out in the Qld election

You are considering emigrating to Dubbo? hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Now thats an episode of Wanted Down Under I would love to see

If you have registered your relationship in Australia the 12 month living together requirement for a de facto visa does not apply so you only have the problem of getting the money together and filling in your paperwork asap. Can you borrow money, put it on a credit card, get an overdraft, sell things on gumtree to get the fees? I wouldnt normally advocate doing this but desperate times call for desperate measures. You can then carry on as you are until a decision is made and it will be a lot less hassle and easier than going to NZ for god knows how long. Its a shame you didnt post this a few weeks ago as you could have got your application in before the fees went up in January.

Williamstown aka the Jewel of the West. We loved it there and were sad to leave but it is like a village. good schools, loads to do and at the end of the train line so you always get a seat. it can be a bit pricey but its worth it

I used to live in Slough, a walk away from Windsor. Windsor is very expensive for houses, too many tourists and its right on the flightpath to Heathrow. It will drive you bonkers. thats why i left Slough. Don't even think of Windsor. I come from Devon and Exeter is a very nice place, a bit exy and the airport is good for European getaways to most places. Before emmigrating we lived in Bristol and it is brilliant. if we ever go back to England (unlikely) we would go there. there is plenty to do, great people who are super friendly. Our old landlord used to run ballroom dancing competitions http://dancelines.com/ and Bristol is a place where you can do all sorts of activities. I am sure there you can find belly dancing, pole dancing,even morris dancing ! Loads of arts and culture if that's your thing. The airport is great and only 20 mins away on the bus adn loads of lovely places nearby

It may seem harsh but it is cheating the system. Even DIBP advises not to book anything until the visa is granted. There are so many reasons why a visa may not be granted and in my opinion, if you go ahead and travel, to effectively emigrate, which is what the poster is doing, then they are knowingly abusing the system. I waited until my visa was granted and sorted everything out and travelled in 6 weeks so it can be done quickly. A 189 visa is a permanent visa so by applying, it is clear they are applying to emigrate with a permanent expectation as opposed to 457 or WHV where there is no permanence. Others have are advised against their plan as to invest so much time, effort and expense with no guarantee you have the visas is foolhardy. You wouldn't leave a job on the expectation of getting one you have applied for without before getting an interview and their actions would have far more serious consequences!

If a foreigner tried to get in the UK and not wait for a visa to be granted I'm sure you would be outraged or at least annoyed at their arrogance and self entitled attitude that they have a right to walk into a country and ignore the immigration procedures. Being granted permission to live in Australia is a privilege you should be grateful for. By ignoring immigration regulations, you disrespect Aussie citizens and the thousands of migrants who have bided their time and followed procedure.

Try thinking about it

One if the reasons we moved from Melbourne was the weather. It's just like England but a bit warmer in summer and not so cold in winter. Had 3 crap summers there. I don't miss the place

Have you sen them a copy of the certificate of you passing the qualification? They say they want to see the evidence

for marine biology jobs the best places are Townsville as th Great Barrier Reef HQ is there and do is Australian institute for Marine Science. a friend of mine works there. also consider Cairns as many of the dive companies who do trips to the reef have qualified staff as tour guides. Its better than noting is there are no science jobs.

I think a more realistic option is for your parents to go back in time and come over as £10 poms. If you are missing your family you are free to go back to the UK. Did you not think about this when you applied for your visa?

If you are only doing a degree to stay I the country and not really here to get an education then it would better for you not to get a student visa and you leave.

Unbelievably they do sell chocolate in Australia. It can be difficult to get some foods and you can get marmite at Coles but it's called our mate but both Woollies and Coles selections are pretty poor and expensive like Alpen for $10 and there are specialist shops. I had to get my dad to send packets of bread sauce until I learned to make it myself. After 6 years here I finally found sandwich spread but you are living in a far away country and just have to get used to Aussie food. You can bring food in but must declare it

We have seen our postie just fill in a card and make no attempt to knock or beep his horn. I have complained many times at the delivery centre and it still carries on. We had the same thing in England too. They are just lazy

Order from m & s and stick 2 fingers up to Australian retailers. It's one of the things that pisses me off as they charge a fortune for trousers then charge you again to cut the bottoms off. It's one of the things you have to get used to I'm afraid. I don't buy anything from a shop or Aussie website unless I have to.

I'm so sorry to read your update. Emigrating is stressful enough without this hassle. However your parents are behaving in a nasty, vindictive, spiteful and selfish manner. You and your kids are better off without them. How on earth can any parent not want to see their kids do the best in life and for you to give your family the best that you can? So what if it us on the other side of the world. Their behaviour is not normal so be assured that they are entirely at fault. You and your husband need to be strong for each roger and your kids and I wish you the best. Hugs

I do find it funny how many poms are obsessed with living near a beach. In the UK you are no more than 75 miles from the sea yet the nearest decent beaches to Brisbane Cbd are about 80 km (bribie island or Gold Coast) or 50 miles, so you are more likely to live nearer to a beach in the UK than in Brisbane. The beaches can be lively but is too bloody hot to go to the beach in summer or you get burned to death so you have to cover up!

Do what you and your husband think is best for you and your kids and ignore your parents. They are being selfish and need to get used to the idea. Would they have the same reaction if you moved to another part of the country? My family come from the midlands but we lived in Devon so I rarely saw any of my family including grandparents. For me it was a fact of life. For your kids, not having extended family will be relatively normal as most migrants wont have family in Oz. i wont have kids but I do worry about what will happen if my dad has a serious illness or when he passes away. I might not have the money to go back for the funeral or afford to take time off work but I'll cross that bridge when it comes. Your parents will have their lives and will carry on. My dad has remarried and him and my stepmum are happy. They have just visited us and it was lovely to see them and meet my stepmum for the first time.

From their rich customers and not the ordinary customers.

got a 4 year old suzuki swift.its very fuel efficient and cheap to run but the suspension could be a bit better. nothing has ever gone wrong with it. New ones might be better

I see the endless Easy off Bam and Vanish power foam TV adverts made an impact on you