KarenG

<p>Hi Liz,</p>

<p>what a coincidence, we took the kids to portstewart on sun. it was a good day, but it would have blown you away. we went to the causeway hotel for dinner, it was really good. adelaide sounds nice. we might not have a choice about where we go, when the time comes, at the minute Qld are only offering temp visa for state soponsorship and we would prefer to get pr and be done with it. The ATA have started to look at Ainslie's cv, i hope they contact us soon about the assessment, i have no patience. I have had to slow myself right down and take one day at a time, i had even started to pack up things that i didn't really need around the house. It's so hard not to think about the whole thing and imagine what your life is going to be like. The waiting is terrible. But i have to say, the agent has been on the ball so far and hopefully if the assessment goes ok she will sort everything else out quickly.</p>

<p>Well, i hope you are keeping ok and hope to hear from you soon.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Karen</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We also have friends who went to Perth. They are doing really well there, but I just don't know if it is for us. Isn't it strange how you make a decision on a place that you have never set foot in. Like yourselves we live in the country (and like it) and don't want to move to a city environment. Mount Barker just outside Adelaide calls to us. We like the idea of the mediteranian climate, also no crocodiles, and a few less things to kill you.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Over here is really beautiful, but it is just soooo cold. Had the kids at Portstewart yesterday flying kites. Great fun but had to put on so many layers of clothes to keep warm. Never mind, some day we will all be complaining of the heat.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Warren had to work this morning. Quiet here at the moment. Hopefully he will be home soon for dinner. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Talk soon</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Liz xxx</p>

<p>Hi Jim,</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Did you do your assessment with ATA ? Ainslie is also doing the P&D assessment, although he is a spray painter, his skills fall into that category. We have just sent off our application form so it's early days. I was just wondering how you got on with it.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Karen.</p>

<p>If we go to WA which is our second choice we can go for 176. it's so hard to decide what is best. i'm not that happy with the fact your not entitled to anything on a temp visa. someone said you have to pay for schools and everything. i suppose we would be better looking into a few choices just incase the same thing happens by the time we go to lodge. that is so dissapointing for you.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn,</p>

<p>Are you going to change over to a 176 now ? Can you not go for temp visa 475 ? if we go to Qld that's what way we'll have to go. it's not ideal having to wait 2 years before you get permanent residency but what do you do ? we thought of maybe WA but our hearts are set on Bundaberg or somewhere similar. we have sent our application to ATA so just waiting to hear back from them now.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Karen xxx</p>

<p>Hi Liz,</p>

<p>We have friends who emigrated to Perth 3 years ago, but we're not sure about Perth, we just like the look of Queensland. We are from the country so we want to go somewhere similar. They love it though, they came home for a visit last year and said they def made the right desicion about going. </p>

<p>It's scary when you think there will be no family support with the kids, my family are all in belfast (that's where i'm from, i've lived in cookstown area for 13 years now.) so I hardly ever see them anyway, but the kids love Ainslie's sister, she is like a second mum to them and they will miss her. It's good to have someone you can leave them with for an hour. But I guess you just have to make good friends out there and help each other. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Chat soon, Karen xxx</p>

<p>Hi Liz,</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We are just at the start of getting Ainslie's trade assessment to get an AQF3. He is a spray painter, mostly furniture, but he can get an assessment as a painter & decorator as his skills fall into that category, it has taken us 8 months to get this far, it is not as easy as it seems to get into Oz. When we finally get all sorted we are goin to apply for a 176 state sponsorship visa. We have went with an agent, Julie burke in Dublin, she has been great. We tried to do it all ourselves but it didn't go to plan. We want to go to Queensland. Outside Brisbane somewhere. As long as its nice & warm.</p>

<p>Hopefully you won't have to wait much longer, it probably seems like a lifetime since last year.</p>

<p>All the best, chat soon. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Warren & Liz,</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We are also from Northern Ireland. Just outside Coagh (the middle of nowhere lol) nice to see so many turning up here from NI. Where are you in your plans ?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>All the best, Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, atlast we are on the road to happiness, the master builders in Qld have said they will assess Ainslie as a painter & decorator. Although he is a spray painter, his skills fall into the category of P&D. The agent in Dublin has been brill, she has sorted the whole thing out for us so we are going to go with her to sort everything. So the hard work starts for me now, having to gather up all the info that she needs. hows things going with you ? how long will it be before you get your visa ? Karen xxx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, i'm over the moon for you. At the minute we are waiting to hear back from trade train to see if we can get Ainslie's trade assessed. We have been in touch with an agent in Dublin and she has put us onto these guys so hopefully we can go down that route aswell. All was quiet for a while, we were at a stand still, but things seem to be on the move again thank goodness. You know how it is over christmas, kids sick, hubby sick (which means he was dying) and the weeks just fly by. I am really hoping that we can atleast get the visa applied for within the next few months if all goes well with the assessment. But it's all go for you now, that's so exciting. Take care, chat soon, Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, How are you ? I take it John passed his vetassess. I am so pleased for you all. I hope everything goes through quickly for you now. </p>

<p>Love karen xx</p>

<p>Hi, thanks for the info, it has been a great help. Hopefully we can get the ball rolling again, this is plan c we are working on now. It's good to hear from someone from NI planning the move, where abouts are you thinking of moving to ? we are hoping to go to Queensland.</p>

<p>thanks again, Karen.</p>

<p>Hi, i just wanted to ask you about the RTO's, my OH is a spray painter, he sprays wood, but is at tech at the minute getting an NVQ for vehicle painting. We would be grateful for any info at all. </p>

<p>Thanks, Karen.</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, i'm so glad things are moving on for you. we are at a stand still at the minute. no sponsor, no visa, no plan c. Ainslie is doing his course to get his certificate and untill he has that, we can do nothing. I was looking into having his skill assessed, but can't seem to find anyone who assesses spray painters. But apart from that, we are all well, just sick of the cold weather and being stuck inside all the time.</p>

<p>Take care, Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, went to Leeds a weekend, total waste of time. I had already found everything out myself on-line. But the wee break was nice, and Leeds is great city. We are just waiting now to hear back from the sponsor in Redcliffe. I'm worrying now that he will pull out, but i think that is prob normal, i wont be happy until i see the forms lodged and confirmed. </p>

<p>Hope you are ok, chat soon,</p>

<p>Karen xxx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, Good news at last, my hard work has paid off and hubby has got the sponsorship in queensland that we wanted. We're going to Redcliffe prob live somewhere around Clontarf.</p>

<p>We are so happy, hopefully going just after xmas if everything goes smoothly. A sponsor visa only takes 6-8 wks to come through i'm told. All go now, getting things sold and packed away. We are so excited. We're still going to Leeds because we need to find out about shipping and banks and schools and things now.</p>

<p>Hope you are keeping well, chat soon.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Karen xx</p>

<p>hi Dawn,</p>

<p>Hows things with you ? I'm fine. just getting on with the job hunting. Heading to leeds now at the weekend hopefully something will come up at that. Hope your keeping well.</p>

<p>karen xx</p>

<p>hi Dawn,</p>

<p>Do you know the name of the form we need for the police checks ? I went into the station and got some today they are FORM DATA 1. I think they have give me the wrong forms.</p>

<p>Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, i spoke to my friend in perth and she seemed to think that we could live on that wage no prob. her oh has a cousin in melbourne so she gave me his skype and i have sent him a message. we really wanted to go to either queensland or perth, so we are trying to find out as much as we can now about melbourne, we just dont know if it would be too fast for us, we are used to the country lifestyle. we haven't made any decision yet. but we did phone a couple of people that we know who mightbe interested in either buying or renting our house. i'm still up in the air. </p>

<p>Chat later. Thanks for your advice, it was really good.</p>

<p>Karen xxxx</p>

<p>Oh Dawn, what are we going to do now ?? the company in melbourne want to offer ainslie the sponsorship, it is 25 dollors an hour. Can we all live on that ?? We are so confused now, on one hand we want it and the other hand we're not happy bout the money. What would you do ?? Please help me !! Karen xxxx</p>

<p>Aw thanks Dawny, she's my little angel. well, we have been sitting in all morning waiting for the golden phone call. if this one doesnt ring back i will be so disapointed. he told ainslie he would call when it was his evening and our morning, and it was 3.00 our time yest when he phoned so i'm still hopeful. i get myself over excited and then my head races away thinking about all the things we're going to be doing in OZ. i'm my own worst enemy sometimes.</p>

<p>How's things with you ? Is it raining were you are ? it is pouring down here (which doesnt help matters).</p>

<p>Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, thanks, i'll let you know how it goes, my nerves are wrecked. xxx</p>

<p>Hi Jill, I have taken your advice and I have started to get my visa forms sorted out myself. I have x-rays booked and when I get the results then i'll book the medicals. Ainslie doesnt have to do the IELTS exam so that's 1 thing off the list and I have all the certificates all photo-copied and ready to go. So hopefully things will start moving now, our only hassle is that we need a sponsor, but we're staying positive. Hope all your plans are going well.</p>

<p>Karen xx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, have found out that Ainslie doesnt have to do IELTS exam, thank goodness. That saves £100. So I just have to get x-rays booked and get visa form ready to be sent on-line when we get a sponsor. At last I feel as if we're getting started. How's all your plans going ? </p>

<p>Karen xxx</p>

<p>Hi Dawn, i'm looking for some advice, i have started to get our visa application forms sorted out and i was just wondering about the ielts test, did your oh have to do it ? was it hard ?</p>

<p>i have started to fill the forms and everything out, it's a bit daunting, but i think i'll gert there.</p>

<p>just getting medicals booked and the test booked and getting all the certificates gathered up. it's all money, money, money. Are you selling your house ? that's another hassle is'nt it.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>chat soon, karen xxx</p>