alofbrighton

Hi Can anyone please give us some advice on any good insurance company for shipping home a 20 foot crate of household goods. We have been here for 10 months and need to return home for family reasons so are trying to get the best deals we can for things, managed to sort the dog going back and household goods just insurance to go. Thanks very much.

Hi Gracie, Know how you feel, we got caught up in the May 2009 scenario. Sat down to click the button to process the application after filling it all out a few days earlier only to find out the bad news! We'd sold our house during boom time and moved into a house offered by my company in hopeful anticipation of gaining a visa. However, we decided to give up, buy another house and rent it out to gain more income. Then last April my occupation was added to SA list - to cut a long story short we decided to go for it and we had our visa by early May just sneaking in before my 45th birthday in August!. We'd been working towards a visa for 5 years by the way, I just think for many people it is a long, long process. Then we had to sell the house and lost a bucketful of money turning grey in the process. I've since noticed my occupation has been removed from SA list, it was back on their SMP for just three months. You just never know what's going to happen and it is truly horrible to be caught in no mans land after working so hard for skill assessments etc I really feel for everyone caught up in this as it takes over your life and you can have to make some pretty serious decisions - especially financially - before you even get the visa. I think if people had passed skill assessments then they should have been allowed to process their visas full stop. Maybe get some advice from a good migration agent about your situation though I expect you've already been there. I wish you all the best and hope it all works out for you whatever you decide. Al

Hi Rhianna and Craig, My advice would be don't give up. Most people who have been through this process know the ups and downs of it all and for some it's more complicated than others but persistance and patience is the key. It took us 5 years (I'm not kidding!) to get our visa and I just sneaked in before my 45th birthday. During that time we were devastated several times over with all the changes that have taken place! Work out what you need to do to meet the criteria and stick to it even if it means a few more years working in the same trade...you're young at 34 and still have lots of time. Have you been out to Oz or New Zealand? Personally I wouldn't want to live anywhere in Australia so maybe get out there in the meantime and explore a few places if finances allow. Good luck and I'm sure it will work out for you in the end. Al

Just as a source of inspiration I changed careers six years ago with obtaining a visa in mind and started studying and training for formal qualifications a year later...diploma, trade certs etc. I even did an AQFIII in horticulture to promote my case and boost my job prospects in Oz. We have just received our SA visa grant 3 months before my 45th birthday. Tight timing indeed! If it really is your dream go for it...you might have to retrain and things will undoubtedly change with the migration system. Worst way out you end up better qualified and hopefully better paid in the uk.

Is this for a skill assessment or visa application? With my visa application I just scanned one copy (which was black and white) and that was fine. Don't think TRA requested payslip for skill assessment. Good luck, Al.

Hi there, we had our medicals in London on the 5th May and visas granted by the 20th! So be very afraid, nervous, excited, emotionally overwhelmed and anything else you can think of! SA sponsored visas seem to be moving very quickly.