The Peak

Hi, Good luck with your new move. I've been in Perth for a year now and it's definitely the best move I've ever made. My sister is in the beginning stages of immigrating and I'm wondering if any of you have used a migration agent or done it yourself? All the best,

Hi Susan, My name's Michael. I moved to a Northern Suburb of Perth 8 weeks ago on a permanent visa with my wife and two young children. I am a plumber/gas fitter to trade back in Scotland but my qualifications meant nothing here. I too did my Vetassess before leaving the UK. I have just finished my trades recognition at the TAFE institute in Freemantle, Perth. The Pom Queen is correct, each state is a little different. It's worth noting however that one of the guys on my course had flown over from the Gold Coast to do the course in Perth as it was both cheaper and quicker (two weeks). Bear with me as there is a few things you will need to know but I'll try to stick to the point. Firstly, your husband will need to take the migrant plumbing course (two weeks full time). This costs around $2400 if you do not have a permanent residency visa. If you do have a permanent resident visa, the cost is around $700 as it is subsidised by the government. He will need to buy a copy of the regulations (AS3500) which is $370. However, there is a way to download the regulations for free at the TAFE college but he will need to find a decent print shop to print off the copies. I did it for $80, saving me nearly $300! The course is fairly easy and as long as he has proof that he has worked as a plumber for 5 years or more, I see no reason why he shouldn't pass. It's all open book. This qualification will give him a Plumbing Licence but he will not be allowed to sign jobs off ie. work for himself. For this he will need a Plumber Contractors licence which is a further 3 weeks at TAFE and another $600 (roughly) I have still to do this but I know that I will need to get some on-the-job training before I attempt it, things are quite different here. The Gas course is separate. Firstly, he will need to get his restricted licence (they call it Class G). This means that he can only work as a supervised engineer ie. needs to have his work signed off by a Class III Engineer. This course is a bit of a farce in my opinion. It costs around $360. There is some online work to do initially then 1 day at the TAFE college to sit the test. It mainly consists of regulations and safety features. Common sense to any qualified engineer in the UK. It can't be failed. (again, my humble opinion!) This restricted Gas Fitters licence (Class G) lasts for 12 months, extendable to 24 months if required. It is advised to get some experience during this time before sitting the Class III Gas Fitters course (another 3 weeks and slightly less than $1000). The Class G licence can only be validated by an employer who needs to be fully qualified, a hurdle I have yet to vault. Most Migrants apparently fail if they sit it without Australian experience. Same for the plumbing contractors licence. I'm going to wait a while before attempting both, I'll need to earn some cash first as my pockets are wearing thin. Right, that should give you something to go on for the time being. I can't say for sure how different things are over East, maybe less dramatic. But please do not worry. I have good tips and advice should you need them. I can PM you details of the College I attended and the very nice lady who works there. She has all the information you need and quite happy to talk you through it. My wife can also fill you in on how we have managed with the kids etc. Please feel free to ask any more questions and if I can help you out, I will. We are still jumping through the hoops but all in all, it's certainly worth the effort. Australia is definitely the place to be. All the best in your endeavours. Michael :eek:

We're moving to Perth because I didn't get enough points for NSW to live near my sister in Sydney. Western Australia were kind enough to sponsor me so I have to live in WA for two years and I figured Perth would be the best place to base ourselves. Then we can consider moving to other parts of Australia.

Hi All, We're moving to Perth in August. I can drive but my wife can't. She's failed her test twice in the past which knocked her confidence. We know that she will need a licence one way or another so I'm wondering if it's better to try and pass the test here in Scotland or wait until we get to Perth and she can learn there. Any thoughts?

Hi Derek, cheers for the reply. I'm not far from Paisley (not far enough haha) in Balloch, Loch Lomond. Wow! July eh? Better do do it as quick as you can. We're just waiting for our oldest kid to finish his school year, do a bit of saying cheerio to our scattered clan then get there as soon as we can. I've been looking at holiday lets/Serviced apartments and find them quite expensive much like everything else so a short stay would be more economical. I've read that rented property can only be done once you're there as you are required to view the property first. Gumtree has been mentioned as a place to look for finding private rentals but I've yet to go down that road. I've been planning this move for ten years and I decided not to buy property here in Scotland, a decision I still stand by today so we will be starting from scratch out there. We've decided not to take furniture either, just personal belongings and tools, laptop, TVs etc. I have friends who recently moved to Sydney. They stayed in a hotel for the first few nights, then a serviced apartment for about a month while they found a rental suitable to their needs. I think this will be roughly the same road I will take. Choosing a good school for the kids is top of our list for areas to choose from. We have friends in Perth who will help us out in any way they can so we are quite lucky in that respect. Good luck on your travels, hope Melbourne is good to you. It'll be good to hear how you get on.

Sure is!!! Are you there yet?

Well done!!!! I share your joy. I was awarded a visa for WA in Nov last year. We're hoping to make the move in August this year. I'm at a loss though about a few things ie. accomodation when we first arrive, schools etc. I'm interested to know more of how you are planning your move and hopefully get some tips. I'm in Scotland and moving to Perth with my wife and two kids. I whole-heartedly agree with you about how helpful this site is. I know for a fact that I would be in a far worse position just now if was not for the quick and accurate responses from members. Big thanks. All the best on your adventure, Michael

Yes, I had a look at that yesterday. Good reading there too, thanks.

Sorry, you're right. A bit more info might have been more useful and I didn't realise this was the wrong section to post this question. I'm in Scotland, we were granted a state sponsored visa for WA in November of last year. We need to validate our visas before Nov 9th as this was the date of our medicals last year. We don't want to send our kids back to school after the holidays in August and so based our leaving date around that. We also think arriving in Perth in August would help us get used to the hot summer ahead. Nothing has been set in stone at this point in time so we could postpone departure for another month or so. I've heard that serviced apartments are the way to go for when you first arrive (possibly a hotel for the first few nights), until an affordable rental becomes available. We want to buy but don't think that will be possible until we get settled into regular work. We have done research and have a fair idea of areas suitable to our needs. We have friends in Joondalup so we reckon it's probably best to move near them to start with and take it from there. As for work, I'm a plumber/gasfitter and so far all I'm hearing is doom and gloom from others seeking employment within the industry. I'll need to re-train before I can work as a plumber so I may take this opportunity to make a career change. My wife works with kids with special needs and we think she should find a job fairly quickly. I suppose securing a roof over our heads would be the first port of call, closely followed with booking of flights? Then schools etc. I managed to find a Relocation Survival Guide for Perth which seems quite useful (not sure if I'm allowed to post a link to it here). I would prefer to hear of actual experiences by folk who have made the move. So far, I've found this site invaluable during my application process. Thanks for taking the time.

Hi, I'm moving to a yet-to-be-decided suburb of Perth this August with my wife and two kids. So far I have been melting my brain trying to figure out where to start??? I reckon I'm leaving it a bit late so I really need to get my skates on. Is there a Migration for Dummies style step by step guide I can refer to? Panic levels are reaching critical point so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. :confused:

Yes, NSW needed 8 or above in all four areas, whereas the pass mark is 6 for other parts of Australia, depending on which visa you're applying for (I was applying for permanent residency). That was a few months before the July 2012 changes and is the only reason we're moving to Perth. My sister lives in Sydney and we wanted to be near her and my new niece. Hope your test goes well. Get a good nights kip and you'll be fine.

Hi, I took the IELTS twice as I needed a score of eight and above in each of the four sections to get my Skilled Visa for NSW. My first attempt at Glasgow Uni I scored:- Listening-9 Reading-8.5 Writing-7.5 and Talking-8.5. I missed NSW by half a mark. So I took the test again, this time at Sheffield Uni:- Listening-8.5 Reading-8.5 Writing-7.5 and Talking-8 (I had a dodgy nights sleep in a horrible hotel the night before). Again, missed by half a mark. My point being, I know I focused on the writing part more on my second attempt and am certain I did a better job, but the mark was exactly the same. Coincidence maybe, but it makes me wonder if they were told to push people towards Western Australia. I have been told that the examiners are told to use their own discretion but to be particularly strict on NSW applications. Or I'm just spouting sour grapes. In answer to your topic. I used pencil the entire test both times which was stictly supplied by them. We couldn't use anything of our own. For the listening part, just zone out of everything else in the room and concentrate on what is being said. I managed to read ahead a little of the CD so could sort of know what words or information to listen out for. Fairly straight forward. The reading part was similar. All the information is in front of you and you need to read each part for the answers. I found it a bit tricky but I was clock-watching and trying to skim through the information quickly. Just take your time and you'll be fine. Writing was the worst for me. 150 words:- I had to write a letter to a friend regarding a business venture we were about to undertake. 2nd attempt:- I had to write a letter to the landlord of Student accomodation, asking for a new room. 250 words:- Write my opinion on old buildings being renovated into flats. 2nd attempt:- Write my opinion on Schools replacing Physical Education for Science and Maths. They suggest 20 minutes for 150 words and 40 minutes for 250 words. I found this extremely hard to stick to and am glad they supplied an eraser for all the corrections I made. Talking was answering strange questions like "what are my friends' favourite colours?" Don't panic and you'll be fine. Good luck. Michael

Thanks Guys, That's excellent advice. I had a sneaky feeling that I would be wasting time and money training here in the UK. I'm willing to re-train when I get there but how long will this take? Does this mean that I can't work as a plumber as soon as I get there? How did you guys get qualified? Is it worth trying to secure a job before I get there or should I wait until I get to the Mullaloo Tavern? lol So many questions, sorry. Time to get saving for courses then. Do you know where to apply for a recognised Australian Plumbing/LPG/Solar qualification? Now back to my other issue, looking for somewhere to live and a roof over our heads when we first get there! Any suggestions on that are greatly needed. My other half is pulling her hair out trying to organise accomodation. Thanks again for your invaluable advice. Michael

Hi Guys, I have recently obtained my visa and am relocating in August from Scotland to Perth with my wife and two kids. My visa is for a general Plumber. Since applying for my visa I have become a qualified gas engineer with boilers, cookers and gas fires as added appliances. I think I should go for my LPG certificate and solar energy certificate considering the climate and gas infrastructure of Perth. Is it worth paying for these courses here in Scotland before I go or will I need to re-train anyway once I get there? Am I required to re-train to Australian standards before I can work as a plumber or gas engineer? Any tips and advice will be greatly welcomed. Many thanks in advance, Michael

Hello Everyone, I have been granted my Visa and are looking to leave for Perth in August. We need advice on a few things. How do we find a place to stay when we first get there. Which areas to avoid. Schooling for our 10 year old and 4 year old girl. Can anyone recommend a relocation advisor, if there is such a thing? I would be most grateful if someone would like to share their own relocation experience. Tips and advice are most welcome. Many thanks, Michael and Collette x