spangley

Thanks for your detailed response Nicky. When you say leaving the country "for any length of time" does that include holidays abroad, such as a month in Europe? Best regards James

Hi All, I'd be grateful is anyone can clarify my entitlement to citizenship. I believe the rules were changed a few years ago, so some expats I talk to offer conflicting advice. We received our 189 PR visa in March 2014. We activated the visa by visiting Melbourne in June 2014 We moved to Australia in Dec 2017 When can we start applying for citizenship? After physically being in Australia for 12 months or, after 4 years? A straightforward, friendly, helpful reply will be most welcome ? James

Hi all, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter's new YouTube channel for kids. We're new to Perth, and based in the Northern suburbs. We're hoping the channel will entertain and educate kids as well as us showcasing our new life in Perth from Amelie's perspective. Here's the link Amélie - Crafts and Fashion If you like it, please give it a thumbs up/subscribe and share. Also any constructive feedback would be appreciated. More content will appear over the coming weeks. Best Regards James

Thanks for confirming, very much appreciate your advice.

I have scoured high and low and cannot find any guidance from the Aussie govt websites regarding butane gas canisters. I have a number of CampingGaz cylinders for camping, and just want to know if they're allowed to be imported via sea or not. I also have a soldering iron which contains gas too. Your experience or wisdom will be greatly appreciated. choose files... Click to choose files

Hi all, I'm quite a kitchen enthusiast and have a lovely selection of seeds and spices such as cardamom and cumin etc. I also have canned foods and bags of porridge oats and pasta. Will I be able to bring this stuff over to Aus? Thanks in advance

Thanks all for your advice. And I agree, the hassle and additional expense means it's not worth it.

I might be able to come into possession of a Right Hand Drive 2003 VW Golf for free. We leave Switzerland for Perth in December and I'm checking whether it would fit into our container. The question is, would a it be worth our while? We wouldn't have owned it for the "12 months" the Aussie authorities ask for, however the transaction would be free with the current owners, so how could they levy duties etc? Would like to know people's thoughts on whether it's worthwhile pursuing or not. Many thanks.

From a business perspective, I'm curious to know if expats (of any nationality) are drawn to other expats for providing services such as carpentry, maintenance, plumbing, IT etc. Is there like an expat micro market in Australia? Where I live in Switzerland this is definitely the case, expats (internationals) often feel more comfortable to source services from other expats rather than local Swissies. I must point out that expats in Switzerland means pretty much anybody who isn't Swiss. British, German, Russian, Brazilian.

Hi Petals, I wouldn't offer ICT to visiting tourists rather the tourist sector. I gather tourism is a growing industry, and I'd like a slice of the tourism pie by offering services to hotels, b&b's, restaurants and activity companies. If finding an income on Tassie wasn't a problem, can you think of any other negatives?

Thankyou for your insight. You're helping to sell it even more And also, thanks for the TASICT link....this is invaluable and gives me even more confidence. There's a real can do attitude. 97% small businesses suggests that Tassie is made up of independent freethinking individuals.....right up my street

Our model isn't to target big corporates. We'd aim for small businesses and possibly the tourist trade. We'd just need to elbow in against local competition.

:wink:

We're 2 years into holding a 189 visa, and still haven't made the move down under yet. During this time we've done a reccie to Melbourne and surrounds as well as intensely researching places such as Perth and Brisbane. Frustrated by Melbourne's housing costs, disappointed by the soulless never ending urban sprawl of Perth and put off by the bogan reputation around Brisbane we decided to cast the net even wider and encompass that little island just a few miles north of of Antarctica. Tasmania!!! Goodness, it ticks so many boxes for us. It has history Beautiful Georgian and Victorian architecture Very little urban sprawl Mountains, Lakes, Coast Glorious food culture Affordable housing Low crime Fewer creepy crawlies Friendly people 1 hr flight to Australia's fastest growing city (Melbourne) Okay, I know the weather ain't great but it's only slightly worse than Melbourne's and it's a damn sight better than where I live in the Alps. Yesterday it was 7C in the daytime in May!!!! We want to buy a property outright, which is possible for us in Tassie. We also want to set up our own business offering IT and Secretarial services to local businesses. We've honed our targets on the city of Launceston (Excruciatingly pronounced LornSesston) Who can persuade us that we've made a bad judgement? Or perhaps anyone living in Tassie can confirm that we've indeed discovered a hidden gem.

Did you look at my profile to see where I live?

We're in the German part and the people there are even more "awkward" than the French side. In terms of costs, it's all relative as salaries are much higher here too. Scenery is wonderful, access to Europe is incredible.....but it's boring and socially awkward. I miss being able to crack jokes with strangers......strangers that actually understand a joke. Interesting that you opted for Tas. I'm guessing it's more suitable for retirees than for people half way through their career. Is there much need for IT people in Tas?

I'm curious to know from expats in Aus if they've noticed a change in their health since moving. Has the climate cut on seasonal illnesses? Has the outdoor lifestyle helped to improve your general fitness? Does the different food and diet have an impact? Does the extra sunshine lift your mood and sense of wellbeing? This is entirely unscientific, just curious to people's personal observations No guessing that Northern Europe is now in deepest, coldest, miserable winter at the moment

I'm a Brit currently living in Switzerland. I've got my own business which is doing pretty well......my daughter seems content in Kindergarten and my German wife who is desperate to leave. We have PR for Australia, so how to does Aus compare to Switzerland?

There's no black and white distinction. Of course a fourth generation Malaysian/Thai/Chinese is identifiably Australian. Genetics still plays a part in identity whether you like it or not. BTW, I'm fourth generation East European Jew, and 2nd Generation Irish. So my genes aren't so "British" yet I identify as culturally British.

If you're a native Irish or Brit, then Australians are your cousins even brothers and sisters. We have a shared history, shared legal systems, shared values, Christian heritage. We fought together in two world wars. Whereas, an Eritrean Muslim does not have that shared background. So if I understand Kellie right, then she is less a foreigner in Australia than say the Eritrean Muslim is in London. The concept of closed borders between Britain and it's former dependencies is only recent history. So yes, in the technical/legal sense Kellie is a "foreigner" in Australia, but culturally and genetically she's almost the identical. What's happening in Europe at the moment is truly terrifying. I live in Switzerland and spend much time in Germany and am witnessing shocking changes in demographics. Our European identity is going to be cleansed within a couple of generations at this rate. I also fear that Europe is invariably heading to yet another massive conflict. Tensions are on a knife edge.

Sounds like the Aus IT market is the same as here in Switzerland. It's so frustrating the way companies and agencies treat candidates like fodder. I also was promised a 2nd interview, and then got dumped without any explanation or feedback. I'm hoping to move to Aus in the next 12 months, but thinking that buying a small IT support company there would be the way forward without dealing with any of this Australian experience crap they keep asking for.

I don't think there's any benefit at the EOI stage. Once we'd been invited to apply for the visa following the EOI my wife had to take an IELTS test, but this was because She's not a native English speaker.

Hi All, Although Melbourne has been on my family's target list (we have 189 visas) I'm currently courting an opportunity in Newcastle. So does anyone care to share a warts and all of Sydney's little sister? Thanks all

It's that time of year here in Northern Europe. Colds, coughs, aches and pains. I'm thoroughly fed up of feeling sick here in the winter. Does anyone find living in Oz cuts the instances you catch colds and nasties?

The IELTS exam is not a walk in the park. No native English speaker should assume it's a given. My advice is to do the practice tests on the IELTS wesbite, this really prepares you for what to expect.