Purple Princess

Thank you so much Westly, I'll send as many details as I can via e-mail after I've managed to get the daughter to school!! Just a comment about not working as an accountant, I have been desperately applying for undergraduate jobs, without any success so far, I just keep getting the standard reply that I'm not suitable! It looks like I'll be using my degree to work in Coles or MacDonalds at this rate!! PP

Thanks for the reply, but isn't accountant on the SOL? PP

I hope some one can help me? I am due to graduate from an Australian University with a Bachelor of Commerce. (Graduation at the end of this year) and my visa (573) is only valid until March 2013. I would like to know what my options are for staying in Australia. I know there have been some major changes, but I've not kept up to date with them, as I've been studying hard!! A little bit of my background: I am from the UK I am currently 40 I am a fully qualified Financial investment Adviser, both in the UK and Australia (not sure if this is relevant) My previous work experience is with a bank in the UK from 1988 until 2009, then I have worked in Australia as a Financial Planner from December 2010 until November 2011. My major at Uni is Accounting I live on the Gold Coast I know there used to be a graduate visa I could apply for, however, after 3 years paying international school fees for my daughter and myself, I would like to look at applying for a permanent visa if possible. If my only option is a graduate visa, would it help if I used an agent?, and also, what is the benefit of a graduate visa in the long term? Sorry if there are too many questions, but I've just realised that time is running out for me and I need to sort this out! Purple Princess xx

Found this and thought you might find it useful http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/agents/toolkits/property-rental.pdf PP xx

Hi Fay, I'm in Ormeau. Same as you, just turned 40 last month with a 9 year old daughter!! PM if you want to meet up!! PPX

oohhh there's hope for me then when I finish my degree here this year!!! PP xx:ssign14:

Hearts in Atlantis - Stephen King. Trying to read as much as possible before Uni starts at the end of Feb. PP XX

I've been a couple of times and hoping to go in February to celebrate my 40th!!! I agree with Rudi, awesome curries!! When we last went, we ordered double, they packaged it all up for us so we had curry the following night at home, tasted even better!!!! PP XX

Hi Beth, I hope someone with nursing experience helps you out soon! From personal experience, a Diploma is a Diploma whichever country you are in, and a Degree is a Degree... I hope someone will come along and tell me I'm wrong! PP XX

Hi Tracpet, Good luck with the move! I would contact Rudi on here, she lives that way and has children of different ages and I know she will give you good advice on commute times and schools. PP XX

I think it may be because Australia is more transient than the UK. A lot of ex pats generally rent here initially, which can be for 6 months or can be for much longer, although not necessarily in the same house/street or even suburb. I have been very lucky to have found friends both through my daughters school, through PIO, through Uni and our "newish" neighbours (we purchased our own home just over 12 months ago). We didn't have the family support in the UK and have always been self reliant. I have just found out today I have an exam next week at Uni, and the time of the exam is when I should be picking up the daughter from school. This hasn't caused me any worries though, my friend from Uni has offered to pick her up, she is even going to take her daughter out of school early to make the journey (she lives about 45k's away)!!! Or I could ask at least 2 of the neighbours and I know they would gladly help out! I do think having young children helps to break down the barriers of having friends, and I do feel that the friends I have got now are just as important to me as the ones I had in the UK. There is a wide variety of nationalities too, British, New Zealand and Australian!! PP XX

Hey NorthSea Tiger, We are northern Gold Coast and are looking for some cheap furniture. We are currently renovating and on a student visa so very limited funds. Could you post some pictures and an estimate of what you are looking for cash wise, I don't want to waste your time if we can't afford them! OH has a Ute so we can collect PP XX

I voted better Financially we are much worse off than in the UK, but we love the lifestyle and the fact that Australians are generally not materialistic! I can go days without spending any cash..... PP xx

Hi, I can't comment for Ben, although by the looks of it we have both come from the UK, but I don't have this condition on my visa. PP xx

I know what you mean, but I don't know whether leaving the country will solve your situation? Are you looking at cancelling your visa as well? The only other alternative would possibly be a tourist visa, as I'm sure the cost of flights would be expensive (depending on where you were flying to), but I'm not sure if this would be cancelled when the 457 was issued.... I would get advice from a migration agent, don't rely on immigration, I did this and saw the head of international students and she gave me the wrong advice and I nearly had to leave the country!! Why have you got to pay your fees next week? I have been here for 2 years and my semester doesn't start until the end of feb, my fees are due by the census date which is not until the end of March? They always give us at least 4 weeks into the semester incase we decide to drop the subject. It may be different a your Uni though.... PP XX

I never put in my application, as soon as the sponsorship was approved I left the company, however, once the sponsorship and nomination is accepted, it was my understanding, from the migration agent that the company used, it would have only taken a couple of days as no medicals were needed, we had already got the UK and Australian police checks and I had both UK and Australian qualifications to do the job and the certificates. PP xx

Hi Ben, The only thing I can think of is to apply to your Uni for a leave of absence. They don't have to let you have one and it's my understanding that they give them rarely, only usually for serious medical issues. Regarding the 457, it will depend on whether the business is currently registered as a standard business sponsor (I suspect not if they have had to apply to sponsor as well as the nomination). Did they use a migration agent to help with their side of the application? If they did, it will massively speed up the process. So far as your application is concerned, it will depend on whether you have submitted all of the details they need, if you have, it should be pretty quick, although I don't know without further details whether or not it can be completed by next week. The bridging visa you are correct on though, this will not kick in until the student visa has expired (2014). Hope this helps. (I have been through this process myself last year although luckily, the sponsorship took that long, it gave me an insight into the company and I decided to stay on the student visa!) Shout if you need any more info! PP xx

Hi Mark, I've sent you PM PP XX

Hi Alaska, Can't comment on the snakes, never seen one when hanging out the washing, but I would advise a tumble dryer for the reasons your DH mentioned in a and b. Because of the humidity, I find that when it's raining, it's impossible to dry washing inside and it starts to smell a bit damp.. Although I don't use it all of the time, I find it useful when it starts to rain when I've just washed the bedding!! PP XX

Thank You!! Yes, our eyes were truly wide open when we made the decision, also about Australia as well. We came with no pre conceived ideas of how things would be over here and just accepted all the differences, I do think that is important as well. It has made us settle here very quickly and easily and our neighbours call us 'model citizens'! PP XX

Hi Quoll, I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you on this. We looked into me going to Uni in the UK before committing to an Australian degree, however, due to the cost of the degree and the loss of my salary, it actually worked out cheaper for me to do it here. I don't view the degree as guaranteed entry into Australia, I am fully aware that immigration changes frequently, and I'm also not looking at retraining, the degree I am doing is closely related to the job I am qualified to do. It's just, as I said in a previous post, DIAC would have given me a visa with my Diploma and 21 years experience, however, Vetassess would only give me a positive skills assessment if I had a degree!!! Money aside, I really couldn't put a price on the experience my family and I have had in the last 2 years, we LOVE Australia, even though we are a 'cash cow'. At least at the end of it, should we not be able to stay, I will leave more highly qualified than when I came. I must add though, I have got a 6 year career break at work in the UK, so should I want to go back or need to go back, I just need to give them 3 months notice and they will find me a job! PP XX

Ask away, What specifically do you need to know? I'll answer as honestly as possible, but it will only be my opinion....:ssign15: PP xx

Hi Kate, We did have quite a lot of cash, but also had to spend a lot as we needed a 40% deposit on the house we bought due to being temporary residents.... I'm doing a Bachelor of Commerce degree, I think cost wise it's the next most expensive degree after medicine!! I've got another 7 subjects to complete and no, I'm not guaranteed a job at the end. Unfortunately, despite being qualified in the UK do do my job, plus 21 years experience, I couldn't at the time get a permanent visa (or so I was told by migration experts, I've since found out that I could.....). DIAC state that a degree is not needed as I've got over 5 years experience, although VETASSESS say that they will not give me a positive skills assessment without one!! I'm hoping when I've completed my degree to look at either state sponsored or independent as I will have enough points, but who knows with the changes again in July...... I live in hope, and try to be optimistic!! PP XX

Hi, I've been in Australia just over 2 years on a student visa, another 12 months to go until I finish my degree..... Yes, it is expensive, we have 1 daughter so only have to pay one lot of fees for her, but my uni fees are high. OH is working 20 hours per week and we are managing fine. I think it depends on what you spend your money on and what is important to you. I found very quickly that what was important to me in the UK (facials/clothes etc) are really not important to me now!! We initially used quite a lot of savings for things like a new cars, household white goods etc, but find now that we have purchased our own property we don't need to touch the savings we have left as much. If you need any figures for exact cost, let me know I'd be happy to help. PP XX