k8bug79

This is what the ambulance service nsw website says How do I arrange Ambulance cover? To arrange ambulance cover you will need to contact a registered private health fund of your choice. An ambulance levy is included as part of basic hospital coverage with a registered health fund. Some funds also offer "ambulance only" insurance. Costs and inclusions differ from fund to fund, therefore it is recommended that you contact several funds to decide which cover is best for your personal circumstances. Useful information on private health care is available on the Department of Health and Ageing website I just can't see anywhere you can pay ambulance cover in the same way as other states. Really annoying as $80 a month is almost what you pay a year in other states

Hi we've been in Sydney a few weeks. We have 3 kids and i am keen to ensure we are covered in the event of an emergency. When we were looking to come out we looked at various locations and I noticed that most (maybe all I did'n't check them all) states you paid a one off fee for ambulance covr. But when looking at NSW it says to make sure you have a health insurance policy that includes it. I didn't really want to commit to a health insurance payment each month at the moment but can't help feeling we are leaving ourselves exposed. Is it right that this is the only way to protect ourselves and if so has anyone in a similar situation found a cheap solution as medical cover is coming in at $20 a week which is way more than we had budgeted for ambulance cover lol

Lovely thanks- I take it the rrv doesn't take long to apply for? Hopefully this will never be an issue and I get citizenship after 4 years. Loving it so far so can't see why I wouldn't opt for that

Thanks, so if I don't apply for citizenship, after 5 years apply for a rrv and that will mean I am valid to stay- I guess for another 5 years?

This question is more for interest as i doesn't really apply to me just yet. But I arrived in Oz a month ago on a subclass 100 visa- permanent spouse, which says on it - indefinite. Yet I was talking to some friends recently that says I would need to reapply for it after every 5 years. I had read something about this somewhere saying that visas are valid for 5 years and my last date to enter was 5 years after grant (presuming i'd validated within a year etc) but if I left the country 5 years after I arrived would I need another visa to reenter? The friends are brits who have been here 50 years so visas would have been very different but they opted to not become citizens til very recently and commented on how expensive it was to have to keep reapplying. I intend to become a citizen after 4 years and for my children to become citizens as soon as they are able but would be good to know the situation in case this plan changes. Thanks

Quite agree. I a British because I have Scottish and English Heritage and I am proud of both. In Oz I say I am from the UK as that is how they refer to it. I lived in Cornwall (who equally feel that they have a claim to country status for some reason I could never quite understand), I am from all and now despite only being here a few weeks I am proud to call Oz my home.

It may be depending on the visa, i didn't have to have any funds but whv tend to require them don't they? We've come over with £16k and so far it's lasted us right. 2 months in we based that on 3 months rent and deposit in advance about £6000, a car about £4000 3 months food and the rest was set up to ladtf us til shipping arrived. We came with no jobs but are entitled for benefits if we hit hard times. we are down to our final few hundred and thankfully look like jobs are round the corner. There are a loit of costs and i def agree budget and add a bit more but honestly it's doable

But would you be able to pay for full time childcare to keep both your incomes? The difference between a couple at 60 and a family at 60 is that you get no assistance with childcare. My childcare costs have been approx 500-700 a week when they were all in need of childcare and no funding. I was lucky to receive help but if you were on 60K you wouldn't and therefore suddenly you have a huge financial burden just to try and stay afloat, and one wage of 35k might only be just enough to survive on, that's about what me and my husband brought home between us last year and we could afford no extras whatsoever. Although our lifestyle wasn't too shabby, reasonably nice house in a nice area with 2 cars on the drive, even if they were old and driving with your breath held that the wouldn't give up the ghost. I think it's very difficult to understand what some people find important to spend money on and what they simply can't do without.

That's alright i'd float :wink:

I think it depends n your family situation. I know at one point earning 40K was seen as a good wage where a recent documentary showed that by todays standards it offered a very mundane existence. it sat right between the lower bands who got assistance and the higher well paid workers so actually many found it more of a struggle than those who earn 25K. However I agree with britchix if there is just the 2 of you earning 60K would feel very comfortable. I know I worked out that with mine and my husbands wages and assistance for ctc and housing benefit that our household income was between 60K I worked out to be better off our wages alone would have to be nearly 70K which was twice what they were. I have often said that there is no reward in the Uk for hard working families however I don't think the government should be providing tax breaks to allow families to have holidays etc. But then again holidays offer a snapshot of other cultures and experience that is vital for children. Answer to the question no it's not rich tho

There is a form he must sign, I can't recall which number it is- but it's on immis website. That must be accompanied by a certified colour copy of his passport. I made my ex get the signature witnessed but the form makes no reference to it. So if you can track him down then just post the form to him and ask him to send it back. Keep proof of trying to contact him and sending documentation because if you can't contact him or he doesn't respond etc it will all help you if you need to go to court.

In what way? If a prospective employer is paying relocation costs then it will certainly help with the set up costs and therefore money behind you. But no it won't help with taking your son.

We were in the 5-6 month wait time frame before it changed (just by a month or so) and we were told on day 5 that all was in order and they needed nothing else and that the visa would be granted in 5 -6 months. Bang on the 5 month mark I got in touch and they said they could grant it the following week, you could tell there was a def q'ing system. I don't believe anything was done with my visa between day 5 and 5 months (well kinda we did submit our medicals later to give our move a longer timeframe etc but she said this was no problem as long as it was done by a specific date so she could keep to her time guidelines as set by the department) and we heard nothing from them until I chased at the 5 month mark.

Sadly Charlene you still need to get his permission or a court order granting permission. Horrid in a situation such as yours but that's Oz's rules. (Just been down this route myself although no court order needed in the end but I feared I would- he granted permission easily first time ever he's done anything for her!) As for money starting out I presume you meant after visa and flights and you've walked out of the airport? We came with quite a small budget and I know you'll get lots of responses saying you need $40K etc and I think it depends on how yu can and are willing to live in those early weeks. I can't say 100% as I am only in week 3 but we came out with 10K GBP (can't stand these Oz computers no pounds sign!) That was to buy us a car, 3 months rent in advance about 1500 for some basic furniture and kitchenware til our modest shipment arrived and 3 months food. We are down to the final 1K I would say now with all the above achieved bar the food to be purchased. So we are on track for our budget, but we are still sleeping in sleeping bags on sofa beds. Our house is cute but rough round the edges and far from the Oz dream and as we don't have jobs yet things may get a bit hairy in a few weeks when we have to build up another months rent and start paying the quarterly bills. but for now we keep the hope that work will come our way soon. It's never going to be easy so we are going to ride it through as best we can. We are a family of 5 and had to rent for $500 a week minimum and food bills will also be bigger than yours and we had to buy more beds etc. So maybe you could come with less. I think the best thing to do is work out a budget for those early months and go from there.

I am at odds with this one but mainly because I am a spiritualist/ pagan (I don't believe in a set religion I choose what I want to believe) and therefore I love halloween, I go for the commercial fun aspect for the children but I always have an alter with candle and pictures of love ones. However as a newly arrived pom I am not sure how I believe/ understand whether Halloween is the same time, veil of darkness etc. We mark a lot of the soltice's and of course they are the wrong way round too, Don't get me wrng I am not a big practitioner or marker of these events but I like to honour them a little and make them fund for the kids. I have shipped some Halloween decs and will almost certainly put them up this year and see how it goes. We usually have a party for the kids with apple bobbing and trick or treating dependant on weather. We found it hit or miss in the UK and would never go out unless we knew an area was into it. Our last street was lit up light a spooky grotto each year and such a party atmosphere. I don't think it will be popular where we are.

I'm afraid as I didn't come over on a skills visa I can't help with the practicalites of it. However I will say an end in sight often makes the situation more unbearable. Both hubby and I were bored and fed up with our jobs but the final few months were agony. Looking back it passes quickly.

Hi, I am in a similar situation. We are in Oatley so half way between Marrickville and Caringbah. We went to the Harbour and zoo a few weeks ago and that was lovely. But def an expensive day out. $200 for us all. We found Como pleasure ground this weekend which is beautiful and I understand there are lots of good parks and recreational spaces. But if you are like me there is only so many times of hanging around parks you can take. I would like to know of cheap options if anyone has any suggestions. I am a member of a few groups that meet up but I haven't been able to make meets yet due to dates or location as like you I don't have a car. My youngest is used to full time nursery and is going stir crazy being at home with me all the time plus it doesn't help the job hunting!!! I just hope I can get her into daycare soon.

Hi, I have recently arrived and I need to get a statement of immunisation for my daughter and quick! So I can sort out Family assistance. I have been told to go to a doctor with my red book. I have researched the medicare system before I arrived but now I am here and faced with doing it, it feels very alien! I found a dr local to me (Oatley) and found their fees online at $75 a consultation. I believe the medicare rebate is $36 approx. so would that mean I would have to stomach the additional $30 odd and not able to claim it back? There seems to be lots of drs in my area if I search various websites but none have websites and therefore I get no idea whether they bulk bill or what their fees are likely to be. Is there anyone in the area who can recommend a DR- happy to drive to a good one. and who can tell me a little more how it will work please?

I'm flying with Singapore airlines on the 3rd also but from Paris. Was told by London I would get 40kgs on a one way unvalidated visa but Paris don't dot his as routine and would only accommodate 30kgs. But yes if you ask you'll def get it

Lol thanks Movingtotasmania i love border control too probably why i'm worrying so much. Here's an anomoly for you! i was watching it a few months back and a lady had some necklaces from Africa made of seeds. when i was packing i found my seeded necklace and one of shells from my honeymoon in africa plus i knew our honeynoon album which was a collage of plant material. so not wanting to be stopped with the kids i asked hubby to take them with him and declare it, they checked it all over wanted to gamma ray the album but didn't care about the necklaces. i thought the shell one may be ok but after the fuss they made about the one the ladies hasd i swore they'd want to ray it. she had to bin some i think and pay for others to be rayed!

ooh that's interesting, how does it work then? i know you fill out a/landing card, what happens after that?

thats my thought snifter too. although it's a fair amount of tea lol feels like a waste. i'll take the sealed one and get to drinking the rest lol

thanks found that website but as usual it's clear as mud! i didn't see the contact address though so i've now sent them a message asking thed question.

mine are photosensitive. i get them in poor light or bright light. computers set them off so i got a special screen to help. also checking screen refresh rate can help. i dd a summer school residential with OU last year, spentwhole firstday feeling horrendous. dizzy, sick and auras abound. plus i get stomach miugraines so it was bliating and churning away. put it down to stress of situation. 2nd day i was rather hung over and i had to keep leaving room feelijng unwell. thoughtit was self inflcted until i realised evertime i left the room i felt better and ill when i returned. after that asked each teacher just to dim te fluorescent lights or turn them off and i was fine. knowing my physical triggers aswell as my dietry triggers helps a lot

cheers googled and it came up with fish oils or capsues containing green may be an issue. but these are white tablets and vegan so no animal product. all shut except the one i'm currently using. it's the tea i'm finding toughest. one box is sealed so may give that a go. but the rest are open.