touch107fm

We are currently on a 457 visa sponsored by the hospital that I work and am planning on applying for permanent residency for two reasons really, 1) this will give us the freedom to move wherever we want - at them moment we are completely tied to the hospital for a visa and 2) so we can buy a property here. We have had a big dilemmas as whether to apply for PR independently or through the hospital. We really dont see ourselves staying in Sydney for another three years since we would really like to buy somewhere and sydney is just way too expensive. We have looked at moving to Perth and are thinking of doing so one our PR comes through. I was told that although I sign something to say that I will work at the hospital for three years this isn't a legal thing and that if i wanted to leave before that then I could. However I have just seen a declaration on the 47ES form for PR that If I am applying under ENS then I am agreeing to take up the position for at least three years. Oh dear! I hadn't actually planned on staying for another three years! Has anyone else been in this situation? Applied for the ENS 856 visa and then left your job before three years? What did immigration do? I have rang immigration and asked this question a couple of times - the first person said that once we have PR immigration dont actually care if i leave the job before three years is up (but the hospital might be a bit pissed off!) Then the second person I spoke too said that we would have to consult immigration is we left before the three years is up and that they may potentially cancel the visa - it is taken case by case so they couldn't tell me what would happen for definite. Would really appreciate any insight anyone has into this matter as I think we have ourselves in a bit of a sticky situation now! Thank you!

I have been working at a nurse at Sydney Children's Hospital for over two years now and I love it. We are so much better staffed, better supported, better payed and more respected then in the UK. It is a million times better! I was ready to leave nursing after having worked for two years in London and having a terrible experience at University College Hospital. I looked into doing teaching and even got a place but i though i'd give it one last shot in Australia since it was something I'd always wanted to do and Im so glad that I did as I love my job again! I think the biggest difference is the support you get here. I was newly qualified when I worked at UCLH and we had very little support - it was a sink or swim situation! When I look back now I cant believe the responsibility that we had straight out of uni and how little support we got. Here there is always someone to help you out - i guess the staffing probably makes the biggest difference as people actually have time to help each other out and work as a team. Each ward has an educator who are fantastic. We never saw our 'educators' at UCLH - they were always in their office! They were meant to be our support as newly qualified but when I went to one of them with a problem he told me to stop talking before I'd even started because he didnt want to have to deal with it! Here we work as a team, we all get breaks and actually finish on time! I was sick of working 12hr shifs without a break at home and never finishing on time. No wonder people used to take so much sick leave at home - we were exhausted. And the other big difference here is that if someone is sick we get cover - either agency/casual pool or someone from the ward will do agency - not like at home where you were just left short. I didnt mean this to become a slagging off the nhs speil but i cant help it! I will never go back to the nhs! Working in Australia is a hundred times better, i get so much job satisfaction as we actually have the time to do a good job and really make a difference. You'll love working here and will never want to go back to the nhs! And I get paid almost double what i got paid at home! That helps too!