whatsitallabout

We had to get landline connection we only had to provide a copy of our rental agreement to prove that we were living there, didn't need anything else. But I would suggest apply for your Medicare card asap as this is whats used here to verfiy who you are. What co are you going with, It did take around 3 weeks for us to get our landline though!!!

Good luck fingers crossed for you x I would take certified copies with you as thats what I sent to the DIAC keep us posted thinking of you x

Just wanted to send my love to you & am thinking of u! I too am in Melbourne & I know that we haven't met but if you ever feel like a shoulder to lean on or just need someone to shout at PM me I would arrange to met you & try & help you in this awful situation

(Don't throw your coat hangers like I did, they cost a fortune to buy here.) I did the same! I couldn't believe how much I had to spend on the bloody things, was so pived at myself as threw so many in the bin when packing. If you have kids stock up on school stuff pencils coluring pens, school shoes socks & underwear factor 50 boots bring that! Bedding quilts towels & medicine calpol as that is not sold here.

Hi jake, What a bummer! We was advised by our employer that we needed to get it all in as the 856 was no longer going to be available after 1st july, Good luck with filling all the forms out again but before you do phone DIAC & explain the situation

What a shame you didn't put your papers in before 1st July, as when we went to immigration we had a problem with one of our medicals & they said as we had an approval letter ens we could put papers in & submitt the rest of our documents when we received them I was not aware of this I thought we needed to have everything 1st I do know that 856 visa has been replaced with new 186 visa I would give them a call to clarify this.

I know people who came on a 457 visa then gained PR who were 47, I know that they have upped the age limit for 457 to 50, so if you come on 457 visa do your 2 years then you can apply for PR, If I think this is what you mean! I was unskilled on OH Visa we got PR. Hope this helps

Hi, After we put our papers in , our co asked for the form 80 for all of us, I two couldn't remember the exact dates but had our passports stamped the rest I just put the month & year of our travels un the last ten years. When i booked our medicals it took 2 weeks for our date as they said they were busy as everyone was rishing to get their medicals done before the 1st july, then took another 2 weeks to come back to us. I would start filling out the form 80 so at least you have done it! Not everyone is required to do this, but most people we know have had to do this form. Good luck

Hi I know of a couple Woods Accident Repairs based in Melbourne Capital Smart are based around Oz http://www.woods.com.au http://www.capitalsmart.com.au Give them a email Good Luck

My 1st year here, I done my own tax return, It came back that I owed them money as like you, I didn't think I was a resident as then was on a 457 Visa I contacted the ATO to clafify this question (as I was confused by this as really I wasn't a resident!!) but when lodging this I was a resident for tax purposes! to my relief I didn't owe them anything I got it back. So I would contact them to claify if you have dones this correctly. Good Luck

Cons : Its hard for a family on a 457 as you get no help, the co that might sponsor you might not be a very good one to work for. You are stuck with them for 4 years Your average wage could be a lot lower to what your expecting. Medical insurance required Pros A quick way to gain PR Is you don't settle co has to pay for your flights to go back home!

Neither of us had been to Oz before, If I had I wouldn't have wanted to come! I came with a very open mind & has taken me ages ro settle (3 years). Like I have said before don't think there is much difference in the two countries,

As your employee if they have been given the ENS number as soon as you receive that you can put your papers in, but once you get that your application will not take long as ENS are granted pretty much straight away. Not sure if you should wait for the new stage, I know that we wanted to get ours in asap, if you wait till after july does the price increase? Sorry not much help am I. Speak to immigration to see if they van help you answer your question.

You have to pay for medicals for you & the family then all the police checks then the visa for us around $5,000

We waited 7 months for our ENS number to come through once we got approval letter we submitted all our papers took 3 weeks to get PR, we didn't need a IELTS test, you could submitt your papers now then send the documents they need once you received them as long as you have an ENS number, if thats all your waiting for why don't you put in now? Have you done your medicals yet?

Oh your poor son!! I don't think this should affect your medicals at all, but just too be on the safe side would get letters of what has just happen when you submitt your papers more info is better than none. Before you come to OZ make a formal complaint about the terrible treatment at that GP surgery, thats awful that he wouldn't call an ambulance would take legal advice on that & sue the pants of that doctor. Hope your son feels better soon wish him well from us in OZ

All this took an extra 8 weeks for us as had to go back & forth to the hospital to get letters but when they got the letter saying she was ok (her chest xray came back saying she had a mass on chest) so had to have biopsy done on her when I got the all clear from hospital i emailed the doctors & pr was granted the next day! A massive refief for us & her as this was only picked up on her chest xray! so fully understand how your feeling! Just stay positive & submitt everything you can get your hands on:biggrin:

We had some issues with our daughter too with her medicals, just get as much info as you can from all your treating doctors, they just want too see if the medical condition is going to cost the australia gov we submitted every letter I could get from our doctors, the thing they dont want in this co is TB, after a lot of soul searching (me pulling my hair out) :arghh:was was granted pr. So don't stress submitt everything! Good luck

My wonderful family. My new life in OZ My new aussie friends who have been wonderful when I've been homesick & when we had a crisis have been there when I need ed them!

Hi were told the same that they couldn't leave the country, but I paid 10 pounds for a print out of all my familis history. which I must say has come in very uselful as has the dates of all the injections my kids had back in the UK as I had some health issues back in the UK I really stressed that I needed these to take in case my condition came back, the doctor was very understaning & arrange a print out of our history which costed me 40 quid money well spent!

Hi Lindsay, I can understand your concerns about giving your kids a better life, but like I have said before all what goes on back home goes on here too!!! Drinking culture here is MASSIVE!!! & just my opinion I think the education is far much better back in the UK than here, unless you can afford private schools (which we can't). Kids drink a lot here ( I think alot more) Whatever country you chose to live in all have the same problems. It amuses me that people back home think it all so rosy here!!! We came here for the same reasons to give our kids a better life & it has been really hard emtionally & it has been really expensive too!No-ones saying don't come but the rose tinted glasses need to come off if you think that its so wonderful here, like I said before they have the same problems here. I wish you well on your decision but having such a close famiy around will be hard for you & we make your journey here hard.My kids miss family & we only have a small family back home. All the best.

Having lived in OZ for 3 years, I really don't think Oz is better than the UK, they have the same problems here like they did at home, but we didn't have much family around us, so it made the decision to come here, so glad we did as we totally love living here. We have seen alot of friends go home there reasons was missing family, you don't realise how far away you are from loved ones. So if you do have a great support network & are close to your family, then that might make your stay here very lonely & you very sad. Most of our friends that did return was due to the wife not being happy!Even thou I like it here, I really don't think it much different to life back home. I just wanted to say that I have read most of Ghosts post & I don't think that you have ever been disrespectful about your time in Oz! You have just given a your honest opinion which I have enjoyed reading!!!

We came on a 457 after 2 years of working for the co they sponsored us for ENS Visa 856 OH didn't need a skills assesment & we didn't need points system, he was 45 when we came. But the advice the others gave is right no guantee that you will get PR.

As long as the co got some money back don't think they were worried about the difference! I do know people who left without paying anything, I heard that the co informed immigration (Not sure if this is true) but would say that if your planning on staying its not worth messing up your visa especially if you want to stay here permanently!

Hi Louise, We had to submit our medicals before our application, but we had ours done in 2008, hopefully not too long for you! Wish you all the best