Phoenix16

That is great advice from Captain Tor, agree with every word. I would add a few comments.... If you have the opportunity and desire to come to Australia, ensure it is on a secure visa (or assurances of security i.e agreement to sponsor you for permanent residency ASAP). If you really do want to move to Australia, then take the opportunity sooner rather than later. There is no guarantee if you delay your decision that your job will still be available for migration, everything is changing rapidly here, Australia has many doctors and nurses graduating every year that are struggling to gain opportunities and Australia now gives priority to either it’s permanent residents or citizens, it would suggest that migration opportunities will certainly diminish in the future. Secondly, on a more personal level, I totally get your moving from anger to guilt thoughts!!! It was a really emotional decision for us, thankfully ours was a whirlwind, we didn’t have time to really think, it was just such an amazing opportunity that we couldn’t say no to, but we did bring with us my parents only grandchild and the only grandchild they would ever have, obviously I know and realise this was a truly difficult thing for them. In the end they realised and understood that for us as a family we had a fantastic opportunity and they believed their grand daughter would have a wonderful life in Australia, they were able to put their feelings aside and support us. My dad dropped us off at the airport and I found out many months later he actually pulled into a laybe and simply sobbed afterwards, it broke my heart. But they have made the effort to visit us many times since and it has been wonderful, I will acknowledge that the distance has meant the bonds (from my daughters perspective as she grows up) are not as close as they would have been if we lived in the UK, she gets frustrated when they visit that they treat her like a baby (the baby she was when we left), they really don’t get her growing up milestones because they’re not here to see them, it is and has been a big sacrifice, but we do believe that we are giving her opportunities here that we just could not have given her back in the uk. We are based in Perth so if you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to PM me, my pleasure to help xxx

You know, the halcyon days of 457 visas that lead to PR seem to be over. I say this as someone who came over in that exact way, it was so so much easier then, we actually never tried to come to OZ, we just got an offer we wouldn’t refuse (in those oh so different days), we progressed to PR literally a few months later, we were PR within less than a year of arriving and citizens within weeks of applying. It’s not like that now, I wish is could encourage you with my rose tinted glasses but I have to be very honest and say sponsorship is very unlikely and if it does happen to you you have to be clear about how that might or might not progress to PR, it does have a massive impact on families, we never even thought about school fees which now most stares impose. We came out with very little knowledge, much enthusiasm, never really thinking about emigrating, then falling in love and being privilidged enough to be allowed to stay, that dream doesn’t really happen anymore and I’ve seen so many people struggle and juggle visas, be aware and my best wishes xxxxx

My friend had a baby here whilst on a 457, everything was covered under the public health system, she was classed as higher risk due to her age and says the care she received was just superb, so I wouldn’t worry about that. Your employer seems very supportive, 12 months off is great but obviously unpaid, it can take time to get pregnant and then there’s the 9 month wait so everything could potentially align in terms of your PR eligibility and hopefully plenty of time for you to financially plan for your maternity leave. All the best to you xx

If you’re in west Perth you’re in the prime area for many great private schools, if you like the look of any you research I would say definitely contact them, I know they are suffering from the down turn and places are much more easily available right now, some lovely schools around the area and great ‘parent’ communities for you to meet a few friends in the area. I would suggest chatting to them about your ‘short term’ stay as many do have pretty hefty acceptance fees but in the current climate they just may be willing to negotiate... best of luck and enjoy your stay here, you never know you might not want to leave!! Xx

Personally, I really don’t see how you can comfortably apply for a visa without a MARA agent right now. Yes there is a cost, however, firstly you will get an honest, realistic appraisal of your chances of success (really not so easy these days}, secondly, they will submit on your behalf an application that has the best chance of success, without errors and silly mistakes, and will keep you informed along your questions and concerns. As I have seen in my 9 yearsin OZ the rules have changed so much, it’s so much more difficult to get a visa and so much more expensive, the rules are incredibly rigid, not something you would want to leave to chance these days, a MARA agent can help immensely to navigate you through the present minefield xxxx

Thank you so much Quoll and Ali, really great advice. As it’s turned out she’s not been well today, I tested her urine and another UTI (3rd in 8 weeks), managed to get her into a GP within the hour and got the antibiotics! I’m going to go in and chat with the teacher Monday, if they are onboard to help we have quite a few sleeping bags so can ensure she has a fresh one each night if needed and I’m sure they will allow an extra bag for spare clothes, pants etc, I’m also sure they will ensure she is close to a toilet. She hasn’t confided in friends about this but there has been the odd occasion where she has felt able to tell them she’s ‘peed her pants’ and joke it off but, she has lovely friends who are very caring and sensitive, the school overall are very very supportive so I feel optimistic now that we can possibly make this work for her. Once again, thank you so much for the advice, it helped me get some perspective and look at the situation more rationally! Xx

Ok, not sure I’ve posted in the right area or even if this appropriate for PIO but really need balanced advice ASAP. my beautiful 11 year old goes on her school camp next week, first camp and with all her class, for 2 days, it’s incerdibly well planned with 1 teacher per 3 kids ratio, it’s a mandatory camp and my daughter is/was/isn’t so excited... She suffers recurrent UTI’s and has been diagnosed with a lazy bladder, she was dry at night completely until 9 years old but suddenly started to have problems. She is under a specialist and takes daily medications that are aimed at her muscle bladder control. It isn’t really working and she now wears a nightly sleep ‘nappy’ which is wet every morning and at least 1 night a week completely explodes requiring bed changes. I am in 2 minds as to whether the nappy is exacerbating the problem and ‘enabling’ my daughter who suffers urgency with urinating... anyway that is background information. My dilemma is that tonight she got very distressed and wet herself before she could get to the toilet, she does it occasionally at school particularly in sports and I always pack fresh shorts and pants for her on sports days. Tonight she got distressed and said ‘I can’t go on camp, I’m literally going to just pee myself all the time....’ it completely broke my heart, she’s already stressed about sneaking off to the bathroom at night to put on a sleep pant before bed whilst on camp, she asked me for some plastic bags to put her wet sleep pants in to bring home... now I just think I should pull her from the camp trip. She desperately wants to go on the camp trip but is stressed out about her bladder and I am just distraught at the thought of her sneaking around to put on a sleep pant, and gawd knows if it explodes and she sleeps in a wet sleeping bag for 2 days because she’s scared..... I don’t really know what to do here, my heart says tell school she’s cant go, she wants to go desperately but she is so worried about her bladder and I want to protect her..... I’m hoping you Mums and Dads and rational people out there could give your advice, I’m kind of in the ‘cancel the trip’ mode but would appreciate advice xxxx

Before you go the the painful and expensive lengths of registration I would look at the demand for nurses in Australia and you will see it is now limited. Most states no longer sponsor nurses and whilst its still on the list for immigration, the job market is not what it was. Before you start your journey, I would just say it is a very expensive one, that will land you in a very expensive county, and whilst nurses earn quite a bit more than the UK, its relative to the living expenses in OZ. I was on placements with nurses who were really frustrated about their inability secure full time employment, most were bitting and batting with part time contracts here and there, trust me its dire right now.

I do, personally, think there are some great options in OZ, Witchery and Country Road are brilliant, CR I tend to think of as the NEXT I left home, they can be pricey, but we have Kmart, and I can honestly say beats any Primark (as in the one I left 8 years ago so I don't know what its like now!), although a few joggers I bought in Kmart last year are still brilliant and wearing even better than when I bought them. I think its subjective, come to OZ with am open mind but feel free to order your favourite bit online, just don't assume you can't get it here, you might be surprised about all the awesome things you actually can get here xxxxx

Country Road is my fave, Witchery i also recommend. I don’t order from overseas anymore (except books!), I find everything I want here in OZ, also Seafolly, swimwear / beachwear to die for!!

Every order I make overseas warns me that Australian customs may charge me GST, I still click ‘buy’ With that in mind and when a delivery takes much longer than forecast I assume customs are looking at my purchases and working out a GST bill, the fact I’ve never received one is not my problem. I don’t recall ever having VAT or other taxes taken off my purchases either, happy to pay GST, even the double whammy approach can often be cheaper than onshore prices.

I use amazon UK to send my niece and nephew gift vouchers to their UK addresses for birthdays / Christmas, will this be affected? I am also a massive reader so for myself I order tons of books I can’t get over here... Amazon Aus is rubbish, expensive and usually the books I want can only be ordered as ebooks and unfortunately I’m a traditional book reader, sniffing the pages and bending the spine in anticipation of a fab read are essentials! I will be upset I feel I can’t sent my family the.vouchers they like to receive, but in terms of books I shall divert my business to book depository or booktopia, shame on Amazon.

Yeah!, I’m getting good at writing SC, had lots of practice!! However, could you advise what is a reasonable length of writing for each SC, with grads we have to do it in 250 words but for level 1 nursing jobs I’ve had differing opinions from nurses, one told me he would write 2-3 pages for each criteria.....? I’m trying to work out what’s the right balance to grab the recruiters attention, give enough detail without boring them too much also!!

Lots of great ideas to think about, thank you everyone ?, just gotta keep trying and being positive, something will come up, there’s another grad recruitment coming up too and I am still eligible to apply so will also give that another shot xx

Yep, everting you say is true!! I don’t want to move back to UK, but the nursing profession is so dire here, I’m thinking 12 months in UK gives me the experience I need then I can return with much more credibility, it’s a tough gig here right now, My only chance of a grad program is waving bye to my family and taking my chances in the uk, it’s shocking....

So I am dual UK/AZ citizen, I have graduated as an RN, but because of the dire situation here I cannot start my career as an RN, I am wondering whether 12 months working in the UK will help my cause. The job situation in WA is particularly grim, I’m hoping I can work in UK for 12 months which involves leaving my family behind, but the only way I can gain experience in order to have credibility as a nurse is 12 months experience post grad. What will I encounter in terms of registration? I’m relying heavily on my UK citizenship for this, can anyone help with advice xx

I’ve been a citizen for the last 3 years and can only recall being required to vote once! Luckily in WA we have the choice to vote in local elections it seems it’s only the federal elections we have to vote in. However, I do recall a friend of mine who told me she had lived in NSW and didn’t vote in an election as she was out of the country only to receive a letter telling her she’d had her driving licence suspended for 28 days for failing to vote ??!, and yes, voting is a pain, I’m with you, why can’t we just tick one box! I smiled at all the candidates as I left and said yeah I voted for ya, cos I had to literally vote for everyone in order of preference!!!

Your comment ‘as yet....’ indicates some degree of uncertainty and a 457 is so the wrong visa to arrive in OZ on if there is even a sniff of uncertainty. It really was once the ‘golden ticket’, but not anymore and will just cause you such stress if there is any uncertainty in your job security. If Australia interests you then I would really recommend you look into permanent visas as your route of entry, so many more opportunities will be available to you with a permanent visa. I wish you all the best on your journey xxx

He’s being stubborn! He’s more upbeat these days, he’s focusing on his diet and trying to be as healthy as he can, work is grinding him down, particularly the travel, I’m just trying to make life as easy as possible for him and ensure his down time is quality time where he gets the opportunity to relax. I honestly do think the stress/pressure he’s under at the moment is causing many of his issues so I’m doing everything I can to make home his sanctuary and place of peace. We both know he can’t sustain this forever and I think we will make some big decisions when he gets through the current demanding work pressures that are linked to a specific contract negotiation that is finally reaching a positive resolution, there will be some breathing space after that and I think it’s the time we will have a chat about some big changes! It looks like I might finally get my nursing career off the ground (worse time ever in the industry to graduate as a nurse!!) which could possibly allow him to step back a little. Will keep you posted and thank you so much for your thoughts xxxxx

Neil, don’t pack up your belongings, don’t sell the house.....you are tied to the company whom your 457 is linked to. I’m not sure what you are saying, reading between the lines, has their been a downturn in work for them or have they found a suitable Aussie to fill the job? 457’s are not what they were, Australia has also changed in terms of the job market. I championed 457’s for that is how we arrived here but it is oh so different now. Do not imagine that a job on the visa list is a wanted job, trust me there are so many OZ graduates I’m actually surprised they have a list at all these days. And, I can honestly say for every job I have applied for in recent times they will only ever consider Australian PR or citizens.

The sooner the better, give them as much time to adjust as you can, and just keep positively reinforcing how great it all is!!

Agree with Rammygirl, my child is an Australian citizen, cannot imagine ever not being able to be here in oz with her, citizenship removes that worry for me (also was very proud to become an Aussie actually), I’ve read too many stories on here of families separated simply because they did not become citizens. I can’t imagine, if you live here permanently why you wouldnt....

I also do think that mental health is an area we need to explore, it’s effects can be very physiological and I think it’s something we need to look into, many thanks for your comment, it all helps xxxxx

Thank you for all of your wonderful responses it means more than you can know. I don’t think it’s a stroke, but to be honest his health has been up and down for a couple of years and we have not been able to get a final diagnosis, I think he’s just completely fed up waking up every day and not feeling normal that it’s dragged him down. However, the stammer alarmed me, and he hobbles along sometimes because as he says ‘he just aches everywhere’, I’ve noticed a limp and a sideways way of walking, I really don’t think stroke, but I’m thinking something neurological that’s affecting his motor coordination. He spends his weeks flying all over OZ, he struggled to continually adjust to the time zones, he can fly back to Perth and land at 10.30pm, meaning he’s not in bed until midnight and his bosses over east don’t think twice about 8am conference calls which means Perth time he has to be in the office ready by 5am, I think stress is playing a massive part but some of his symptoms make me feel there is a little Morehouse going on. But, he’s not been right for a while, had many tests, he’s been under a specialist endocrinologist who has been monitoring him for carcinoid syndrome but so far on that front all has been positive. I will encourage him to see the GP about the stutter/stammer, I know he’s feeling equal parts embarrassed and frightened xxxx

I’m seeking ideas and thoughts, my very highly functioning husband, has a massively successful career but with that comes immense stress......I have noticed over a period of time that he has started to develop a stammer, I am highly conscious but play it down with him and try not to draw attention to it, I’ve also noticed his memory span is diminishing a little, he is 48 years old but his stammer is becoming acute and he sometimes cannot remember something he did moments earlier, he gets frustrated with his confusion. He functions incredibly well at work, he is passionate about his work and thrives on it but I do know he is under incredible stress at the moment and has been for some time. Has anyone suffered this? I do my complete best to ensure home environment is peaceful and tranquil but I will be honest I’m worried xxxxx