GaryandGillDublin

Hey everyone, Thanks for all the comments. Haven't had a minute to reply as the little man had his vaccinations and was out of sorts :swoon: Was hoping somebody might say 'the rules have just changed and you can apply for citizenship now' :yes: Was then reading old posts that said a WHV could contribute to application for citizenship but the fact we had WHV about 11 years ago would probably not be of any help :cute: I really don't know, even waiting to apply for citizenship, if I would ever come back to Australia in the future but then if our Liam wanted to, we would have to try something to get back in. I'm just so confused. I know a year and a half isn't that long but what's annoying me is the money we will spend here while waiting, unhappily waiting at that. When I start back in work in August my wages will literally cover child care, nothing else. My hubby will be able to cover all the other outgoings once there is overtime, if not, than there will be more money going out, than coming in. The cost of living here is ludicrous. We got a water bill yesterday which prompted us to add up all our bills etc and it's absolutely crazy. Sometimes it seems WA just pick a figure out of thin air and throw a price on things!!!! I never would have have said I regretted coming here, even when I've had low days in the past but I think I do regret it. When you look at the money it cost to get here and then set up and basically start from fresh. I know there are good things about WA, obviously the weather is a major one. Although right now, as I'm thinking of pros and cons for WA -V- Ireland, the weather is quite monotonous. In summer, it's usually too hot to do anything and you're afraid of going out and getting burned or cooling off in the sea in case you get attacked by a shark :biggrin: Yes, I know Ireland is rainy and cloudy and we all give out but you can book a summer holiday, jet off somewhere nice, eat out and relax for the couple of weeks. We haven't had a holiday since we've been in Perth and as I said in my previous post, we don't eat out because it is so expensive. So I think I would rather have two weeks abroad every year and put on my coat and wellies for the rest of it :laugh: If it means we would get some quality family time together and be happy in general. People at home will no doubt say 'you're mad thinking of coming back here' but we're not, not if it will make us happy, like we always were in Ireland :biggrin:

Yeah although husband feels the same he is the more sensible one so wants to make sure we have the citizenship. It's just a horrible feeling because I know how lucky we are to be here but it's a feeling that just won't shift of late :cry:

This is my first post in quite a while. I was constantly on PIO throughout the process of getting our PR visa a few years ago and then when we got here, setting ourselves up in Perth kind of took over :wink: We we have been in Perth since September 2011 and a lot has happened since then. We have had our first child, Liam, who is 6 months old and have built a house and have been in it 6 months - we moved in a week before Liam arrived :biggrin: I am currently on maternity leave from my job which I really like. My husband has been very lucky to have been in continuous employment with the same company and he is happy enough. The problem is we are not 100% happy here. In truth I don't think we ever have been. Don't get me wrong, Perth is great for its weather and the beaches etc but there's just something missing for us. At times it feels like we are in a retirement village or something. We have made some great friends here, the majority of whom are Irish but we rarely see anybody. Everyone is a big distance from each other and even if you are in the same suburb you have to drive. There are no local shops to walk to where we live or a local pub to pop into for a pint or a bite to eat. I wouldn't call the feeling we have 'homesick'. It's more an unsettled feeling - missing the familiarity of things at home. We are not 'living the dream' here. My husband works 10 hours a day 6 days a week and that's literally just to keep the bills paid. We don't go out to eat or on holidays and we rarely get to the beach. The way things are done here in WA is another big reason we don't like it. Building the house was the most stressful thing, even more stressful than getting the visa. You feel like you're banging your head off a brick wall. The Australians are renowned for being laid back but to us it sometimes comes across as down right carelessness. There is no pride in anything. The amount of issues we have had with the house and the attitude is 'that's just the way we do it here'! Well I'm sorry, if we're paying a huge amount of money for a house, we expect it to be built to a high standard. The problem is we cannot apply for citizenship until September 2015 and at the moment, to me especially, that feels like such a long time. Then from reading on the immi website, it could take months to actually get called for the test and ceremony etc. The way I feel at the moment I would leave here tomorrow but the hubby won't leave without citizenship. I agree with him but obviously just wish we could apply sooner or there was some other way of securing long term residency. It cost us a huge amount of money to relocate here and we obviously don't want to cut ties with Australia in case our feelings change in the future and we want to come back. Maybe now just isn't the right time/stage in our lives to live here. We didn't leave Ireland because of the recession, we left because we had a dream of living in Australia but we have discovered that we were living the dream in Ireland, we just didn't realise it :sad:

Anyone have any ideas of where else to look for plumbing jobs. Only two in the weekend west today, seek has none and recruitment agencies not interested unless you want to go FIFO :wacko: Hubby anxious to start work ASAP. Cheers.

Hey, My husband and myself left Dublin, Ireland and landed in Perth mid September 2011. We have permanent residency visas. My husband is a fully qualified Plumber/Pipefitter with over 13 years experience in all aspects of plumbing - domestic and commercial/industrial. He has completed his hand skills assessment and obtained his WA provisional plumbing licence. If anyone has or knows of any suitable vacancies or would like further info - CV, please PM us Thanks a million

Hi all, We've 6 weeks to the day til we go and are just trying to organise shipping etc. :wacko: We had originally settled on a company and they quoted us a very reasonable price but when they can out to our house last week and took an inventory the price has literally doubled and nothing has been added to the list I originally gave in February :mad: So just trying to look around and see if I can get something cheaper as we have to watch every penny. If anyone could give us some help on this we'd be delighted :wubclub: Thanks a million, Gary & Gill

Hey, Haven't been on PIO since receiving Visa grant mid-May. PC got a virus and is out of action and very hard to write posts on Iphone ;( Flights are booked for 14/09/11, finishing work on 26/08/11, first wedding aniversary 28/08/11 so it's all go. Trying to get our house rented at the mo but our main concern is somewhere to live when we first arrive. We have friends in Doubleview (emigrated last Nov') but don't want to stay more than a couple of days because don't want to be a burden .. Would need something maybe for 2 wks until we have found something more permanent. Would like to settle in the Quinns Rocks, Mindarie or Joondalup areas and so maybe a short term here would be nice to get a feel for the areas. We've enquired in a few places but they all seem very expensive and we really need to try keep costs down until we find jobs (medical secretary and plumber). If anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated. Cheers, Gill

Hey, Meant to say Scubabud not Ammosaph :cute:

Hey, Just a word of advice. If you have a look at the 'sleep deprived' thread we set up a while ago, you'll see that we ran into a bit of bother after having the medicals in the Mater hospital. We have got our visa today :wink: but it was 7 weeks after the medicals were done and being referred for unnecessary tests. We were told various different reasons about the delay, from both sides - errors here, errors there, nobody taking responsibility and they were the longest 7 weeks ever for OH and myself. I thought I had a heart condition :eek: So hopefully yours will go smoothly but just keep an eye out because most people's medicals did not take that long at all. There are a small number of unfortunate people, us included, who seem to have been delayed and it is very worrying and frustrating, so as I said just follow up on it, otherwise you'll end up like we've been the last 7 weeks :wacko: Best of luck, Gill x

Hey, Got our visas today :biggrin: SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY, can't believe it. Still hasn't sunk in. Best of luck to those awaiting news, will keep our fingers crossed for you. Drinkie time :yes: Gill x

After the saga of the last 7 weeks since medicals were done, agent phoned us at 12.30 a.m. this morning to say OUR VISAS HAVE BEEN GRANTED.:jiggy: We can't believe it, only yesterday we thought I'd to go and get more tests but only for the most helpful lady in health strategies sorting it all out, I think we'd still be waiting and spending more unnecessary money on tests. Am kinda numb. Am very excited, so is OH but feel a mixture of emotions ranging from relief and happiness to fear and apprehension :cute: Have to say, we would have been lost without PIO over the last 13 mths and especially over the WA SS waiting period and the last 7 weeks. I hope those of you still waiting hear some good news soon, especially Janice and Ammosaph. We'll keep our fingers crossed for you :wink: Well as soon as this work day is over, gonna have a few beers with the OH and try get our heads around the fact that WE'RE GOING TO AUSTRALIA :notworthy:

Am I right in thinking DIAC will be working on Monday or is it a public / bank hol in Oz. After chasing the clinic about test results since Tuesday they were emailed yesterday and are showing on online system as further medicals received for both of our files even though OH didn't get anything else done since initial meds 6 weeks ago ?? Was hoping to know by today and maybe if the clinic had have sent them Tuesday like they said they would we'd be celebrating now. Hope they're working Monday or even the weekend

After assuring my OH, when booking the required ECHO test for me, that the scan would be reported on 'the same day', I emailed the Mater this morning to be told that the doctor would be looking at it TODAY and forwarding/emailing results on my behalf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Forwarding when???? The year 2020 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had the scan on Tues @ 09.30 a.m. I am sick of this. I emailed her straight back and advised that the MOC had asked for results to be posted because of the error in the system relating to our file. No response from them. And why, you ask, do I not just phone them? Well when I phone, I get somebody else who is not familiar with our case who transfers me to a voicemail of the person I contact by email. I leave a msg and instead of contacting me, the patient who has been referred for further tests, they contact my OH and give him the details :arghh: I work as a medical secretary and that would not be acceptable. You contact the patient directly and respond to them and above all follow up promptly on all medical results. 6 weeks tomorrow since medicals were done. :no:

BIG Congrats :biggrin: Enjoy the celebrations .. x

Haha hope so, had myself convinced I had some mad heart problem :cute:. I swear if they find something else to hold this up I'll scream :goofy: