Perth Trotters

We got ours on Monday! Am still walking on air!! We are over the moon!!! ENS 186 Visa, Direct Entry - decision ready, front-loaded with medicals & police checks, via migration agent in Perth Nomination: 27/11/12 Ack 03/12/12 Application :10/01/13 Ack 10/01/13 Case Officer assigned 26/03 Visa Approved 08/04/2013 Keep having to pinch myself! just so happy! To all those still waiting - the best of luck - it will happen - but the waiting is def the hardest part of all and I am very grateful we had such a quick turnaround as my nerves were already shattered! Reading everyones experiences on here really helped keep me going so thank you and good luck to all!!

There are 2 threads on the ENS 186 visa timelines - may be worth having a read - start and the last pages and work backwards. Visas are being issued but the length of the wait is very varied! Here is one: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/158703-skillselect-ens-186-timeline-35.html

Hi Guys - its a good point - I had to ditch 2 expensive ones here as they werent legal. Aus doesnt have isofix as yet but work on a tether system - have a look at lara24's link above - its been debated at length but unf the reality is we had to buy 2 new seats and ditch 2 perfectly good ones! Have a look at the following link as well - pretty informative: http://www.livethelifeinperth.com/

HI! We did that 2 years ago - we took a holiday let and used it for 2 weeks and then moved into the rental we had managed to secure and 'camped' in it until our container arrived! We hired a car (Bayswater Car Rental were cheapest then - not at airport but a close taxi ride away) and then bought our cars. There are relocation specialists that advertise accomm and I have seen people on forums and facebook pages advertise Granny flats etc. Gumtree is very popular over here for advertising accomm. Best of luck with your move!

Jules is spot on - depends what you are looking for. Personally I prefer the smaller country town feel and the lifestyle down south would suit us better - that said we have 2 small children and are not out partying on a regular basis! Busselton, Dunsborough and Margaret River and all they have to offer would be in easy reach too. Perth offers the obvious benefits of being close to a city and as far as cities go Perth is lovely however a commute might need to be considered depending on which suburb you choose to live in! Good Luck!

Skillselect ENS186 Visa Time line - is one of the threads with a few recent updates! Good Luck all!

There are 2 other threads related to this topic on the Forum. A few lucky ones seem to be coming through fairly quickly but these are def an exception. The wait seems to be 5-7 months or longer..... Its def a waiting game - which is by far the hardest part of the process!! (for me anyway!)

Yep - I agree - Our Doctors also played the £50 card so decided against it as we are all pretty healthy. Brought the kids red books over and have had no problems. Doctor and clinics were very helpful in getting kids immunisations onto the Medicare system and I didnt require anything for Uni apart from what everyone else on the course was required to have and that was available here. Good Luck!

We arrived 2 years ago having also owned our own home in the UK. We supplied a reference from our Estate Agent in the UK, our old neighbours in the UK and some friends here in Australia. We offered to pay 3 months in advance and showed all our bank statements showing that we had sufficient funds and had no problem securing a rental. Good Luck with the search!

As I understand it from my MA a bridging visa grant is automatically generated when a PR application is made however your 457 visas remain valid. The bridging visa must only be maintained if your existing visa had been close to expiry. There are no travel restrictions during application processing as your 457 visas remain valid. Hope that helps!

Hi, Try Study Options in London (can all be done over the phone) they were excellent. They cant do the actual visa app but can certainly point you in the right direction. Best of luck!

Bob1 only just seen this post! Love it, Love Perth, well done for sticking up for it!

Firstly thanks Bell123321 for looking at the positives! I must say I do wonder why so many people are still here with all the negativity that seems to have been posted lately! Leave Perth to those of us that LOVE it!! In our experience we have found Perth to be clean, friendly, very inexpensive to entertain my kids who love the outdoors, there are plenty of beautiful places nearby to explore and you dont have to go far to escape the crowds! The weather is fab, even in winter, its easy to find a spot on the beach and get parking!, the houses are generally bigger and detached, no M25! apart from rush hour the roads are less congested, camping is fun, the wines and seafood are great! I could go on and on, suffice to say we think its a great place and I am so grateful we have had the opportunity to experience life here!

PS we organised our own insurance though - as per recommendations on here! Much cheaper and thankfully not required!

Hi, We used them from Surrey to Perth and they were fantastic both ends! I couldnt fault them and would use them again! My brother in law also used them and had no problems either. They were also the most competitvely priced out of the 4 quotes we had. Best of luck with your move!

My 2 (aged 3 and 5) have never lived near any of our immediate family and we are still a close knit family. I think it has a lot to do with how you manage it - we talk openly about all our family, look at photos often, write letters and cards, send pics from the kids and constantly remind them that they are part of a large loving family even if we are all far apart. Skype definetley helps too! Having family spread about has increased their knowledge of the world and their vocab (a mixture of Scottish, South African and Aussie words!) They have been lucky to travel more than I ever did as a child and we know that they are certainly benefitting from the lifesyle they have here! Yes being away from family is not easy but the kids are fully aware of who their Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and all their cousins are and there is much excitement when we do get to see each other! Time spent together is precious so we certainly make the most of it and avoid the politics which may not be as easy when living nearby! Love travels any distance whether we be near of far!

HI, My son went to Kindy at Living Waters Lutheran College in Halls Head, Mandurah and we loved it, was devastated when we moved into Perth and had to leave! There is one in Warnboro too! Good Luck!

Hi KJ, I have pm'd you some info on costings we experienced in Mandurah (peel region). Hope its useful! Good Luck!

HI! We have been here just over a year, initially in Halls Head in Mandurah and now in South Perth (to be closer to OH's work). We have a 3 year old and a 5 year old and I have found it really easy to make friends in both places! Your kids are at the right age - kindy, playgroups and school are a great way to meet Mum's and I have also made friends in the parks and at the kids swimming lessons. I think a lot of it is about your attitude and not expecting things to be as they were back home and making a bit more effort. We love it here, the kids are outdoors loads, the lifestyle is what we longed for and we have been invited to several BBQ's and days out with some great Aussie friends and the kids have regular playdates. I find entertaining the kids LOADS cheaper than I ever did the UK as there are so many lovely parks and places to take them that dont cost a thing and the weather is far more reliable too! We initially rented a gorgeous near new home in Halls Head 300m from the beach for $370 a week, rentals here in Perth are more expensive however a lot depends on location and proximity to the city. We have been lucky enough not to experience any crime or negative behaviour in our time here and I am so grateful every day that we decided to make the move! Good luck with your decision!

No worries, do try Maree as well - she was really helpful when we needed a short term rental in Jan this year! Good Luck!

Hi - have pm'd you some info - hope it helps!

Hi There, I have 2 Britax Car Seats that I am unable to use here in Australia so was wondering if anyone heading home (UK) required them. They are both in excellent condition and have not been involved in an accident. I have a Kidfix (Isofix) Booster Seat 15 - 36kg approx 4 - 12 years and a Britax Renaissance, Group 1 (9months - 4 years approx) Will happily give them away just cant bear to dump then when they are in such good condition but it is illegal for me to use them over here! Can be collected in Halls Head, Mandurah until 15 Dec and therafter from South Perth. PM me if you are interested! Thanks Claire

We moved to Mandurah from Farham, Surrey in Jan this year and havent looked back! We are really enjoying it here, the lifestyle is great, people are really friendly and we have had no problems with crime in any form. The beaches are fab, the kids are having a blast and I am so grateful that we have had the opportunity to make this change to our lives! We may have to move closer to Perth due to OH work commitments and I am gutted! Jason go for it mate!