grahamffc

Unfortunateky this is not true, the qualification has to meet the core knowledge areas below, while it doesn't technically have to be an accounting degree it is unlikely that any non accounting degree or even combined honours degree would meet the criteria. Furthermore any qualification had to be completed in full, therefore your best bet is to do the Oxford Brookes degree and hope this meets the requirements below or wait until you have completed ACCA. http://www.charteredaccountants.com.au/The-Institute/Migration-assessment/Recognised-accounting-qualifications.aspx

It sounds like you have had a bit of a whirlwind of feelings. Firstly staying with family (I assume in suburbia) is going to be very different to staying in hotels as you would on most holidays, secondly very few tourists wouldn't get bored spending a month in Perth, but thirdly it is very difficult to imagine how your life with all the daily routines in Australia would compare to that of the UK.I moved back from Melbourne to London last year for many reasons but fish and chips was not one of them, I think they are far superior in Australia, much less greasy.

Unfortunately I don't think the diploma will get you anywhere however the Oxford Brookes degree might, and maybe it could get a positive assessment before finishing ACCA given that mine was from a degree. I wouldn't advise going to Australia before finishing the qualification though as your only option for learning modules there will be long distance as there are no ACCA tuition providers in Australia.Definitely look into CIMA, what's the harm, even if you decide against it. I suspect that if you are working in practice your employer probably wouldn't fund a CIMA qualification though.

No unfortunately unless things have changed it will not. I was part qualified with just the two optional papers remaining (which is still where I am!) but obtained a positive skills assessment due to my accounting and finance degree which was treated as the same as a full qualification. I think it is crazy that they took it but the logic is that ICAA and CPA say that is the level you need to be at to start their qualifications.I was in Melbourne for 18 months but have since come back to London and decided to switch from ACCA to CIMA. One of the main reasons for this being that CIMA have a mutual recognition arrangement with CPA whereas ACCA was barely heard of which will be far more beneficial should I ever decide to go back. Only expats or people that have worked in finance in the UK or Asia seemed to know of it. If you have your heart set on moving to Australia I would suggest exploring taking up CIMA instead, you should get a few exemptions for the ACCA exams you have passed to date.

M&S, it's just a shame there isn't ine near me!

I agree with the above, I loved my life in the UK but thought I could better it even more especially as a lover of warm weather. It took a while to settle in, I met some great aussie and expat friends and enjoyed my time there but to be blunt life wasn't as good as the one I left, I went back after 18 months and fknt regret it. I do wonder if perhaps I had hated my job in England whether that would have made things much different. I'll never know for sure but I reckon it would as I was always benchmarking my australian job to it which made it seem inferior.

If you're going to be spending £££'s it is helpful

Apologies to be blunt but the OP's is largely pointless (the financial bits anyway), just like wanted down under. It's irrelevant if groceries cost twice as much if you earn twice as much as you did in the UK, some professions earn lots more in Oz some lots less, and every number would change with exchange rates. Work out your expected disposable income and compare that to your disposable income percentage in the UK. The only relevance of using numbers is if you are able to take capital with you and what this could buy in the current exchange rate and property markets. Personally I had higher disposable income in Melbourne compared to London but if I was to factor in some holidays back to the UK (which I would have wanted had I stayed) it would be about even.

"I'm sorry mate I didn't realise you were indigenous"...or something along those lines was always my favourite response.

Are you comparing like with like? The reason I ask is that most people who complain about property prices move from regional england to one of the state capitals, of course that is going to be more expensive just as moving to London would be. Personally I found Melbourne on a par with London back when the aussie dollar was at its strongest so it's probably a good bit cheaper now. It's the sane when people claim that healthcare is better in Australia compared to the NHS which really an unfair comparison. It should be compared to BUPA and Nuffield hospitals.

Same as anywhere, most peoole are friendly and recognise that Australia is built on immigration, but you'll get the odd obnoxious one. The only difference is you, at home you are not an immigrant so would probably never have noticed that sort of behaviour which can be anything from a light hearted joke to physical abuse in extreme cases.

I was working as a management accountant for a medium sized company. It wasn't very interesting (but I did the first job I was offered) but was pretty much the same level wise and the people were nice.

I think you are probably feeling similiar to that I did. I earned £40k in London then $75k in Melbourne. It felt comparible as I had enough to have a decent lifestyle and save a little (c.$800 per month) but if I'm honest I felt that I wasn't earning enough to make up for everything I had given up. If I had an expat contract with annual flights home, shipping etc thrown in I would have been much happier. It needs a reality check, most people get by comfortably and have a nice lifestyle in Australia but luxuries are unlikely for most, and trips across the world back home need to be considered a luxury, especially for a family.

As some have already said you'll best avoiding winter in Melbourne. January to March is brilliant in Melbourne, even if you don't think you'll be into them the Australian Open, Grand Prix, Gay Pride, Moomba Festival, and St Kilda Festival create a real buzz around the City, there is something big practically every weekend for those three months. So give you are going in January I'd head to Melbourne first then go up to Sydney in May/June time.

I found the west coast really interesting, some mining towns that 100 years ago were thriving with populations of 30,000 now have a couple of hundred and littered with abandoned theatres, hotels, and railway stations. We also stumbled across the Henty Dunes which were a real treat and one of the most amazing things I've seen.

I spent about £20k in total as a single guy, the biggest expense was paying rent, bond, food etc for about three months while I was looking for work.

It is definitely not worth starting a qualification if you already have one! There are far more jobs in London than anywhere in Melbourne but I agree it must be frustrating that not having EU citizenship will hold you back so much. Would you have enough relevant work experience to get a skills assessment? I think it's about four years. If you do then I would definitely say Australia is worth a go. The other thing to remember is that the visa process takes about a year so you might need to consider how you'll make ends meet in that year if it's proving hard to find work already. Would you be eligible for a working holiday visa? If you are you can go next week!

A friend of mine did just this so it is possible, he said something about being given a bridging visa once he applied for the de vacto

I received my skills assessmemt on the basis of my accounting and finance degree. It's a bit silly if you ask me but hey I wasn't complaining, a friend of mine is ACA qualified and found it much harder...makes no sense. If you are early enough into training to have a choice do CIMA as once a member you automatically become a CPA Australia member which will open up almost all jobs to you. This would be a big advantage.

I would have thought it would be very difficult to get work in Byron Bay or Gold Coast compared to Sydney. If you can afford six months to a year out of work then it could be a risk worth taking but otherwise I would head to Sydney first and if look into moving up the Coast when you have some australian experience.

I guess you could see it as a short term solution, ie be open to relocating if you really thought the job was worth it after a couple in months. But long term, no chance!

It doesn't matter if 60m sign it won't happen. Do you really think any of the countries will want uncontrolled migration? I suspect they would rather carry on the current arrangements which would allow a Korean doctor but not a British brickie. And with the UK's EU membership it would effectively mean opening the door to the entire EU.

I would try to get a short term rental (ie up to two months), bournemouth has a large student population so that might mean there is a good availability of rooms until September when most will come back.

It depends whether you want a leader based on ability or charisma. Blair certainly had the later, Brown the former, Miliband neither. I thought it funny that Cheryl Cole (can't remember her new name) said she had always been a Labour supporter but was considering dropping that as she said the mansion tax would "f*** me over when I already pay plenty of tax". People only like socialism while they are benefitting more than they are contributing, change that balance and the principles of 99% of people go out the window. Look at the reduction in housing benefit levy or 'bedroom tax' as it's misleadingly referred to. The people opposing it are hoarding property larger than they need denying others who have a much greater need, most of them will consider themselves socialists but their actions are in complete contradiction.

Another great statement from Miliband with the sole intention of winning votes and saving worrying about the fact it's not possible after the election. See tax avoidance and MP's second jobs too. I like to think the electorate aren't as stupid as labour assume they are but I'm not convinced.