RioMarina

No probem I had to show my competence as an electrician to enter Australia. On landing I then had to prove my elecrical status through ATR as an electrical mechanic then I had to sit an Exam theory and practical and then I got the A grade. Now employed by Energy safe as a licencing officer. Good luck

Why complain about local standards when your coming from far a field. Respect what the australian authorities do as this is a system that recognises proper electricians who have had proper training, proper apprentices and a standard that has to be met. It took me 5 months to get my licence but you cannot complain about the standard that has to be met. By the way I have recently heard that electricians that came here 3 months ago still do not have the required A grade card.

Why make such a comment like this. Dont make comments if you don't mean it. The U.K needs people who want to be there, all us who have gone need to get back to the best country in the world not question peoples decisions.

RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland)

You would not get this in England. New arrivals in Perth are facing a nightmare situation. http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/wa-families-forced-to-live-in-tents/story-e6frg2ru-1226353723353

Apologies I meant £168 billion, so one would think not, they could though, but it will take the ANZ a few years.

Britain is the best place on earth to live. No other country looks after its people like England does. If you compare economies, could an Australian bank ever pay a £168 million debt back to the government in 3 years. That bank is now owned by the people of the U.K with its profits benefitting all. England is fantastic, I don't know why I left. I need to back as soon as possible.

We all have different standards. Just a correction - beach facing concrete mansion. Your right about the small garden. We just have a large pool. Mate.

If thats the case for Australian wages, then alot of people will be doing it tough out here. You would struggle to live in Perth on these wages. The only one I see liveable is the mining wages. If it is correct that the average mortgage is over $300,000 then I worry about this place. You need to be on $100,000 to have a average lifestyle in Perth nowadays. Its so much harder to have double incomes out here as well. The distances are just not worth it whilst trying to pick the kids up and still come out at the end of the week with enough money to pay the bills.

That report is from January old lad. Update has it is now expanding, but still very fragile. At least the U.K knows where it is and what it has to do. Here in Aus we are living in a massive bubble. I can hear a hissing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After reading the last couple of posts even the most optimistic person in the world would need to be wary of these facts. Australia may have the mining but when you do the maths of labour costs or manufacturing anything or selling anything compared to another country, the costs are amazingly high. I think there maybe Dutch disease already setting in. The dollar must come down, even collapse 40-50% to make Australia competitive again. Jobs will go if it does not. Its not even hard to work out. Ropey - Stop thinking of yourself. It does'nt come across well mate- If this were to happen it would be disastrous for many peoples lives. Lets hope it does'nt.

What a ridiculous post heading!:rolleyes: The Reserve Bank is always adjusting the official interest rate up and down in response to economic conditions. It usually happens a couple of times a year. It is probable it will go down 0.25% at their next monthly meeting. What goes around comes around , -0.5% cut is what I said, thats whats been delivered. I stand by my original post. Wait for the rot to set in.

Just read the news that it is predicted that Aus interest base rate is to change by at least - 0.5 %. The government have warned the Bank Treasury they need to reduce this rate. Is alarm bells starting to ring. Super high housing prices, super high dollar and the cost of living is immense. Bank lending has been far worse than the U.K or America. Worrying times me thinks. Time will tell.

Energysafe in Leederville, Perth

Hope all these experts were the ones that never predicted the global downturn. (Like there were some! not). There are no experts, just bluffers and blaggers trying to take your money. At least in the U.K they know they are in a downturn. Australia may be next. Who knows. Once the expansions of the mines is done and dusted, Perth W.A will have potentially the biggest recession known to man.

No Brainer mate. Buy 2 houses in U.K for the price of 1 property here in Perth. Odds must be stacked that the dollar will retreat one day-pound get stronger. I personally would not ask for financial advice on here and it will only be peoples opinion on which direction things will go. But Perth prices are crazy. Median house price $500K median wage $60K. UK median house price £160K median wage £30K. Tax would be an issue also.

Can I ask how you pay just £100 more a month in Perth than in Birmingham. I pay $500 a week in Perth for a 4x2 decent house and rent my house out (4 Bed detached in UK) for £700 a month. Perth rentals are crazy prices and I only earn $10K more here in Perth than I did in the U.K. I may have to head back to Blighty. The costs are killing us here in Perth.

Perth is expensive at the moment so you need a decent wage to live a decent life at the moment!

No not as an Electrician. Did not work as a spark until I got my licence. Although people do work as mates. Never went down that route myself.

I don't know whats going on with relation to visas at the moment. The electrical licence in WA is the A Grade which 99% of employers will want you to have before you become employable. It is a long road to getting this once you arrive on Australia's shores. Initially you will go to the licencing office in Leederville only to be told that you have to get your trade recognised by ARTC. This will take a least a month and then you go back to the licencing office ready to get your licence. They then tell you you have to I believe do a 2 week course now to get you ready for the testing. This consists of practical and theory exam. A few days later you get your results to see if you pass. This in my experience took all of 5 months since when I landed. Reading other posts there seems to be a course you can do in the U.K but costs a fortune. It seems a long winded affair to get your licence, but once you have it you feel a sence of achievement. It certainly beats the English system where virtually anybody can be an electrician if they wish after a couple of weeks course. Also once you have it you can secure employment pretty quickly, as I say the licence is priceless for anyone seeking employment in W.A. Someone may know of a better and easier route, but this is the only way I've heard of from all sparks I know in Perth. We all follow the rules of the land and you can only respect the way they do it.

A grade is the licence you need to work in WA as an Electrician. You have a restricted licence in which you can work under an A grade electrician. The A grade formally came in the forms of A grade Electrical mechanic or Electrical Fitter. I have been in WA for 6 years and still don't know what the difference is. I was employed by a firm initially that just let you work under the restricted licence, but somehow had a licence that you could work under if you had just come straight off the plane. It was a major global company but to this day I still don't think it was legit.As I stated in my previous post the A grade licence that I renewed last year has now just got an EW number on it so does not distinguish what type you have. Maybe they just recognise you as an General Electrician as in the U.K. Someone else may know for sure but still seems a grey area.

I took my test in 2006 to get my A grade licence for Electrical Mechanic. My ARTC was graded as this and again it took me 5 months to get my licence from the time I arrived until I got my hands on my silver Card. I find it a bit strange that you guys are receiving ARTC Electrical Fitter. Before I went to Oz I had been an industrial spark for 18 years and was awarded the Electrical mechanics licence. On the subject also I renewed my licence last year and the Electrical mechanic letters are no longer printed. Only an EW number. So Maybe it does not matter what you are classed as now? Just a note though to any electricians coming over- That A grade licence is like GOLD. You do need it to work over here. I don't want to scare people but until you receive that card you will NOT be allowed to work as an Electrician. As someone said before this could take upto 6 months even if you have everything in order.

Thanks Rio