mia7

Ok, cheers Stacey x

Thanks for your suggestions :-) Stacey tbh i've been checking out NZ as i'd be quite happy to go there....or so i though until i started researching costs of living!! Plus i still cant see any occupations that we would qualify for on their skills in demand lists. Tried BGC but didnt get an interview. He works 12 hours, 7 days per week like most guys in that industry so your right re-training is tough! Lol. Your right though, we'll have fabby holidays!! MissusB youd think that the way they talk about shortages in the mining industry that jobs would be plentiful, but no. Sponsored jobs seem to be few & far between. Me retraining could be an option, but my goodness, i hated school 1st time round! Lol. We will keep on it just now as i cant quite bring myself to stop!! Lol Oh this sounds as if i've got a negative response for all suggestions, i don't really, it's just that we've tried exploring so many avenues but none seem to lead anywhere. Thanks x:hug:

I think i've pretty much exhausted all of our options so i suppose this is just more of a "i'm gutted & need to get this off my chest"!!! lol Since visiting my brother in Australia a few years ago & falling in love with the place, we've been trying to migrate. Unfortunately our ages & occupations have made it almost impossible, (Im a 31 year old retail manager & my OH is a 36 year old excavator/machine operator). We've been to the Expos, tirelessly apply for jobs that may offer sponsorship, directly contacting regional commissions & migration agents etc but unfortunately we've had no success. My dad is just about to start the process of applying for the contributory parent visa (im unsure of exact visa). I am absolutely over the moon for him as i've been nag, nag, nagging him for ages to get on with it!!!:biggrin: ......Im just now kinda gutted that both my dad & my brother will be all the way over on the other side of the world & i'll be stuck here without either of them :cry: For obvious reasons i can't say this out loud to anyone in the family as i don't want to stop my dad applying , but its slowly but surely sinking in that it's just not in my destiny to get to Australia....

He can get his card online whilst in UK, it costs the same amount as it does to get it here anyway. The tickets he'd be coming to sit would be his HR license & his machine operator tickets as UK ones are non transferable. We'd be needing employer spinsorship & i'd be VERY nervous about him saying he has all his tickets when he doesn't incase any job offer would fall through if they were to check/ask for proof? .... and god forbid if he came over & failed to pass tickets & didnt have them before he was due to start work!! Am i being super paranoid? Wouldn't wanna do anything that could risk us being shiped back home again! Haha

Joebloggs i completely agree, it is a HUGE expense! BUT he cant get past the application stages of any of the jobs he has applied for as he doesnt have the basic ticket reqs. Might be a couple of grand down just now, but if it helps him get a job...... I really cant see any other way around it at the min.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I'm sitting here in tears & i'm nowhere near making the move yet! haha I am exceptionally lucky & still have 3 grandparents (my grandad passed away in recent years) and all of my dads aunts & uncles aswell as the younger generations. We are a large & very close family, we're always right on hand should anyone need us for anything from nipping in with a paper on an icey day to helping decorate a room.... As lucky as i am, i do know that many members of my family are getting on in age & infact i may be saying cheerio for the last time!! sob sob I was talking to a friend of mine about it & she did say something that really clicked in my head....." As a wee girl growing into a woman, i've had the best of their years with them all. In each of their own ways they've shaped me into who i am, strong, independant & determined! " She then asked me..."Do you honestly think any of them would be happy if they thought you were staying here out of loyalty to them?, No they'd be gutted that they've taught you that you can achieve whatever you want, chase your dreams, you deserve to be happy!" And she was right! As devestating as that day will be, if it ever comes, i know deep down they would be so disappointed in me if i stayed here slogging away just because i was scared i would never see them again. Thinking they are disappointed would make me feel worse than any good-bye could be! I cant imagine anything will make those last few hugs less painfull though:cry:

Thanks everyone, deep down i probably know i'm being ridiculous! I managed to work myself into such a frenzie you would honestly think it was a bigger problem than 3rd world poverty!! I did manage to calm myself down when my OH openly burst out laughing!!! Hes right ofcourse, as are all of you. She will be fine & adapt very quickly aslong as we're with her, shes not so keen on strangers. I am quite confident that the people working in the quarantine centres love animals or the wouldn't be there, so i know she would be well cared for. Malkitik - No probs if she eats poisonous bugs?? ie redback etc Oh 3FATCATS you right, haha, my little monkey refuses to go to the loo if its too cold outside! She trots in, uses her tray & trots back out again much to the frustration of my OH. I do like the idea of pet proof fencing i have to say, atleast for a wee while until she gets settled. I have read many posts & have only seen 1 that had a devastating story to tell re moving their cat. Hey Stacey we prob won't get there for a while yet, if ever, as you know. However the regs around taking pets has changed & they need a rabies jag 6-12 months before travel & have to have clear blood tests atleast 5 mnths before travel to ensure less time spent in quarantine in Aus. :-( Spoke to vet today who has filled me with bit more confidence re side effects & luckily my vet does the jags & blood tests :-) You also know that if OH is successful, he'll pretty much have to go straight away, so i don't want to be stuck waiting here for months on end waiting for her blood tests to be cleared. Feeling much calmer now! haha Think i might have to get the ball rolling abit on the jags front!!

Ok, so your lying in bed at night & a tiny wee though pops into your head....10 minutes later its grown arms & legs & turned into a huge nightmare & your panicing unnecessarily!!! I have a fit & healthy 6 yr old longhaired cat. She is a huge part of our lives & i will not leave her behind! I broke the news that if she can't go, then i won't be going either! It would break my heart to leave her, im almost in tears thinking about it! lol We are not in a position to make the move yet but are doing what we can to get preped for it, hopefully (fingers crossed) will be heading to WA within 12-18 months. Heres whats causing all my panic..... How will she cope travelling & being in quarantine? She goes in the huff as it is when i leave her in the cattery for a week! Possible side effects af rabis jag, OMG, has anyone experienced these? How will she cope in the heat? Do they have their fur trimmed?? She is an outdoors cat. I didn't see many cats out & about during my last visit. Are most cats in Aus indoors cats or were they just hiding in the shade? Are vets fairly accessible? AND FINALLY....Spiders! Do many cats get bitten by spiders???? I have read numerous web sites but advice/experiences from people who have actually done it is always more of a help. Can anyone advise? Im sure im panicing over nothing but i could not bear it if i took her all that way & she couldn't cope. I'm usually a very logical & practical person but im hoping all you cat lovers will understand my concerns! haha

Seems like it could be good news, fingers crossed it gets the go ahead :-)

Thanks StevieF8, hopefully someone at the DIAC will confirm that he can travel to get his tickets & then he'll get right onto this for his card. Its another box ticked!

Yeh i will, no bother x

Yeh, im going to check with DIAC. From what ive found so far each of the courses he has to do should only last a couple of days each.

Conditions of an evisitor visa state that you cannot undertake in any studies or training For more than 3 months. http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/evisitor/obligations.htm It does say that i should contact an Australian visa office if this was to apply to us, which i will do. Has anyone used this route as a way of completing any training? Ive researched courses my partner would have to do & all being well they would take no more than 2 wks. We really dont want to do anything that will be "frowned upon" & lead to problems in the future.

Hi jhampa, yes i've considered a student visa but my partner would only be allowed to work 20 hours per week. Financially that would be very tough plus theres not many employers in his industry would employ part time operators i dont think.

Oh no, i've just burst my own bubble! Haha Residents of the UK cannot apply for an ETA! We have to use an evisitor visa. I should have maybe read the whole page twice :err: