SHandGH

Hello friends. It’s been almost 7 years since we were all in the middle of the madness of visa application processing. I moved to Brisbane in August 2012 and have been here ever since. All is well and although I miss family and friends I’m glad I made the move. As I look back on some of the posts on this thread I realise how a group of strangers were brought together in such a wonderful way. I hope you’re all doing great , whether you ended up moving to Australia or not, or if you tried it for a while and it wasn’t for you. Whatever decision you make is always the right decision. Kind regards,, Stephen

Qantas and British Airways use 747 Emirates and Etihad use A330 and A340 The OP has plenty of aircraft to choose from. Not everyone has our knowledge of aircraft Peach

It's not accurate to compare the A380 to the Boeing 777 The closest Boeing model to the Airbus A380 is the Boeing 747 The closest Airbus model to the Boeing 777 is the Airbus A330/A340 Nobody has ever been killed on an Airbus A380 and none have ever crashed or "blown up" A Boeing 777 did crash land in the UK a while back but nobody was killed luckily There was an engine failure on a Qantas A380 recently but it landed safely and nobody was injured Engines fail on all types of commercial aircraft all the time but it is rarely a life threatening event If I had a choice I would choose the largest and most modern aircraft for your journey, the Airbus A380

it's a matter of opinion I suppose.

In the USA all cities except New York have smaller populations than Sydney and Melbourne. Interesting fact from Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Australia_by_population http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population

Agree with Rupert. Book a serviced apartment for a month. That should be enough time to find a place you like.

Oh no, I've been boozing away without a licence since I got here.

I genuinely hope your situation improves soon. I'm sure that when (and I say when) you guys get work you'll feel a whole lot better. I also moved to Brissie from Dublin a month ago and although I miss my family and friends I know that the situation in Ireland is so dire that I won't be going back any time soon. I understand that it's an nerve-wracking time as you burn through your savings but things can only get better for you. Are you guys making friends? As I think someone might have said already it's a good way to find work through word of mouth.

You will need to have proof of address at minimum (bank statement or utility bill) as well as your passports for identification . Here are the requirements from Vodafone, Welcome to Vodafone. It's easy to sign up and get connected to our network. There are many different Vodafone phone & device and plan combinations to choose from. Each has its own unique value and inclusions. We offer a wide variety to ensure there is a combination to suit your needs. Check out some of our great value options. There are a few things you'll need in order to sign up, such as personal details and identification. This guide will let you know what you'll need for the application process. How it works There are several things you'll need to have with you to sign up online. Take a look at the checklist below to make sure you're ready to get connected. You will need: Identification (we require sufficient identification from category A and B as outlined in Figure 1 below. Please read each item carefully to ensure you have the correct documentation) Contact details (your full name, a primary contact number and email address are the minimum requirements) Residential address (your home address - if less than 3 years, a previous address is also required) Delivery address (where you would like us to deliver your parcel - if a business address, be sure to include the name of the business) Proof of employment, study or pension benefits (we require details of your employment and contact details for your employer; a student card if you are studying in Australia; or a pension card if you are receiving a government benefit) Direct debit (the set up of a direct debit initially, using a credit card or bank details, is required) Signing up online When you've gathered the required information, put the product and service you want in your cart, complete the online application form, and click the 'submit' button. We'll perform a mandatory application check, and will contact you when it's complete. [TABLE=class: grid, width: 519, align: center] [TR] [TD=colspan: 2] Accepted Identification [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Primary ID / Category A – must have a clear photograph Choose 1 item from this category [/TD] [TD] Proof of age [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Australian driver’s licence [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Australian boating licence [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Australian learner’s permit [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Armed Forces Service identification/Australian Military ID [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Australian Police identification (State or Federal) [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Australian Shooter’s/Firearms licence [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Australian Defence Force driver’s licence [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Proof of age card / NSW Photo Card / Key Pass / 18+ Card / Tasmanian Personal Information card [/TD] [TD] YES + Address [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Gaming / Casino licence [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) card [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Passport (from any country, must be less than 12 months out-of-date) Or Document for travel to Australia. (DFTTA sub class 200, 202, or 204) – must be provided with travel Visa documentation [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Secondary ID / Category B Choose any 3 items from this category [/TD] [TD] Proof of age [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Medicare card (Interim/Reciprocal Medicare cards are only accepted in conjunction with a passport) – this is the preferred form of photo identification, recommended for permanent Australian residents. [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Centrelink Pensioner Concession card – this must be provided if you are receiving an Australian government pension or concession [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Centrelink Health Care card [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Full Australian birth certificate (birth extract acceptable if it contains a unique number) [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Bank statement / statement of account (less than 4 months old) – must be from an Australian financial institution [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Current Australian debit / ATM card [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] CCYPCG blue card (positive notice blue card for child related employment) Or Victorian Working With Children cards (must have photograph) [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Current Australian credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diners Card) - Only the last 6 digits of the credit card number [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Private health insurance card (from a private health insurance company, not a Centrelink Health Care card) [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Current tertiary student identification card Or receipt of fees – This must be provided if you are a student in Australia [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Superannuation/investment portfolio statement (less than 4 months old) [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Rates notice (issued in the current year) [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Rental agreement/bond notice (must be issued within the last 3 months by the state governing body, e.g. Department of Fair Trading (NSW); Residential Tenancies Authority (QLD), Consumer Affairs (VIC) etc. [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Australian International Driving Permit (issued in Australia with an English translation) [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Taxi Licence (with photograph) - you must sign-up as a sole trader with Australian Business Number (ABN) is using this form of identification [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Utility bill (less than 4 months old) - e.g. electricity, gas, phone, water, or pay television bills [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Vehicle registration (less than 12 months old) [/TD] [TD] YES [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] Store credit card (e.g. department stores, companies and businesses) [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] http://support.vodafone.com.au/articles/FAQ/Joining-Vodafone

It's probably best that you contact a Migration Agent / Lawyer to assist you with this.

Congratulations and all the best with you application!

Hey Stacey, remember that fiver you owe me .....?

If you're worried about asking your current employer for a reference, then the ACS will accept a statutory delaration written by you explaining your roles and responsibilites and explaining why you are not providing a reference (in your case because you do not want to jeopardise your current employment prospects). The ACS will always prefer references over statutory declarations. Try to get a reference if you can.

Try to get references from your previous employers. It is the best way to get a quick ACS assesment. If you can't get references from any of your previous employers it looks suspicious and you will need to compose a statutory declaration explaining when and where you worked and what you roles and responsibilities were. You will also need to explain in the declaration why you cannot provide references. In the absense of references you will also need to provide documentary evidence of your employments. Include as many of the following as possible to back up your claim, * Letters of offer of employment * Employment contracts * Tax certificates displaying employers name * Payslips containing employers name If you do not initially provide lots and lots of evidencial employment and educational documentation your assesment will be delayed as the ACS look for more information from you.

Being a prudent landlord is an entirely different debate. Being an individual who absconds levaing debts behind is the matter at hand. If you are that person it is an extremely dishonest thing to do and may whatever god you believe in have mercy on your soul.:evilface_frowning_s