Nerak123

Hi, not sure how much you know about the UK - so sorry if you already know all this. The key thing is obviously trying to narrow down where your husband is going to be working. ' London and surrounds' is not just a big area geographically it's also quite difficult to move around quickly. I lived in zone 3 on the tube map and it used to take me 40 minutes to an hour to get into the centre (on a good day). It seems a bit odd they can't be more specific. Is this his current employer? Having a rough idea of the area is so important otherwise you could end up with a nightmare commute. Kent could be a good option - it has good schools and good rail links. If I was researching where to live in the UK from scratch I would look at http://www.commuterguide.co.uk as a starting point. It also gives you a rough idea of commuting costs - which can be v expensive. I would also use rightmove for property to rent or buy (which will also link through to nearby schools and their OFSTED ratings). You can then work out roughly how much a rental will cost you. I am living in fleet in hampshire at the moment. It has some very good schools and is about 45 mins to London. Good luck with it all!

I have done all my applications myself - I was set against using an agent after being given the hard-sell at a migration expo and vowed never to use one. There is so much information out there so provided you are methodical and organised I think most people should be able to do it just fine.

We are off to melbourne too, let me know how you get on

That's very helpful thanks so much. I had forgotten about the medicals! I guess we better get moving on our application as we will need to get police checks too.

Hi, thanks, very helpful. It does help. I had looked very briefly at the returning resident visa but there was something about needing to be resident for 2 years prior to application. Or is the "compelling reason" a free standing test? Also (sorry to pick your brains) did you have any issues being sponsors for a child visa if, at the time of grant, your visas have expired?

Hi, I'll probably have to do some research on this but I just wanted to check in case anyone else has been in the same position. We have 175 skilled migrant visas which are about to run out in march next year. Since then we have had a uk-born daughter who we would like to get a visa for as we are thinking of returning to oz in the next few months before our visa expires. From experience, I know a child visa will take between 6-8 months to go through (correct me if I'm wrong). So we were going to get a 1 year holiday visa for her to come over on in the meantime while the child visa is being processed. i know that at the point of grant of a child visa you need to leave the country. But by that time our 175 visas will likely have expired - so how will we re-enter? I will ill on doubt need to speak to the officials but I can't be the only one to have faced this problem. Any experts out there your thoughts greatly appreciated!

My mother developed a Basel cell carcinoma after just visiting us in oz! We only just found out I was really shocked it was just this tiny sore. I had no idea that could be a sign of cancer . I hope your husbands treatment went well. Still waiting to hear what they are going to do for my mum.

So what is the form here? You post something and then people have a go at you about it. Is this for northern men only or can anyone join in? I've got time to kill before midsummer murders starts.

Very insightful comment. You are quite right I've known people who have moved all over and it's only when you move back from Australia that people can't believe it!

In relation to your child are you talking about applying for a new visa for your child? And it's that which will need validating? Just asking because it sounds like you haven't applied for the child visa yet?

I found the ACS quite helpful in answering queries but I would think it would is simply be a case of updating the one you submitted first time around? Together with any new qualifications or training you have undertaken. Surely to do anything else would be a bit strange. I remember the pain of the RPL. Good luck!!

Hi, my husband went through the ACS skills assessment. There are certain things the ACS require in the employer letters. One of which, as you know, is whether it's full or part time. We had such trouble with the references as everyone we asked for a reference a) took ages and b) didn't follow the simple instructions about the information we needed even though we gave them template letters to simply fill in on their headed paper. My view is if the ACS ask for something then give it to them. You may just want to get your employer to confirm by email that the employment is full time and then just attach it as an addendum to their letter. Otherwise get them to redo it, but I wouldn't overlook the point.

On the last point, if you are insuring I would recommend shopping around and not going with the insurer suggested by or part of your removal company.

This is an excellent suggestion. We found the initial costs quite hard, especially buying a car but after a few months things evened out and we were able to survive on one income- but we only had one child at the time. My husband found that work was a bit more laid back and there were more opportunities for him- even in Brisbane. I think one big problem you will have is just trying to work out those first few weeks and months. Gets much easier once you have rented a house and sorted a car. Do you have any family out there or would it be possible for you to come first and then your family to come later. I remember very well sleeping on a mattress on the floor in a rental house for a few weeks with my son in a porta cot whilst waiting for our shipping container to arrive. Before that we were staying in a apart hotel which was nothing at all fancy but $130 per night and was one of the cheapest we could find. On the upside Australia is a great place for kids and provides lots of free things to do with the kids.

Speak to an agent by all means - I'm not a fan of agents to be honest and given your skilled job I can't imagine that you wouldn't be able to do your visa yourself. The immigration officials also are very helpful.

Hello, yes a lot of questions but it is a very uncertain thing moving to the other side of the world! If your skill is on the demand list then it's a good indication that you should be able to find work. Certainly this is the case for my husband who is an SAP consultant and whose occupation is in demand. If you are reliant on one income I would wholly suggest having employment worked out before you go. Again, this is what we did. We were also able to agree a small relocation package with that employer too. It's very easy to burn through money in your first few weeks and you will more grounded if you have a job to go to. The costs of living are high in many ways but some things balance out . My husband found his salary was higher so whilst our food was more expensive (check out the Woolworths or Coles website and put in your average grocery shop and you will see) transport, child are and petrol costs were cheaper. I wouldn't confine yourself to thinking about Sydney. You may find Brisbane or Melbourne to be more cost effective. My main advice for anyone going over is don't underestimate the initial costs. It maybe an idea for you to go out first and get accommodation etc set up before your wife and kids join you later.

I also found the expos helpful but very much dominated by the migration agencies plying their trade, but if you want to pay for someone to do your application for you then that might be the way to go.

It looks to me like your job is on the CSOL. I just googled it and reference number I'm getting is 361311 .

I think this is hilarious, so the general view is that even though we know nothing about you or your circumstances / feelings on the matter, we think you should get married. Problem solved....I'm off to buy a hat..

Hello, start with the department for immigration website and work out the best visa for you. There is a points calculator on there which should help you decide on eligibility. Alternatively you can speak to a migration agent. My husband works in IT - well, SAP but he found it relatively easy with his skills to get work and IT seems to be in demand. Good luck with it.

Hi, yes it was mentioned as I use it on my son. I was in an airport and a lady from India approached me and suggested it. I like it because he likes helping me putting it on I think this is because it smells nice and has an interesting texture as it melts into your hand and skin. It's also one of the few things which doesn't irritate at all, even when he's been scratching and the skin is a bit sore. Its available quite widely, i just get it in the supermarket with the cooking oils.

Just want to mention if you get travel insurance be very vigilant of the ts and cs of a travel policy to make sure you are covered- some will cover you for a year but if your stay is open-ended you may not be covered so double check with them. When I went out with my son who was technically a tourist as were waiting for a child visa to come through we got him a visitor health policy via Medicare. Have a good trip.

Hi Worth getting some quotes for a half or full container as this will help you work it out. It definitely isn't worth taking ikea type stuff or cheap furniture - unless you are near to filling a whole container and in that case you may as well fill it. It's about finding the tipping point really in how much stuff you want to take vs costs of shipping. For us unless we got rid of quite a substantial amount of stuff it wouldnt alter the cost of shipping. When you talk to your removal company (and they come round to assess your stuff) they should be able to say what will take you over the threshold of , say , half a container. I thought we shipped the minimum but still found ourselves throwing stuff away when we got there. I wouldn't replace items here just to ship them unless you have a favourite European brand. to compare costs look at Harvey Norman and the good guys for white goods.

Good luck with it!

And it's £45 at last look