jdad84

Hi, I just thought I'd share our experience so far after having recently flown to and spent the last 4 days here. A little background for those who've not read any of my previous threads My wife interviewed for a job in Sydney at the back end of 2013. After interviewing over skype and with a few informal phonecalls was offered a job with a major telecomms company in Macquarie Park. They offered a job and sponsorship and paid for the processing of a visa for my wife and myself. The visa process started on December 5th 2013 and was approved on January 7th 2014, taking a little over 4 weeks (expected to take 3-6 weeks). We booked flights for 20th January (going via dubai > adelaide > sydney...it was several hundred £ less than going direct from dubai to sydney), a hire car for 14 days and used 'airbnb' to book 5 nights stay in a granny flat in Lane Cove, Sydney. We were set. Landing in Australia - Day 1 We touched down on Wednesday 22nd January after a rested flight with emirates, of whom I would praise them highly because: 1) their food is really good 2) the plane (the Boeing 777, has built in usb and plug charging points - can re-charge your tablet/ipad/psp etc) 3) they offered a free upgrade to business class for the second leg of the journey from dubai to adelaide (can't fathom why, didn't ask!) which we gladly accepted (and made use of the facilities ) We touched down in adelaide around 9pm. We declared in customs some prescription medication (the contraceptive pill and some codeine phosphate) to which the security lady said was unnecessary to do (better be safe than sorry ~and fined) and we cleared immigration without a baggage search (felt a bit disappointed after watching 'nothing to declare') As the airport closes overnight (11pm-4am) we had to collect our luggage and stay in a hotel for the night. My wife booked us into a comfort inn, which was a few km from the airport and was cheap. The experience in the hotel was not the best (thin walls, noisy neighbours, wifi only worked in the lobby) but it was clean and we had a few hours sleep before getting back to the airport for 4:30am. Arriving in Adelaide airport I took the opportunity to purchase a simcard for my phone ("Boost" network - they use telstra) which took all day to activate and required me to login online to do so, however once up and running I loaded with $20, which gained me 1GB internet and unlimited calls and texts for 15 days (bargain!). The domestic flight took 1h30 and (with time difference, 1 hr) we arrived in Sydney at 8:30am. We picked up the hire car after being scared witless from the lady on the desk for not taking out 'excess insurance' meaning we'd be liable to pay out for the first $3500 of damage in an accident (irrespective of fault) and drove to our accommodation (she didnt scare us enough to part with $30 extra per day though ). Finding the accommodation & Opening a bank account - Day 1 As my phone took all day to activate on the boost network I had no GPS/sat nav. A 40 minute journey to Lane Cove took us an hour and a half. We filled in this extra time with several arguments and at one point were both questioning whether we should drive back to the airport, and get the next flight home. Having eventually found the accommodation we both realised the melodrama was due to us being totally out of our element....and being on Sydney roads, which are seemingly ruled by crazy people who insist on trying to drive into the piece of road which is occupied by our car! The accommodation itself was pretty nice, a granny flat set back in the garden of a lovely open plan house. We met the owner who gave us a warm welcome, wifi access details, bought us some milk and sugar (result!) and offered some advice on finding a rental. Our next port of call was to collect our bank cards. We had an appointment to collect them from the NAB (having set up the account in the UK and nominating a branch to have them delivered to) and did so with little fuss, having only to provide our passports (though my wife did provide the visa - as proof of income for a credit card application so we can try build some credit). Finding a Rental - Day 2 Jetlagged and still a bit out of our element we spent the morning of day 2 looking at properties to rent (http://www.domain.com.au, realestate.com.au, gumtree.com.au). Our previous experience in the UK had been using gumtree, with great success in finding good landlords (And avoiding pants letting agents). We arranged to view a couple of properties via gumtree and mailed about a dozen or so more people. We also approached Ray White's real estate in epping and found out they had several 'open houses' (10-15 min appointments where prospective tennants can view properties on set days. All in all the experiences of day 2 were a let down. We viewed places in the ryde & epping area and budgeted $400-500 per week. After viewing 6 properties we learned a few things: 1) The rental market works very fast in Sydney 2) Sydney is bloody expensive 3) Landlords have the upper hand because of 1+2, there is little incentive in modernising, and from the units we saw, few do! 4) when an advert says 'freshly painted walls and new carpet' - expect exactly that, and for everything else in the unit to be outdated 5) We were doing something wrong 6) tenants don't pay agency fees for rentals (landlords do) Finding a Rental - Day 3 Having spent day 2 burning fuel, optimism and motivation my wife ended the day with a plea on the british expat forums to assist us with finding a place, after all our only strategy involved looking at where she was working, drawing around the map where we thought would be 'close enough' to her workplace and hoped the budget would work out (extremely naive in hindsight). We recieved some valuable advice from the forums: 1) consider other areas 2) and/or increase budget More specifically in addition to 1) someone advised to view the areas of Meadowbank and Rhodes. These areas are currently being developed as I type, and so supply of units is greater. We considered upping our budget however did find a couple of units (one a couple of years old, one just built) to view first. The first unit in Meadowbank was nice, the living space was massive and the unit presented immaculately (its only a couple of years, to be expected I guess). The second unit in Rhodes we fell in love with. It was just put onto the market. It's part of a block of 65 apartments, this was one of the last units free to let and had a real quality feel to it. Marble worktops, 5 hob cooker, double glazing, mirrored built-ins, 5 mins from train station, 10 mins from shopping centre, river view and all for the bargain (in context) price of $480 per week. We applied for the apartment in Rhodes and within 5 hours had gained approval from the landlord, paid for it and had the keys (tip: go prepared with as many documents supporting your identity (passport, bank statements etc and proof of income, job letter, visa as possible to support your application). Aside from the whole thing taking less than a day the agent also set our tenancy date to commence the next tuesday, several days after handing us the keys so effectively giving us a few days rent free. We went from stressing out and being underwelmed on day 2 to being suitably impressed and calm within the space of a day. Furnishing the flat - Day 4 Having received the keys on day 3, day 4 (today) we went out and bought some furnishings. I had a hellish nights sleep (I do not have work yet - I couldnt sleep thinking about it and the possibility of me being out of work and losing my skills, I didnt realise it would bother me this soon) I was up at 5am and looking at appliances to furnish our flat with. We have no qualms with second hand, and I believe there are gems to be had so I spent a good hour on gumtree looking at washers, fridges, beds etc however due to the urgency at which we need stuff also googled a few places to look (http://www.appliancesonline.com.au, harvey norman, Dick Smith, JB Hifi, www.2ndsworld.com.au ). Of all the places I looked I really liked the sound of 2nds world - basically they sell factory seconds, end of line, manufacturer repaired, ex-display models. I priced a few things online, but was hesitant to commit as the goods could turn out to be absolute lemons. I suggested to the wife that we take a drive out and have a look, as their website offers delivery same day and was quite reasonable ($65 first item, $5 each item thereafter). We picked up: 1) front loading washer (Beko - $469) 2) fridge freezer (Whirlpool - 405l $645) and 3) TV (Samsung f8000 $1999) Which were all delivered for $45 ($20 off australia day weekend promotion - also instore seemed flat price regardless of number of items). # Additionally we also managed to get to Ikea and order a bed for delivery tomorrow, we did see a sofa-bed we liked (was only $300)...which we identified as the bed we're sleeping on in the granny flat right now, which is really comfortable, and debated whether we should buy that and when we get a sofa use it as a proper bed and replace with a queensize mattress, however in their infinite wisdom ikea make it 5cm narrower and 11cm shorter than a queen size bed...stopping bargain hunters like me from using it as a cheap bed base All in all the day was a success. I just hope we have the bed delivered not too late on so we can join in the australia day celebrations at the harbour and spend some time relaxing before my wife starts work on tuesday. J

JP service fore free?? You just saved me £60 in notary fees...may as well wait till we're out in Sydney and have it done for free. Thank you very much

This thread delivers. I'm Geordie however...so no matter how I pronounce it it will sound wrong

I took a look at the crunch gym. I only need the gym for the free weights but its not clear whether I need the base membership or peak. I too had the luxury of access to a pure gym in the uk for a paltry £10 pcm for 24/7 access.

So it seems possible to get delivered 5kg of flavoured whey protein concentrate for $100...not bad I think

Thanks for the reply, we're flying with Emirates. Singapore wouldn't double allowance for us as we're going on a 457 visa, BA weren't competitive for flights, neither were IOM as by the time the flights cleared availability was pretty low and the difference between what we could get going through a comparison site like momondo and what they were offering meant we were effectively paying over the odds.

Aside from our flight allowance of 30kg we have an excess of 45kg in baggage, we looked into what it would cost to ship the rest of our stuff at the same time i.e. excess baggage. Even with an online booking discount most airlines still came in at £25 per kg. This seeming rather exhorbitant I remembered we saw a shipping company at an emmigration expo we attended in edinburgh a couple of years back called Anglo Pacific (AP) http://www.anglopacific.co.uk/baggage_shipping.htm and I googled for companies and came up with Transglobal Express (TGE) https://www.transglobalexpress.co.uk/quote/ QUOTES Anglo pacific price (for 45kg large luggage) at £130 (shipping by sea, 6-8 weeks) Transglobal Express price £220 (by air, 4-7 days) The TGE quote includes pickup from a UK address and insurance of £1000. The AP quote does not. I know for sure TGE does not include customs charges and I suspect the AP quote does not either (considering the TGE quote states $165 customs fees + GST). Other companies seem to be quoting £300-500 Have I missed any options?

So, got the results on 9th January...I passed! We fly out on January 20th and basically as soon as we land I'm going to go canvas for work, I'll write back here with my experience of the process.

http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=GBP&to=AUD&view=1Y you can alter the time period on the right of the graph too. J

Hi Damien, good luck getting a hold of the AMH...as I'd got into the exam at a late stage I wasn't able to arrange to have one shipped over. It's not possible to buy from abroad and have it shipped so you need a contact or to buy one second hand from ebay etc, with that said if you have a contact who is willing to ship it on your behalf you're on to a winner. I sat the exam without the AMH, it was challenging. I'd read the APF before going into the exam so was familiar with it (and would recommend giving it a thorough read - it's) but didn't take it into the exam and just chose to take the BNF in. I'd recommend practicing doing the exam and timing yourself on similar questions as with less than 2 mins/question the biggest issue is time management, you'll also find out whether it's worth you taking in all of the books or whether, like me better to focus on whether you can answer the question and double checking it with your old friend (the BNF). Calculations - you can take in your own calculator, I didn't find this very difficult....other than forcing myself to use the calculator...so perhaps practice getting comfortable using a calculator I'm sure you'll be fine though...you've 9.5 years of hospital experience over me

What's the cheapest you can pick whey protein up for?? Uk is around £11/kg if you buy online and at least double if you buy from a bricks and mortar store

I'm not heading into the country, money's not the most important thing though...when I qualified in the UK I joined the NHS Thanks for the heads up.

UPDATE: I'm still awaiting results from the exam, however my wife offered an interesting perspective and that was to view this as 2 steps rather than the 1 step I was viewing it as: 1) Get registered 2) Get a job Whereas I considered them both to be the same thing.... If I can work on a casual basis to gain registration this isn't so much of a commitment needed from a business... i.e. they'd basically have me working for a few months till I qualify, which thinking about it can be a great exchange of value as I'd happily take minimum wage whilst I work over the counter and get to grips with the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and gain registration at the end of it. Will start firing emails out this weekend and report back here, will also update when I get my results.

It's a long shot here but wondering if there are any pharmacists lurking on the forums.. I just sat the CAOP exam and will find out in 10 days whether I've passed, should things go well I need to start looking for a job. As I'm coming out on a 457 defacto visa I won't need sponsorship....so basically it's the supervised practise which I need to do before I can start a role. Just wondering whether anyone has been in a similar situation and managed to get supervised practise from a hospital/community pharmacy when we're not on the skills shortage list? Would appreciate any tips on finding work... Thanks, J

We looked at my wife's current wage £35k, proportion of bills on rent etc and decided that at 3x her wage in aud I.e. 105k the bills would be a similar proportion I.e. renting here £700 pcm, renting Sydney $2000 pcm. It works out very roughly equivalent...with breathing space I.e. some costs we've looked into being less than 2x...some more. If I were to give advice...I'd say research the costs yourself and compare with your current costs...you'll get an educated guess of 'comparable standard of living' costs with which to negotiate should you need to. My wife has visa costs covered but nothing else...were happy with it as we fully intended on making the move anyway...$10000 will certainly get you over, rental for a month and car hire/expenses so seems reasonable. P.s. were still waiting for visa to process...so our research however thorough is still theoretical (we've left a generous buffer on top of oz costs if they are higher tho). Hope that helps, J

They will still pay (9% currently...rising to 12% over the next few years), it just seems as though rather than advertise as (made up figures for convenience): $50000 + $4500 super they've given the figure $54000 inc super. Pretty standard for the UK, but usually advertised as wage + super in australia (from what I gather)...guess how shady that all is depends on whether it was advertised as the former or the latter and whether your husband negotiated on the basis of the former. hope that helps. J

Yeah I've noticed it sitting around $1.8 to £1... What have you read that makes you think this trend is going to continue?

I certainly wouldn't be happy with $250 a week, but then he's living at home isn't he? (judging by $250 a week he's 16/17?) so it's hardly a measure of hardship....if anything it's motivation for further study/apprenticeship/drive to do better. I worked minimum wage for a few years, got on the job qualifications and eventually (2 years studying NVQ) worked up to a massive £7/hour, I wasn't happy with that and it spurred me on to better myself....so I went back college (3 courses whilst full time) then on to uni for a further 4 years. Minimum wage is what you get for doing (however hard working) the bare minimum to better your living standard....no offence to anyone living it but it's their choice to accept their current situation and not improve it.

Fact is though, minimum wage covers a whole spectrum of jobs....of which you can walk in off the street, have no training, skills, specific knowledge or responsibility. Why should it be so high?

Hello... Have you (your husband) logged an EOI on skillselect for a 457 visa? I logged an EOI earlier in the year, and that is what companies would nominate and sponsor you against as your EOI is your log with the immigration department. I'm currently going through a similar process, though I was only offered the opportunity last week and they are currently going through all the documentation needed to lodge the 457 visa, including having copies of my passport. But they've assured me there is nothing else they need from me at the moment to progress. As far as i'm aware any company that is looking to sponsor on the 457 has to prove without reasonable doubt that they were unable to fulfill the role themselves, this can sometimes mean they need to document lots of evidence. It can take up to 3 months to complete the 457 process to get the visa though so if your start date is in January it may not be likely you'll make this date. Also just to note, until you've officially got a visa you aren't eligible to work or sign a contract so really key that you get this in order to start packing up your life.

To be fair most things on the list can go wrong whether you're in the UK or Oz. All depends on what you think will make you most happy... Job security? Being close to family? Sunnier climate? For us it's the fact we've been to Oz before...loved it and can really see our future there. I used to think I could never move away from my family, but then after travelling to Oz and really feeling at home it changed my perspective. My missus and I both want children, the thought of their lives being in Oz, rather than gloomy gateshead is so exciting, thinking of the outdoor lifestyle, the opportunities we can provide them and to effectively build a new family tree half way around the world is just too much for us to turn down.

What I suspect (with no actual basis) has happened is that his overtime week may be taxed as if he would be earning it every fortnight... You can test my baseless theory by inputting the overtime on top of his normal wage into: http://www.paycalculator.com.au/

Thanks for all the information, seems like sound advice. Interest rate doesnt sound too bad considering the base rate, dont feel put off by the costs either....I guess the fact we could do more miles for cheaper than the UK will make it a better deal overall. Can't wait to be in a position to buy!

we have the same dilemma...but with virgin. They offered for us to buy out at our current call plan price (£30 a month or so) but if we keep the plan going (And not using it in oz) we can reduce the tariff to £10 or so....it may pay you to just reduce the plan youre on and end the contract at the end of the 12/18/24 months.

Hi Fen, out of interest could you provide the figures i.e. cost of care, % finance etc please? We are hopefully emigrating soon (on the proviso the mrs has a contract offer coming) and would like to plan ahead, we have an idea of what we'd like to buy but obviously the cost of finance is a factor. Also, while you're at it what are the costs for owning a new car, i.e. is it like in the UK where there is no MOT (rego?) for first 3 years? Thanks, J