nicolac34

If she has updated the SLC with her new Australian address they will post you out a form to complete in which you declare your income and provide proof (contract and 3 months payslips). Send this back and they'll write back letting you know what your payment schedule is. It is significantly higher than she would pay if in the UK, but you can negotiate this down - just write back to them (snail mail unfortunately unless you use fax) and say you can't afford the higher repayment and offer to pay something else.

I did this when they wanted me to fork over £364 a month - I negotiated it down to £200.

To make payments I used an Australian credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees (mine was Bankwest Zero transaction one but there are others). Each month I'd log onto the SLC website and make the required payment.

The SLC will chase you if you don't pay. They've become much more switched on to people going abroad and defaulting. 

If you can I'd pay it off as soon as you can, the exchange rate fluctuating was crap for us. If we'd paid it off when we first arrived it would have cost us $3k less than it ended up doing.

Thankfully we've both paid off our loans now and have no reason to constantly check the exchange rate!

You can't apply onshore for this visa unless you have a visa already which allows that, so they would presumably be on a tourist visa and if that has 'no further stay' in it, then no, they couldn't live here whilst waiting for it.

You can apply for this visa outside Australia. If you are in Australia, you can apply only if your temporary visa lets you apply for another visa while you are in Australia. You must be outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Do you realise the 103 visa has an exceptionally long wait time? The immigration website suggests 30 years....

My parents came over on a 173 and then got the 143, they did this so they could split the costs.

$200k and you spend it all without kids? You must have a big mortgage!

So easy to do in Perth - we were the same before we had our son, $200k combined income, no savings to speak of but comfortable and wouldn't consider ourselves as having a lot of money (and no, not a huge mortgage... but then what is huge? Everyone's definitions vary) Now we earn a bit less because I'm part-time and we have daycare to fork out for but we still manage. I find if you earn it, you spend it. Well we do anyway!

1) Childcare! - As we have 2 children who are young, I have done lots of research and i've seen that childcare is around $90AUD a day for 1 child. I have two children so that will be $180 per day - Is any other young families in the same situation? And how do you manage the costs? I know we can get a rebate, but its not much to help.

You'll be doing well if you can find $90 a day, my centre is $120 a day (in the suburbs, 25km south of the City). You do get the rebate, which is $7,500 per child per financial year, which does help, but yes it's expensive.

2) Although we are both qualified with lots of experience, i'm concerned around job availability, is anyone or has anyone stuggled to find work?

Perth is in the doldrums at the moment, we are both in work thankfully, and don't know anyone out of work - but that's not to say that there aren't plenty of people struggling. Best keep an eye on Seek and email a few recruiters to get an idea of whether you'll find something easily or not.

3) What areas of perth do you live in and how long does your commute take you?

We live down near Cockburn central - suburbia really. It's 24km from the City, 5km from the beach and 5km to our nearest station. We both drive to work which is a right PIA so we are moving closer to the City. So many areas to choose from, it really depends on budget and whether you need access to public transport (wouldn't recommend driving to a station to park and catch the train, never enough spaces).

4) Have any females had luck in securing a 4 day working week? or do you know any companies that are flexible with family life?

Plenty of companies say they are flexible... finding one that is in reality can be hard. I work 4 days a week, but only because I was full time first and this is what I wanted when I came back from maternity leave. And my so called family friendly employer is pushing very hard for me to go back full-time. My husband however has lots of flexibility, and although he officially works full time, he's the one that takes sick days or does appointments for our little boy.

Big question is - do you have family support over here? Can be super hard without it.

Great, thank you. Certainly gives me a starting point on where to look!

I think renting will help, as we don't want to jump right in to a suburb without knowing what it actually 'feels' like to live there - and will certainly be doing a reccie before we commit to moving anyway.

So the time may be approaching for us to leave Perth and head over East. We've given it a good shot (4 years) but it's time for something new.

Hubby has a job opportunity in Ipswich, we know nothing of the area and the surrounding suburbs so wondered if there were any helpful souls that could point me in the direction of some nice suburbs that I can attempt to google to death!

I will need to work as well, so should probably aim to have a half decent commute into the CBD if that's where I end up working (although will be on maternity leave for the next 8 months).

We are a young 30's couple with an impending newborn, would like to live somewhere with a bit of 'life' to it - so cafes, restaurants, shops but also will need facilities for schooling and for me to find some socialising with a baby. We've done suburbia in Perth and find it lacking.

We'd be renting initially for 6 months and then looking to buy. We'd like not to spend a fortune, in an ideal world would like something requiring not much work (did the total house renovation thing in Perth and not sure I'm up for it again...), with a pool for under $700k (but ideally $500-$600k if we can find something that ticks the above boxes).

Yes loan rates here are quite high for personal items, unsecured the most - wouldn't be getting one of those anytime soon that's for sure!

The issue with getting a loan in the UK right now is that you are going to be at the mercy of currency fluctations to be able to repay it. As it is the dollar isn't doing so good against the pound - if that continues and you're having to send funds regularly back to the UK that good interest rate is going to seem like an ever increasing burden.

For example if we had paid off my husbands student loan when we first arrived and the rate was 1.45 we'd be repaying around $3k less than we have to now it's $2.05....

If they are born here don't they have to have Aussie passports first anyway? My friend is getting both for her 3 month old and she said she had to get the Australian passport (as he is a citizen) and then get the British one - as he is British by decent.

I'm out of the O&G game in Perth now, was good while it lasted and I made a pretty penny thanks to a big Canadian Company buying us out back in June. Sure I was made redundant, but all's well that ends well and I got another permanent job 4 months later (and tbh if you remember me complaining about being on the 857 and stuck there it was a relief to leave!)

Now in not-for-profit company that is not likely to go belly up anytime soon (big household name). Otherhalf also in a quasi-government agency that isn't going anywhere either. So for us life in Perth is looking pretty secure for the first time in a long old while.

Also funny how neither of us got anywhere with recruitment agencies and got these jobs directly.

I don't think you'll be seeing many tumbleweeds in the CBD this weekend - I reckon it's going to be packed and I'm pretty excited!

Just thought I'd pop back and update as it's always nice to hear when people get their visas!

My parents 173>143 was granted yesterday, so 2.5 years since their original application

Timeline was:

24th June 2014 - 143 Application Submitted

August 2014 - PCC and AOS requested

September 2014 - AOS Completed

2nd Feb 2015 - 2nd VAC Requested

7th Feb 2015 - 2nd VAC Paid

10th Feb 2015 - 143 GRANTED!

They are pretty chuffed to be PR now, especially as their contracts go through on some land they've purchased in the next couple of weeks - means they'll get their $10k FHBG instead of having to wait. Think they are a bit shell shocked at the outlay, but still love it every day they are here. And they are super happy as they are here in time to welcome their first grandchild - having my parents 5 minutes away when I have our first in August is going to be Awesome!!

Good luck everyone! :smile:

Hi you're dead right, should be 2014

Must have had a senior momemt

Thanks Barry, assumed it was a typo! That means they shouldn't be too long then hopefully!

When you say 'lodged the AOS' I assume you mean their sponsor submitted the paperwork to Centrelink ? It is generally down to the time each individual Centrelink office takes to process it and this varies depending on where the sponsor is. In our case it took 10 weeks in SE Queensland. Maybe get the sponsor to check with Centrelink to see what's going on?

We've submitted the bond money ($14k) at Commonwealth and they send the confirmation to Centrelink and immigration I assume? Sorry I thought that once the money was paid over that was it done and dusted! Do we need to follow up with Centrelink again?

Hi According to Perth immi auto reply email today,they are assessing 173 to 143 applications lodged on 24 June 2013

So perhaps they applied later than you can recall

Cheers

June 2013? So they are taking 18 months to process the 173 to 143 visas now? I think they were under the impression it was 8 months or something...

Yes you're right, the did apply a bit later (just checked my emails), end of June 2014 their application went in and the AOS and police checks were requested in August 2014 and completed in September 2014.

Hi everyone,

Wondered if anyone had got a 173 to 143 recently? Parents lodged their 143 back in April time I think, lodged the AOS back in October last year and haven't heard anything since. I thought once they'd requested the AOS and got that it would go through pretty quickly then - but has been very quiet!

Hi all you helpful folk.

 

I'm looking to apply for a 143 visa, however I'm a little confused regarding the rule around being settled for 2 years. Is this from the date my son's permanent residency was granted which was recently, or from when he first moved to Oz which was 3 years ago.

It is open to interpretation I think. Your son needs to prove 'settled'.

My parents applied for their 173 when my brother had been here 2.5 years, the first 6 months on a WHV the next year on a 457 and the year before on PR. He showed that he'd bought a house, permanent job, had a dog, members of clubs and societies - everything you can think of to show that he wasn't going anywhere. They were granted their visa a couple of months ago.

Hi All,

Just a couple of quick questions for those that might be in the know...

How long is it taking from 173 to go to 143 at the moment?

If you're on a 173 can you still get a mortgage and qualify for all the first home owner benefits or do you need to wait until you're on the 143?

Thanks!

In our circle of skilled friends I don't know anyone who earns less than $88k. Admittedly there are many unskilled who wouldn't earn anywhere near that but being that most migrants would have at least one skilled person per couple you'd have thought there'd be way more than 17%

Same here.

No tradies though, all working in offices in professional environments.

I think if you go direct and one of you has a job you should be ok. We got a rental on a 417 a month after we arrived with one of us working - found it on Gumtree.

No, you can't lie about having two other children!

I hope so....we pay $283 per year. Duh! Sorry about that.....

$283 a year is very cheap!

Hi Nicola34,

 

Can I ask who you have your house insurance with please? We are paying $283 for 50K contents but only in a rental. It is coming up for renewal so am going to start calling around again to get that lower.

 

Thanks,

Rosie

We are with AAMI - I thought $124 a month was quite expensive compared to the UK (we paid £179 a year!) but I haven't been able to better it. This gives us unlimited rebuild costs & $103,500 contents & $7,500 specified items outside the home.

I see you posted a similar question before regarding your hours.

I can't offer up any advise on the legalities of what they are doing, but in regards to your visa it shouldn't effect it as long as you can demonstrate you've made every effort to remain employed with them. They'd have to prove that you'd done something worth firing you over in the eyes of the law for immigration to take a serious look.

Sounds like you're best off out of there anyway, at least this way you'd have a PR visa and be free to seek employment elsewhere.

Sorry but more fool you for letting a company treat you like that! You must love your job.

Hahahaha! Nope, just all part of the RSMS visa clause.....2 years with the Company or I could lose it.

Seems like they'll beat me to it with the redundancy though, my 2 years are up a month yesterday and I would have been looking to leave pretty much straight away, but as it is now I'll stick it out to the bitter end to get the severance.

It was actually brought up in my appraisal one year (and used as a reason I didn't get my full bonus) that I wasn't as 'available' as I should have been outside office hours. We are dual listed and have a Houston office, so therefore I'm expected to answer their questions when they are up - although I draw the line at bed time and do switch the phone to silent.

This compares quite badly to many European and UK companies. Annual leave in Australia is usually 20 days, in Europe 25 would be quite normal, but 28 up to early 30s would also be common and definitely as well as public holidays, not inclusive. I would much rather have that every year than have to wait ten or fifteen years to access long service leave. Not always easy to stay with one company for that length of time even if you wanted to.

 

As for sick pay, you have to accrue it in Australia and if you don't have enough to cover your period of sickness then you are without pay. In UK you don't tend to accrue it and many employers will pay it for quite some time regardless. I have never been long term sick, but my previous UK companies would have paid sick leave at full pay for a year or so (this is big companies and probably more generous than others).

 

Another difference is in parental leave and pay. Very mean in Australia, my company provides a not very generous 3 months paid leave and we are a top ASX company and one of the enlightened ones. Again, I worked with similar large companies in the UK and they were light years ahead of this.

 

No I am definitely in the camp that believes Australian employment practices are less likely to support work life balance than a European or UK company.

Agree with everything Rupert said above.

I also work for an ASX100 making billions a year - we get our 20 accrued days holiday, 10 days accrued sick leave (of which I have 4 weeks banked as I don't view it as an entitlement like some around the office) and.... that's it. No parental leave on offer at all here, no RDO, I'm expected to work until midnight and be up at 5am if needs be - I don't get that time back either, it's just expected. As for long service leave - well I doubt I'll ever get anywhere near it, nearly 3 years with this company and it's about to be bought out and I'll be made redundant, bye bye long service leave and I'll have to start again.

Think I might go and work for the government next, 5 weeks annual leave, option to buy more, increased super contributions, 9 day fortnight and 16 weeks paid parental leave. Less money, but hey, swings and roundabouts.