alien1975

Hi Annmarie I am in the same position. It would be great to hear how you go and if the UK Broker Andy has advised can help. I don't know where to start. Good Luck Elaine

I have a friend who is breaking lease on a 2 bed, fully furnished unit in the centre of Fremantle. It is close to all amenities, bus/train station, cafes and bars. Available from 25th March and rent is $410 a week. If anyone is interested, please let me know and I can give a name and contact number to get in touch. Thanks

Hi there Thanks for the info and for confirming what I thought about diving in the UK. I will definitely wait till I get to Oz but will have a look about here for the equipment. I have space in my boxes I am shipping. I understand that it will take a long time and a lot of dives to get to instructor level but I will give it a go then if I like it I will make a commitment to working my way up. Once I decide to do something I always follow it through to the end which is a good job as I started the journey to Oz almost 8 years ago by changing my career to become a pastry chef. I also think it will be a good way of meeting people and becoming part of a group which I think I may need as I am making the move on my own. Cheers

Hi there I am moving to Oz soon and one of my goals is to do the Scuba Diving Instructors course. I am thinking about doing a 10 hour PADI course before I leave for Oz, because it's on offer for £49 instead of £175, do you think this will give me a little head start for when I get out there and do the Instructors course or do you think I will be better off just starting from scratch when I get over there? I don't fancy the North Sea, I think you are quite brave

Hi Rossmoyne Thank you very much. I am now a member of PerthPoms and I will certainly consider posting a wanted ad as an option. I will definitely be posting about my experiences along the way on here as this forum has been a godsend in a time of great need. I hope I can help others with even the smallest questions along their journey as it is such a huge thing to do and anyone who hasn't been there just doesn't understand the emotions you go through. Everyone I know in the UK are always saying things like are you excited or I wish it was me but they just don't get it and I find it hard to explain. The up's and the down's are so unreal, some days I don't even know how I feel, I wish I could explain it to them. It's weird, the only way I can explain it is that it feels like it is someone else who is emigrating not me and I am standing on the outside watching them. I get excited then the doubts try to creep in then I push them away and then it goes around again. It doesn't feel real yet and I am not sure when it is going to hit home, whether it's going to be at my leaving party, at the airport, on the plane, when I arrive or two weeks in. I am pretty strong though and I am sure I will just get on with it, think positively and do what I need to do to make it work for me. When people ask me if I am scared, I tell them it scares me more to think that I could still be living in the same house that I don't like, doing the same job that I like but doesn't have enough hours and have not gone any further forward in my life in ten years time than to have tried to better my life by emigrating to a new country with new opportunities for me. That's the way I like to look at it anyway. Think positive, that's my motto

Harrington Waters sounds lovely but I am not sure I could cope with that commute every day. I hope I can live in the area I work in and that will save so much travelling time. I suppose it all depends on the person and what compromises you are willing to make. I am glad you like where you live, I suppose that's half the battle. I hope I can find my happy place too.

Hi Arnolds Thanks for the info, it's great to get an idea of how long it takes to travel from different areas. I find it hard to guestimate the travelling time when I am just looking at a map. It would be great to hear if any of your friends have anything to share or any advice at all really. I have booked a short stay room for the first three weeks through Airbnb. I will be staying in a villa in Rivervale with the host and one or two other guests who are renting the other room to let. It isn't in the area I want to settle in but it is just across the river from the city, I have checked the bus timetable and it runs very regular, there are cafes, shops, supermarket, parks and the river in the area so there will be lots to do even when I am not out and about doing what I need to do. I hope that three weeks will at least be enough time to either find a rental or a flatshare share in or around Claremont. I have been keeping an eye on Gumtree and there seems to be flatshare cropping up all the time so I am hopefull. I am sorry to hear about your husband, what sort of work does he do? Is the job market not as great as it is made out to be over there or was it just bad luck with the company that your husband was working for? It's great to hear that you are having better luck with your job though, and I know that 7 months may seem like a long time and you have probably done so much in that time but I don't think 7 months is long enough to get settled into a new city, new job, new house, new friends, a whole new life. I do hope things work out for you and I will keep you updated on how my Airbnb rental goes. I hope it goes well and then I can recommend it on here and hopefully give other people an option for somewhere to stay when they are heading out to Perth. It's six weeks today and I will be there, starting my new life. Exciting but scary.

I paid just a little over half that to Migration Angels in London to get my visa. I would speak to them and see what they say, just google them. They are very good, did a great job with my application and that's why I recommend them. Free consultation aswell.

Hi Rossmoyne and Ms Petite After reading stories on here where people have had to go home because they couldn't find a job, I would be really worried right now if I didn't have a job to go to. It's devastating when you think what people go through to get to Oz only to find their dreams shattered. Would you recommend maybe giving myself three weeks not two to find somewhere to rent. I have contacted a guy on airbnb to rent a room for two weeks until I find a rental but I could extend it to three weeks if it is necessary. I have seen a few places on Gumtree at around what I want to pay but I am worrying that there may just not be any when I arrive. I am a worrier but I am trying not to be, it is one of my new resolutions for my new life. i will definitely stay on PIO as there are always questions on here that maybe i never thought of but then someone else asks and I am like yeah, why didn't I think of that. Also, if I can give advice to anyone then I will because, even though I am not there quite yet, it has been one hell of a journey so far and PIO has been a huge help in answering the many questions and put aside my doubts I have had since I started my visa application. Happy Days

You could try Migration Angels in London. Just google them and send them an e-mail then they will arrange to call you at a suitable time. The lady there is called Kristy Duncan and she is very nice and knows her stuff, if she don't have the answer there and then she will go away and get it for you. They don't charge you anything until they are sure you are eligable and you are sure you want to go ahead, they are also very reasonable with their price. Hope this helps

Hi there My partner has about 6 different minor offences, D&D and I think something like damage to public property, all happened when young and unable to handle his drink. All of his offences were over ten years ago and were declared on the visa application along with a copy of his record. All we were advised to do by my agent was write a statement to put in with the application regarding the details surrounding each offence, how it had been a long time and that he has since grown up basically. After doing this there was no problem with getting our visa. I think I remember someone telling me that it is more questionable if the person has served a prison sentence. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Hi Rossmoyne, Jane and Arnolds Thank you so much for all of your replys, really appreciated. It is so nice to get advice from people who know. Rossmoyne, I have a PR visa but I have also been lucky enough to be offered a job with Coles Supermarket (Claremont I think) as a Baker. I am so pleased about this as I don't have to worry about how long before I can start earning and how long my savings will last. I am not sure I will stay with Coles but I do hope it's what I am looking for as it would be nice to find a job that I can just settle into and get on with enjoying Oz. I have been wondering about the hostels as I know from experience that what you see in the pictures is not exactly what you get. I also feel a little old for the hostel scene. I will look at the Exclusive Backpackers though as I have not heard of that one before, it's good to have one with a recommendation to have as a option. I have also looked at Gumtree but they always seem to want a call or a txt and I can't see the full telephone numbers. I was also thinking that it may be a good idea to meet anyone I may be living with for longer than two weeks, you never know eh. If I find a falt-share on Gumtree once I arrive, do you think they are normally available pretty much straight away or do you find people advertise a couple of weeks or so in advance? I have been looking at places near train stations and I am glad you have confirmed what I thought about the transport. Jain, I am so sorry to hear about your work situation, that is a nightmare. I know it is so hard when you really want something and have worked hard for it but just can not quite get it. I am sure the right time and job will come along. Have you tried applying from the UK and just making yourself available to go if required to do so. I just applied for Coles and told them that I was in the UK but was ready to go as and when required and they were great, stating that I was just to get in touch six weeks before I arrive and they would start my placement process. My brother also applied to agencies before he moved to Sydney and they set up interviews for him for when he arrived. Hey Arnolds, I really wish your dad lived a little nearer city and I would have jumped at the chance of such a great offer. I love the yorkshire accent too, I used to go to Keighley for my holidays. You are so right about needing someone who can offer advice once you arrive and I would have loved to have had that. I am pretty sure anyone looking to move to that area will be happy to hear about your dads place. So how is it 7 months in, are you all happy to have made the move or are you all still finding your feet? Thank you kindly again, and Rossmoyne my name came about when I worked in customer services and due to my Mackem accent, people who I dealt with in the Midlands area, especially Birmingham, thought I was saying my name was Alien instead of Elaine. So I just adopted it and it has stuck ever since, great eh. Cheers

Hi there I am a 37 year old female, travelling alone and I am feeling very excited but a little scared and confused at the moment. I am arriving in Perth on 10th June and I have absolutely no idea where I should stay and how long I should allow myself to find somewhere more permanent. I have looked on airb&b but find the rooms are either a little more than I want to spend initially, too far out from the city or not near good transport links. I have seen a couple of rooms which may be suitable but then the hosts are male and my family are saying that I should stay with either another female or a family. I wouldn't normally be bothered by this but for some reason, I think because of the enormity of the whole situation, the little things are making me think. My argument is that it is all arranged through airb&b and should therefore be safe and secure, should't it? I have looked at hostel but I find the reviews are always mixed. Some hostels have reviews stating that they were excellent and then further down the page someone will state that the hostel was dirty. Where can you find good reliable infomation on the hostels in Perth? Also, I feel maybe I am a little too old to be staying in a hostel and that maybe they are for a younger crowd. Any opinions on this?? When I find the right place I was planning on staying for two weeks. Will this be enough time to find a rental to move into or should I give myself a little longer? I don't want to miss out on a rental because I have booked my initial stay for too long but I also don't want to find myself with nowhere to stay because I didn't book for long enough. Any advice will be greatly appreciated as I am having great difficulty at the moment and I think I may be leaving it a little too late. I have been looking to book somewhere since February and I just can not decide what to do. Please help me if you can. Cheers :confused:

Hi there, it's good to here of your experience and feelings on your arrival in Oz. I am flying out in June and am wondering how I am going to feel as I am travelling alone. I would be grateful to hear bout your experience with buying a car as I am hoping to buy one as soon as I can after I arrive. I look forward to your next update. Good luck with everything

Hi there I used Migration Angels in London and they were absolutely great. Very professioinal, on the ball, very good value for money and they got my visa in 7 months from first contact. You should be able to find them on Google, they will arrange a time to call you and let you know what they can do for you and how much it will cost without having to pay them an initial fee. Hope this help, good luck. Elaine

Hi there I used Migration Angels in London, I dealt with Kristy Duncan and she is Mara Registered. They are reasonably priced and she did a brilliant job of keeping me on track, giving me any information and got my visa in 7 months. Hope this helps

Hi Victoria I was just wondering, are these jobs available for someone who already has there 190 visa? Really interested in a position and would like to have a job to go to when I arrive in WA. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks Elaine

I do totally agree with you. I have worked so hard, in total it has taken me 8 years to re-train, get my qualfication, gain experience and so have so many other people like me as you all know on POI. I don't think he deserves to be handed it on a plate but I did want him to share the dream but it's not going to happen I guess. I am very sure that the new start will be just what I need, onwards and upwards, looking forward to the next chapter in my life. Thank you

I don't mind blunt! It helps to bring me back to reality and put things into perspective and look at the situation from the outside. I really appreciate everybodys comments no matter how harsh, life is harsh and I have to deal with it and it's good to get other peoples views. Thank you

Hi lebourvellec Thanks for your input. Do I need to remove him or can I just go on my own? I know he isn't working now but I have been saving for the last couple of years and have asked him to do the same when he was working but he never. I think he thinks that it will just be ok, I don't know how but thats in his head. And there is definately no talking to him, he just brushes things off. Cheers

Thanks Rupert. Honest opinions are what I want and need to put things into perspective. It is definately my dream and he is just going along with it. I think the house may end up repossessed but it's the guilt thats getting me because I have never been one for bad debt. Cheers

I am absolutely over the moon today as my agent just rang to tell me that my visa has been granted but there are a few issues I have and would really really like a little advise or hear anyones thoughts just to help me make some decisions. First, my partner, who is on my visa, has not saved a penny to make the move and I can't afford to pay for both of us but if I go without him he probably won't follow. Should I just leave him? He know's I have worked so hard to change my career, gain qualifications and experience and save to pay for the migration process, so can he really expect me not to leave him behind? Secondly, because I only found my agent in March and the whole process has gone so fast, I dont have the full amount of money required by WA in the sponsorship agreement but I plan on getting a job to go to instead, do you think I would be able to get away with this if I can prove I am going to be working as soon as I arrive? Third problem, my partner and I have a house together which I want to sell but he won't agree to, therefore if I leave before it is sold, I won't be able to keep on paying the mortgage and the property will probably be repossessed. I don't know how to go about dealing with selling the house without his agreement but he isn't working and won't be able to pay the mortgage either. Should I just go and let it be repossessed? How will that affect me? It's not something I want to do but I don't know any other option? I hope someone can give me a little advice, anything will be greatly appreciated. Thanx Elaine

My visa application was lodged on 4th September and it has just been granted today, just thought I would share xx

Congratulations, Can't wait until I am in your shoes. Good luck for the future

Hi there All I can tell you is that my agent posted my application on 04/05/2012 and they sent her an e-mail with letter attached stating they received my application on the 11/05/2012. My application was finalised on 28/06/2012. Hope this helps