Jnoh316

Hello again, thanks to your help I was able to have an absolutely wonderful time in Melbourne last year. During my brief stay I realized that the happiest I ever was in my life was while I was in Australia. I returned to the U.S. last July and have tried to return to a normal life here. I bought a car, have a great job and am comfortable. I am not happy however. There was a spark in my heart that I yearn to feel again and I now know that Australia is where I want to spend the rest of my life. I have made my mind up to return as soon as possible and would greatly appreciate some advice again. This time, moving to Australia will be as permanent as I can make it. Through my research it seems the only visa I qualify for is the skilled migrant visa (subclass 187 I believe). This particular visa is points-based and does not require you to have sponsorship etc. Below are a few questions I have compiled if you wouldn't mind assisting: 1) I was born in South Korea but hold a U.S. Passport and Citizenship. Will I still have to take an IELTS exam to prove English competency? 2) I hold a U.S. certification for hairdressing (Master Cosmetologist License) which allows me full permission to perform any non-invasive beauty procedure including hairdressing. To my understanding, it is the TRA (Trade Recognition Australia) that I will be corresponding with to prove my skill level? However it looks as though all I would be doing is supplementing PAPERWORK to them; will I be assessed on a technical basis at all? Such as actually performing a haircut etc? 3) Every minute that goes by in America feels like a waste of time and resources. How long does the skilled migration visa usually take to be approved once all relevant paperwork has been submitted? Are we talking MONTHS? 4) If I have a substantial amount of money I would be bringing with me, would it assist in the visa's decision at all? I don't mean millions but in the tens of thousands? Do they ask at all how you're going to support yourself? 5) I completely understand the illegitimacy of attempting to enter Australia with a travelers, student, or working holiday visa when my intent is to stay permanently. Is there however ANY easier/faster way to get my life started there? I would love it if I could go and gain Australian qualifications (I know there is a practical and written test overseas hairdressers must take to obtain an equivalent license) while I am actually IN Australia instead of emailing paperwork back and forth. 6) Would it be a complete waste of time to even think about shipping over a Mercedes Benz? I read that Australia is very environmentally-conscious. It's a V8, 402 horsepower and requires premium gas. Would I be taxed outrageously or denied all together? I just bought it and realized I wanted to live in Australia a week later. I could never afford the same car over there since cars seem to be almost double the price in Australia. What about the fact that the steering wheel is on the left side? 7) I am heavily considering Brisbane over Melbourne this time when I come to Australia. Melbourne had such great public transport even if you didn't live in the CBD; but I've read a couple of times where people were saying that if you live outside of the Brisbane CBD, you NEED a car. True? False? Any advice will be greatly appreciated; thank you for your time.

Can I "pay as I go" if I bring my own iPhone? Like most people I am heavily dependent on it. Or am I forced to resort to a rinky dink "go phone" that has an antenna and a ringtone from 1990?

I am arriving in Melbourne in 4 days and was wondering what the process was like opening a cell phone. Will I have to provide a bank statement or make a deposit or anything? I obviously have no credit being a first timer in Australia. I don't want to get there and realize I'm not eligible to get a contract with an Iphone 4S. I understand there's Telstra, Vodaphone, Virgin Mobile, etc.

I understand that in Oz people don't generally tip. How much in a bigger city like Sydney or Melbourne would you say a hairdresser makes?

Hello again, I was wondering if those in Oz on a student visa were eligible for credit cards? With the exchange rate, using my foreign credit card is a huge waste.

Specifically pertaining to the Melbourne CBD, what is safety like? I am Asian and unfortunately also homosexual. Is racism and homophobia as bad as the media portrays it? I hear so much about graffiti, gangs, drunks wanting to fight, etc. I suppose it may be the same of Australians thinking America is infested with black criminals, which it isn't. Someone else on this forum said they were in Melbourne and some drunk guy punched him because he wouldn't give him any change. I don't like drunk people and I most DEFINITELY don't like POOR drunk people. A violent poor drunk? Vomit.

I am coming to visit Australia and if I like it I plan to switch to a student visa. (A school I contacted already said this was possible). Here my concerns: 1) I can already see Melbourne is EXTORTIONATELY expensive to live in, especially in the CBD. If the universities and schools are located in the CBD and they charge international student tuition, yet only allow us 20 hours to work per week, HOW are we expected to live? Their response to this is: "well, students are here to be students, not workers". True, so what you're saying is: If you're an immigrant coming to study, you should be a millionaire. Is job availability as ridiculous? ^

Hello I was wondering if I was coming to Oz on an ETA (travel visa) if there were any limits. For example: 1) How much cash I am allowed to have with me. Is any amount of cash okay? 2) Is there a limit on how much baggage I bring? I already know the AIRPORT'S rules but I mean specifically pertaining to my visa. OR if someone could refer me to an exact website that lists my restrictions that would also be appreciated.

I am coming to Australia on an ETA. I was wondering if it was possible to attain a student visa or a working holiday visa WHILE I'm already there. The school I am interested in said that once I enroll, I can switch from my ETA to a student visa, but I am only allowed to work 20 hours a week. I don't understand how they expect students to afford living in central melbourne with a 20 hours a week job, are we all supposed to come from a family of millionaires? I wouldn't mind working first and studying later if I could work more. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hello I am an American Citizen planning to move to Australia very soon. I was wondering..if I've never been to Australia, how will they approve my application? What BASIS would they have to know that I was going to be a good tenant? Would I just be rejected? Or have to pay a ridiculous bond? I don't have any "credit" like I do in the U.S. obviously.

I am a 23 year old gay male Korean. I am an American citizen planning to leave for Australia next week. I am a U.S. licensed hairdresser. Australia does not recognize U.S. cosmetology licenses so I will have to go to school again. I have boiled it down to 2 schools: Pivot Point Academy in Melbourne, and Gold Coast Institiute of TAFE. I would highly appreciate advice on these topics in reference to the two cities aforementioned: 1) Safety: being Asian AND gay AND an expat. I've never rode public transportation in my life aside from a taxi. I will however have to for a while until I get settled and purchase a car. Is crime the same in both cities? Racism? Homophobia? I know Melbourne has an advanced public transportation system but how about Gold Coast? 2) Education: Since we are not talking about traditional universities, I understand this question may not be answerable but would it be wiser to attend the Pivot Point Academy in Melbourne? It's in the city for one, and Pivot Point Academy is actually an internationally recognized cosmetology school. How credible is Gold Coast Institute of TAFE? They both offer the same certification. Certificate III in hairdressing. 3) Cost of living: I lived in a 2 million dollar house in the states. My mortgage was $1800 a month. Through my research, for $1800 a month in Melbourne CBD I can get a closet sized studio apartment with a toilet and a microwave. I do understand that income is significantly higher in Oz but I am coming on a Traveler's visa that I plan to switch to a student or working holiday visa. I think the weekly limit to work is only 20 hours a week on a student visa. Because I have to pay my tuition in full and in cash (since I am not a citizen and won't be receiving any scholarships or grants), I cannot afford to go months eating away at my savings paying literally HUNDREDS of dollars a week for such lackluster accommodations. Not to mention the increased price of utilities, food, etc in Oz. Gold Coast IS cheaper yes, but is it worth it in the long run? 4) Lifestyle: I'm not a huge party person. I went out for dinners and movies a lot throughout the week and I did go out to the clubs and bars on the weekends. I have lived in the city and I have lived in the suburbs. I personally prefer the suburbs. Then again city life in Melbourne is probably a lot different than Manhattan. I have never lived by a beach. In fact I haven't been to a beach in years. It's always been my dream to live by the beach but Melbourne has them too and I'm obviously not a surfer so that doesn't give Gold Coast that much more appeal. Do I prefer a more relaxed lifestyle over a busy city life? Yes. 5) Quality of life: I once thought life revolved around driving my Lexus, wearing the most expensive clothes, and living in a fancy mansion. I am over it now. I grew up I guess you could say. I have no more greed. I would be happy just living in a decent apartment with a cute little kitty, driving a decent car, making decent money. No more stress, no more pressure. Sure, it's nice to have nice things. Would I be making a lot less money on the Gold Coast compared to Melbourne as a hairdresser? 6) Asian community: I heard both GC and Melbourne both had big asian communities (I'm primarily concerned about the Korean community). How are they in the two cities? 7) Climate: Cold I can deal with. Dry heat I can deal with. Humidity I CANNOT deal with. It can be soul shatteringly freezing or hellfire hot, but if it's damp or humid, I will shrivel up and die. 8) Nightlife: As aforementioned, I'm not a huge party person, but of course like everyone else I like going to clubs or bars since I'm still young. Gay clubs and bars kind of disgust me, I always went out to straight clubs in the U.S.. Do both cities have a good variety of both? With ALL THE INFORMATION above, I hope you guys will give me some good advice. If you say go to Gold Coast, WHERE in Gold Coast? If you say Melbourne, please explain WHY in reference to the info above. Thank you so much for your time and I will truly appreciate any and all advice.

I am a 23 year old gay male Korean. I am an American citizen planning to leave for Australia next week. I am a U.S. licensed hairdresser. Australia does not recognize U.S. cosmetology licenses so I will have to go to school again. I have boiled it down to 2 schools: Pivot Point Academy in Melbourne, and Gold Coast Institiute of TAFE. I would highly appreciate advice on these topics in reference to the two cities aforementioned: 1) Safety: being Asian AND gay AND an expat. I've never rode public transportation in my life aside from a taxi. I will however have to for a while until I get settled and purchase a car. Is crime the same in both cities? Racism? Homophobia? I know Melbourne has an advanced public transportation system but how about Gold Coast? 2) Education: Since we are not talking about traditional universities, I understand this question may not be answerable but would it be wiser to attend the Pivot Point Academy in Melbourne? It's in the city for one, and Pivot Point Academy is actually an internationally recognized cosmetology school. How credible is Gold Coast Institute of TAFE? They both offer the same certification. Certificate III in hairdressing. 3) Cost of living: I lived in a 2 million dollar house in the states. My mortgage was $1800 a month. Through my research, for $1800 a month in Melbourne CBD I can get a closet sized studio apartment with a toilet and a microwave. I do understand that income is significantly higher in Oz but I am coming on a Traveler's visa that I plan to switch to a student or working holiday visa. I think the weekly limit to work is only 20 hours a week on a student visa. Because I have to pay my tuition in full and in cash (since I am not a citizen and won't be receiving any scholarships or grants), I cannot afford to go months eating away at my savings paying literally HUNDREDS of dollars a week for such lackluster accommodations. Not to mention the increased price of utilities, food, etc in Oz. Gold Coast IS cheaper yes, but is it worth it in the long run? 4) Lifestyle: I'm not a huge party person. I went out for dinners and movies a lot throughout the week and I did go out to the clubs and bars on the weekends. I have lived in the city and I have lived in the suburbs. I personally prefer the suburbs. Then again city life in Melbourne is probably a lot different than Manhattan. I have never lived by a beach. In fact I haven't been to a beach in years. It's always been my dream to live by the beach but Melbourne has them too and I'm obviously not a surfer so that doesn't give Gold Coast that much more appeal. Do I prefer a more relaxed lifestyle over a busy city life? Yes. 5) Quality of life: I once thought life revolved around driving my Lexus, wearing the most expensive clothes, and living in a fancy mansion. I am over it now. I grew up I guess you could say. I have no more greed. I would be happy just living in a decent apartment with a cute little kitty, driving a decent car, making decent money. No more stress, no more pressure. Sure, it's nice to have nice things. Would I be making a lot less money on the Gold Coast compared to Melbourne as a hairdresser? 6) Asian community: I heard both GC and Melbourne both had big asian communities (I'm primarily concerned about the Korean community). How are they in the two cities? 7) Climate: Cold I can deal with. Dry heat I can deal with. Humidity I CANNOT deal with. It can be soul shatteringly freezing or hellfire hot, but if it's damp or humid, I will shrivel up and die. 8) Nightlife: As aforementioned, I'm not a huge party person, but of course like everyone else I like going to clubs or bars since I'm still young. Gay clubs and bars kind of disgust me, I always went out to straight clubs in the U.S.. Do both cities have a good variety of both? With ALL THE INFORMATION above, I hope you guys will give me some good advice. If you say go to Gold Coast, WHERE in Gold Coast? If you say Melbourne, please explain WHY in reference to the info above. Thank you so much for your time and I will truly appreciate any and all advice.