Hi everyone, I came across this site last week & so far have found a huge amount of information through it.
We are in the beginning stages of our process - having decided this month to stop talking about it, & just get on with making the move.
I'm Amy (28), my partner Tom (30), who's a mechanic with 10 years experience & our 2 boys Oliver who's 4 & Harry, who's 2.
I've been researching allsorts, from different suburbs & rents, cost of living & I've done this weeks online shop with Coles to get an idea of the cost of groceries etc, i've done car insurance quotes based on our current vehicle which we are considering importing, fuel costs, looked at Broadband/Phone subscriptions & mobile phone contracts, gas/electric costs & so on. So all in all for the general everyday things I think I've looked into everything (unless there's anything someone thinks I have overlooked).
We'd be hoping to either get a skilled independent, but have been reading up on sponsored visas. There's also the new SkillSelect to consider - what if we get through all the skills assessments etc, i presume there's then a chance that we could sit in the system for years with no invitation to lodge our visa?
Ideally we're looking at the Brisbane/Gold Coast area, but nothing is set in stone at the moment.
So, does anyone have an idea of what Tom can look to earn as an experienced mechanic? Would $60,000 be a reasonable amount to expect? & what is the demand in the Bris/GC area?
I would be staying at home looking after the children initially, but would then look at getting a job once the boys are both at school - obviously this depends on how long the process takes, if they're both in school when we made the move I'd be looking at getting a job straight away.
My mind is completely blown at the moment with all the information, but I am so excited to get the process moving forward.
Sorry for the long post - just trying to get a few things straight in our heads so we know whether it's actually a viable option.
Thanks,
Amy & Tom