JEM44

Thanks for that. I have found the offices in WA so have a note of them now. But yes, skippy, I hadn't even considered how do we prove an address for licence if we have only just arrived? We are planning on taking on a holiday rental for 4 weeks when we arrive, do they use that? We didn't want to wait until we have a rental house as I need the license as part of my 100 points worth of ID to get the rental. Is this catch 22????? there must be a solution...... Please help!

Hi, I am just compiling all the information I think we may need to know / do when we finally move, so over the coming days / weeks I will no doubt have a ton of questions to ask so I can file the answers away and be super organised when we go! (or that's the plan). Question is: I (and hubby) will need to get Australian driving licenses when we arrive in Perth, as soon as possible as we will need them to count towards our 100 points for rental accommodations etc. So where do we need to go to do this, and do you just turn up, or do you need to book an appointment etc? Do you get issued one there and then or do they post them out to you? If so, how long does it take to get one? Is it a straight swap, i.e. we have a full UK license so therefore you get a full Aus license, or do we need to sit a test etc? Thanks Laura

Johndoe, I get that to apply for rental properties etc that for the 100 points I need an Aus driving license, but for the 100 points for changing my UK license to an Aus license, I assume from the post above that I can use my UK passport and UK driving license, then once I have my Aus license, I am good to go with the 100 points.

Snifter, I hadn't thought about what I would need to get my Aussie license. If we don't have bank accounts when we first get there, other than UK passport, what other documents did you use for the additional points? Thanks

Thanks for that, all seems straight forward enough. I assume UK passport is acceptable. Thanks.

Apologies if this has been asked before, (I have searched and can't find the answer) lots of rental posts mention needing to show 100 points worth of evidence, so my question is, what makes up the 100 points? And do just one of us need 100 points worth or do both my husband and I need 100 points each? Thanks Laura

Thanks, I have found Jetstar may be an option but the flights are not available yet. I think!!

Hi all, just looking for help we are looking at options for our stop over when we finally make the move "down under" next year. I am looking at stopping over at Tokyo but can't find normal flights from Tokyo to Perth. Surely people make this trip for work etc, so after searching lots of flight comparison sites, can anyone tell me how would be best to do this flight? Thanks Laura

But practically how would failure to pay be enforced? That's the bit I think people (myself included) don't understand.

Im moving with my kids next year. We have no contact with "dad" but he does pay CSA. THE CSA constantly ask me when we are leaving as he knows once we go he won't gave to pay as the CSA have no jurisdiction outside of mainland UK. I am planning on taking him back to court to have payment agreed, however if he does not pay once we leave the UK, I'm not sure how a UK court can enforce it if I'm no longer here to chase it.

We flew Etihad for our activation trip and hated it, having flown many many airlines they were not helpful, food was awful, entertainment was pants. If you have an option of Emirates or Singapore go with them. Even my kids said they'd rather fly Easyjet!!!

We don't move until next year but from our activation trip we know the school we want the kids to go to. I contacted them and they said just to get in touch when we have 3 forms of ID with our residential address showing we live in the catchment area, therefore the kids could have quite a wait until they start school.n

Great stuff, thank you. One more set of boxes to sort and pack!

Hi, does Halloween get celebrated (houses decorated etc) in the same way as the UK? We have lots of decorations which the kids want to keep but don't want to bother keeping and shipping them if we won't use them. Thanks

I obviously had to tell my employer when I needed references etc for vetasses. But my colleagues and team know I plan to fly out in May 2016, even though I have just been promoted I am still committed to my work and my boss is fully aware that I plan to leave (he just doesn't know when) so I plan on telling them when I go back to work after Xmas so that they have five months notice rather than 1. They won't make me redundant as my role is new and someone still needs to do it so gardening leave is also not an option. My thought is that I don't want to leave them in the lurch like I would ordinarily if I just had a new job and therefore you don't have that kind of time to give, but in this case I know exactly when I will be leaving. good luck, I think you will know your employer well enough to make the decision that is right for you.

Hi, yes I went to speak to him and explained that our plan was to emigrate (it was something we always planned to do as a family so was not a shock), his response was no! On the basis that taking him to court would cost me money. I documented the whole conversation and put that as part of my paperwork for court. My kids are 12 and 14. I served him him with court papers and explained there would be no cost to me other than my application fee as I was not in need of a solicitor, at which point the paperwork returned to me signed. However, as we had a court date, we still had to go to court. The judge was very impressed with my paperwork (I'd put information on jobs, houses, schools, hobbies for the kids etc) and told dad exactly what she thought of his attitude. She did however, ask that I guarantee to keep contact if he wanted, send school reports etc, but that was on the basis that he kept us informed of his address (he's since moved and we have no idea where to) and we don't leave for Oz until May next year so it doesn't bode well!! when we applied for our visa I submitted both the signed form and the court papers showing that the children could apply for emigration, and our case officer still phoned dad to make sure it was his signature on the form, in hindsight I probably should've just sent the court papers, but it shows that they do check!!! in my experience, I'd suggest you will have no problems, judges are very sensible and have seen it all before with family issues and awkward absent parents. Good luck.

I told mine when I had had my visa approved, I plan on giving them about 4 month notice rather than the 1 that I have to give to allow a full handover to take place after advertising time and interview time etc, but that's because I love where I work and I don't want to leave them or my team in the lurch.

We were in exactly the same situation, no contact for 4 years but still wouldn't sign to let the kids go. Filled in the forms c100 paid my money to court (no solicitors) and had our day in court with a circuit judge, so in a real court room which was somewhat intimidating, but I had all the information I could possibly think they might ask, and an agreement that father would be kept in contact with address and email etc we were told approval was granted. Simple as that. Definately start art the process as soon as possible. Good luck x

hi, sorry to hear of your dilema. Our situation is similar and here's how we are dealing with it, but it's not been easy.... We validated in August 2014, and plan to move May 2016 to Perth. Mum had always said that she would spend 6 months here in the UK and six months with us in Oz. My brother is in the UK and no plans to follow us. (he's not got kids) we have two kids, 12 and 14 who see my mum almost every day and have a great relationship with her she lives on the next road to us and eats with us most nights unless she is out with friends, she has a good circle of friends, she is 67. Anyway, after lots of talks about the practicality of leaving her house for 6 months at a time and not having us on hand each day, I call her every morning on my way to work just to make sure she is alive!!!! She agreed to move, so she is in the process of buying a two bed retirement apartment in our town, great location (bus routes etc) lots of people her own age, lots of activities going on, and her home will be safe whilst she is gone visiting us. Plus it givs me peace of mind that she wont be on her own while she in the UK. (My brother sees her once a week). So, we have sold our house and will be moving into my mums and renting that from her, to give her an income and also gives us the flexibility to leave when we are ready rather than being tied into a bond. I've kept her up to date with all our house hunting on line, showing her all the options of houses, the suburbs we like and the high school we want the kids to go to so that she feels part of the process. I'm trying to make this just as much about her potenttial future as it is about ours. We hope to buy after about 6 months and are looking at houses with either built in granny flats or with enough land we can build a log cabin type unit for her. So, thinking ahead, she now plans to visit every 6 months until she can apply for a Contributory Parent Visa and ultimately move with us, again we have been looking on line for retirement village appartments for her as I need to know that she will be able to have an independant life with access to an instant social life and friends etc. We have also been talking to her friends so that they are all looking forward to holidays to visit her. I guess what I'm doing / have done is the same as I had to do with my husband and kids, and that's sell her my dream until it has become her own. Clearly anything can happe between now and then, but I think I am about as planned as I can be. Hope this helps Laura xxx

Thank you. That is what I thought. I still would like another, not for a while though. Do you know how easy/ difficult it is to get a special license? Thanks

Hi, I am just waiting for our quotes to take my two dogs to Oz with us next year. If we weren't moving we would have a third by now, but 1: don't want the expense of shipping 3 dogs and 2: I think it may only be possible to have two dogs in a suburban property. Is this correct? We we are planning on Perth around the northern suburbs, can anyone tell me if dogs have to registered with the city council etc and if there is a limit you can have? Thanks. Laura

Excellent thanks, I wasn't too sure if it was an international programme.

Hi, just wondering what happens with the dogs microchips. They are both chipped in the UK with Tracer. Do they need to be re-chipped in Australia or do the microchips still register there and our details will be updated when we get a new address and mobile number? Thanks

I have no idea why they build the houses so far back, but the pool at the front I thought was a really good idea. Food for thought.

Hi, well with a year to go until we emigrate I like to keep checking out both the rental and for sale market, not sure why cos I keep finding properties I love but I guess it gives me an idea. Ok so I have never really understood why older properties (I'm looking around Woodvale in WA) have so much land at the front and then not so much at the rear, until today I saw a property for sale, large front wall and a large pool at the front of the house. Well I thought what a good idea but as I've never seen this before is it safe to assume it is not a common thing and if not, why not? Do you need to apply for some type of planning permission etc to do this type of thing? Thanks Laura