Marisawright

Is your spouse an Aussie? If so, maybe she could travel with you in January on an ordinary tourist visa? Don't know if it's allowed but worth asking the question of Immi.

Ive walked up a volcano before. I'm just really unfit so I'd probably snuff it lol

No way I would walk up a volcano - no matter how much safety stuff they've got, they can't 100% guarantee it won't erupt. If they could be that accurate, we wouldn't have volcano scientists getting killed in eruptions would we?

Though there's another reason I'd hesitate to go up - I'm asthmatic and the fumes can set off an asthma attack, don't fancy having an emergency half way up a mountain.

I have done my wifes visa app problem is she knows what year her mother was born but not the date is this critical

Is there any way she can find out? I don't think it matters - there was some dispute about my oh's mother's DOB and he just put down the one they celebrated. No one questioned it.

hi, me and my friend are moving to Sydney for a few months and are still trying to find some work! We move tomorrow! Aha we are backpacking

Are you coming on a WHV (working holiday visa)? You won't find anyone to take you on until you arrive, because you're only allowed to work with each employer for 6 months max, and they're not going to muck around with long-distance interviews etc for short-term hires.

You should be in a good position as a chef, it's just a case of tramping the streets and going in to speak to cafe proprietors. The restaurants around Central are mainly Chinese so that's probably not a good area: I'd suggest trying Leichhardt, Balmain, Coogee, Bondi, Randwick - lots of restaurant strips where you can try your luck.

I can believe people being fond of Cape Town, lovely city.

For a single guy, $140k would be comfortable in Sydney, and you should be able to save on that, and find a flat in a reasonable part of the city. I'm not so confident that you'd be comfortable on £60K in London - you'd have to live a lot further out of the city and while groceries etc are much the same price in both countries, we've found eating out, entertainment and transport very expensive in London compared to Sydney.

to help with id for rentals, buying car etc.

One way ticket this time, so started to worry about detail now.:yes:

It's very unlikely you'll need it for ID, your passport counts for a lot of points and even though agents vary their requirements a bit, it's unlikely you'll have trouble meeting them even without a Victorian driver's licence. You do need a local driving licence to buy a car in some states, but unless it's changed recently, there's no such requirement in Victoria - you just need to show them the money!!

...a bigger house, a pool and the beach 200 yards away can never make up for the loneliness of missing your roots.

I think there are two types of people - those who feel a deep attachment to their "roots" and those that don't. It can be quite hard for one type to understand how the other feels.

I have never, ever in my life felt homesick for the UK and it never bothered me that I didn't have parents or siblings around me. As long as we kept in touch and I saw them for several weeks every two years or so, I was perfectly happy. So it was a revelation to see so many posters here, being so desperate to go home that they've been prepared to sacrifice their marriage to do it.

Part of the problem, I think, is that the "roots"-oriented person would probably never migrate on their own, but is persuaded by their spouse or partner, who is probably the other type and can't understand why leaving family could possibly be an issue. So the roots of disaster are sown right at the start.

I'm not talking about the kind of "homesickness" that can strike in the first year or two after arrival, which is more likely to be a reaction to the inevitable setbacks and hiccups than a real longing for home.

I would say that anyone who's worried about missing family before they even get on the plane, should think twice, three times and four times.

ok slight hijack here, but I've been searching and don't want to open a new thread.

Looking at how to apply for driving licence at vic roads, within days of our arrival in March.

 

What's the rush? You can drive on your British one.

Welcome to the forum. As you can imagine, thousands of people want to migrate every year and Australia can afford to be choosy - they don't want to accept migrants who will end up unemployed. For that reason, you can only get a visa if your occupation is on the SOL or CSOL. Unfortunately as far as I can see, bus driver is not on either of them.

So, the only way you could migrate would be to change careers - and note that for most occupations on the lists, you need qualifications AND experience, so you'd have to invest a few years' effort.

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/Work/Skills-assessment-and-assessing-authorities/skilled-occupations-lists/SOL

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/Work/Skills-assessment-and-assessing-authorities/skilled-occupations-lists/CSOL

Thanks Marisa. This is brilliant. I was not aware of cppm. The property you listed is fantastic in every way except that it is 5.8 kms from my work place. I will have a rental car initially with me but I am thinking how I would commute daily in case I do not have a car. Public transport seems to be taking too long as per google. I wonder if I can uber. Thanks once again!

If you are going to live in Tasmania you need a car, period. IMO it should be one of the first things you organise, even if you have to buy an old banger at first. You'll be missing out on a lot of what Tassie has to offer if you don't.

What lebourvellec says. Your 190 visa gives you the right to work in any state.

I agree, that visa requires you to demonstrate "an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in:

• a profession
  
• a sport
  
• the arts
  
• academia and research."
  

So, it's not enough to be a musician or a dancer or an academic, you have to be well-known internationally. Does that apply to you?

Take a look on allhomes.com.au and domain.com.au as well. You could also try http://www.cppm.com.au, they're an upmarket real estate agency and they do quite a lot of furnished rentals - you might be better off taking a short-term lease for a few months from them, to give you time to get to know the areas. Here's an example:

http://www.cppm.com.au/index.cfm?pagecall=property&propertyID=2977546&realestate=36a_Broadwaters_Parade_SANDY_BAY_TAS_7005

I assume you'll want to be in the trendier areas. They are all in or near the city centre - Salamanca/Battery Point on the waterfront, or North Hobart/New Town at the other end of Elizabeth Street. Having said that, Hobart is a small place and nowhere is very far from anywhere else!

Hi

 

Thanks for getting back to me, where in Palmerston did you live? Is there anywhere you would recommend more than others, I have been told to look at the newer area's such as Roseberry, Bakewell & Johnston. We need somewhere that has good public transport, walking distance to schools, shops and parks etc as have 3 kids.

 

Also what is public transport like around these areas and into the city, i do drive but wont be buying a car straight away.

 

I would suggest you need to rethink that. I remember when we first arrived in Australia, the very first thing we had to do was buy a car - the day after we arrived - because it was just impossible to get around without one. Palmerston is a self-sufficient little town with a good shopping centre, but it's some distance from Darwin.

http://www.transport.nt.gov.au/public/bus/darwin

He won't get anything until he arrives. Many employers are reluctant to employ WHV'ers because they have an image of them in torn jeans, living in backpacker hostels and liable to disappear for a holiday at any time. He needs to prove otherwise!

I suggest he looks on seek.com.au to identify agencies who offer jobs in his field - then when he arrives, he should rock up on their doorstep looking smart and well-groomed, and ask if he can see someone about contract opportunities. While he could certainly resort to working in cafes etc, he'll obviously be much better paid if he can land a job in his own occupation.

You will find Australia very much changed in 23 years, Wojtek. I lived there for 30 years and saw great changes, not for the better. But I think that is true for many countries!

With such a long absence, it's easy to build Australia up into a wonderland, remembering all its good points and forgetting the negatives. I hope you haven't done that - because if you have, you're in for a disappointment. On the other hand, if you're realistic in your expectations, and recognise that Australia isn't better or worse, it's just different - then you'll have a great time.

The fact is that some people can merrily wave their family goodbye at the airport, happy in the knowledge they'll catch up in a year or two - whereas others are in tears, and start missing everyone desperately before they've even stepped off the plane.

It sounds like you (like me) are in the first group - whereas your girlfriend is in the second group. It's hard for us to understand the second group, but you can't change them - they need their family and friends and that's just how they are. I've been on these forums for a while and it's the MOST common reason people go home.

So, sad to say, I think you do have to make a choice. You can't make things better for her. If you persuade her to stay, it's likely to be only temporary - especially if you stay long enough to start a family. When women have babies, they tend to want their family and friends more than ever, so it will only get worse!

I completed my Diploma of Management few months ago and he is going to sponsor me as grocery store manager.

Which category does that come under?

https://www.anzscosearch.com/csol/

Yeah, he's preparing his paperwork but will take around 4 weeks.

For what occupation? I can't imagine a grocery store owner being able to employ anyone on the CSOL list.

Are you sure the grocery store owner is legally able to sponsor you? What occupation?

Hi all

 

We are in final stages of getting a 190 visa for NSW and are looking at where might be best to live as we don't particularly want to live in Sydney. Newcastle and surrounding area has caught our eye but any other thoughts are welcome. Neither I or my wife have a job lined up so pretty flexible. I am an Accountant and she is a UK qualified Optometrist and we have 11 and 9 yr old boys.

Any help/ideas gratefully received.

 

Cheers

Richard

 

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Newcastle is a great choice. Of course, finding work will be more of a challenge than in a big city, but your living costs will be much lower than Sydney and it's a better lifestyle for kids. I would start in Newcastle itself and then base your decisions on where you find work.

Ok back to topic. Any advice from people who have moved state from perth to elswhere would be gratefully appreciated.:wink:

I have not lived in Perth BUT my niece came to Sydney on a WHV for a year, and loved it (she worked full-time and only had a couple of months travelling, so she got a good idea of "normal" Sydney living). She would've migrated but couldn't find a sponsor.

A few years later she got the chance of a short contract at her employer's Perth office and jumped at it with great excitement. Three months in, they wanted to extend the contract, she said no. She found Perth far too quiet. So while Flag is right, Australian cities do appear very similar on the surface, their culture is more different than you think!

I certainly wouldn't advise moving to Sydney because although it's far more lively than Perth, it's also horrendously expensive. Whether Brisbane would be enough for you I can't say. Sounds like you need to take a holiday there for a fortnight or so, this time you'll know what to look for.

Many of the big banks seem to allow you to open an account from offshore.

No, the UK banks won't now, we tried most of them. Even Citibank, who still advertise it on their website, won't do it any more. Sounds like HSBC is the exception

As i have said before, it is relatively easy to open an offshore account with lloyds jersey or singapore, they have a requirement for 2500 to be held and the account is then free.

I tried that from Australia and the only accounts I could find had high monthly fees

A bit confused by the less traffic bit ,but otherwise a good post

Depends where he came from in the UK. I lived in Sydney and I find the traffic in the South of England scary by comparison