Marisawright

You could approach your payroll office for a Certificate of Service. You can say it's because you're applying for a mortgage or a loan. That way you get a letter confirming you have actually worked for the company, so at least the DIBP won't go phoning up to check your employment details.

I've deleted the last few posts because it is not appropriate to accuse other members of being rude or aggressive. If you feel someone has been rude or aggressive towards you, please report the post to a moderator instead.

I think you are right to worry about whether you can afford it. Once upon a time, it was considerably cheaper to live in Australia than in the UK, and you could look forward to owning a big house with land and a pool on a modest salary. That is no longer the case, at least in the capital cities.

You will find endless debates on these forums comparing the cost of living in the UK vs Australia. The fact that there is so much debate proves that some things are more expensive and some things are cheaper! Overall it is about the same, except for the cost of housing which is generally higher than the UK. That means you need about the same salary as you do in the UK.

In your case, you're coming from London which means you'll find the cost of housing cheaper, which is a positive.

Good luck!

I would caution against moving to such a rural location, even if you think you're a countryman at heart. I don't think you can underestimate the value of having family and friends within reach - if not for you, for your partner. Remember you will suddenly be cut off from all your friends and family and will be starting all over again - it's one of the biggest reasons why migrants don't settle in Australia, so it's an important consideration.

Also, you don't mention skiing or snow sports as a hobby, so I wonder why you'd go to a place where that's the biggest drawcard for most people.

I'd have thought a better choice would be the Grampian Mountains, where there's a lot less snow so you can run or bike most of the year. The Grampians area also has the benefit of being closer to Melbourne to visit family and friends (or for them to visit you). It has its own major city centre in Ballarat too, with restaurants, cafes, theatre, services etc. Then you've got the wineries, and (unlike Bright), you're less than two hours from the beach.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/australiaandpacific/australia/10808671/Grampians-National-Park-Australia-mountains-hiking-and-emus.html

http://theclimbingcyclist.com/a-weekend-of-cycling-in-the-grampians/

http://www.visitmelbourne.com/Regions/Grampians/Destinations/Halls-Gap.aspx

My company is transferring me to our Darwin Office from Canada. My company lodged the 457 Visa and the Nomination application on November 26th but we still haven't heard anything regarding this yet. Part of the condition of this application is that since this is an "internal transfer" application, I must remain employed with the company until the visa is approved,

 

My query is this: can I work and/or travel in another country while I'm waiting for my Australian 457 visa to be approved? If anyone can help me figure this one out it would be much appreciate.

 

Yes, you can travel to another country while you're waiting BUT as you say yourself, you MUST stay employed by your current employer until the visa is approved. That is the critical point.

Clearly your company is keeping you "employed" so they fulfill the requirements, while not actually having a job left for you in Canada. Immigration is never likely to discover that, IF you stay in Canada. However if you're conspicuously travelling around the world for months, obviously not doing any work for them, or being paid a salary, then I'd be worried Immigration might start to question things. It would be a shame to jeopardise the 457, which is a longer-term visa, for the sake of one year's WHV.

My husband isn't currently working in Brisbane, he's working for a Brisbane based company fifo he's in nsw at the moment. I would be renting and id say no more than $800 per week, really don't mind about schools as long as they're decent. maybe if I find a list of areas to avoid it would be easier. I will do abit more googling

I think you need to plan more than one weekend recce! Go for three or four days as soon as possible, so you can have a general look around Brisbane and surrounding areas and get a feel for the place. Then your Googling will make a lot more sense to you.

Until I returned to the UK - and unfortunately AFTER we'd rented our flat - I had no idea that tenants are expected to haggle over the rental figure in the UK. It is not the norm in Australia, in fact the more usual practice is for tenants to offer MORE than the advertised rent to win the tenancy.

I think that's changing now in some markets where the demand for rentals is dropping. That may be the case on the Central Coast for all I know. It doesn't hurt to try I guess!

My husband and I have just taken a holiday to sydney and loved it. We realise a holiday is different than living in a place but it was so nice to have so much more variety in everything than in WA. We also realise that sydney is out of our price range. We have a 2 year old and are hoping to have another next year. We have heard that Wollongong was nice and also Newcastle. My husband is an electrician working in the mines right now but we'd like to get away from the fifo life. Any advice on what the job and house markets are like would be appreciated! 

I vote Newcastle, wonderful beaches, close to the wineries in the Hunter Valley and Port Stephens for the dolphins. I knew several people who lived in Newcastle and commuted all the way to Sydney - they refused to move to Sydney, because they felt Newcastle was a much better place for their families.

Wow that is quite far i think we will fly instead lol it'll probably work out cheaper flying as well.

Not necessarily are flights are quite expensive in Australia. STA Travel used to do flight packages which worked out quite cheap.

I would advise you to do some research into emigrating before you leave. The very first thing you must do is work out whether you'd even be eligible for a visa. Do you understand that even if you can get sponsored by an employer, your occupation MUST be on the SOL or CSOL list? If it's not, then they can't employ you and you can't get a visa, full stop - so it would be a complete waste of precious holiday time to talk to recruiters.

On the other hand, if it turns out you CAN get a visa, and you're serious about moving, then you should be spending those three weeks researching, not having a holiday. How are you going to decide which state or city you want to move to? Recruiters in Sydney won't know about the job prospects in other states (you wouldn't expect recruiters in London to know how the market is in Edinburgh, would you?), and you should also check out housing in the places you're considering.

Me and my girlfriend are looking at flying into Sydney and then returning back to London from Sydney too. We are hoping to stay in Sydney for around 3-4 days before either driving or flying up to Brisbane/Whitesunday island for a few days and then make our way up to Ayers rock. I'd also like to fly over to Perth but don't think we will have enough time.

With only three weeks, do not drive anywhere - it will take too long! Do you realise the distance from Brisbane to the Whitsundays is FURTHER than the distance from Sydney to Brisbane? You'll be much better off flying, or you will run out of time.

Hi Snifter, Thanks for replying. The study visa is taking the back seat for me for the reason you stated. My concern is, will my first step with a WHV make impossible my second step of becoming a permanent resident/citizen in the long run? For example could I get sponsorship while I am in Sydney on my WHV ie have that WHV converted or replaced due to a new job offer/sponsorship?

Having a WHV will not prevent you applying for permanent residency later. Be aware, though, that it is a temporary visa and Immigration is likely to deport you if they suspect you are trying to use your WHV as a "back door" to get PR.

However, once you have arrived and are working, it is possible that an employer might sponsor you - but employers can't sponsor you for just any job. It MUST be a job that is on the SOL or CSOL. So your first step is to see if your occupation is on that list. Make sure you check the requirements - for most of them, you require a qualification AND substantial experience.

Hi, Are there any online retailers like Next, BHS and M&S that allow you to make deliveries to friends and family in the UK but allow payment in AU $?

If you're paying by credit card or Paypal, they won't care what currency it is. Some retailers won't accept orders from overseas but it's not because of the different currency, it's to do with returns/exchanges, legal liability etc.

Yes @MARYROSE02 Glenmore Pk is a very pleasant area to live. A nice safe family orientated area, wild life in the reserve on your doorstep and a short drive into Penrith for Westfield shopping centre. Also handy for the Blue Mountains, Sydney Olympic Park and Wet n Wild. It is a bit of a drive to the CBD but by train you can get there in an hour.

Glenmore Park is about half an hour's drive from Glenfield - two totally different areas!

Glenmore Park is at the foot of the Mountains.

I think it'll be plenty. You do see people quoting higher figures here, but usually that's because there are kids involved. You can't camp in an empty house with kids, or squeeze into a studio flat while you look for your new home; you need a car almost at once so there's no time to shop around for the best buy; and of course , you've got a lot more mouths to feed! With just the two of you, it'll be much easier to get by if you need to - but if your wife has a job to go to, you'll manage fine IMO.

No cold calling for me. No sharks either as there is a net at Nielsen Park protecting the not aptly named (I hope) Shark Bay.

A diver once said to me that the only way a Port Jackson shark could hurt you, was if someone hit you over the head with one.

Mind you, "real" sharks do come into the Harbour sometimes, but only as far as Middle Harbour usually. So if you're not a NorthShore-ite, nothing to worry about!

I think we are definitely going to move to Sydney with the job offer and have seen some properties in these two suburbs.

 

Caringbah

Glenfield Panorama (newer housing development)

 

Glenfield is built by Mirvac, who are arguably Australia's best quality builder - so the houses will be good. It wouldn't be my choice because we love eating out and there is just nothing around there, otherwise the estate is a nice family-friendly place I believe - even though some of the surrounding suburbs (like Macquarie Fields) have a terrible reputation.

One thing that would worry me - one of the big parts of "living the Aussie dream" for most people is being near the beach. Glenfield may be handy for the mountains, but if you want to go to the beach on a summer weekend, everyone else will have the same idea - so it could take you two hours in a hot car by the time you drive there and find parking.

I don't know why you would pick Caringbah - it's one of the more boring of the Sutherland Shire suburbs. The big snag will be your husband's commute. In peak hour, Caringbah to Chullora would be a good hour's drive. If he takes the train, it would take him 1.5 hours!!

Glenfield to Chullora is a much shorter trip, but the M5 often turns into a car park at peak hour so it could still be a chore. Although Glenfield is handy for a train station, Sydney's trains all go into the CBD and out again, so there's no train that goes across suburbs - the trip would take him 1.5 hours.

My conclusion - neither suburb is a good choice for your husband's commute.

If you want to be closer to the coast, then why not look at some areas between Caringbah and Chullora? I lived in Oatley and loved it - lovely family-friendly suburb with a huge park, good schools, nice pub, supermarket, cafes and local shops. You can take the train to the beach, or drive, in half an hour. Commute in peak hour could still be up to 45 minutes on a bad day, but there are a few alternative routes once he knows his way around, which could cut the time. I used to do that drive fairly often.

However my recommendation would be to consider South Strathfield, Ashbury, Belfield. Quiet older suburbs, close to Ashfield and Strathfield for shopping, and only 20 minutes' drive to Chullora even in peak hour. As a new arrival, you want your husband around as much as possible until you meet new people and make some friends. The snag may be affordability.

So you think we'll get some free advice? I'll get my family in Oz to look up some local agents who l could perhaps e'mail. Thanks for the advice

 

Geoff

No need to do that, there are some highly recommended MARA registered agents right here on the forums!

As others have said, I would be booking holiday accommodation for a month or so when you arrive, then waiting to see where your oh finds work before choosing a suburb. Melbourne is incredibly sprawling and it would be a shame to settle in one suburb, only to find his work is at the other end of the city. Buzzy--bee has some good temp accommodation available.

As for Australia being friendly - out in the country, you'll find Aussies incredibly friendly. Moving to the big cities is much like moving to a big city in the UK - people are busy, they have long commutes, they have a circle of established friends whom they met at school or university, so they don't have much time or space for new arrivals. Luckily with kids, you'll have a chance to mix with their friends' parents so that will help you "break in".

Where are you moving back to? I notice you only moved back to UK in 2015...why the move back again? (sorry, if I'm being nosey!):smile:.

We're unusual in that we didn't move back to the UK because we were missing family or felt homesick. We moved back because (a) my oh had a serious skin cancer and developed a sun allergy and (b) we both love holidaying in Europe so it's a lot cheaper if we're based in England. Added to that, though I'm not hugely close to family, it is nice to be closer to my sisters, nieces and nephews (neither of us has any family left in Oz).

We are still loving the proximity to Europe and the sheer variety of cultures and landscapes available to us, something we really missed in Australia. The problem is, we haven't been able to settle into the English lifestyle. We know we haven't made it easier on ourselves by living in Southampton, which is generally agreed to be a dump - but we have done a lot of touring and we're not convinced we'd be any happier elsewhere. We're too accustomed to the Australian city-centric way of life, cafe society, Cheap Eats/BYO and lots of things going on within easy reach. Whereas the only place like that in England seems to be London, which we can't possibly afford thanks to the collapse in the exchange rate.

So although my oh will have to live like a vampire if we go back to Oz, we've just about decided it's a worthwhile trade-off. We're tempted by Hobart since it has the lowest UV index of the whole of Australia, but are worried it may be a bit too quiet for us - otherwise it will have to be Melbourne.

We visited Brisbane and loved it there but the job offer is in Melbourne and due to the weather being so hot, we think it would suit us better in Melbourne as it is slightly cooler.

The point I was trying to make is that it's not just the weather that's different, lots of other things are too. It's like an Australian saying they loved York when they visited but it was too cold, so they're moving to London. Much bigger, more crowded, far more expensive, much less laidback. So long as you're prepared for that, I'm sure you'll be fine - just don't expect it to be like Brisbane!

Check out house and rental prices on domain.com.au and realestate.com.au to get an idea of costs.

I don't think there are many homes at Chullora itself as it's mostly industrial, Greenacre maybe, yes, it's full of "Arabs." Lidcombe might be OK to live in. If there is one thing which does equate to "Hell" (maybe worse than "Hell" too) it is commuting whether by car or public transport, especially when it is hot and sunny like today

 

I used to live in South Strathfield, Chiswick Street, off Coronation Parade, which always seemed to me to be a "nice" family-friendly suburb. I just Googled it and the distance is about seven kilometres. For good measure, a house to rent in Lidcombe came up too for $520 a week. You would not get a one bedroom flat in Surry Hills for that.

.

I agree, South Strathfield is a nice family-friendly area, and there's nothing wrong with Lidcombe either IMO.

You're well travelled and therefore accustomed to moving countries and adapting to other cultures, so congratulate yourself - you've got a great advantage over the average migrant already! You've also been out of the UK long enough to see it with impartial eyes, so you're not going to look back on it with rose-coloured glasses once you're in Oz - something that will be really helpful in getting settled.

South Australia wouldn't be my choice of state - though I love Adelaide as a city, in my experience it's not an easy place to find work: it's not a booming state and it can also be a bit "who you know". However, if you're a planner then I'm sure you've thoroughly researched the job prospects in your fields, and provided you've got 3 to 6 months "survival money" in reserve just in case, I'm sure you'll be fine.

off topic but just want to say: if they had said to us, you can come to Aus, but can't bring your dogs, I would have said thanks but not thanks, wouldn't leave my furbabies behind. That to me would be like saying to my children, "hey, mum n dad are moving to Aus, your not coming, bye" . Just wasnt an option.

 

three years on, as much as I would have hated it, looking back, I think the best thing would have been to leave them with loving family.

They hate the heat so much, they only come to life in winter. Yes, I can take them to play at the beach everyday, but its countryside they love, off lead, running and sniffing all the woodland.

 

ive found a good spot to walk them, the change in them when we go there is amazing, I can see the "old them" come out.

 

Downside is, its a good 45 min drive from where we live, also although its still Perth metro area, we can only go there in wintertime, because of the snakes.

That would be worth making a sticky. Though I understand that to some people their pets are like children, it's important to think what will be best for THEM, not your own feelings, heartbreaking though it may be.

They 99% won't ask you for ticket or funds but definitely make sure you've got them. I got myself in a right state about all that.

 

Don't bother applying for jobs till you get here, they won't answer. I applied to agencies while in Perth WMD still never got a reply

When you say you "applied", @Quokka2005 - did you actually walk into agencies and register? Agencies think all WHV'ers are unwashed, so they're never going to take you seriously until they see you looking smart and professional. As I said in my other post, my nieces found the best approach was to physically go to the agencies and try to talk their way in to see a consultant.