Marisawright

Thank you i had no idea. Looks like you'll be ok then. I have heard from some that they got the visa through in six weeks but i'd be more inclined to allow at least a few months just to be sure it's through in time for your moving date but then i'm a risk adverse person. lol

The official processing time is 3 months. My oh applied in January and it came through in under six weeks.

Hi all, after finally getting our PR visas...My oh is a carpenter but with the down turn over in WA and the economy not looking to rosey over there we might be changing our mind to Sydney. Sydney is booming and no end to the work and he has secured a job with great pay

We are looking at the eastern suburbs

I would also advise you not to waste time looking in the Eastern Suburbs. If you want to be close to the CBD, then look at the INNER west (no further away than Concord or Marrickville). You will get twice as much flat for your money and it is much more family-friendly. Areas like Lilyfield, Glebe, Annandale, etc etc are all very nice and the commute time is about the same as the Eastern burbs.

Not a silly question at all, because when I migrated 30 years ago, you could not leave the country in the first year without making a special application to immigration. I believe that's no longer the case.

I agree with Bungo , the Eastern suburbs are lovely but the most expensive area you could pick by a country mile! If you want an easy commute near beaches, look at Sutherland shire, or Oatley or Mortdale.

I also did the 457 --> 186 path and have now applied for citizenship, so I'm another of the "success" stories. It's absolutely doable and hopefully your employer will sponsor your PR visa..

The key word here is "hopefully". That's the ONLY thing people are trying to point out. There is no guarantee - and it sounds as though the OP does have a guaranteed pathway right now, so it would be more sensible (esp. with a family to worry about) to pursue that guaranteed pathway.

It would be interesting to know what the odds are of being successful on the 457 to PR pathway. It sounds as though they are getting worse year by year! If we were able to say to someone, you have a 75% chance of it working or a 90% chance of it working, it would give them a better idea of whether it was worth the risk for them.

Hi all iam going to be in a similar situation but in oz, thinking of staying at the quest hotel in mandurah can I use this address for the Medicare cards etc as need these for proof of id to rent asap ?

Do you really need a Medicare card for ID? It is never a compulsory part of the ID process, just a suggestion. You've got a passport, that's most of the way there!

Just wondering if anyone can help me out on this please.

i have a few items still back in the Uk that I am wanting to get over here, is there any sites I can use for this? I found a couple but you have to pay in £s but I've shut my UK account down so will need to use my Australian card.

Many help/advice is much appreciated

thank you in advance.

You can still use your Australian card to pay a £ amount, your bank will simply convert it.

To be honest, I think she's more likely sick of the sight of me!

 

Seriously though, I'm very appreciative for your concern, but I am fine thanks.

I'd have to say, you don't sound fine. Actually if I was your oh, I wouldn't just be worried, I'd be racked with guilt - to think that my partner is putting his whole life on hold, so that I can have the life I want.

Like HappyHeart, I don't see how making new friends could be any kind of betrayal - if your UK friends expect you to stay isolated and alone rather than make new friends, then they're really, really lousy friends! I can understand you being nervous about mixing with Aussies, but I'm sure you could find British expat groups with just a bit of Googling - and just like these forums, there would be a mixture of people who are enjoying their time in Oz and others who aren't.

With all due respect you will only lose your accent if you actively intend to lose It ....I know people who have been in oz for 40 years and the pommie accent is still there .....a bit clipped but still prominent .

I met an old boy in w.a when I was there ...he was helping a bloke fix our roof .

He couldn't believe that I knew he was a Londoner ,as he lft the u.k when he was 12 ...but I could here it in his accent

I don't agree, it's not my experience. It partly depends how extreme your original accent is - I've noticed Glaswegians never lose their accent, though it gets a bit softer - but I've met so many people from Aberdeen who have barely any accent left. Maybe all Aberdonians have a sub-conscious desire to fit in, whereas Glaswegians are more bolshie - but I don't think so.

Ah so not that far then to Coogee and Bronte- but I have a 7yr-old, what is the road like- is it cyclist-friendly?

I would say not - Sydney in general is not at all cyclist friendly! There are a few cycle tracks around but not down to the beaches (and Randwick is quite high up so all the beaches are a steep descent, meaning a hard slog to get back up!). Centennial Park is nearby, great for cycling.

I agree people aren't being negative, just making sure you're in possession of all the facts.

It's great that the 457 route worked for your brother, but don't assume that because it worked for him, it's always successful. It's a risky path to migration - far more risky than applying for a permanent visa now, and more expensive in the long run. There are many things that can and do go wrong. People take the 457 route because they have no other option: if you have a choice, especially with children to think about, then being patient and applying for PR is a far more secure proposition.

Thanks for such a quick reply, the visa is for 4 years apparently and on the balance of things we have decided it is something we have to try. We thought that with my brother being a citizen we would be able to apply for residency for my Dad through him? He's effectively be a dependent. The $50,000 was something we were not aware of.

 

With regards the school fees, can you give me any more info on that please?

If your brother is a citizen then HE would have to be the sponsor. You also need to be aware that when your father moves, his British state pension would be frozen and he would get no further increases in the rate, nor any allowances. So he would need to have some other means of support to live comfortably - especially in Sydney which is by far the most expensive city in Australia.

I bought a half price cask for my Stepmum because she insists on ruining wine by adding lemonade to it.

Ack!

Squiffy, the first thing I need to check is whether you understand what a 457 visa is.

It's a temp contract. It's NOT a way to migrate to Australia permanently. At the end of the temp contract, the employer has to pay to fly you back home to the UK again.

Sometimes, the employer will say that at the end of two years, if your husband is a good worker, they'll sponsor you for PR (permanent residency). However, there's no guarantee - if the company goes through a bad patch, or your husband falls out with his boss, they can decide NOT to sponsor you - and in that case, you'll have to go back to the UK, because you'll have no legal right to stay in Australia.

So, the first thing you need to decide is whether you can afford to move your whole family over for just a couple of years. As a temporary resident, you'll be charged school fees for the children and won't be eligible for any benefits.

You certainly wouldn't be able to bring your father over while you're on the 457 visa as you have no permanent visa yourself. If you do get sponsorship from the employer, once it's all approved then you may be able to sponsor your father to come out and live with you, but the fee for his visa is currently $50,000 (and will probably go up by the time you're able to apply).

I agree with bungo. Used wisely credit can be your friend. I bought my car with 4 year financing. I could have paid cash, but it was 0% interest. It was advantageous to finance.

It probably won't be 0% interest in Australia, and there is often a big "balloon" (amount to be paid at the end). I always advise people to work out the total amount they'll have to repay before deciding whether it's worth it.

The main concern for the OP is that they'll be committing to a 3 or 4 year lease in a brand new country, where they don't even know if they'll want to stay that long. If something goes wrong and he has to go back to the UK, he won't be able to sell the car and he may not have enough money to pay it off. That's why several of us are saying, buy an old banger at first - you can always buy something decent once you're settled and sure Australia is for you.

Hi everyone- is there a nice beach near Randwick? Easy commute?

From Randwick you have a choice of beaches! It depends how active you are, but we used to walk to Coogee and Bronte beaches all the time when we lived in Randwick. Lovely for an early Sunday stroll to the beaches in the winter too, for brunch in one of the many cafes, or a pleasant walk on a balmy summer evening for fish'n'chips on the sand.

Bondi, Tamarama, Gordon's Bay, Maroubra are all within a short drive by car, and most are reachable by bus. Or you can get the bus to Coogee and then walk along the coastal walk to the other beaches.

No trains, but there are frequent express buses from Randwick to the city in the rush hour. They are genuinely express because they use the Eastern Distributor, so they don't get stuck in traffic. The buses can get very full, there are always long queues at the Randwick shops - I used to walk back to the hospital so I could get on the bus first and grab a seat!

I really enjoyed living in Randwick. Cheaper than living in the beachside suburbs or closer to the city, but handy for everything with a reasonable shopping centre and some nice pubs/cafes/restaurants.

She was warfarinised following a stroke (fully recovered) and INR was stable but has had recent chest infection and antibiotics have messed with INR so her Dr has advised her to have a check while here (will be here a month) and email for dose changes if it's out. It's stable at minute so it's just a precaution. So all she needs is the INR and the result really. I will ring GPs on mon but thought I'd ask on here in meantime. Thanks for help.

Be sure to tell the GP that her doctor in the UK has said it's necessary - essential care should be covered under the reciprocal agreement.

I can appreciate you commenting on my post again - sorry if this is a bit of sore subject for you but I am generally after talking to other travellers/couples who are in the same situation. The jobs for backpackers generally pay a similar amount so I'm just trying to get a feel for what other people on WHV are doing. My post States its 'difficult' to put a figure on a question like this in the first instance. Rent in Sydney seems cheaper than London when comparing the wages on offer to be honest.

Yes, rents are cheaper in Sydney than in London.

Most people on a WHV live in the Eastern Suburbs or the Inner West - unless they're surfers, in which case they live on the Northern Beaches or Manly. I would strongly advise you to stick to those areas. They are more expensive, but on a WHV you won't have many belongings so you'll be happy in a small one-bedroom flat.

The reason I say don't venture outside those areas is - you're on a working HOLIDAY visa. You want to enjoy the best aspects of Sydney - the nightlife, the cafe culture, the beaches etc - as well as work. And you want to do that with other WHV'ers and young professionals. You can't do that if you're living out in the outer burbs, which are generally more family oriented and much quieter.

I have heard it a few times. One lass I worked with was from Norfolk - had been here less than a year and had a strange kind of north shore (Sydney) accent - another girl was from Derbyshire and had lived here a couple of years and sounded like she was born and bred in Australia. Also people I've met socially and thought were Australian - turns out they were from the UK. The native accent always slipped out after a couple of beers though - have to say it was usually females.

But not every Pom with an Aussie accent does it deliberately. As Gbye Grey Sky mentioned, some people are natural mimics. I'm like that and so are my sisters - when we spend a lot of time with people, we start talking like them. It's a great advantage when you're learning foreign languages because you "get" the accent easily, but it can be embarrassing sometimes if you pick up a local accent too quickly, because people think you're taking the mickey!

Everywhere I go here in So'ton, people know straight away that I'm an Aussie, whereas in Australia people knew I wasn't an Aussie!

I expect Thomsons, Thos Cook, and The rest are all issuing their "Winter No Sun" brochures as we speak!

 

I enjoyed my life in the UK all year round, cycling and walking just as much in January as July, but I don't like snow and ice any more, and the older you get the less pleasant cold weather is.

I'm sure you do, MaryRose, but not everyone in this world is the same, and we should all respect other people's right to be different.

My partner's friends, colleagues, neighbours etc all seem very positive about both Melbourne and Australia generally. That's one of the reasons why I've chosen to withdraw socially, as I felt I was being expected to express positive views about the place which I didn't actually have. In effect I felt like I was lying to people for the sake of appearances, and that's a bit self-defeating. I made a conscious decision to withdraw behind my own borders after about two years in Melbourne and it's been a huge help emotionally.

It seems strange to me that your only choice is either to socialise with your PARTNER'S friends, or not at all. You mentioned that you used to have some active hobbies, which would give you opportunities to interact with other people outside your oh's circle and make your own friends - in the British expat community if that's what you prefer. If I was your oh I'd be sick with worry about you.

She's entitled to essential services done under Medicare. I don't know what an INR is - if it's something she must have done, rather than an "elective", then she can just go along to your GP. Best thing is to pop along to your GP and ask.

The Med is not that great in the winter IMO. Lots of storms and rain, much colder than you might imagine too (probably a consequence of wind and rain), especially at night. Tiled floors etc and minimal heating make the nights feel cold too. On the plus side winter there is relatively short and when the sun does shine it can feel quite warm.

I know, but it's still not as chill as the UK, and we'd go somewhere with lots of history. Not expecting to lounge in the sun that's for sure!

You get polite and impolite people in all countries! If she hasn't got back to you, then you probably didn't get the job - but maybe she's sick?

I've not been here that long. 2 years on the Gold Coast, followed by 5 in Melbourne. I know next to nothing about Australia or it's people though.

In that case, how can you express an opinion? I know you are desperately homesick - but how long did you give Melbourne before you decided you couldn't stand it? Melburnians are nothing like Queenslanders in my experience. Plus there's a lot of Poms in Melbourne too, including members of this forum.