Marisawright

Your absolutely right, and I don't think anywhere is perfect. My husband didn't enjoy living in Perth, it's a compromise.. I pushed for the move to Australia, so it was only fair that we gave Brisbane a go. We agreed on 6 months in Brisbane.. but here we are still.

If he didn't have to consider your feelings, what would he do?

My parents loved ASDA and I guess it rubbed off on me. I liked George clothes too. Still got a pair of pants from them.

 

Interesting those differences that you have noticed. I never think of things like that.

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I guess it depends what you eat. Steak in supermarkets here is sliced much thinner here than in Coles or Woolworths, and tends to be tougher - especially in Asda! I only notice the prawns because they were one of my favourite foods in Sydney - if you're ever in Summer Hill, Croydon Park or Concord, try the Pescatore pizza at Maranello's and imagine what it would be like with small, almost tasteless prawns on it instead of the juicy ones they use! I

I think quality in Asda has gone downhill a lot since my previous visits to the UK, I much prefer Tesco now.

I've seen car boot sales in Sydney, I don't know whether they happen elsewhere. Australia is a huge place and customs and habits vary a lot from state to state.

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'm just hoping someone will come by and say it gets easier after the baby/toddler stage. We have discussed returning to Perth Bungo, but aside from the friends and lovely beaches, it didn't tick all our boxes. We want to add to our family (as if I'm not struggling already ha) so that means remaining with my employer and their PPL scheme, and I prob will hang around for long service leave too. I wouldn't rule it out down the track, but for now hoping a sea change & an au pair might do the trick.

 

My reaction to this: NOWHERE is going to tick ALL your boxes! Life is not like that, and nowhere is perfect. How important were the boxes that weren't ticked in Perth, really?

I recall embarking on 'Canberra' in 1983, and seeing British sweets and chocolates in the shop. I can't even remember what they were now? Spangles? Tunes? Rollos??? Which Aussie ones are you missing? I used to buy both Vegemite and Marmite in ASDA.

My oh buys Vegemite in Asda. Actually I'm not desperately missing any pre-packaged foods, it's the fresh steak, fish and seafood I miss. Thank goodness for salmon! The biggest king prawn you can buy here is less than half the size of an Aussie one. We do miss the skin products - my oh has very sensitive skin and in Australia, there are whole sections in chemists devoted to body washes, shampoos etc for sensitive skin. Here, 95% of the "sensitive skin" products contain SLS and fragrances - both potential skin irritants. We've yet to find reasonably priced products that suits him (there are some available in health food stores but they are expensive).

I have to be honest, before I would have thought you were mad, but I have recently had a baby and have to be honest, as much as my family drive me around the twist, I have really missed them, especially the past few days.

I have been very teary, and am planning a trip back to the UK in the next few weeks with my son. Looking forward to it and dreading it in equal measure. I know I have already missed out on so much, and see Facebook posts from friends that are 'in jokes' for our group.....and I know this was my decision, but cant help but feel left out.

 

Looking forward to seeing family and friends, but worried it may make me want to go back. If I could move them all here life would be perfect.

 

Good luck in making a decision, but def get your citizenship first.

If I had a dollar for every woman who wanted to go home after starting a family, I'd be a rich woman. Having a baby does change your whole perception. I do hope you work it out!

I said previously we are looking to stay for citizenship for the kids, thats true in a way but I guess we are mainly doing it for us, incase our kids come back then we can easily...if the kids dont come, we wont.

 

... I would rather get citzenship and never use it than get to 50/60 and the kids decide to come here and we cant join them.

 

But for you @CowlingAFC I would say dont bother...just my opnion tho.

That's exactly the point I was trying to make. The big downside of migration is that it can separate families, so it's sensible to plan for that eventuality.

I arrived in Australia over 30 years ago and I think the fact that British products weren't available made the transition easier, not harder. I had no option but to accept the alternatives - no internet then! - and I think it helped me be forward-looking not backward-looking.

Fast forward 30 years and returning to the UK, I'm surprised how many of my old favourites are no longer favourites - I'm missing the Australian versions instead now!

I'm curious why you can't do Sunday roasts?

Congratulations DizzyD and all good wishes for your new adventure

I'm also in the same boat and can relate to a lot of these points.

 

My delema is I think getting my citizenship should be a priority but I really don't know if I can stay another 2years

I think for a family, it's crucially important to stay until you get citizenship - because further down the track, it's possible children will want to return and if so, it's a lot easier if parents have the right to return also.

However for someone like you, who's got no ties in Australia and no one else to consider, I wonder whether it's worth struggling on? It's only worth it if you think you may want to return one day - do you think that's likely?

You haven't really said what's soured the experience for you. You were so excited and happy to get PR, how did it all go wrong? Are you sure you really hate Australia, or is it just that you've got yourself into debt or had a relationship breakup or whatever? Have you thought about moving to another part of Oz, like Brisbane, and see whether you like it better? Different parts of Australia are more different than you think. I know people who hate Perth but love Sydney, for instance.

There is some rule about visas - you must still be on a legal visa when you apply, otherwise you'll get refused. Did your WHV still have some time to run or had it just expired?

http://www.irishecho.com.au/2014/09/19/new-difficulties-with-partner-visas/32771

Sorry to hear you've been rejected. Is there any other background that might make the case officer think you're trying to use a fake de facto application as a way into the country? e.g. have you ever spent time in Australia illegally?

You'll need to give us a lot more background for us to be able to help. Can you think of a reason why the case officer could have come to that conclusion?

How long have you been together?

The office is in Sydney.

we are currently in the south west, north wilts.

Will the employer give housing assistance? Sydney is very very expensive, do check out the cost of housing first!

With regard to the cost of purchasing a property, although the properties are expensive, they are far cheaper than renting. I also have enough equity in my English property to just about be able to afford one, so that is why I thought it quite a good option but not if there will be no PM. That would be a nightmare!

One obstacle to buying in Australia is the high cost of stamp duty, which can be as much as one or two years' rent! So you need to be sure you're going to be in Oz for a reasonable length of time, otherwise you'd be cheaper renting.

http://www.realestate.com.au/blog/stamp-duty-calculator/

You need to allow around $2,000 for costs at both ends (buying and selling) too.

What is the best options then....bear in mind hgv drivers arent on the list...

 

Can you do it all yourself an look for work when you get over there....any job would do for starters ??

No, the only visa you can get is a tourist visa and you're not allowed to work.

It's tough, but for many, many people there is simply no way to migrate. I came out to Oz with my husband (now ex!). If I'd wanted to migrate on my own, it simply would never have been possible, my occupation isn't on any list. That's just the way it goes.

Just to set the record straight, we decided that it would be better for my OH to out first to make sure the job was as described and seemed, as far as he could tell, secure. I did not want to risk pulling my daughter out of school in the UK, whilst studying her GCSEs and then find out my OH did not like the job and we would be coming home again. We also have a house to sell in the UK so it was never going to be a simple as us all jumping on a plane at the same time. As for the 457, no, we did not have to undergo a medical but, as previously stated, we were required to take out full health insurance. I think we may have been slightly mislead over the PR situation and were told that it became permanent after 2 years.

I think you were very wise, especially as it's turned out you don't have guaranteed permanent residence. It's very common for one partner to go out ahead for exactly the reasons you mention - what confused people was that you didn't seem very well informed about the visa.

A 457 visa never "becomes" a permanent visa. You still have to apply for permanent residence (PR), and the same points rules etc apply as if you'd applied now. So if your oh can't qualify now, he won't qualify then either - unless you can qualify under the high earnings rule.

I would agree, not one of those Sydney suburbs would give someone the Aussie lifestyle they dream about - a long way from the beach and a long way from the lively atmosphere of the inner suburbs and city. They all have their problems and I would go even further out rather than live in any of them.

I'd say if you have what's needed for permanent residency, you should go for that. If it's just a temp job then the appropriate visa is a 457 - but that means if you love Australia so much you want to stay, you'd have to apply all over again, and that leaves the way open for all kinds of things to go wrong -not to mention the cost.

 

wondering how feasible would it be to come across on what looks like it would be the 457 Visa Off my own back as I doubt I would get sponsorship...?

 

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Not possible, you can't get a 457 visa without a sponsor. The whole point of a 457 visa is to let Australian employers hire foreign workers to fill temporary vacancies.

I'm pretty sure the requirement is just that you've lived in Australia legally for 4 years. That includes any kind of visa - you don't have to have PR for that whole time, just as long as you've got PR when you apply.

Once you apply you'll have to wait until you get a date for the test. After you've done the test, there's nothing to stop you going overseas for a holiday, provided there's some way for you to receive the approval letter. However, if immigration gets the idea that you've left permanently, they can cancel it, so be careful what you say!

You must come back to Australia to attend your citizenship ceremony - you're not a citizen until you've attended a ceremony. Your approval letter will tell you which one to attend, but you can ask for the date to be changed. If you don't attend a ceremony within 12 months of applying, they can cancel your citizenship altogether.

Maybe because she hasn't been there before and wants to be 'Central' to everything going on, whatever that may be! Everyone has different ideas of what fun is, some people like to be in the centre close to Bars etc

Ah,but that assumes the best bars and restaurants are in the city. They're not. The pubs and restaurants in Sydney's city centre are aimed at corporate types, except the ones down the south end of town near the cinemas, which are often full of drunks and yobbos.

The best bars, restaurants and cafes are in the Eastern Suburbs - lively areas are Surry Hills near the city, or Coogee or Bondi (where you also have the benefit of being right on the long sandy beaches). There's also a decent amount of hospitality work in those areas.

No medicals and no blood tests, but I realise now that we were probably naive and what we thought would lead to PR is not necessarily the case!

It does sound like it, and I can't emphasise enough that the official purpose of a 457 is to allow temporary workers to fill temporary vacancies, and that's it. So even if an employer promises PR, if he doesn't keep the promise you have no recourse because you never had any legal right to the PR.

With that in mind, personally I think you need to think very carefully about whether you should risk moving out to be with him. If for some reason your husband loses that job - the business gets into difficulties, goes broke, or does a restructure, or he has a disagreement and leaves, whatever - you will have to leave the country. He will get a grace period to look for another sponsor but if he doesn't find one in time, you'll all have to go home. The government won't care if that happens while your daughter's in the middle of exams, you'll have to go.

I am going travelling to Australia in March 16

 

I am looking for a hostel that is quite central

Why is everyone so desperate to be "central" and what do you mean by that? There's a couple of good hostels near Central Station which is handy for the central business district - but most of the fun to be had in Sydney is NOT in the city centre. That's a bit like saying you're going to London and therefore you want to be in a hostel near the Shard.

I'd have thought most backpackers would want the one thing the UK can't offer - long sandy beaches, lively cafes and restaurants and all within easy reach of the city centre if you want to do office work. Most of the people who live in Coogee, Bondi, Bronte and the surrounding suburbs work in the city!

http://www.hostels.com/sydney/australia

Thanks for all your help. Unfortunately February is the only time my parents can visit due to work commitments/my work commitments. Based on the feedback above, the itinerary has been changed, with less time in QLD and a focus on flying between places rather than driving.

 

The new itinerary, is looking as follows (ish);

 

4 nights Sydney

2 nights Blue Mountains

FLY: SYD-MEL

3 nights Melbourne

2 nights Apollo Bay & Port Fairy

FLY: MEL-BRIS

3 nights Byron Bay

FLY: BRIS-CAIRNS.

4 nights Port Douglas

3 nights Daintree

FLY: CAIRNS-SYD

 

I'm a Sydneysider but I wouldn't waste my time in the Blue Mountains. Australians are proud of them but compared to European mountains or the Lake District or Scotland they're nothing special, and there's not a lot of wildlife to see. On a limited trip I wouldn't even bother. Sydney is beautiful because of the harbour: four days is plenty to see it.

Melbourne is a lovely city but again, I can't see there's enough there to justify flying all the way down there. If you've seen Durdle Door,the Great Ocean Road is the same!

Given that they really want to go northwards, I'd suggest hiring a car and driving up the coast from Sydney, they could stop off at the Hunter Valley wineries, Port Stephens for the dolphins and sand dunes, and a few other stops up to Byron Bay.

Although it's hot in February, driving in New South Wales is fine if you have an air-conditioned car. The concern for Queensland is that it's cyclone season, and the further north they go the higher the risk - do they really need to go all the way to Cairns or could they go to the more southerly islands?