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@km75 - I'm sorry to hear about your difficult situation and the loss of your dad. I hope it's not inappropriate to say, but at least you were in the UK when he passed so that you could support your mum and her you through the worst of it. @caramac has offered some very sound advice. Have you talked to your mum about how you're feeling? It might not be something she wants to discuss, but as others have suggested, she might like to come to Australia for a visit or something. Speculating, but I also think that she wouldn't want you to put your own life on hold for her. Tough decision. Good luck. And whatever you decide - nothing is permanent. Planes fly in both directions.

I've really enjoyed reading these. Does anyone else have a story they'd be willing to share, please?

If it's from the British Embassy, surely it'd still be the United Kingdom??

We did purchase our tickets before June 2013. Either way, £55 is still a bargain.

That was my first thought too. Unfortunately, it doesn't work in this case, because you could just use an older newspaper. Emailing them to yourself is a good option though. The original sending date will be in the email headers.

I was thinking of giving this one a go: http://www.vividwireless.com.au/wireless-broadband-modems/vivifi-c900w

That's not what the BA representative said when we called, or what their website says. World Traveller Eco (One-bag allowance) http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/extra-overweight-baggage

Who are you flying with? With BA you can take another 23kg suitcase for £34.

I would think that proof of your no claims discount would be what you're after and apparently coming from the UK to Australia, this cannot be your renewal notice. It needs to be a separate document.

My wife (26) and I (28) will be arriving in Brisbane on 7th January 2014 and will initially be staying in New Farm until we find a permanent rental.

Ditto.

Sorry to hear about your troubles @newtothis. I thought you had to have completed 2 years on a 457 visa before you're able to apply for PR? And do you need an employer to sponsor you for a PR visa, or can you do that alone?

I agree with @blossom79 that you should wave the red flag to help prevent the same happening to anyone else in the future. I'm not so sure about this though. Can you prove that you didn't verbally give them permission to enter? I'm not saying you did, but it's something they could claim.

@Galahad - I'm not able to send PMs (perhaps I haven't posted enough times yet). Could you PM me with the recommendation, or post it in the forum?

Hello, It's good to hear that you've made to it Australia. I read your original forum post with interest when I joined the forum, as my fiancée and I are coming over to Brisbane in the New Year for the first time too. As those who have posted before me have already said - it's an adventure. Treat it as such. At the end of the day, you don't have to stay. Ireland is just a plane ride away, so what have you got to lose? If you'd arrived in Aus for a holiday and knowing that you'll be going home in a few weeks, would you be feeling any different? Would you enjoy it more? Do you think at the end of that holiday you'd rather stay than go home? Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I'm wondering if you're thinking that the move has to be permanent and that you may be putting too much pressure on yourself. Good luck and chin up. Give yourself a break, enjoy yourself and this lifetime opportunity. Keep us updated with your progress. Rob.

It's a month later... are you back yet? How did you get on?

One last point... if your girlfriend has been working for the same company for more than 2 years, is she entitled to a redundancy payout?

Not to my knowledge. Someone else might know more. I was referring to finding another Australian employer who is willing to sponsor your girlfriend, particularly if you still have 5 weeks left before you have to leave. But it sounds like you may have already considered that?

I'm really sorry to hear about your situation and unfortunately not able to offer any advice. By the sounds of it, your girlfriend will be better off without this job. Food for thought though - if you have nothing to go back to in the UK, have either of you considered trying to find a job with another employer in Brisbane and transferring the 457? Then you wouldn't have the hassle of packing up and leaving. Good luck! Rob.

Bump

Hi Andrew, I think you stand a reasonable chance of success, providing you can find a company that will sponsor you and that they can show the position cannot be filled by an Australian citizen or PR. I'm a website developer, with a degree, so would be eligible for a skilled visa. Saying that though, my fiancee and I plan to do something similar and to apply for a WHV with the intention of finding 457 sponsorship when in country. Our reason for going this route is that we haven't been to Australia before, so didn't want to spend many thousands on a PR visa on the off-chance that we didn't like it there. We're therefore going over to try and find sponsorship (if we like the place) and if not, we'll treat it as an extended holiday. If you have the time, money and inclination, what's the worse that could happen?? Rob.

Hello all, Yes, we're planning to move Brisbane in 2014 too - hopefully in January. We're an engaged couple (getting married this summer) also in our late 20's and without children presently living in Oxfordshire. I've never been to Australia, and my fiancee last went when she was a child, so we're planning to head over on a WHV and to try our luck getting sponsored for a 457 whilst in country. We know another couple living in Perth who did exactly this, so figure it's a good way to test the waters without committing too much money upfront. How are everyone's plans coming along? Rob.