Londongal76

See my post above. You need it certified by someone.

I just emailed all my own managers, we're all contractors anyway and they did my references. One company has been sold and merged and none of the old people were there still so i contacted an old colleague and he's written my reference for there and my solicitor will certify it for me. Might be worth seeing if you can get in touch with someone else who knew you there and ask them directly.

Ah I lived in Cape Town for a year and loved it, would've moved there if getting a visa hadn't been so difficult and there hadn't been affirmative action. A couple of my saffa friends in London have been here for about 10 years and gone back now to settle down although one is struggling to find work over there massively. 3 or 4 have remained here as they see no future there for themselves and their kids there so have made the UK their home. They all cope just fine with life here and of course holidays home are ridiculously cheap.

Unsure to be fair, apparently it takes a while for the assessment part to happen, i'll ask him when I see him.

I've got an agent on it, but when i started 4 weeks ago, they'd handed out 1320 of the 1380 invites for the year. considering i still have to do skills assessment and IELTS I doubt there'll be any left by that point.

aww i got my hopes up then

Ok but even if the ceilings don't increase it says pretty much that they're staying on the list right? Or is it so confusing that i'm reading it wrong?

AW that's made me a bit emosh, I was pretty sure Business Analyst was gonna drop off come July before I could get an application in, that basically says i'm in with a shot still - wheeeee :biggrin:

I am now exiting this thread as huntsmen in cars and redback bites may put me off my application :eek:

My friend in Melb had a huntsman in her car the other day. How she didn't crash i don't know, she had to be rescued from the side of the road though :-)

Hope it goes as well as it can.

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/FAQ/Travel-questions/

Hello Iron chef - no rush on this one, just a feeler query. Also how long do you have to keep cars before you can sell, is it a year? Many thanks and good luck with your move! 2009 - year of manufacture BMW 335i M sport highline - make, model & variant Coupe - body type (coupe, convertible, etc) 3.0 twin turbo petrol - engine size & fuel type Dual clutch automatic - transmission RWD - drive type (4WD, front wheel drive, etc) 66,000 miles - mileage Individual BMW paint and leather, full BMW professional satnav system, TV, DAB radio, individual audio with 16 speakers, rear blind, universal remote control, lumbar support and heated seats, front and rear park control, climate comfort windscreen, comfort access - any special features, options or modification Yes - does it have aircon £17,000 - realistic current UK market value $107,000 - $129,300- Australian RedBook value (www.redbook.com.au - click through to the page with 'Private Price Guide', 'Trade In Price Guide' and 'Price When New' listed, then tell us the 'Private Price Guide' range) $50-75,000 - Australian market value (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/search.aspx - search for the closest matching vehicle) Queensland/Brisbane - which Australian state/city

I thought private education was cheaper there than here anyway, by a big margin.

i know with singapore you can extend them but you lose about 10/15% - better than losing them all though.

Yes. You're forgetting NI, Corporation tax (hello £15-20k a year) and the tax you pay on dividends out of your personal allowance. Don't think for a second you're taking home £2500 a week minus 20%. Also giving dividends to your wife isn't as easy anymore as HMRC are very wise to it now as a tax avoidance loophole, all of which they're cracking down on heavily here at the moment. You have to prove she takes an active role in the companys affairs and you're highly likely to be up on an audit list transferring dividends to her now. All those people registered with tax avoidance schemes from the last 6 years are now getting massive bills, and all the small fry using these avoidance loopholes in their ltd companies are getting heavily audited. Your decision needs to be based on whether you like being in Australia, or want to go back to the UK. Not based on job offerings that in all reality seem very level pegged financially. You can use it as a reason to go back, but you need to both want to go back for the right reasons.

Question - what is the blood test testing for?

I think that's hilarious. I hope it turns up somewhere obvious soon, very funny.

Congrats thats brilliant news.

So very sorry for your loss. In reality you've been through a shitload of stuff and very recently, it's more than likely you're still heavily grieving and don't realise it. It affects us all in many different ways. I know i really wasn't myself for a good year or 2 after my Dad passed away. Sounds like a holiday is well overdue and some sunshine will probably help your mood a great deal, along with the time for self reflection. If she's not the one, as above, don't waste (both) your time. Life is short and if you know it's not right, be kind and cut it off. I hope you have a great holiday and come to some decisions whilst there.

Hiya Dave and welcome!

You may be on the list but that doesn't mean it's a given. As above, for a skilled 189 permanent residency visa, you need to first get all your required documents, qualifications, references together and certified, then do your skills assessment with whichever governing body assesses you, only then can you put in your Expression of Interest. And you need to know how many points you need for an EOI to be successful. Whilst 60 is always the minimum, if most people have 70/75 and the field is flooded with applicants, then 60 won't get you an invite. Then your EoI gets assessed and if you have enough points and passed the assessments and invites are availaible, you should get an invite. THEN you do medicals, police checks and do the full visa application. You're looking at a 6-9 month (or more) process depending on the assessment times for your occupation, invites available, and how long it takes you to get your docs in order. As above, i'd first suggest contacting a MARA registered agent and talk through the process with them. It will give you more understanding specifically to your field of interest, and help you decide if you can do it alone or need some help.

Yes you can. As long as it's a skilled PR visa. It's the first question I asked incase i struggled with work. In fairness i'd be working in a very similar field, just a different title.

Congrats! Nice to read a positive story!

Hello from an Englishgirl feeling lost at home in London :biggrin: I've had those exact same conversations in reverse. Sadly we have no idea how long our parents/eldery relatives will last. I had to sit and tell my 86 year old Aunt (my eldest living relative) that i am applying for a visa to go to Oz. And you know what, she said you have to do what makes you happy. It's your life, it's short, and you need to live it and that I musn't hang around here because of her. Which was an amazing and unselfish thing for her to say. Not that it's not a massive concern because it is, but she could be around another 10 months or another 10 years. You can't put your life on hold for other people all the time, i've done it for far too long in my life and i've decided I can't anymore as time will just pass me by completely. I'd say get out of Sydney first personally if you want to stay in Aus. If you want to travel, then travel. But although I loved Sydney as a place, to me it felt just like London (rat race, big business, expensive cost of living, traffic) but with better weather, and as I'm at a point where for many reasons i'm over London, it's the last place i'd want to move to. Like some other posters said, Melbourne, maybe even Brisbane would have a better vibe for you. But do what you want to do. Go where you want to go, and do it because you want to not because you feel obligated.