Lynsey Nicolson

Thanks for the replies. I did think it would be the same as here and have a trial period. As for my home, it is being provided by my employer and I'm allowed a dog. I will be living in the back of beyond so I won't need to worry about dog friendly areas it'll have as much land as it needs to run about in.

I started travelling in 2011 and just kind of fell off the list. I never done anything to take myself off and when I came home in February, I never received a polling card for the last vote and have to register if I want to vote in the independence referendum.

This isn't a large firm, its as you say a boutique company. It hasn't been mentioned on this site or PIO, it is MARA registered and we have been in touch with others that have used it. So as far as being strung along for the money sake, I doubt that very much. I do agree with you that it's a crazy price! I won't be using them for my 186 anyway! As for claiming costs back, my MA never once informed me that my employer was responsible for the fees. What was stated in the contract was that he was 100% liable for his sponsorship visa. To be honest, when we discussed it over a year ago we talked money and we both agreed that it we would both pay towards it. As I said, my employer has never done this before so I dont think he would be aware of the payment structure. What has shocked me is the lack of clarification from my MA.

Just under $9000 for my part and my employers. We used an agent as my boss had never done it before so it is for peace of mind. I can't fault the agent on communication and there work, however I do feel it has been an excessively long time. We started this process in March.

thanks @drewbty! I'm assuming that it would be submitted on Monday as our final payment was last friday so there really shouldnt be any reason not to submit! I may leave it a week or so before I hound them to ask. I've questioned everything from day one, just like to know what's going on.

Wouldn't want to tell you what we are paying for my 457 then! :shocked: unless timberface is paying in £ then it might equate to the same.

I know I'm a bit ahead of myself as I don't even have my visa yet but I'm interested in adopting a dog. I have one at home and I miss her more than my family when I travel and I dont think I could imagine having a home and not having a dog. Has anyone ever had an experience of any of the shelters in perth? Do they do trial runs with the dog in your house? Or home asseessments? I know when we got ours here, the shelter came back out to check on her a month after we brought her home to see how she was settling in. I've already found a dog I think I am in love with!

im talking from a backpackers experience here but I loved it. I also ended up staying for 7 months so got to experience wet and dry season. There isn't really a day where I ever saw below 30 but you do get used to it. Don't get me wrong there was nothing worse than getting ready for work in the morning in the luxury of aircon to walk outside and feel as if you were still wet from the shower but when the weather is dry its glorious. In all the places I travelled in oz, I really fell in love with Darwin. I felt it was a very young and vibrant city, I was 26 when I arrived and we were backpacking and up for an adventure and Darwin delivered that for us. However, drive an hour out of the city and its totally different. Litchfield was amazing. I did a bus tour and also camped and had such a great time. We also went to the natural springs that were used during the war for the soldiers to relax (someone else will pop in with the name!) Can't help you with rent and bills etc as I was in a hostel (probably paid more than most folks rent!) but I did find it more expensive for groceries etc than anywhere else. Get yourself some great aircon and you'll be loving life! Oh and the thunderstorms are something else!! Especically if you are in one of the tower flats, you will see for miles!! Some of the craziest storms iv ever seen and I was there for a cyclone warning!

quick question, when my employers nomination is submitted is this a seperate timescale or included in the timescale of the 457? Ie, 2months for low risk country for applying or is the nomination time on top of this? I cant find an answer on immi.

Me too! I never thought I would have to drive 40 minutes to a small supermarket or over 200kms to a coles. I was a bit in the 'outback' as i would have said in the beginning!

I checked for July as I hoped to be back by then and it was £780 glasgow to Perth with Emirates and the flight was only 20hrs so no long stopovers. Thought that was pretty good considering I was £1000 home in February there

i think it works for the visa that you are currently on. So when you leave on a WHV you claim your super back but can enter again on a 457 or another visa. I had a look at ato and the ato claim page and it doesn't mention anything about not being able to open a new one.

Good for you! I left at 25 and travelled asia with new friends and that started my love for it. I went home and back to a job that I had been in for years and they knew that I wasn't going to be happy staying there so we came to an agreement. I gave them another year and I saved up every penny I could and left for oz on my whv. I came home in February at I'm 28 and have had to start again but I woulnt change one bit of it. I'm in the process of applying for my 457 but as so many say it's not a guarantee so I have to get on with life back here and be as optimistic as I can. The wonderfull thing about travelling is that it shows you there is so much more out there. You might find you come back after 2 years and wouldn't even want to go back to that job. Good luck, you'll have an amazing time!

i did mine yesterday to and it cost me $15 and that covers all states other than victoria. I think Victoria is the only one that you have to do in person at a class. You can do a comparison cost on google. I used galaxytraining.com. It says it takes 2-3 hours but it was about 45 minutes tops and they email you a certificate when you have completed and paid

I'm looking quite a bit into the future with this question but I may as well ask. I worked for my employer for 9 months on a WHV and then came home and we are now in the process of him sponsoring me. What I would like to know is do those 9 months count towards my 2 years of work with my employer before I can apply for the ENS with him or do I have to start again when the 457 starts?

Well mine hasnt and not once has my MA ever mentioned it in email or our contract. What was stated is that he was 100% liable for his nomination costs and he couldnt at any time in the 457 employment claim any of that money back from me for him nominating me

if you are doing it without a MA then that's how it works. You will have to wait until the nomination has been passed which it has and then you lodge your 457. I'm sure that the sponsorship transaction reference number is the receipt number that you're employer will have when they paid for their part of the visa.

its perfectly reasonable for MrsTeacher to be paying her 457 visa. The only part that the employer is legally bound to pay is their nomination costs. Any other costs are up to both parties to decide on who pays for what or pay their own way. My employer is paying his part and I am paying mine.

I assumed travel insurance would be more than adequate. I have read IMMI and it doesnt state that it has to be medical/health insurance just insurance that adequately covers you. I have bought cover and have a 30 day cooling off period to cancel so once I hear back on Monday I'll know where I stand or whether to fight my corner! I'm assuming that the MA gets commission if I sign up to the recommended insurer as she has given me a reference number to quote. I'm not an idiot and have been reading for months about everything I need to do and know and for her to instantly dismiss my suggestion and fob me off with 'it doesnt meet the required criteria at time of submission' without even telling me what the criteria is bound to send me hunting for answers.

Hi all I hope someone can advise me on this as I am sure I have read this information on here before In the last stages of filing my visa and my MA has advised I need insurance and has given me links for BUPA and a quote number. I emailed her back and told her that I would arrange travel insurance that would cover me until I was in Australia and can join Medicare (I am from Scotland, so I qualify through our nhs deal). She has now advised me that they require health insurance that meets the criteria at the time of lodgement. I have told her and quoted from Immi that as long as my insurance is as comprehensive as the minimum level required then that would suffice for my initial stay into Perth until I enroll with medicare. That's from immi condition 8501. I'm not going to skimp out on travel insurance. It is worldwide insurance that covers me for a year and I always by the top range. Mainly because I had to use insurance a few years back for emergency surgery, transportation and private hospital care so I know it works and surely what I had used on that event meets the minimum requirements to oz. I don't understand why I need to take out private health insurance from a company recommended from my MA if I dont need it. Hopefully someone can answer me because I am getting sick of back and forth to the MA!

I suppose I am slightly different in circumstances in that I have lived in the area I am going back to so I have a few friends there so wont need to start out all over again, however nothing compares to having your best friends but there's facetime and skype which i will hound them with! Deep down I am terrified! I'm desperate for my email to come and tell me yes but that is when the it will sink in that I am leaving. I know that all the time, money and effort I have put into this is all for the better and a new life that I am about to start and that is what you need to keep thinking about. New start and experience, so exciting!

if you are on a whv you will be lucky to get a contract. The companies tend to offer 12 and 24 month contracts and you need to show evidence of your visa and with a whv they dont tend to do them. payg sims, are just as good. they offer plans for each amount you top up.

Adam, I wasn't aware of that. Would by job fall under that also?

I'm applying for 457 sponsorship as motel manager and my diploma isnt in that field. It's 3 years experience or a diploma and doesnt state that it has to be in a field of expertise. Obviously it would help you if it was but there are other options. Definitely speak to an agent if you're boss has never done it before. My side of it has been relatively easy and I could have done it before but the sponsor has never done it before so we wanted to get everything done properly first time.

contact your local sheriff court and make an appointment with the Justice of the Peace, it is free to have your doucments notarised there. I got all of mine done for my sponsorship visa ps, advice from scotland