Peachy

Awesome thanks!

Hi We are due to apply for citizenship. We qualify having been in Australia for 4 years. However one of the family is now undergoing medical tests. Is a change in health status taken into account when applying for citizenship or is it just the number years as a permanent resident / passing the citizenship test? Many thanks for any advice P x

Hi These areas are fabulous for families. I live in a suburb close by. Michelton and Keperra are on the train line which is a huge advantage. All three have good shopping centres. Of the three, Mitchelton is more expensive to buy but has better quality of housing, shopping centre, coffee shops and closer to the centre. I would chose this over the other two areas, but I have friends in all 3 suburbs and all love the respective locations. If you are looking in those areas I would also consider Ferny Grove and Ferny Hills. Excellent station at Ferny Grove and end of the line so you always get a seat on a morning. Ferny Grove State School has a good reputation. It is a large school but I understand that it is a good supportive environment. Ferny Hills has access to the shopping centres, train line and a fabulous with heaps of free events put on for families. Within walking distance of Ferny Grove State School.

Hi My hubby is a SW. He managed to get a permanent job over here at a higher level, before we moved over. Telephone interview with questions emailed over beforehand. Tips for getting the job: 1. Look at Smartjobs - for gov / QHealth positions 2. Phone the contact to discuss the position (having done a heap of prep first). 3. Make sure you understand the impact of NDIS on the area you are working in, to show that you are up to speed with current changes. 4. Follow the gov format for your statement in support. Gov employers expect you to follow the selection criteria v strictly - use the headings and work through putting examples (anon) of your work. Most people cram heaps into their statements. 5. Research the legislation and the role. My OH had Australian text books shipped over before the move so that he better understood the landscape - this was great enabling him to complete (2) and (4) with sound QLD knowledge. 6. Be aware the SW over here is a little way behind the UK so have some ideas, but don't be too revolutionary 7. Check whether you do need to be a member of the AASW - most jobs say that you need to be eligible (which you should be, but I think you need an assessment done) but it is expensive to actually join up. OH only joined AASW once he was looking to move upwards again. Good luck!

I am sure that this is down to personal choice!! I am a duvet type of person and there are plenty on offer here. I really don't think you need to worry about choice of bedding when considering your big move.

Still not quite sure if your aim is to get to Australia or not!! You also mention pay - and criminal law not paying as much. Not sure that we can be a lot of help if you are financially motivated rather than looking for a career that will motivate you for the next 40 years. [This isn't meant to sound aggressive - just difficult to help if you have lots of options/ I am not sure where you are heading/ your goal is earning a lot of money!]

Hi Westmoreland I am not sure what sort of career advice that you are seeking. Are you already in Australia? Are you looking for a route to take you to Australia? If so, law and accountancy are tricky for different reasons and may come off the list in the nearish future. Could you clarify your goal and we may be able to help a little more. Many thanks P

It will depend upon your degree and VIC requirements . I did my degree 20 years ago and I didn't do company law. In Queensland everyone seems to have to do civil procedure and constitutional law. I also have evidence and trusts. There seem to be a reasonable number of inhouse positions and government jobs but there is strong competition. Australia certainly isn't short of lawyers despite it being on the skills list and many of those want to get out of private practice. The key seems to be making contacts and ensuring that you demonstrate transferable skills. One thing I have discovered is that everyone within a certain field knows each other - networking is even more critical here than in the UK. Good luck with your move!

Hi I have been extremely lucky and got PR via my husband who is a social worker. I haven't embarked on the conversion course yet because I am not sure whether I am to return to private practice. I have managed to find a job that I love in a similar field but outside the private sector so I enjoy the benefits of flexi time and no more costs and time targets! I may do the courses to keep my options open in the future. Sorry that I can't help you - I am keeping an eye on this thread because I may go down the route of qualifying over here at some point.

Below is what QLD says - it appears that once you are admitted you can practice throughout Australia but I haven't looked at the detail: Practitioners admitted to other Australian jurisdictions You should be aware that admission in Queensland via the Mutual Recognition (Queensland) Act 1992 is NO LONGER REQUIRED as Queensland is part of the national legal profession. Practitioners admitted to practise in any Australian jurisdiction are entitled to apply for a Queensland Practising Certificate without seeking admission in Queensland based on their admission in another Australian jurisdiction. You can obtain a practising certificate in Queensland from the Queensland Law Society (QLS) (as a solicitor) or Queensland Bar Association (as a barrister). I draw your attention to sections 5 to 8 of the Legal Profession Act 2007.

Unfortunately doesn't seem to make any difference whether you have already studied them or not - I have done most of these at a very prestigious uni with lots of experience as a solicitor but still have a list that long. Seems that there are a lot of hurdles for UK solicitors. Although the profession is on the skills list, in reality there are large numbers of qualified solicitors looking for jobs - from what I have seen in QLD there isn't a shortage of lawyers so I don't think that the Law Society is that desperate to have people come over. Hope this doesn't come across as negative! Just speaking from my experience over here and with the right profile / experience there should be opportunities.

That looks pretty much like my list of courses! Depressing reading isn't it after years of studying in the UK. I haven't embarked on it yet for costs reasons (and luckily OH is on skills list as well). I wish your husband all the best with it. Would be interested to know how he gets on as at some point I will have to swallow the fees and go back to study and exams.

We went last year. Camped in designated camp ground. Despite a torrential downpour it was one of our best experiences as a family. Astonishingly beautiful. You need a decent 4x4. We went in a Nissan Patrol and would not have wanted to go in UK style 4x4. You need maxtrax to unbog yourself. My sister's fiance lost his car in the sand 10 years ago so it does happen! You will have an amazing time.

Hi, to be blunt about it, as mentioned above you need to do all the required core subjects (details are available online - I think everyone has to study constitutional law at an Australian university ) and then do your 2 year training contract. Once you have the academics right and the training and you are ready to be admitted / have been admitted in Australia you should get a positive skills assessment. Before this point you will get a letter saying you need to study x y z. You can't apply for your visa until everything is done. It is a really tough route to migration unfortunately. If you are at the beginning of this process and haven't commenced your degree you are looking at 5 years before applying. Really sorry this isn't a more positive response. You could always consider a student visa.

If you type into google council of legal education Victoria skills assessment you get taken to the correct info on the top link. Sorry can't post link from phone. All the info should be on the website. I have also found the advisors in QLD in similar organization very helpful for clarifying anything tricky. I anticipate that you would have similar experience in Victoria.

Children salt is very strange - like sprinkling the packet of flavouring from supa noodles over your food.

The reality is that this is what people on a low income eat. I have been there. Fortunately I am now in a much better financial position , but to be honest, I am envisaging that my shopping basket will look a lot like this while I am working out exactly how much I can afford longer term. People on benefits in the UK have to manage on a lot less.

Looking at the Coles website, the everyday value stuff looks reasonably priced...

I don't quite understand the need for people to be so aggressive in their "advice" on this forum. Jac has quite clearly done extensive research and consulted the numerous professionals on this site and elsewhere. Constructive advice is fine but yet again, it seems that people feel the need to spout their opinion without knowing all the details. I can quite see how Jac will manage. Yes, costs are expensive, but there are ways to live cheaply. As a student, my husband and I lived on £14 a week for food (I am sure that people will now say that this was in the UK so impossible to do in Australia!!). You make do. Frankly if it is all a disaster then so be it, but it seems to me that Jac has things very well planned out.