Sparkeltastic

Hi. That is interesting to hear you can register with Ahpra before arriving in Oz. I wasn't sure if you could do that. My friend, who is also an LD nurse has had problems registering with them once she arrived and it's been 9 months and she still isn't registered! She rented a holiday apartment for 10 days upon arriving, then found a rental in an area they liked then found work. It's definitely tricky getting things done in the right order! Good luck. Keep us posted how you go x

Hi Julie, I was wondering if you have lined up any MH nursing work in QLD? I am an LD Nurse so may have to try for MH jobs instead if they'll have me as no LD nursing posts over there! We have 3 children too so I think our initial plan is for me to get the kids settled then after a year or so begin to look for work. Its really interesting reading everybodys plans. x

It seems to depend on individual circumstances how long it all seems to take. Great news you have an Aussie fella, you will have his family for support which will help. We are going to book our medicals once we are assigned a case officer. It's blowing a hoolie outside here in Hilly Northumberland, definitely a time to dream about sunshine and beaches if ever there was one

good luck LisaJ, if you don't try it you will never know! I worry about the big move and missing family and friends but I'd rather try and come back than never know and regret never doing it! Hope it all goes well xx

The story so far....Last week we paid the final application fee to lodge our visa app for a skills nominated 190 visa. In December QLD govt granted us state sponsorship and in 2013 I got my IELTs and ANMAC skills assessment approved. It has been slow but we have 3 young children, we both work, life is busy so we have just taken it one step at a time. Our immigration agents advise we will wait 9-11weeks for a case officer. We still need medicals and police checks but hopefully these will be least problematic and expensive of the whole shebang!!!! Just waiting now! How come your visa is taking so long if you don't mind me asking?

Can I ask if you have been granted your visa yet and when your planning to move? We are hoping for the end of the year. We have schools to think about to so thought we should try to get the kids in at the start of the Australian academic year in January. X

So far we have narrowed down our area to the north of the Gold Coast and south of the Sunshine Coast! Still a huge area but we would like to be within travelling distance of Brisbane but we don't want to live in the city. We would like to be in a town near the coast. It is hard to decide without doing a reccy! It is a few years since we were last there and we can't afford to carry out a research trip and then move. We'll be doing it all in one go!!! :laugh:

Hi Jaclyn, I am a registered nurse too and there are jobs on the Queensland Government website that might be of interest to you. We finally put our visa application into Queensland last week and are now waiting for a case officer, this last push is a bit nerve wracking! Good luck.

Hi Vonny and Andrew. We are hoping to move to QLD too timescale to be decided. We are just waiting for a case officer, medicals and police checks. If we get them sorted we won't be long heading over. We don't have any family there either so it's pretty nerve wracking! And so many places to choose from. We are avid watchers of wanted down under at the mo...lol!

Hi. We used Immigration2oz and they have been good. We paid in instalments at each stage, not all up front. Hope it all works out!

Jaclyn, I have looked at a few schools and they seem to have pre-school attached to them. It depends where you want to live?

Thanks Quoll. I meant begin prep in 2016. Only part time will be fine and better for us in the beginning. Do your children go to school in Oz?

Thank you for the replies. I think QLD has a pre school type year which is called prep? It would be nice for him to go there first before going into school which I think he can begin in 2016? . Also it means I get to spend more time with my last baby before he starts school! I was worried we would land in Dec so the oldest 2 can begin school in Jan and he would have to start straightaway!

Hello folks. I would like to know how old children are when they start school in Queensland and does the academic year begin in September as in the UK? We have completed our final payment for our visas and if successful I am trying to figure out the best time of year to come for the children. My youngest son turns 4yrs in Dec 2015. Thanks :rolleyes:

That's good to know. At least I will have more options once I am there if I can study. Thanks for the info.

HiXxlornaxx. Thanks. Is it easy to study once you are in Oz? Do we have to self fund any education with us being from the UK? Sorry you may not know these answers, just thinking ahead! Cheers x

Hi Shirt75. Thanks for telling me about your situation. I think it sounds as though your best bet at nursing in Oz is MH but at least you have that option rather than no nursing opportunities at all. It is such a shame that we can't be practice as LD nurses. But I suppose the sun and beaches might make up for it? My friend moved to Brisbane in June 2014 and is an LD nurse and she is struggling to find work, she is currently working at Movie world! We lodged our EOI now so we will just have to wait and see what happens!

Hi Ozmaniac. I need 5 points that state sponsorship would give me as I am 41 and lose many points for being so old...lol! Hi Shirt75. It is great to hear AHPRA registered you as the posts on here about them are absolutely terrible! What do you plan to do for work? I have heard the Not for profit sector is huge in Oz so maybe work available with people with LD (Intellectual Disabilities) but prob not as a qualified nurse. I am researching like mad at the moment!

Thanks xxlornaxx. It is good to know LD Nurses can get work somewhere! I don't mind working in different fields if my skills are transferrable. I thought about applying for EN roles if no go with LD nursing then working my way up. Not sure if this is a possibility though.

hello. Please can can anyone tell me if Registered LD nurses can find work in Oz? I have to show that there are RNLD nursing opportunities in QLD as part of my application for state sponsorship! (visa 190) So far I am struggling to find anything specific in a intellectual Disability or Developmental Disability field. Any advice welcome. thanks

Hello there, This is my very first post to PomsinOz! We want to move to Oz in 2015! So far..... On Friday last week our immigration agent sent our Expression of Interest to QLD. We were then invited less than 48hrs later to apply for State Sponsorship! We have a deadline of 19th December to complete a Statement of Committment as to why we want to live in QLD and to include job prospects, choice of area, choice of school, cost of living calculations etc. :wacko: I would like any advice from anyone who has had to complete these statements please. I have very little time to complete it and have spent all day researching today and not sure I have been very productive! I am not too sure exactly how much I should write! So far I have a basic cost of living put together, chosen SW Brisbane and a school. Job prospects are few unfortunately due to being a Learning Disability Nurse but I am sure there must be some out there otherwise why would they invite me to apply! Any help would be hugely welcome!