dv4

Hi apj696, We live in Rockhampton. Moved here a couple of years ago. Took us a while to get used to the place but as The Pom Queen states, it'll be very different from Sydney. Having said that, we've gotten used to it. Generally nice friendly people. We get most things without missing too much. We do make the trip to Brisbane once every 3 months or so to "get away". Some good schools, private and public. There's a large'ish Stocklands shopping centre and ALDI is opening up sometime soon. Lots of people live in Yeppoon, which is about 20-40mins away and on the coast. It's quite an easy drive and temperatures are usually a couple of degrees cooler! Weather is absolutely amazing here! You'l have to suffer through 3 months or so of hot muggy weather, but then the rest of the year is absolutely amazing. Yes, it floods once a year at the most but it usually only affects some parts of the city. Lots of new developments in the pipeline that have brightened up the city. The riverbank has had a facelift, some new parks, playgrounds etc coming up. If you're a bright lights big city girl , then this might be difficult, but we're happy. Look at living in Yeppoon and travelling. It's lovelier there...nice cafes...beach front etc. House prices for rent and sale have been quite depressed since the mining downturn. Rockhampton isn't your typical "mining town"...far from it but it does support the mines in the region so when they have a downturn, it does affect Rockhampton... What we miss the most is good restaurants... The city is generally divided into the north and south sides divided by the river. Lots more newer brick style houses on the north side...lot's of quirky "queenslander" houses on the south side. If you've never seen one before, you'll be in for quite a surprise. There's an airport with multiple flights everyday both by Virgin and Qantas to and from Brisbane which is about an hour away by air. JetGo flies 4x a week to the GoldCoast airport and to Townsville. Beef Week is coming up...we are the Beef Capital of Australia, btw! Hope this helps...let me know if you need any more info or if I can help...

Hi Blossom, Just wondering if you'd come up with anything? I'd like to put away a little from my salary every month for the kids, nothing too large, maybe $100/month but wondering if there's something better than the bank. Even with the best rates , it's never going to beat inflation in the bank.

Hi Roberta2, Just wondering what your comment above was in reference to? That the average Joe has an IELTS English of 4.5 but migrants need a 6.0?

Just wondering what the average IELTS score would be if the Australian population were sampled...would everyone score at least 6.0? hmmm...

"Better life for the children"...as an Asian parent who grew up in a system where grades were all that mattered, we wanted a more balanced well rounded education for the children and when the opportunity arose to move...we decided to give it a try. The kids are loving it here and appear to be thriving. It's still closer to home(though..my understanding of the word "home" is probably very different to that of the kids') and the weather is great!

Hi all, I have a question, one of my siblings will qualify in a couple of weeks for citizenship based on the new 4 year PR requirement. I've read that the online citizenship application page has been removed. Is this true? Does that mean that you can't lodge an application at all? If it is still possible to apply for citizenship through the webpage, should we just go ahead and do it even though the criteria and outcome is unclear at the moment? Appreciate your help in this. Thanks

Would submitting a Statutory Declaration explaining that both names, spelt differently are of one and the same person, be enough to clarify the situation, I wonder?

Thanks Ziggy!

Hi, how do you know when the nomination has been approved? Where do you check it? thanks for your help.

Hi, The excerpt below from the Immi webpage states that the 187 has the highest processing priority among the visas listed but if you look at the 75% and 90% completed time estimates for the 187, it's anywhere between 9-14 months depending on the stream. The 186 and 190 seem to have shorter processing times, which shouldn't be the case if they are of a lower priority, I'm assuming...unless my logic is wrong. Does anyone have any idea if this "priority list" still holds true? Thanks. Regards, dv4 Processing priority groups and order of processing Priority processing arrangements apply to skilled migration applications. They determine the order in which the department considers applications. Applications accorded a higher priority under the arrangements will be processed ahead of lower priority applications, regardless of when the application is lodged. The following table details processing priorities for skilled migration applications. Note: The highest priority is listed first. SkillSelect applications (187, 186, 190 and 489) will be the highest priority in each group. Priority Group Number Application Type 1 Applications under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS). 2 Applications under the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS). 3 Nominated by a state or territory government agency for an occupation specified on that agency’s State Migration Plan (SMP). Order of processing will be: 1. applications lodged from 1 July 2012 through SkillSelect (subclass 190 and 489 applications) 2. applications in this priority for other General Skilled Migration (GSM) subclasses (subclass 487 and 886 applications). 4 Applications with nominated occupations on the Skilled Occupation List Schedule 1. See: Skilled Occupation List Order of processing will be: 1. applications lodged from 1 July 2012 through SkillSelect (subclass 189 and 489 applications) 2. applications within this priority for other GSM subclasses (subclass 487, 885 and 886 applications). 5 All other applications. https://www.border.gov.au/Lega/Lega/8

Hi Samday13, Check out smartjobs.qld.gov.au for jobs in QLD There's one currently being advertised. Good Luck! TV240437 - Clinical Nurse (Children's Ward) Queensland Health (Organisation site) The Townsville Hospital With access to the beach, rainforest and the Outback, we can offer you a relaxed tropical lifestyle coupled with fantastic remuneration and benefits.

Welcome Lianne1985 and family! it's been quite hot the last few days so everyone's been waiting for the rain...it should make your exploring a little more comfortable. Home Rental/Sale listings are usually in today's(saturday) supplement of The Morning Bulletin (the local daily). Good luck!

Hi, Your 5 yr old should be in Year 1 next year, I'm assuming. The Rockhampton Grammar School is great. It's private and not too unaffordable. Close to the hospital. Frenchville State School is very highly recommended as well. I've given some advice on neighbourhoods above. It's still valid. If you have any specific questions about Rockhampton, I'd be happy to try and help answer them. Lisa Kibblewhite <registrar@rgs.qld.edu.au> is the admissions registrar at the Grammar School. Good luck!

We've been through Mt.Gambier...loved the blue lake! Location wise, there are some areas you should probably stay away from, Depot Hill near the railway station isn't great. Also check with your agent/council web page regarding flooding. Some areas near the river and its tributaries have been known to flood. There are council maps for this. Most locations around the hospital are popular and safe. Prepare yourself for the drive into town from the airport when you 1st arrive if you've never seen a Queenslander house. Lot's of them on the south-side. Areas on the north-side to look into are Norman Gardens and Frenchville. Newer brick houses are easier to find on the north-side. Make sure all your rooms are air-conditioned. You'll need it in summer! Some people do prefer to stay at Yeppoon or Emu park and commute 45 mins to work. It's usually a couple of degrees cooler on the coast and there are nice beaches. Depends what your shifts are like I suppose. If you're thinking public school, Frenchville state school is zoned and you may have to live within the zone to qualify. I can't think of any thing else at the moment, but if you have any specific questions d let me know. It was quite depressing when we 1st decided to move here...very little positive information regarding Rockhampton on the net...but it's better than it's made out to be...Good luck with your move Lianne1985!

Hi Lianne, We've been here 6 months. We were a little worried too initially but it's been great. Fantastic mild winters but it apparently can get hot and humid for a few months in summer. Lot's of sunshine. The beach is just a 45min drive away. You are able to get most things locally and Brisbane is a short 1hour flight away. Some great private and public schools. The Rockhampton Grammar School and Rockhampton Girls Grammar school are really good private options and Frenchville State School is highly recommended as well. The hospital is on the south side while most of the shopping is on the north. But they are only about 15-20 mins drive apart. Lot's of available housing...buyers/renter's market now. Let me know if you have any other questions. When do you start at the hospital? Regards,

Thank you!

Hi, I've got quotes from Santa Fe and Allied Pickfords which are similar cost wise, to ship a 20ft container to Brisbane... However,the reviews of these two relocation companies' Australian subsidiaries vary greatly. They seem to be pretty well regarded in the UK and Asia but I've read some horrid stories of negligence and incompetency by the Australian subsidiary of one of these 2 companies on productreview.com.au I'm just worried that the local outfits may not be up to par with their international/UK parent companies. Has anyone had any experience with these 2 companies in Australia? Thanks in advance...

Thank you again everyone...you've been most helpful. My kids are not 10 yet, so it's the long winding passport queue for us... Thanks for the reminder about having to re-check our luggage in for domestic...wish we could check the stuff right through directly an waltz to the gates...

Thank you everyone for the replies...it's been really helpful and much appreciated! ...fingers crossed it's a stress free move.

Hi, We're about to make the move in a month or so and are trying to sort out our flight tickets and connections. We've travelled to Sydney on holiday previously and it was quite an experience getting through immigration, customs and quarantine...took us the better part of 90mins to actually exit through the airport doors... Our big move is via Brisbane airport, with loads of luggage and 2 very exhausted kids in tow.. 1. Any estimates on how long it might take to make it through from the plane to exiting the terminal? I understand it varies depending on passenger load etc. We arrive at 7.15am on singapore airlines. I expect to be fully loaded with luggage, a baby stroller, car seat and kids...sitting ducks for the quarantine/customs/baggage check officers... 2. I've read there is a free bus to the domestic terminal and it takes 10mins to get there...would taking this bus work for us or should I be looking at taking a taxi? 3. I'm estimating 30-45 mins for waiting + travel time for the taxi/shuttle bus to the domestic terminal...does this sound accurate? Thanks in advance! any information would be much appreciated...

What visa are you on? Doesn't sound like you need the health insurance to meet the visa requirements. http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/health/243201-health-insurance.html#post1936880437 There was a discussion regarding providers recently...just follow the link above. We're with BUPA. Not the cheapest...but have not had to claim anything yet..so can't really comment on their service. But I've heard they are alright. Give's us adequate private and public cover. For dental and opticals, we're wth frank (https://www.frankhealthinsurance.com.au) Hope this helps...

In Oz, with private health insurance, you'll need to get additional cover for opticals and dentals. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, losts of plans, lots of variations, need to read the fine print. also with regards extras cover, some companies prefer or restrict you to dentists, optometrists and physios that are affiliated to them. So you'll need to check if the particular town/city you're moving to has those providers. There are no penalties/drawbacks(none that I know of anyway) if u used 2 separate companies, one for your main policy and a different company for your extras. We currently are with BUPA, but because where we are located BUPA doesn't have that many affiliated dentists, optoms etc, we decided to opt for a different company, one that did not have restrictions on whom we sought treatment from. Hope this helps. We moved with kids, so we wanted a policy that was more comprehensive...

Hi, There's a huge range of providers/companies to choose from. Also depends if you have reciprocal cover on medicare ( eg if you're on the NHS in the UK). What level of cover are you looking for - basic 457 compliant cover, only public or public and private, etc, etc.... We've used www.hif.com.au and BUPA before. but there are loads, medibank private, IMAN..... If you google "457 compliant health insurance" you'll get some sites that compare the various policies out there. However, if you want dental and physio, optical cover, you'll have to take "extras cover". good luck...l

just 6 days to your flight and new beginning in Darwin, C2A. Good luck..