Bungo

Apologies, obviously I was talking generally and not about you Verystormy.

 

Wow, it seems the Aussies you met, and you, didn't click so.

 

B

So you meant that very really rude reply to everybody but VS? I don't get it. Firstly not everybody is a parent and the first several suggestions on your list relate to parents only, do you think only parents are willing or able to make friends? Infertile people are a pariah that do not deserve or require friendship or something? Secondly a number of people that are parents have already replied and stated their experiences anyway, so why do you know better, are they wrong?

Your response shows an utter lack of empathy with anyone that has had a different experience to yourself and utterly disgusts me.

I wondered if someone is able to help. We are using Anglo Pacific to ship a few boxes and although their website states they are open on a Saturday 8-1pm we are unable to get hold of them. Is anyone else trying to contact them? It's just our boxes get collected on the 3rd Jan and that is the next working day and the paperwork we have to send off has to arrive before the boxes get collected. Our plan was to get them off today. But we are unable to contact this international company.

 

Any advise

Why do you need to contact them to send paperwork? Just email it? Perhaps they are shut for NYE.

you would want to be a bit further north than the m25. The bit near Enfield is pretty busy. Lovely countryside in the north though. My step auntie used to have a kennels up there.

Hereford is nowhere near the M25 or Enfield.

We we have already been on two previous 457 visas and so we can't get a RRV as no PR. We will still be well within the 50 PR cut off so no problems with a 457 to PR.

 

I was hoping that there may be an option to cancel our daughter's WHV and enrol her in TAFE. The thing is when her six months is up on her WHV, it will be difficult for her to gain another six month contract and she will then be wholly dependant on us. We have to subsidise her now. She will also have no base back in the UK and no support. She as only 12 when she went to Australia. It's all so messed up and frustrating.

You cannot know that there will be no issue in going from a 457 to a permanent visa, it is not automatic. You would be better off seeing if you can get a permanent visa straight away, that would sort your son out.

As for your daughter, many twenty one year olds look after themselves, live in shared houses etc. She has also already travelled to the other side of the world on her own, gone to work, for this reason I believe you will not be able to argue she is dependent. But what are her timings, when did she leave education? how long has she been working (either in UK or Australia)? If it is less than six months then getting back into education might be an avenue. Returning to education after a long gap just before parents lodge a visa application, will be very obvious as to why and is unlikely to cut it.

Good luck, exciting times ahead. You are very fortunate to be able to pick and choose wherever you want to live. I am very happy here in the SE but we had no choice as London is the only option for the OH due to work and even for me it is the best option due to my industry (financial services).

You have already ruled out huge swathes of the country, which is good as it needs to be narrowed down. I always thought Bath /Bristol were just as expensive as the SE though so that might be something to look into.

I would also get onto getting the cats rabies ready, you only need 21 days (plus a bit more for contingencies) but might as well get it off your plate. We moved back with three cats and used Jetpets, we arranged for pick up from home in Sydney as we knew the car would have been sold and then we organised collection and delivery to our home in Hertfordshire as I knew I would find the airport pick up quite stressful. Anyway it more or less went to plan but I am not going to either recommend or not recommend them. The owner of the pets needs to travel within five days of the pet now, a new rule bought in around the time we moved back two years ago.

I think there are only two things that any landlord cares about. Will the tenant pay and will the look after the house. I think if you focus on evidencing those two things you will be fine getting a rental and UK is not as competitive as Sydney for securing rentals anyway - tenants market generally.

Anyway good luck again for the next chapter.

ETA: oh if there was one thing I would have done differently, it is that I would have shipped the car back. We loved our car and wouldn't have upgraded it but moving back we bought newer and spent a small fortune!

Thanks Cal, I am hopeful that we will find our place in the UK. I've always loved reading your posts, and in fact until recently I think we both had a very positive assessment of Australia. It is just now that we have been tipped over the edge by some things that have happened to us.

 

I think your post illustrates the difference between the people you have met to the people we have met in Sydney, and maybe that is a reflection of the area we chose. I have babysat, done sleepovers and playdates, got up earlier than I needed to so that I could collect other peoples kids to take to school when they've needed to be early, and have generally done a whole heap of running around for people, including shopping and pharmacy runs when people are sick, waiting behind at school if they were late to collect their kids and driving them and their kids home in the rain etc. I even did some work on the website for one of the mums from school, because she couldn't afford to pay for someone to do it. None of this has been reciprocated. And in fact these women have excluded me from things that they have done together.

 

I think I'm just tired of being treated like rubbish and in combination with our other reasons for moving back, the balance has been tipped in favour of the UK.

I think these different experiences go back to the point that moving to Australia to better a social circle is a flawed piece of thinking. Some people will find a nice group, others won't, same as in UK.

As to your own experience, well that is not good at all, no wonder you are fed up with it. I didn't experience anything like that, I just didn't make any friends. It was all me though, I didn't try and nobody tried with me. I think the age article posted earlier is more telling of my situation, being 40 when we moved.

Surely on a 457 you wouldn't pass the skill assessment five years is needed? Or a degree? I chose Australia because I like not having a winter going from summer to summer for six months. Yes I'm good with kids , when they're seen and not heard lol.

What do you mean "surely on a 457"? When was this thread ever about getting a 457 visa?

Anyway it is true that the assessment criteria for a 457 is not always as rigorous as for a permanent visa. However there is the small matter of satisfying an employer that you are the best person for a job and worth sponsoring. And as said, this could be hard for a diploma holder with no experience, no particular interest in children and somebody who just wants to flit about the world every six months in order to avoid winter!

As a Scot living in Adelaide my two cents worth:

 

You are correct, Sydneysiders do have a 'cooler than thou' attitude which I found grating. A lot of overtly camp, and/or posturing taking place there IMO. Melbourne folk I found far sounder, they just seem to get on with it.

 

Reminded me of Scotland where you have Glaswegians, who feel the need to tell anyone and everyone theyre from Glasgow and the friendliest people in the world. And the East Coast, which just gets on with it. Nae bother

Blimey talk about stereotyping! Not everybody in Sydney is even a Sydneysider, it is hugely multicultural and then everybody is different.

Hi all,

 

After spending the last 8 1/2 years in Australia we found ourselves without a visa (long story). Our daughter decided to return to Oz on a working holiday visa straight away. We want to return and have hopefully secured a 457 sponsor however, my daughter is now 21 and on her working holiday visa and my son is 19 and at university in the UK. Is there any way I can get them classed as dependants on our 457 visa?

I think the son maybe OK and I have advised my daughter to enrol at TAFE but she is still working. My problem is once her working holiday visa ceases she will be wholly dependant on us and she will have no one in the UK as she has been living with us in Australia since she was 12 years old.

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

 

Many thanks

I think it would be useful to get at least a short version of the long story to understand what the last visa was and what happened to it and accordingly if there is a way of resuming it.

As to any new visa and your daughter, no the WHV will effectively have ended her dependency on you. You will not be able to argue a 21 year old is wholly dependent upon you, she can get a job will be the response.

Your son, yes he could go onto the 457 but if he is in university in UK it is somewhat moot? Now if you were about to get a permanent visa then it would make every sense to put him on that application, but whilst you might as well put him on the 457 it might not achieve anything. Have you looked into permanent visas?

I heard best fireworks in the world but not best city or best harbour before. I only went to the fireworks once, it has to be done, good but I have seen better displays. Alton Towers bonfire night 1994 was much better.

Thanks for the reply Bungo.

Think I'm pinning my hopes on the social life in Oz based on my observations when I was there a few months ago. Families together at play parks and communal areas in estates.

But as you say it's not like I can just rock up and force myself on them lol.

We do have plenty of friends here but they just aren't as family orientated as us which saddens me.

A lot of thinking to do!!

 

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Indeed these people might be relatives or have known each other for many years. I have also seen groups at communal barbies but never felt the invitation to join them.

That makes a lot of sense to me what you said. I have said this to my husband that we aren't the norm. Most people move to oz for better wages and a better house etc. We are moving solely for the weather.

Did you make the move to and from Oz with kids?

 

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Well we moved to Australia for the experience, we were financially worse off from the start however still financially well off. For us it was a great opportunity to live in and explore a different part of the world. I prefer the Australian climate on the whole because I prefer milder winters. But actually the Australian climate is quite extreme and I found much more limiting in being able to spend time outdoors. Spend far more time outdoors now as it is much easier to do so in the UK. Still as I say, I prefer the milder winters and so on balance I prefer the Australian climate and I think that is a reasonable "pro" on the pros and cons list,p for the move.

No they shouldn't. They should go to the best person.

No it shouldn't. It should go to the local woth the appropriate qualifications to do the job. And in any case, with a diploma and no work experience you are never likely to be the best qualified person.

I looked at this route into Australia. I had two out of three agents tell me the same as you. The third agent told me no, you need either a degree or five years post qualification experience. That was enough for me to do my own homework. I contacted TRA (who were very helpful) who told me that to pass a skills assessment with them you need either a degree, or five years experience running a childcare centre with at least 20 children.

I went back to the two agents who told me that was a route to PR. One said they would look into it and never came back to me. The other said that the TRA were wrong, they have contacts bla bla bla. Basically all they wanted was my business. They couldn't care less if I was going to get PR later. I'll always be grateful to the one who actually told me the truth.

 

Even if by some miracle you found a childcare centre who would rather give the job to newly qualified diploma holder, rather than promoting one of their already trained, and known staff (as the training centres are not regional, so you won't have worked there while studying). Even if by some miracle that happens, your graduate visa isn't going to last five years.

You'd be best off talking to a GOOD agent about if a 457 might be an option, IF you found an employer.

 

I came over on a student visa in the end. It was far harder than I expected to find an employer to sponsor me. I know lots of people who had to leave the country because they couldn't. There are some jobs which are easier than others. You are heading for failure with childcare coordinator.

Thank goodness somebody with personal experience to confirm what OP was told pages ago!

We have our visa 189 and it's been validated.

We just can't decide whether to go or not. We have 3 kids all under 4 and a nice house in a nice Village. But just feel like the lifestyle here doesn't suit us as in none of our friends want to socialise as families they still just want their nights out on the p*ss. We have absolutely no family help so have never had a babysitter and never had any time alone from the kids. We find it a bit lonely and would love a lifestyle where we socialise as a family with other families.

Problem with Oz is we would definitely have a lot less money. A similar type house would be about twice the price.

If we stay in UK we could afford nice holidays and husband could work part time.

What are your thoughts? Is OZ worth the sacrifice of financial security? Is it worth the gamble? Or is the quality of life I'm yearning perhaps right in front me just needing some adjustments?

 

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It is not for me to say whether you should move or not of course as I only know this one post about you. However I am firmly of the view that the lifestyle depends on you and your choices and not what country you are in. And ability to make friends and build a social circle is very much down to the individual and yes some people need to try a little harder than others. I hasten to add that you should not take that as any kind of a dig, I am very much in the "finding it harder than others" camp myself. Actually I am a little bit in the "I'm not particularly bothered" camp but that is possibly with age.

However the point is that you will not be handled a social circle of likeminded people when you land in Australia. It will be no easier to build there than it is in UK. I can honestly say, I did not make one single friend in five years in Australia. I made acquaintances and had all the social interactions that I personally needed through work but no, Australia did not hand me a social circle - fortunately in my case I was not particularly looking for one and I certainly did not move hoping to get one.

I would examine other reasons for moving, do the pros and cons list as I am sure most of us have at one time. But try to keep it to real things, climate, finances, even travel and adventure is real ... but improving social circle no, I don't think it is something you can bank on at all.

Good luck.

It sounds like your nerves are of the perfectly normal type rather than the really deep reservations which we sometimes see and I personally don't think people should ignore. You have good reasons for wanting to try this out, your husband is on board, it all sounds promising to me so far.

I strongly agree that it was unwise to tell a 10 year old that she can come back if she doesn't like it. I would try to back track from that if you can. Better to tell her you are going and any agreement about how long you should try things out should be between you and your husband only. That, by the way, is something that I always recommend a couple does.

Finally no my house did not look like a tornado had been through it. It looked exactly the same as it always did, the the packers arrived and then it was empty. But we all do things differently. :wink:

Hi all

 

with the new year looming it has got me seriously thinking about a move over to Australia, I have worked at a Vauxhall dealership in the U.K. Since leaving school so have gained all relevent qualifications but have now got to the point of looking for a big change. I have a wife and 4 young children and at the moment just looking into the feasibility of moving. I have had a look online and there does seem to be quite a few mechanics jobs advertised around Australia but I am slightly concerned trying to work out if I did manage to make the move that a mechanics sallery over there would pay all the bills and look after my family, in the U.K. We do receive some working tax credits that help, is there anyone out there in a similar situation? I just really need to know if it will be a non starter or if it's something that could work. Adam.

If you have seen jobs advertised then did any of them have salaries included? Perhaps carry on looking where you are currently looking, I am sure some will give you a clue.

The disparity in cost of living (housing specifcally) is as wide between various parts of Australia as it is between some parts of the UK, like London versus Scotland. So have a think about where you would like to live, I would probably advise to avoid Sydney and probably Melbourne too as youcould struggle in those places in what is not a typically high paying occupation. I would probably think about Brisbane or Adelaide.

I would only take a quick look at thse type of things though at first, just to see if it might be feasible for you. But after a quick look, really the first thing to do is to look into visas not jobs.

I am going to take a semi educated punt that no there will not be a vibrant IT industry in the NT. You would need Melbourne or Sydney for anything close to vibrant.

It would really depend how much you want to spend on your house, your car and how quickly you get jobs. :wubclub:

Well they are your family, but three non dependent adult children already living across the world from you would not be part of your "family unit" in immigration terms.

Quoll, yeah my initial gambit with OH is to sell the idea of renting out the Sydney house and buying in UK first as like a 'try before you buy' - I won't be needing my Au citizenship but I've encouraged OH to get his cos he goes off doing his kayaking and biking and he's so content here - my life here is decidedly less interesting and most of what I like (books, podcasts, skyping family) can all come along with me - trying to go with the flow but I can feel a torrent coming our way lol

Note that if you do this, you would then be bringing in capital gains tax considerations. It doesn't mean that you would get any significant hit, but the overlap of two properties could create a hit. If it is only a short overlap, this will probably amount to nothing more than complicating your tax return slightly.

I really would implore you to get Australian citizenship as you have an Australian child. It is best for parents and children to have the same citizenships if at all possible. You never know what the future will bring.

Bungo, yeah, I wanted to sell up and return as soon as I landed after my dad's funeral but I realise this is a particularly vulnerable time for me - and yet in some way it has made me be honest with OH and myself about how I feel

This is perhaps a decision that you need to think about over the next six to twelve months, rather than at an emotional time and an emotional time of year for many. The housing situation you find yourself in, could be one of the pros on the pros and cons list you need to work through with the OH.

good luck in the decision making.

That's good to know that there was no hidden costs or penalties to move back - hubby is adamant that HM gov will want their cut from our gains here and would also require us to pay back pension contributions for each year we have been out of UK.

Ah so selling up and buying outright in UK really isn't the problem, I was wondering why you were calling it that. The problem is wanting two different things. Anyway no, neither Australia or UK will want capitals gain tax on the sale of your primary residence. And paying NI contributions for missing years is entirely voluntary.

I think the other thing working against me could be the fact that although I have 20 years experience, I have been out of the trade for 8 years. I didn't do very well academically either.

I don't know much about how to go about migrant visas, cost or what's involved. Seems a bit of a minefield.

I think that rules out skilled migration then. With eight years out of the trade you are unlikely to pass skills assessment and of course you won't get the maximum work experience points.

What field are you looking for work in? The field you work in currently or the trade you refer to being out of for eight years? Are they both on the lists?

I'm 45

It will hard to pass the points test for skilled migrant visa then unfortunately. But not impossible and you should check it. A degree, eight years skilled work experience, top marks for English and regional state sponsorship would get the 60 points for example.

This would be a provisional visa initially but after two years, if you comply with the conditions of the visa, you would be able to upgrade it to a permanent visa. Unlike the 457, where you just won't know and it will be out of your control.

Not at all, I'm looking to spend 2 years then apply for a PR visa. The employers I've been put on to so far have agreed to assist with the process. Maybe I need to look into other avenues

It would be very unusual for an employer to pay the applicants processing fees, they pay their own bit but most will expect you to pay your own part. Unless you are perhaps very senior in the organisation and can negotiate a cracking deal.

There is no automatic qualification for a permanent visa after two years either. The employer might not want to sponsor at this point or just be unable to, the rules might have changed.

It would be useful if you could advise of age as it potentially makes a huge difference to avenues to look into.

I am sort of puzzled as to the reason for the question. What does it matter whether anyone else has managed to move back and be better off financially? Some will and some won't. We were. But all that really matters is your own situation and sounds like it would be favourable if this is the move you want to do.

Thanks for your responses...I guess it's true that my heart is not in it. I'm only considering this move for the sake of my children, but even then I don't know if it is something which they stand to benefit from. The love going out and about in London as much as I do. I suspect we will have a great two years, but then want to come back to London but doubt it would be financially viable. I am heavy into art history and I know the NGV has fabulous exhibitions, but it's just not on the same scale as here. I guess I spent most of my formative years in Australia learning about European history and art and so now being in Europe I feel like I am in the "right" place. I don't love crowds, quite the opposite, but will pay that price if it means going to amazing places with falling down buildings. I appreciate Aboriginal culture exists in Australia but the whole history of how Aboriginals have been treated sits extremely uneasy with me (I have already given my two kids a potted history, even though they are very young and it is not pleasant). And yes, I do appreciate that the British had their share of unsavoury history - but it just wasn't as recent.

 

I guess I need to consider other factors too and look at the whole picture as a whole. Life would be a whole lot more easier if we had a house to keep in London...

There are happy children (fortunately most of them) and unhappy children in both Australia and UK. Two first world countries and your children have every chance of being happy and leading fulfilling lives whichever country you chose to be in. Moving is such a huge thing and doing it half heartedly is not a recipe for success. I would knock the idea on the head and stay put, you sound happy with your current lot.