DukeNinja

Commuting from Brissie to the GC can be hit and miss. Minimum 1hr, with good traffic.

Just a head's up: the language requirements for the visa and ANMAC may be different. Might help you in your points.

Give them a call. Best to get the correct answer from the mouth. They're generally helpful.

We've got a 10kW set-up and a 310L Sanden Heat pump. Haven't paid a cent in power bills for 2 years. Definitely worth investing in solar.

It also depends on where you want to live in "Brisbane". Competition is fierce in the usual hotspots.

Kids will adapt sooner that you think. My friend moved over with a 9yo and a 11yo. Both were fully immersed in friendship, activities and education in the UK. They took a while to settle. 18 months on, they might as well have grown up here as they are well and truly settled.

Not being able to secure accommodation also hasn't probably helped in feeling unsettled. Have you thought about possibly finding a job somewhere where it might be easier to find accommodation? This could be a way to get grounded. We're in Brisbane and rentals are fiercely competitive. Remember how hard it was to secure passage to Oz, and how hard you worked for it. We gave ourselves a five year timeline, at least until we managed to get citizenship. Then we'd have the option of coming back to Oz if we returned to the UK.

Application received by passport office on the 13th September. Issued on the 14th of September Despatched on the 15th of September Received on the 27th of September.

Just hop on a plane and come visit. In most Aussie airports there are not many manned desks, so you'll probably be greeted with an automated immigration portal.

Immitracker is a website where people lodge details of their application voluntarily. It might be worth checking on there to get an idea of past applications. Remember that it's not a website that's related to the actual immigration department.

Fyi, the express pathway for first adult passport has a 1 week turnaround at the moment.

189 and 190 are permanent visas. 189 allows you to live and work anywhere in Australia. 190 visas are state sponsored visas. These are offered by the individual states for occupations that are needed in that state. These occupation lists vary from state to state. A simple google search gives you the list of electrician categories that are eligible for visas and the respective visas (search for electrician in the occupation box): https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skill-occupation-list Another search shows you that Migration Queensland requires you to have 80 points to be eligible for the 190, and 65 points for the 491 visa: https://migration.qld.gov.au/visa-options/skilled-visas/skilled-workers-living-offshore The 189 and 190 are the most desired visas, but also the hardest to qualify for.

491 is temporary whereas 190 is permanent...

Be aware that cars over here are much more likely to have been thrashed. Especially since a P plater can drive anything, compared to the UK where a new driver is more likely to have a Fiesta/Corsair etc. Buyer beware. You might even be better off importing a car from Japan. You can get your hands on younger SEVS as opposed to the 25 year rule vehicles. @Iron Lady Imports has got a Japanese import service here as Iron Chef.

I'm not so sure about that. My MT-09SP has got cruise control, wheelie control, traction control, power modes...