Curly

We moved out in late November 2016. We had someone interested in the house in the UK and the exchange rate was 1.93. Then they had the vote for Brexit and it dropped to 1.62 about a week after it had been announced that they were leaving. We sold the house a few weeks later and held on to the money as long as we could hoping it would go back up again. We eventually got 1.68 when we moved out so still wiped a few thousand off our start up funds

The green man goes so you can start crossing the road and then it starts flashing red which you can still walk on but not meant to start the crossing when it’s flashing. I know a few people who have been fined for walking across the road on a red man. I’m from North Wales and always get asked if I’m Irish. It’s funny because being from the UK you can generally get every accent and know where they are from but there is very little accent difference here in Aus. We have the family pass for the Zoo and you only have to go a few times for it to be beneficial. You should have a walk around the Botanical gardens while you are there.

Hi Lavers Gorge is a really good park and you don’t have to pay to hold Koalas there like you do in Cleland. It’s a good place to go and help out the community after the bushfires there in the summer. I would also recommend Monarto zoo. You will have a nice drive out there and it’s more of a safari park where you get on a bus to take you around the park. I think Brighton is my favourite beach and good to spot the dolphins and seals as they like to get the crab baits from under the jetty. like Amber mentioned be careful with certain road rules. I copped a $65 fine for parking on the wrong side of the road when we first got here Oh and so the kids don’t have all the fun you should go up to McLaren vale and get some tastings done. Most places have big grounds for the kids to run around too.

Just keep an eye on SEEK and also sign up for the agencies and something will come up. If he did look for something else he would definitely be best still trying to gain his license at some point as it’s good to have

Hi Jody I am an electrician in Adelaide and moved here nearly 4 years ago. It can be hard to find work as most people want a fully licensed electrician so you sometimes just have to get lucky like I did. I met someone on a tram who gave me a list of companies to try and got a job through one of them. Once he has his license it will make it easier to find something. He is doing the right things though and tell him not to give up that way. Has he tried Red appointments or Randstad to see if they have any Electrical TA positions available? There are a few agencies out there and are only casual but they can also lead to full time employment or if not at least he can cover his 6 months work experience to apply for the full license.

Hi Lavers if you are looking around Pasadena area there you would also be ok to look at Mitcham Girls school which our friends daughter goes to and is apparently pretty good. It’s a tough choice but just need to find an area that feels right for you and your family. I think most schools are pretty comparable as they are in the UK with good and bad sides.

Hi Lavers We lived in Richmond when we first moved here and it was a good central location but quite expensive with it being closer to the city. Our 2nd rental was in Park Holme and we really liked it there. It’s close to Marion shopping centre and the outdoor pool for the summer months. There are a couple of train stops around too so easy to get into the city. I don’t think the schools are great around there though. My daughter is in Richmond as she started there and didn’t want to move her around. She is still there now even though we live in Seaford. Me and my wife still work down that way so it’s not to bad to pick her up and drop off. If you want hills I would look around Blackwood or Belair but not much train access around there. Brighton high school is a really good school but it’s not a big school zone and most of the houses in the zone are quite expensive. There are good and bad points around everywhere and best to have a drive through and see what appeals to you. We have friends who are in Plympton and they love it there. They are in a big rental but they are not sure if they could still afford to live in the area when it comes to buying. Sheidow park is a good area and not too far from the expressway for city access. We are in a new suburb called Seaford Heights. It’s a bit further out but get ocean views and a decent size block and house much more affordable than we could get closer to the city. We like it down here and have shops 5 minutes away and still only a 20 minute drive to Marion. As someone else mentioned the line comes this way so the city is a 50minute train ride with some really good views on the way. For high school I’m not too sure what to do with our daughter. We are looking at Tatachilla which is a good school on huge grounds and Mia loved the open evening there. It’s private but much more affordable than other private schools. The high schools around here don’t have great reviews but we will have a look around them and there is a new one due to open in 2022 near Aldinga

Yeah I will give you a few tips and pointers if I can. Give it another month or so and hopefully the weather will start to improve and there will be plenty of things to do especially with the kids. just hope that when you move to your permanent house you are not to close to the Cockatoos wow they are noisy once they get going but nice to see them around. Hopefully the quarantine goes quick for you here and you can start to have a look around and explore. With a bit of luck things can get back to normal and stay that way but you will notice there is a lot more freedom here than what you had in the UK with the virus. That’s one advantage of having so much space and with a bit of luck we will all be able to enjoy a decent summer

Just a quick heads up on this but make sure you get your phone unlocked if bringing it from the UK. That caught me out for the first week I was here. Once unlocked you can put any sim in there as I was with O2 in the UK and they put a lock on them if you are in a contract

Nice to see you have arrived in Adelaide congratulations The birds are really nice here and the type you would normally only see in a cage. We have Pelicans that fly over our house every morning and that is beautiful to see. We were the same as you and had never been to Australia but just went with it and most of the people we have met did the same thing. My wife was a bit unsettled at first but once we made some friends and started work she loves it now. We have no regrets about moving here. Once you are out of quarantine give me a shout and will have to meet up for a beer.

Yeah I understand that but there is a mention of the fact they want families to be together. I am looking at this as a positive and they don’t just make up stories without any information from somewhere. He will not come here expecting to come straight into work and probably won’t come over until it is totally safe worldwide to be able to travel anyway. The way I see it is the government want to be able to try and come back out of this on the other side and to do that they need to continue to grow. This would not be a visa for just anyone and I’m sure there will be plenty of things that need to be met. I am just offering some hope that there may be a way after all rather than relying on a bridging visa while you wait 50 years for a visa to be approved

https://apple.news/AqX8xmPJ2RfaiXc7UFmIDPg see the above link. It goes on about the new skills that may be required but at the bottom of the page mentions a family reunion visa. Our Son did 2 years on a WHV so hopefully this may help him out to return

Hi all I read an article earlier that the Australian government may make a new type of visa to help with getting a visa if there are already close relatives who now call Australia home. This may hopefully work in our favour for our son to come over if they do. The article mentions that they may also look to add quite a few more jobs on the skills list due to the changing times that will include manufacturing.

I come out to Australia when they had just voted on Brexit. The Dollar was at $1.90 -£1 and then after the vote it dropped to $1.60 Managed to get $1.68 by the time we came out here.

Thanks for all the advice. It’s a very difficult situation and unfortunately not one where there is any easy solution. We’re hoping that the sponsorship from his old employer may still be valid otherwise the options are limited. He has done the maximum he can on a WHV and has no skills currently on the list. He is currently seeking advice from a migration agency in the UK so hopefully they may know some loopholes or alternative routes in.

Hi Our son is going to be 27 this year. We moved to Aus in 2016 but he didn’t want to come at the time and he would have needed to do his own application anyway so we didn’t push it. he came out on a WHV in 2017 and did the work to gain a 2nd year Visa. He went back to the UK last November but has decided now that he would like to come and live back here. Has anyone had a similar situation? The only visa I can see at the moment is the remaining relative. He works in hospitality and got offered a sponsorship at the place he was working if he came back. We are not sure this will still be the case with the COVID issue so can’t really count on this anymore. Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

I’m sure that by the time you enter the borders will be reopened as they are looking to try and do it within the next month but Vic are holding out at the moment. If that happens you will only have to do the 14 days quarantine and should be able to drive to Adelaide without needing to self isolate

When we started the process the family was a similar age to you (almost identical really) with my wife being 40 but if you are the main applicant that won’t matter too much as being a family and having a trade might give you enough points. You will probably need to do the IELTS test just to bump up the numbers. With it being a skilled they may be able to put you on a 189 visa but you will still need to nominate your starting state for your EOI. It’s a big decision that has massive ups and downs. You could always do a pros and cons list and get everyone to chip in to make sure it’s right for all of you.

Yeah that’s where we live. The one good thing to come from the Coronavirus is that there is less traffic on the roads. I can get to work just north of the city in just under 40 minutes at the moment

Yeah it’s still pretty busy here at the moment but I think it may slow down a bit near the end of the year unless the investors come back and keep things moving. The Coronavirus is having a big effect on everything but hopefully we can keep moving forward like we have been and get some money flowing back through the economy.

Hi I’m an Electrician working in Adelaide so not sure about the jobs situation in Brisbane but your qualifications and experience are enough for you to apply for a skilled visa as long as it’s on the list. You just have to be aware you may need to do some kind of extra training or a course so you can get your license over here. That will be an extra cost you might need to factor in but I’m pretty sure a migration agent will fill you in on that. When we applied to come out our eldest daughter was still in college and then you could get them on the PR visa with you up to the age of 21 as long as they are in full time education. I would definitely include your son if you can as will make it much easier in the long run. From a personal point of view I’m so glad we made the move and we have a much better life and social life but everyone has different circumstances. There will be times when it’s difficult and you wonder if you have made the right decision but you just have to stick with it

Hi i am a UK spark living in Adelaide. If you come over you will need to get your skills transferred to Aussie regulations otherwise you will only be able to a Trades Assistant because you wouldn’t be able to get a full license. it pretty much consists of having an assessment done to prove what you have done in the past. You will need to document what you have done and also do a practical exam and skills test. It’s not cheap but once you have that you will gain an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR). You will need this before you can apply to do any studies over here. Once here you will need to do a college course over 3 weeks full time and then will need to log at least 6-12 months of work. Once all that has been done you can apply for your full license and will then be able to sign off on your work. From my experience here the sort of thing you currently do doesn’t really happen that way here. You could work for a maintenance company that would service houses, offices, retail, etc but I haven’t come across any company dedicated to testing. hope this helps a little

The new casino extension is looking really good also overlooking the riverbank. The gold glass highlights the sun and looks amazing when the sun is setting.

We moved to Adelaide in November 2016. I am from North Wales and wife is from Birkenhead. We love it out here and I don’t miss anything from back home. we both have decent jobs and just recently moved in to our newly built house. Adelaide is a quieter city than others but still plenty to do and never a dull moment. we have a good friendship group and probably more social now than we ever were back in the UK. We can drive onto our local beach which takes about 3 minutes. We have a sea view from the new house and are not far from the Wine regions. If you come out with the right mindset and you are determined to make it work you can. It’s not easy at times and at certain points you will think have we made the right move but it is worth it.

Hi i started putting my folder together in the September 2015 and had our visas come through in May 2016. that was pretty quick as had a quick turn around between the folder going through and doing the practical assessment. I got told I had passed the folder and then they had a cancellation for the skills test the following week that I managed to get on. We moved out to Adelaide in November 2016 You should be fine if you have 6 years experience. Just document everything as much as you can. If you worked as a supervisor for any of the companies they are not interested in that they just want to know that you were working in that field. It caught me out on one of my employments who put it in a letter I just had to get it re done saying I was working for them as an electrician cheers