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We haven't started the process yet apart from loads of researching plus o/h have 'second thoughts' which I think i'm winning him back round again. What we were wondering is he is a electrician by trade (works as an electrical project manager) but will probably have to go as a skilled electrician and try and go either family sponsor or state sponsor whichever is better, but should we wait until after July to start the ball rolling? I know we can apply for and he can sit is practical with VETASSES before then but will it be a waste of money? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Dizzi

Hi, We are planning to come to Melbourne to have a look with a view to emigrating and to activate our Skilled Migrant Visa. We have 4 children (15,13,7,3) and would like to find somewhere to rent in Melbourne for a couple of weeks, ideally from 5th July !!! Any ideas where we might start? Also where are the best schools, we have thought of independent schools but are pretty open on the subject. We would like to go and have a look at the schools while we are over, Thanks Sean

Just published on DIAC website. Migration Amendment (Visa Capping) Bill 2010 They introduced the bill in parliament on 26th of May and published the news about the proposed bill today the 4th of June, so date people don't get to know about it and can't submit their submissions to Senate Inquiry. It's just so unfair and I consider it another way to cheat the applicants.:arghh:

Sorry, if i have started a new thread. I was unable to locate thread for Jan applicants. My query:- Finally after waiting for 2 months w/o any progress on my application I've dropped in a mail to my team and asked if they need any further documents to progress my application. Just wanted to check with the forum if CO has an internal SLA for responding to client queries. Is this part of their role profile and possibly defined in the DIAC's operational model?

Hi Pomz people, I have made my submittion to the senate regarding the above it is showing 54 submittions on there web site, if this effects anyone you should send a submittion as you only have until the 4th june to send it in. COME ON EVERYONE WHO THIS EFFECTS..... LETS TRY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE if we dont try we cannot change anything !!!! this is the link to make a submittion https://senate.aph.gov.au/submissions/pages/index.aspx

hi, is anyone taking there vetassess practical bricklaying test in preston on 18/05/2010

Hi, i had my bricky skills test today in Preston vocational centre, after being really worried over the past few weeks building upto it it wasnt as bad as i thought in fact its quite basic stuff really and Tim the guy whose in charge seems a good guy and makes you feel at ease. I got there at 7.15 am and there was a few worried looking faces outside but once we got in it was ok, first of hall the assessor (Tim) gives you a drawing and youve gotta build it, its just a cavity wall 4 brick by 7.5 brick for 11 courses, one side cut to rake using hammer and bolster with just one course of brick on the back for the internal skin and tiewires, youve got a 600mm opening then a 1.5 brick pillar for 11 courses 2 course of corbles and a brick on edge, thats it. Tim then asks you into the canteen and asks you a load of questions (again quite basic) eg 4 types of brickwork finishing, 3 types of scaffolding, how to build an arch. they give you all day but if you get stuck in you could probly be away for dinner, all the lads that were there today looked as if they would all pass, they all looked like they knew there trade and all seemed like decent trowels. Good luck to you all anyway, hope you pass (and me) and maybe ill see you all on site one day down under.

I have just been sent the following link: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;adv=;db=;group=;holdingType=;id=;orderBy=;page=;query=BillId_Phrase%3Ar4364%20Title%3A%22second%20reading%22%20Content%3A%22I%20move%22%7C%22and%20move%22%20Content%3A%22be%20now%20read%20a%20second%20time%22%20%28Dataset%3Ahansardr%20%7C%20Dataset%3Ahansards%29;querytype=;rec=0;resCount= which has sent me in to panic + sick mode. I completed my 2 year Commercial Cookery Course in Nov 09 + lodged for an 886 PR application on 7 Feb 10 with all requirements met. I am now fully expecting for this bill to pass in July 10 at which time we have no other options. We have not used a migration agent, therefore am going on emails from friends + looking on DIAc's website. Any advice, suggestions... they have specified there will be a decision made for applications based on certain criteria - does anyone know what the criteria is? We are a young family, I am British, my fiancee is German + our baby girl was born here in Australia in Aug 09. I am desperate as we have spent so much time, effort + emotional toil in order to get to where we are - we love Australia + have been here in total for about 5 years + it makes me sick to think we may shortly have no choices at all but to leave. Many thanks Gemma

Hi all, My wife and children are moving back to the UK on 10 June 2010 and we have arranged a 20 foot container to move all our household goods. We still have about 4 cubic metres of space left and rather than wasting it, we would like to know if there are any expats out there who would like to send any large items to the UK. The cost of the transfer will depend on the type and size of the item(s) and we will need to thoroughly inspect all item(s) to ensure that this will not breach any customers or immigrations regulations & laws, as well as having to formally declare each item on our manifest. Shipping insurance is also available on request. The item(s) need to be delivered to our home address in Heathmont VIC by Sun 6 June and this will be delivered to our address in Bromley, Kent (just outside of London). The ETA for the shipment to arrive at the destination port is 27 July and then it will take 1-2 weeks to clear customer & for delivery. You will need to be responsible for the delivery to Heathmont as well as the pickup from Bromley. We reserve the right to accept or reject any item. This is a great opportunity to get some of your things home at a much cheaper rate than you can find anywhere else. If you are interested, please send me your contact details via email before Fri 4 June or call or email me at dhung@transurban.com or 0408 149 748. Kind regards, Darren & Carmen

Hello, We are relocating to Perth in August of this year and are looking for tips on: - Nice, family oriented suburbs (north of the river) - good state elementary schools (with an English program if possible) - general do's & don'ts thanks in advance for your guidance & comments :cool:

hey everyone any ideas on when the new SOL might be out? :jiggy:

Rekkie Report Perth – April 2010 Ross and Kendal Gourlay The first thing I will say is that you can fit in a lot in a week. People said we were crazy but I must say with the kids not being with us we did manage to cover a lot of ground (950km to be precise). We didn’t do the tourist stuff as we didn’t really have the time. I’ve condensed what I first wrote as my hubby said it was far too long. If anyone needs more info on a particular subject let me know. The weather – we arrived on 25th April and for the majority of the week we had clear blue skies and temperatures ranging from 74 to 77 degrees. The Journey Glasgow to Perth via Dubai with Emirates Airlines. The first part of the journey took 7 hrs 15 mins . The staff onboard were fantastic and the food even better. The second part of the journey took 9 hrs 45 mins which was great as we were originally told 10 hrs 30 mins. We arrived into Perth at about 5pm on Sunday night, picked up our car hire (Toyota Corolla) and sat nav (this came in so handy) from Hertz and bought a pre-paid cheap phone from Vodafone. This was so we could phone people in Australia to make appointments etc. The phone costing $49 came with $150 worth of credit so it was a good deal. Our Accommodation We had rented the top part of large house in Ocean Reef (booked through Stayz.com.au). It cost $600 for the week. Now in hindsight we could have got our accommodation a lot cheaper elsewhere but we were obviously paying for the location. The property was well equipped with two large balconies at the front which overlooked the top of some rather large houses and then onto the Indian Ocean. The sunsets were amazing. Suburbs we visited (most suburbs have parks and their own shops). The majority of suburbs we visited branch off Marmion Avenue. Ocean Reef – an absolutely beautiful place with lots of very large expensive houses right next to the beach which was lovely and clean. Ocean Reef has different primary and private education options within easy reach plus shopping facilities, Indian Restaurant (recommended), Blockbuster, property centre at the Beaumaris shops. There are two-way paths that run right along the front away down to Perth city centre for cyclists and walkers. Dogs can be walked here but must be kept on a leash at all times. Poo bins and bags are provided along the walkways for dog owners. Connolly – Lovely suburb surrounding the golf course. Lots of old and new style houses depending on your taste. Very good primary school as well. The houses ranged in price starting from about $430 upwards. Connolly is situated on the other side of Marmion Avenue about 5 mins from where we were staying. Currambine – next suburb along from Connolly. Another nice established suburb with lots of greenery and a train station. Liked the look of this suburb as it had a sort of village feel to it. Again property prices very similar to Connolly or a little cheaper. There were apartments here as well. Tapping and Carramar (next door to each other)- liked the look of these suburbs as well. It only took about 10 mins to get there. We liked Carramar a little more than Tapping but don’t know exactly why. It just seemed to appeal to us more. Very new modern style houses with neat and tidy gardens, trees planted up the middle of the road etc. The ones overlooking Carramar Golf Course were especially nice but probably too expensive for us. Property here for a 4 x 2 is about $430 plus. Went to see Carramar Primary which was new and modern with about 900 pupils, of which 70% were from the UK. Kinross, Woodvale, Quinns Rocks, Joondalup, Heathridge, Kingsley – we didn’t spent too much time in these suburbs as they weren’t in our top 5 but we loved the look of Joondalup town centre with its modern hotels, apartments and shopping facilities. Neil Hawkins Park is situated here and has a lovely view of Lake Joondalup. With the other suburbs they all had their nice streets and the not so nice streets. Quinns Rocks seemed ok but when driving around a bit more decided it wasn’t for us. The beach there was amazing though and the properties overlooking the beach looked fab. Woodvale, Kingsley and Heathridge properties looked a little more traditional and older as they are more established suburbs. Kinross wasn’t in our top 5 but it looked fine with all the street names named after Scottish towns. I had been put off Kinross in the past but recently a few people who live in Perth have said that it is a good suburb to live in. Alkimos – Shorehaven, new development North of Butler We had an appointment with the Commodore Homes Sales Rep who met us at Madeley (further inland) to show us a showhouse. He then drove us up to the new development up at Alkimos. This was a bit further on than Butler but too far away from civilisation in our opinion. I know that in a good few years this will change and will have shops, cafes, schools etc and transport links. The plans for the place look amazing and there are 3 stages to this development. Two were on the coastal side of Marmion Avenue and the other on the other side. Worth taking a look at their website if you are interested. We just felt that with us coming out next year that it wouldn’t be established enough to live there and the commute into the CBD would be too much for my husband. The land and home packages were really affordable though. Schools We met a few expats who have been living out in Perth for a while. Some of them sent their kids to state education primaries and secondaries and some sent their children to private. Both the private and the state schools came highly recommended. They were Connolly Primary, Carramar Primary, Beaumaris Primary and Ocean Reef Senior High School, Quinns Baptist College and Prendiville in Ocean Reef. I don’t know anyone who sends their kids to any of the other schools so I can’t really comment on these. We visited the following primaries:- Connolly Primary. Got a tour and met Marshy from the aussiemove forum. The school was smaller and a little older than some of the other ones but had a real homely feel about it with very friendly, knowledgeable staff. The school has over 500 children. Carramar Primary. Got given a tour also by phoning ahead. The school was obviously built around the time of the estate so modern and new like the houses. It has over 900 children (70% of which were from the UK!). Ocean Reef Senior High School. Phoned on the Friday and asked if we could pop in briefly. They couldn’t show us around but gave us lots of information away with us. They made it pretty clear that if you didn’t live in the area then there was no chance of getting in. Places we visited Hillary’s - some of the nicest houses I had ever seen. There was a kids fun park, AQWA which houses Australia’s largest aquarium and underwater tunnel, marine wildlife, coral reefs, sharks, rays, turtles and interactive activities for the kids. There were cafes, restaurants and a whole load of shops and boutiques there. There was a little beach and covered bbq areas. We loved the place! Mindarie Marina Beautiful houses and area with cafes/restaurants there. Perth City and Fremantle Clean and modern with loads of shops to choose from. Took the train to the city and then onto Fremantle. The car was left at Joondalup station and didn’t cost a penny. The transport was on time and didn’t cost much at all. The trains were clean and we felt safe travelling. We were told that the buses run in synch with the trains therefore if the trains are late then the buses wait (what a great service!). Little Creatures Brewery and Restaurant in Fremantle was a great place if you like beer or if you are like me and hate the stuff then it’s great for a bite to eat. Took the boat back from Fremantle to Perth and saw some amazing houses and got to see some unexpected dolphins. Neil Hawkins Park and Lake Joondalup, Pinnaroo Memorial Park, Yanchep National Park, Oscar & Son Restaurant in Two Rocks It took us ages to find Neil Hawkins Park but eventually found it in the little town of Joondalup. The lake was a bit dried up but still beautiful. The local birds were landing on kids whilst they were feeding them. Pinnaroo had been recommended for seeing wild kangaroos. We saw loads hopping about and the park itself was the most serene, tranquil place I had ever seen. Fake flowers had been laid for the deceased which meant the entire place was full of colour. We had to kill about 8 hours on our last day before returning our car so we travelled up to Yanchep and Two Rocks. What beautiful beaches up there and Yanchep National Park was stunning with kangaroos and a koala park. There wasn’t much at Two Rocks but went to a really great place called Oscar & Son for lunch. They are developing there at the moment. The beach there was lovely and we sat watching some boys riding the large waves. Lakeside and Whitfords Shopping Centre and Joondalup Arena The shopping centres were really good and bigger than I thought they would be. We popped into the Arena to see what kind of facilities they provide but there was a big footie game on and we couldn’t get parked. Byford Kennels and Armadale Shopping Centre This was the only part of our trip that I didn’t enjoy and wish I hadn’t visited the kennels. It didn’t take that long to drive there but was surprised to find them so far away from civilisation. The whole complex was a lot smaller than I thought and not as well kept. I didn’t think much of the exercise area and was really upset when I left. We have a very large dog who needs a lot of exercise so 30 days in that place will be hard for him but as my husband says – what alternative do we have? There aren’t any other kennels to choose from. Ross took me to the nearest shopping centre for lunch which was Armadale to take my mind of the dog. The centre was fine although the area looked a bit old and tired. We were then supposed to tour around the South but the way I was feeling I just couldn’t be bothered so we headed back to our house in the North. Good contacts Met Lee Bramley, Mortgage Broker, who we had spoken to through another forum at Currambine Marketplace for a coffee and a chat about mortgages. He is an expat himself from England and as well as discussing finance he gave us invaluable info on areas to avoid and gave us loads of contacts for buying cars, recruitment etc. Our overall feeling was a good one about making the move to Perth. We met a couple of lovely families during our visit who made us feel really welcome. We hope by the time we emigrate next year that the exchange rate will be in our favour and we can get a lot more house for our money. We shopped around looking at food, furniture and general household things. Places like Kmart and Target had some good priced items and over at the Wanneroo food markets you could pick up some good priced fruit, veg and meat. It is just a case of shopping around. The next stage for us is for me to get my Aussie passport, the kids get theirs, my hubby applies for his partner visa and we get the ball rolling. The major hurdle will be selling this house as things are still very slow here in Scotland. Fingers crossed.

Have you put your house on the market in Australia in 2010? Just curious about what is actually happening as I have read so many conflicting reports on the state of the housing market. I'd be interested to hear from you if you've put your house on the market this year. Where are you? Have you sold? If yes, how long did it take to sell? If not how long have you been on the market? I wonder if things are vastly different between states? I know of 3 people in QLD who have been on the market for quite a while and a couple in SA too....:eek:

On 1 July, CPA Australia’s assessment criteria for General Skills Migration will be as follows: A formal qualification assessed as being at least comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree. IELTS Academic Test Report Form (TRF) Number to show you have a band score of at least seven (7) on each of the four (4) components – speaking, reading, listening and writing. Please note that a successful assessment is valid for two years from the assessment outcome date. See: http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/cps/r...migration.html ======== The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia also has announced changes to the requirements that must be met by applicants for migration skills assessments who apply after 1 July 2010. See: Changes to Assessing Criteria from 1 July 2010 ======== National Institute of Accountants is also expected to introduce and announce such a change soon.

Hi all, Just wondered if anyone has recently completed or is completing their Spouse Visa, I am due to send mine off this month just as soon as I have got my CRB check sent off and received my Fiancé's part of the Visa forms back here in order to put it all together and send off to Australia Immigration. I hope to be sending by the end of this month. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers in advance for all help Jay.

Just wanted to remind people that the new lending law comes in to affect on 1st July. Not only will banks/mortgage lenders be watching what comes in to your bank, they will also be watching what goes out, and withdrawing large amounts on a regular basis, getting pregnant etc are likely to make you uncreditworthy. Oh and if you enjoy going to the pokies be warned Big Brother is watching you.:chatterbox: To be honest I am not sure if it is a good thing or bad thing, my initial response was that it was way out of order, however, I do understand that there are families out there who do take on too much debt and are putting themselves at risk of loosing their home. Here is an article that was in the paper a few weeks ago. Big Brother banks watching our lives | News.com.au

Hi all, I wanted to get idea that how long its taking to get Victorian SS. Researched a lot on internet forums for candidates, who applied after changes to DIAC rules on 8th Feb, 2010 or atleast applied in 2010 for Victorian SS and also got Sponsorship for Victoria. I have applied for Victorian SS on 21-Feb-2010 and waiting..... On this forum so far did'nt find any link or query of persons who applied in 2010 (very strange). My profession is Computing Professional (NEC) 2231-79 (MODL, CSL). Please refer some link on 2010. Regards, Imran

Hey is anyone taking the Vetassess electrical trade assessment on the 20 May 2010 at Blackburn college Lancashire?:confused:

Hi all, well it's not long before the FA Cup Final of Chelsea vs Portsmouth and I have been busy working on the boss to stay open for the complete game, pre match build-up is at 11.30pm on 15th May 2010 LIVE from Wembley with kick-off at midnight.......and guess what? The Venue Manager.....he say YES!!!!! So if you are looking for a place to have a PINT or HALF or glass of wine for the ladies....look no further than the Pig n Whistle, Sunshine Plaza, Maroochydore. I will be there, I hope to see you there too, with FULL SOUND COMMENTARY, LIVE on the BIG SCREEN..... Come One come All* for the last game shown before our boys head out for the FIFA World Cup. Will Chelsea do the double? Or will Pompy rise to the occassion? Who knows, but on thing is for sure.......get to the only British Pub on the Sunshine Coast nice n early to secure your PREMIER seat! See ya there, Nat :biggrin: *strictly 18+'s only

Hi all just found out Setanta not showing the game live here until 16th May at 5am totally gutted needing some advice on where i can watch it live with my wife and kids,games on here live at 10pm(3pm uk time)so going to the pub not an option have thought about watching through the computer but not very confident about the streamline quality,any advice appreciated,6 more sleeps cmon The World Famous Dundee United,cheers.

Just out What's New? Recent Changes in General Skilled Migration Update on announcement of New Skilled Occupations List The Government is considering the report from Skills Australia containing their Skilled Occupation List. An announcement and publication of the new Skilled Occupation List for Migration purposes will be made in May. Kind regards Cheryl

Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced today that they will not accept any new application from 8th May to at least June 30. 2010. All applications lodged or received by DIAC between this time will be returned along with the Visa Application Charges. The following Subclasses are affected by the announcement: 175, 176 and 475. Please check out the department's website in the what's new page of the Skilled migration section.

Hi I am due to take the practical assesment for light motor mechanic in may (25th). Now , im not overly worried................ as i have been in the motor trade for 17 years (damn im getting old) I have owned and succesfully opporated my own repair garage for the last 10 years , I am however looking for any help or advise regarding the test and any proceedures they may be looking for ,i.e Do they expect you to tourqe up the wheel nuts or are they happy to assume I know what im doing , ................ silly things like this can trip you up . I will ofcourse err on the side of caution but if anyone out there can give some tips i would be gratefull Im not worried about the skills tests as from what i can gather they are all simple competensy tests , like testing a crank sensor ,fitting a cam belt etc , all bread and butter stuff , Plus if anyone else is doing the test on the same day giz a shout !!!:hug: Best of luck everyone and see y,all on the underside !

Some facts, figures & stats for April 2010 877 new users joined the forum 24,968 posts were made Top posters last month: Nigelinoz - 592 siamsusie -556 yorkshirepom - 525 tracy123 - 504 Some stats for the year to date: Most active forum: Migration Issues (28,987 posts) New Registrations so far this year: 4,151 Some all time stats are below: Most viewed Thread: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/61412-wa-state-sponser-update-where-you-now.html (161,343 views) Most replied to Thread: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/61412-wa-state-sponser-update-where-you-now.html (6633 replies) Top thread starter: Nigelinoz (1094) EDIT: This stat was asked for last month and we've now found out how to generate it: Top Thanked Users: gollywobbler - 6267 nigelinoz - 5273 pablo - 3494

Is anyone going to the dawn service at the Australian War Memorial? I'm going for the first time, then back to Queanbeyan for the parade there, followed by a drink of 2. Anyone fancy it. Afterall Monday is a bank holiday so no work, so I believe getting up early on Sunday isn't too much to ask for.