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Hi Friends, We currently live in Sydney. My husband has secured a job in Carrum Downs. We have a year old son. How is Carrum Downs as a place for bringing up children? Unfortunately or not, Carrum downs does not have a train station. We would prefer to live nearby train station,because we are yet to buy a car and I have to look out for jobs, so I might have to make frequent trips to the city. I read the nearest railway stations to Carrum Downs as Seaford, Kananook on Frankston line and Cranbourne,Merinda Park on Cranbourne line. We have no idea how these places are!We would want to rent in any of these areas, or preferably somewhere close to Carrum Downs. What we are looking for most primarily are: Community minded suburb close to train station and commutable distance to Carrum Downs,a nice Childcare,close to shops,safe suburb. Suggestions/help appreciated. Thanks, Shilpa :biggrin:

Hi Guys, I just wanted to write this down as i can't really believe its happened! For the week before we flew out to australia (hubby on business trip 1st week and i'm tagging along, then quick reccie 2nd week) Jon wasn't feeling very well - he had a headache that wouldn't budge, it wasn't a particularly bad headache, but the fact that it wouldn't go was worrying him as in 2004 he had a Brain Heamorrage and came pretty close to dying. The night before we left he was really panicking as he was getting very little sleep and was worried about the preassure on the areaplane. Anyway, since we arrived he's still not been feeling that great, but we put it down to a virus and jet lag - we havn't had hardly any sleep - him especially. Our first day here he had to get up at 6am for a breakfast meeting, and got very little sleep in the night, he kept waking with a headache and general uncomfortablness. Then the second night he had to be up at 4am to fly to Sydney for a big presesntation (this was yesterday) and again he had no sleep at from 12am-4am. So when he got back from Sydney yesterday afternoon i was expecting him to be completely exhausted, but it was the last business meeting so he could relax now and hopefully recover. However when it came to bedtime he fell asleep on the bed and i crept about trying not to wake him, but he woke suddenly after about 20mins saying he felt really unwell, and he was really panicking. I was saying to him what i have been saying all week - you've got a virus, jet lag and exhaustion, thats all. But he became convinced that if he lay down again he would pass out and stop breathing. I tried to calm him down and make him see logic but he wasn't get any calmer. Eventually i asked him if he wanted to find a doctor, and he said yes, and i was having a bit of a flaff as i had no idea how to find one, as it was late at night and whilst all this was happening the fire alarm went off in the hotel - adding to the sense off panic. Eventually i called the business associate who had also flown over from the UK for the meetings and was staying with the other business guy who lives up the road - i was in a bit of a state by this stage, in tears, and felt awful about waking people, but Jon wanted me to do something. The business partner rang me back and said theyd called a 24hr dr, but then next thing i know they've called an Ambulance!!! Which added to the panic aswell as i really felt were going to be wasting thier time - but Jon was terrified and crying, thinking he was going to die. The ambulance arrived alomst immiadiatly, and they monitored his heart and blood preassure which was quite high. Then they said they thought it best he went in to hospital to be checked over, but they said its purely precautional as all his vital signs are good. Just as they were putting him in the ambulance strapped to a bed with oxygen mask on and heart monitor, the two Business associates arrived, and it really looked bad! I was very tearful (just the shock of it all and being in a strange country alone) and tried to explain that i think its nothing, just extreme exhaustion. The guy who lives here gave me his mobile number and told me to call him when we needed picking up from hosiptal, which turned out to be 25mins drive away (Nambour)!! So when we got to the hosiptal they did various tests on him, and i think everything looked good. I spoke to the Dr, who said at the moment they are putting it down to extreme stress and exhaustion. They put him on a drip and gave him some strong pain killers to help him rest, and booked him in for a cat scan in the morning. She then told me i had to go home, so i had to ring this guy i'd only just met to ask him to pick me up, it was now 2am!! He came and picked me up bless him, i felt awful, i could of got a taxi but it would have cost a fortune and to be honest i was feeling pretty scared and lonely. Anyway, its now morning, i've spoken to the hospital and they said he's been up and about and had some breakfast, now they're just waiting for th scan, but they can't give me any indication of how long it will be. I really want to be there with him, but i don't want to bother the business guys again, although they are expecting a call. I've been considering hiring a car for the last 2 days of our stay here on the sunshone coast, so that i can go up and get him by myself, as i have no idea how long he'll be yet. I'm also obvioulsy a bit nervous about the cat scan, as although i'm about 80% theres nothing wrong with him, theres always a possibility. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent, i feel a little calmer now, i havnt had a lot of sleep and feel pretty lonely. I know that these two business associates will help whenever i need it, but i feel awful putting them out anymore than i already have!!! The good news is though that i'm very impressed withe the hospital and ambos, and i was worrying about cost and if travel insurance, but it turns out its all covered under the reciprocal health care agreement - even the ambulance - which i was told would cost me $650!!! Meg xx

My husband and I are thinking of /hoping to move to Newcastle, Aus. I am a NZer and my husband is British. He works in the construction industry in the IT section, but his skills don't quite correlate to the skilled immigrants list. I have a brother in Aus who is an Australian citizen. Do we need a Visa if I am a NZer? We have a 2yr old and so it would be my husband who is working full time. Any help or suggestions for good sites appreciated. Thanks

Well it seems I am back on the trail of getting to Australia again!! It of course was my decision after our reckie to stay in UK. So feel more than a little guilty to hear husband come home from work yesterday to say because of various issues recently he is doing the work of 3 people at the moment and feels he is about to crack. He has even talked about going to the doctors to get signed off with stress. So I am going to suggest to him tonight that he start to look for home courses to get a qualification in I.T. that the Australian Computer Society are looking for. I know that its a longshot and, the chances of the skills and visa process changing in the 3 or so years it will take him to complete a course are high. But its a chance he is gonna have to take I think. He obviously needs to make a complete change and I am going to have to try and put my fears and worries about living so far from friends and family aside for his sanity.:sad: So wish us luck, and either fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you feel about it I am back on PIO with a vengance!!!:laugh:

Ok so. I met my husband 2 1/2 years ago and we have tripped around asia and europe, got married and vola. Now it is time to go home, however HOME is now Australia as thats where mum, dad, my brother and sister all live! Am I an eligible NZ citizen to apply for my UK born husband to migrate to Australia? Or do we have to banish ourselves to NZ to gain his residency there then go the AUs in a few years time. How complex is love? Thanks carla

15 wedding anniversary today and my hubby has booked us a suprise cruise, flying first class to Venice then 2 weeks cruising round the Med on Queen Victoria and finishing in Rome. All because I casually mentioned I would like to see Rome before we emigrate. He has organised my mother to come and look after the children, I'm so excited. Whats the nicest thing someones ever done for you?:biggrin:

Hi all.. My OH has been offered job in NSW. We are now just at the beginning of 457 visa process. Its a move we have been looking at for a few years. We have 3 kids 2 of which are from my previous marriage. Ex emmigrated jan/feb this year with his wife and new family to new zealand and we had a stat dec drawn up which he actually signed with no prob at solicitors before he left. I was told that was all i needed?!? :arghh: Prob is our companies migration agent has come back this morning and said they also need a copy of his passport and for him and i to both sign a form sounds simple but ive now got to track him down in new zealand which is going to slow things down quite abit! Has anyone else come across this? Needing more than stat dec i mean not the issues with ex husband.. alot of us have 1 of them :laugh: Thanks for reading any info greatfully received.

Hi everyone, well i discovered this website yesterday afternoon and subsequently spent 7 hours straight reading posts in these forums about people in a similar situation and i am still unsure of what to do so i thought i'd tell you my story and hope and pray that i receive some advice:) here goes... 5 years ago i was backpacking round aus with some friends and met my now husband who is australian born and bred! I moved back here on my own to be with him despite having a close knit family at home and we have had an absolute ball however last year we had our first child and i am now pregnant with our second so the dilemmas and arguing in my head began.. I;ve had the odd spelt of homesickness since having our daughter, normally at its worst when ive had to say goodbye to my family however she is now 15 months and ive just found out im pregnant with my second and im really starting considering our future here in australia! Bringing up our daughter has been difficult with no family support as my other half isnt close to his family but it hasnt been bad and you just make it work...i know with a second little one it will be a bit more difficult but people manage and i know i would as id have to! the thing is i just keep getting overwhelming feelings that i am making the wrong decsion in being here that my kids would have a better life in the UK being around close family and friends. I feel so so guilty about denying both my kids and parents the relationship that they deserve and which i loved as a kid! I have such happy memories of my grandparents and i feel awful that my kids arent going to get that! Another thing that i hope doesnt sound too selfish is that it would be so so nice to have the opportunity to spend some time with husband kid free...of course i dont resent our daughter for not having that opportunity now as we chose to have kids and wouldnt change that for the world but it would be great to be able to have grandma and grandad babysit and mummy nad daddy can get the romance back, :wink:! a huge huge worry is job opportunities in england, my husband is a concreter/steel fixer and work over here is pretty well paid and regular, he's a hard worker and will go looking for work but im just worried that it wont be there in england as building just isnt as huge as it is here! does anyone have any advice in that regard?? We will be moving initially back to Blackpool as thats where my family are anywhere in that area is doeable, manchester/preston/blackburn etc some advice on would be much appreciated...is england really that bad, now ive not lived there i can see that it really wasnt a bad place to grow up, i had an amazing childhood and was outdoors all the time! With europe on our doorstep im sure hubby could get some surfs in every now and then:) thanks everyone for the advice, the decision is starting to get ontop of me and struggling with what to do x

Hi All, My BIL & SIL are looking into moving to the Gold Coast, he is a painter, they have looked in to work sponsorship, but as they are both over 45 (46 this year), they are to old, we have only been here 18 months (on a perm visa 175) and they have been told by a migration Agent that my husband can sponsor them, but I though we could not as we have not been here that long. Thanks Paula :hug:

Hi, My British husband is on a temporary spousal visa which he activated by entering Australia in July 2010. This means we have to wait 2 years before applying for his permanent visa. I am now 7 months pregnant and due in August 2011. I thought that once our baby is born, my husband could apply immediately for his permanent visa, and we would not have to wait the full 2 years (and as a family have the security of his permanency). We have spoken to others in the same situation who got their permanent visa early (thats what they told us anyway). I called Australian Immigration, the man I spoke to seemed vague and unsure, but said he thinks my husband still have to wait the full 2 years to apply for permanency. Can anyone offer us some advice? Once our baby is born can my husband apply early for his permanent Aussie visa? Thanks for your time! Fredandginger:confused: If it is possible, what branch of Aussie immigration do I contact?

We are looking to move over to Oz, my wife is a midwife a so we are possibly looking at going over on a 457. I am interested to find out from a partners aspect how the move has effected you. Has anyone got any insight into the job situation in Brisbane. We are looking a less stressful life and a more family orientated life. If you any feedback please let me know Thanks Jason

Hi All, An employer offered my Husband a 2 year contract role in Brisbane (Financial Controller) on a temp visa - 457. I'm worried now from reading a few threads that this could have problems with regard to Health Insurance,medicare, school fees,childcare etc. Could someone tell me exactly what it wont let us avail off as we have to work out what the cost of this will be on a yearly basis. My husband mention to employer that he would like to apply for Perm Visa, 856 I think, and the HR told him he should seek legal advice before doing so as it could cost him from a tax point of view. Any info would be great.:confused: AM

I am desperate to emigrate to Perth. My husband has said he will go if I really want to he has no desire to go at all! I want to go to give our children a healthier lifestyle (more out door life/sports rather than tv/computer games because is pee-ing down/freezing outside) and also to enjoy more quality family time. My husband works Mon - Fri leaving the house by 7 and isn't back much before 7 in the evening. I work four days a week and am up at 5:30am to get kids up, ready and to the nursery and dont get back with them much before 6:30pm in the evening when I have to start the kids bath & bed routine and then start cooking an evening meal. I just can't help thinking there has got to be more to life than this. I think my husband is worried about giving up a good job here and has already said he won't move out there until he has a job lined up but what are the chances of that happening? Recruitment agencies just don't want to know and the 6 or 7 companies he has approached directly haven't even acknowledged his CV. I know I'll always wonder "what if?" and will regret not going for it but can it work out if you're not both up for emigrating 100%??

Hi everyone, My work have kindly offered to sponsor me to stay in Australia, and I have been trying to look up what will happen to my husband. We are British and currently both on Working Holiday Visas. I know that I can nominate him as a secondary person on my visa (but please correct me if I'm wrong!) but I don't know how easy/assured this is, and what it costs etc Any advice and clarification will be very gratefully received! Thanks in advance, and a belated happy easter, Caitlin.

hello my husband really wants to move to australia, hes been wanting to for many years...we have two children a four year old and a 1 year old!! im in two minds on going? i would like to move house but to move around the world is a different matter!! im concerned if i decided to go ahead with it i will regret moving,, as i dont want to take my kids from their gran parents!!! my kids are the only gran kids they have and it will break their hearts if i was to take them away...but i do want to make my husband happy! i feel like im the reason why hes so unhappy living in wales...uk and that i need to make it up to him!!?!? im 25 and my husband is 31 he is a tool maker...engineer and i work in a care home! so i know we prob get in...what to do???? please help...............is it a better life for the kids as i hear!?!?!!? thank you katie x

Hi everyone my husband is a mechanical electrical technical engineer, i would be grateful if there is anybody who is in same profession who has applied for a visa to oz to let me know which visa they applied for and what job they put on there skills test assessment because my husband has so much experience in alot of different fields such as domestic, comercial etc etc. Sorry if I have not described it well but I hope you understand what I mean.:embarrassed: thanks in advance KCCM30

we are hopefully heading out to Perth and I am going to be the main Visa applicant as a nurse however am just looking for job options for my other half. He has a degree in environmental resource management which was a combination of geology, geography, environmental resource, economincs, business management howver altho he has kept his knowledge and interest up to date he has no after degree experience as there was just no oportunities in the UK. He then has a history of retail experience, retail management and also worked as a regional business development manager for an IT company. At the moment he works freelance doing IT repair jobs both domestic and business, IT servicing, PC and network system building and web design So he's a bit of a jack of all trades and just wondering what kind of work he might be able to get once we are in Perth and wether the mines would be an option for him at all? thanks

Dear all, after some remedies!!! My husband has been eaten alive and not by me! :Randy-git: We have both been bitten several times over the last couple of weeks but, I have never seen bites as big as these. They look and feel (he has said) exactly the same as other mozzie bites but they are HUGE. Any suggestions for relief and possible deterants for the little buggers? :eek: lol Ley x (will also post on lifeinvicrotia as well) :notworthy:

i need advice my husband is an electrical maintence engineer and we on 176 visa to vic, i am an accounting technician, we both have no jobs we are from UK ,we are going to melbourne end of february 2011 and have 4 kids do you think we should leave the kids here and try to find job first because we can leave them with our brother and wife for a few weeks and get them when one of us got a job, or we can risk and go together with the kids the other thing is the money that we have i feel that is not enough if we dont have jobs, please advice

Or should it be - Me and my Husband? Anyway, have decided to take time out tonight together. Going to go for a curry,as we will only get my curry in 2 weeks and 6 days thereafter!!! and relax. We have rather neglected each other the past couple of years and definitely the last month or so. I know we will be busy for the next few months so I have decided to be selfish for the both of us. Have a good night, chat tomorrow Leila x :cute:

Unfortunately on Christmas eve my mother in law suffered a brain haemorrhage whilst in hospital for routine surgery, she died on new years eve. My Husband managed to fly out on 28th of December to be with her and is still there. Christmas was just awful for everyone and of course it really hits home how far away we are (whether here or Australia). As some of you will know, we moved to Austraia this time last year to be near my husband's family but unfortunately it wasn't for us and we returned to the Uk end of August. The whole experience cost us a fortune emotionally and financialy but the time with my mother in law really was priceless and well worth every single penny spent & tear shed. My husband does feel guilty for not being there but he also feels that the UK is where we belong and is just so grateful that we were able to spend a good deal of quality time with his mum and the children got to enjoy the best Nanny ever. Being here with 3 young children is very difficult without him ( as we have no family support) but there is still no place on earth where I'd rather be.

Hi, I would like some advice please, would my husband be able to go to Australia on a 1 working holiday visa and leave me behind? Would the fact he is married stop him getting the visa? I can't find anything to tell me either way, i have seen about dependents, which my husband does not have, i have a daughter from a previous relationship, although she lives wih us, my husband is not legal guardian or adopted her, so therefor she is my dependant. we live in the uk just now. The reason my husband would go over first would be to live with his aunt and uncle there, and his uncle has told him he will get work, while out there my husband will see if he likes it and we can then go through the process of getting a full visa, as my husbands trade is on the SOL list. I can't go over with him as i have my daughter but also i am 4 years too old for the working holiday visa my husband is just within the limit but we would have to move fast. Again, we can't all go over for a holiday as funds are tight, and we can't get out house sold with the market the way it is. I just wondered would they think its strange why my husband is going over alone? and would they even allow him? Hope someone can advise me, i would really appreciate it. x

Please don't judge me I have only been in Australia 10 months but want to leave my husband. We are here on a 176 visa with his skill. I don't want to leave Australia just him, please any advice you can give urgently.

We went to the Live Down Under Expo in London yesterday and got chatting to some migration agents/companies. Anyway having researched plenty, i was pleased to find out i had indeed identified the right visa for us...176.. going out on my occupation. And we were hoping to hear that we would be able to start the process. However, on further discussion we were advised that if we applied for a 176 now we were likely to be turned down as my other half still has 3 years left to serve in the Royal Marines. Apparently, unless he only has 3-4 months left to serve they will knock the application back because he could go AWOL if granted a visa and Australia would be seen to harbouring him!! I am very disappointed as we were hoping to apply now and possibly have a visa by this time next year and then we could validate it and start making plans. However looks like we will have to wait now until mid 2013! :arghh: Any other military families come up against this?

Hi everyone, This is my first post but been reading for sometime. We are a family of four and are ready to take the plunge to Brisbane. The house is sold, and during our trip to validate in December we found out which areas we liked and have already got schools sorted out. We are all desparate to go but my husband has suddenly decided that it is too risky to give up his job as he believes his chances of getting a job are virtually nil. We have decided that we really need to go before January 2010 as my eldest daughter has a place in a very good private school which will be offered to somebody else if she does not want it. My husband is a CIMA (CPA applied for) Management Accountant with 18 years experience in a large corporate company. He has never in his life been out of work and the thought terrifies him, with the recession getting worse his confidence is shrinking daily. We are lucky enough to have a pretty large sum of money in the bank from the sale of our house and were thinking about giving it a go for 6-8 months and hope to find work in this time. Having to return to England because of no work is our biggest fear, especially as we don't want to risk messing up our childrens education. I know you don't have a crystal ball but I would be interested to hear what those of you living in Brisbane think about the Job front especially Accountants. Thanks