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Hello all, Just wondered if anyone has used Migrate Australia to get out to Oz? Considering using them as a migration agent. Any good or bad experiences please let me know. Thanks The O'Connors p.s. sorry to hear about that other migration agent going bump....:sad:

Sydney and Melbourne housing affordability woes: Is it time to move to Adelaide? ABC "Housing out of reach", "The death of the Australian dream" — if you're a young adult living in Sydney or Melbourne such headlines might be enough to make you give up trying to own your own home. Key points: Young adults moving to Adelaide to buy housing Adelaide praised internationally as it transforms Job opportunities still the biggest challenge outside Melbourne and Sydney House prices in Adelaide, however, remain affordable and with international travel guide Lonely Planet laying praise on the city in recent years, along with economists, perhaps it is time for a closer look at the festival city. Cameron Kusher, CoreLogic's head of research in Australia, said Adelaide's median house price was $455,000 at the end of February. Sydney by comparison was $895,000 and Melbourne $680,000. "We're talking Sydney prices almost double what they are in Adelaide, but you certainly don't get double the wage for the same level of job in Sydney," Mr Kusher said. In fact, to service an 80 per cent loan in Sydney, it would cost a homeowner 44.5 per cent of their annual median income, compared to 37.9 per cent in Melbourne and 33 per cent in Adelaide. Just saving a 20 per cent deposit in Sydney will cost somebody 168 per cent of their median annual earnings. In Melbourne it will cost 143 per cent but in Adelaide it is a relatively smaller 125 per cent. "It's much harder to get into the market in Sydney, and it's a similar story in Melbourne," Mr Kusher said. "And once you're in the market, you've got to dedicate a lot more of your income to paying off the mortgage." PHOTO: SA was endorsed by the Lonely Planet guide as one of the top five regions in the world to visit in 2017. (Facebook: South Australia) Is it time to move to Adelaide? The housing figures make an isolated argument for an interstate move, but mention Adelaide to any parochial Sydneysider or Melbournian and it is more often than not met with scoffing, invariably by those who have never travelled there. "The big brother or big sister will always knock the little one into place," Melbourne-based Lawrence Mooney said, an Adelaide fan who visits regularly. "People need to feel superior in some way or another. That's why Adelaide's picked out. They might call Adelaide a sleepy town with a disproportionate appetite for weird, headline-grabbing murders; an ageing place full of baby boomers who block innovation and refuse to retire; or a town full of hardcore football fans who harbour a chip on their shoulder for losing the grand prix to Melbourne. Such descriptions are correct, of course, but unbeknown to Sydneysiders equipped with blinkers, or Melbournians reciprocating an unassailable football rivalry, Adelaide has transformed significantly over the past seven years: A rivitalised CBD is bursting with small bars and start-up businesses The famed February/March Fringe Festival has exploded into the second largest of its kind in the world A revamped Adelaide Oval is bringing tens of thousands into the CBD all year around After years of letting it languish, the State Government is finally investing in public transport and reinstalling a city tram network The transformation has not gone unnoticed overseas. Lonely Planet recently listed South Australia fifth on it Best of Travel 2017 list, citing its wine regions and beaches as drawcards, just three years after it endorsed Adelaide as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2014. And in 2016, the Economist Intelligent Unit listed Adelaide as the fifth most liveable city out of 140 cities surveyed worldwide. Melbourne was listed as number one; Sydney dropped four places to move out of the top 10 altogether. PHOTO: Adelaide's east and west are separated by the busy Rundle Mall shopping strip. (ABC News: Nicola Gage) Young adults making the move Rita Horanyi, 34, moved to Adelaide from Melbourne in 2010 to do postgraduate study and now lives there. "It's true that Adelaide didn't have a great reputation when I first moved, and back then it was understandable why that was the case," she said. "In the last five years the city has improved significantly. Adelaide's bad reputation lingers, but friends of mine from interstate who visit for festivals and so on do notice the changes and are pleasantly surprised." Warner Music media manager Bret Woods, 35, moved back to Adelaide about four years ago after spending his adult life in Sydney. "Working in the music industry, I'm seeing there's more than enough stuff going on," he said. "To me, it almost feels like when Sydney had that small bar scene five or six years ago. Adelaide's in the same situation." Having recently bought a house in Adelaide, Mr Woods simply laughed at the idea of buying a house in Sydney. He added that perceptions of Adelaide interstate were starting to change, with several friends from the UK and Sydney having recently visited for the Fringe Festival and the Clipsal 500 car racing carnival. "And obviously our wine regions are pretty highly regarded, and at least do their bit to hold up SA to the rest of SA [outside the festival months]." PHOTO: Wineries, such as Bird in Hand, draw crowds to Adelaide's wine regions with events all year around. (Supplied: Bird in Hand/Felix Forest) News Limited journalist Stan Denham moved to Adelaide from Sydney five years ago. "The kind of lifestyle you can have in Adelaide is not attainable in Sydney, unless you are earning megabucks," he said. "I was up there last weekend and was struck again by the beauty of the city, but then very few Sydneysiders get to really enjoy that. "Most of my time was spent working and commuting." Dubai-born surgeon Annika Mascarenhas, 27, moved to Adelaide from Perth in 2013, having visited the year before. "I've been here while things have started to boom," she said. "I think the misconception exists that Adelaide's a sleepy city. It exists in Perth as well. "The Oval opened, the Fringe got a bit bigger, more wineries are advertising good weekends ... there's plenty to do." Adelaide's biggest challenge is jobs Before Adelaide can expect a major influx of young adults chasing the homeowner's dream, however, it does lack in one area that Sydney and Melbourne has in spades — job opportunities. Most of those jobs have been in the services sector, financial services and the health care sector. "But unfortunately for the rest of the country, the jobs growth story hasn't been as strong," Mr Kusher said. Until recently, South Australia suffered the highest unemployment rate in the country, due largely to a downturn in mining and the decline of large-scale manufacturing. Start-up businesses and small bars are unlikely to produce the same levels of employment, but the State Government has been working hard to transition the city's employment base. This includes securing major, long-term defence contracts, spending big bucks on a medical research hub, and courting emerging industries such as self-driving cars. But Melbourne and Sydney also benefit from being the headquarters for the big end of town in businesses, multinational companies, banks and financial institutions. "It would be hard to move them away from those cities for somewhere like Adelaide or Brisbane or Hobart," Mr Kusher said. "Those cities need to look at ways to attract different types of business or to find ways to attract big businesses to move part of their functions to other parts of the country." Mr Kusher added, however, that as more and more businesses started to allow their employees to work remotely, there could be a shift of workers moving to places where the housing is more affordable, "in markets like Adelaide".

Hi, I'm new to the forum, so apologies if this topic covered before. My Wife and I are keen to move to Australia to work. My 3 Kids are off my hands now, and my Wife's daughter lives near Surfer's, QLD. I have two problems with Visas: -I'm 47yrs old. -My background is Medical Diagnostics Sales & Marketing (i.e. not on the SOL). Can anyone offer advice on what I can do to improve my chances of getting Down under? I'm not overly fussed about doing exactly the same type of job, or even where I do it in Oz. Would I stand a better chance by taking a gamble and going down there under tourist Visa or applying for Holiday working Visa etc ? Thanks Martin

When will our visa 190 be granted?? IELTS Dec 13, 10 points |Cleared Nomination and EOI and invite on 19/8/14, CO allocated on 28/10/14, medical done on 7/11/14. Pcc submitted by 17/11/14. Grant??? :confused:

After many many months we finally found an employer happy to sponsor us for a 186!!!! We got the confirmation email today,so the ball is rolling. were already in mandurah as finding a sponsor from the UK was not working,I suppose we're lucky but we ad a goal and my husband has worked so hard being australian retrained but its paid off. does anyone know 186 time frames?

Where is better?

Hi everyone. Hope someone can help, im a professional window tinter on automotive and flat glass (shop,conservatories etc) and have been offered work in Australia(nsw) by a friend. i have 18 mnths experience. Problem i see is that my job does not seem to exist, i cannot find anything on the SOL or the 457 sub category which is relevant to me. So i do not know how proceed with that. The other issue is my wife is a dispensary technician which is on the 457 list but have been told even though she has 10 yrs experience she would not be allowed in as she took time off to have our child and then become a mum for a couple years, (child is 3 yrs old) so does not have the experience ! I was told this by a migration agent, who to be honest sounded like he didn't care at all. He also mentioned that as my job is very highly skilled but no formal qualifications i stand no chance and my wife is qualified upto NVQ level 3 in different categorys it would be the same. Any help with this or is it a no go ?? Thankyou

-where everyone knows what is expected of them and expects the same of others. Therefore Brits make better drivers, better administrators, keeps the class system intact with subtleties, never talk religion(even the die hard church goers), talks about the weather a lot because its a safe subject, only they know the meaning of the word 'nice'(its not as nice as it sounds--c'mon I'm just trying to politely say that I hate it), finds it hard to migrate and settle down unless a mini Britain can be created where they go etc etc etc. Anyone who thrives in a foreign land, is able to adapt and inculturate is the exception rather than the rule. This being PIO we can expect to see more 'exceptions' but what do you think of my generalisation??? Is it true to a large extent? Is it true to a small extent? Is it a load of s**t? When opining pls tell us if you're a Brit or not pls.

Do most people that have made the move to Oz have a job to go to before migrating or find one when they are there? We are applying for the 175 visa and once we get the visa do we look into jobs before the move?

Hiya guys, I've just joined these forums and, I must say, its been a useful read! I am seriously considering migrating to Sydney - It was something my ex and I were planning in the future, but we sadly split at the begining of the year, Ive had to move back in with the family and now I'm at a crossroads - either to buy my own house in the UK or start afresh in Oz! After speaking to a few migration agents, it appears I qualify for a perminant state sponsor visa (I am an IT Hardware Engineer) - however, the state sponsoring is South Australia whereas I want to be in Sydney. The reason for this is that I have an old school friend who is now a perminant resident there - whom I met up with on my last holiday there along with all his fellow UK immigrant friends - so it would be great having people around I've at least met! I have been told I can go to live and work in Sydney if I go via the business sponsor route. Now, a visa ageny that has the words 'Global' and 'Visa' in their name have informed me they can arrange this for me. Apparently they now have a network of Job agencies in Australia who will find you a job, arrange interviews, arrange the visa ect. And apparently if they do not find you a job within 6 months you get your money back! Which all sounds great! So the question is...do you guys think this is a good idea? Is this agency any good? How difficult is it to relocate? I really do want a fresh start and love the idea of doing this - but I must admit its as scary as hell to think Id be doing it on my own! Thanks for any advice :biggrin:

Hi all, just wondering where is the best place for bricklaying jobs in Australia? I am looking to migrate asap just wanted to know the best part of oz to move to. Does anybody know what the pay is like for brickies in Australia as well? Thanks for your help.

How much did people write for this question: Please outline reasons for choosing South Australia as a migration destination in your own words (max. 200 words each): I put so far: South Australia is the top of my list as a migration destination for the following reasons: It is a growing economy - whereas the UK and the Netherlands have a slow growing economy. I am attracted to South Australia because in these uncertain economic time South Australia is attracting economic investment and has maintained a triple 'A' rating throughout the recession. The Netherlands is a highly densely populated country and I am attracted to South Australia because it offers a clean and safe environment with less crouds. South Australia offers good employment prospects in the technology domain with sectors such as Defense, Healthcare, ICT and Telecommunications. Looking to the future my partner and I think South Australia would be an ideal destination to start a family. We think this because it ranks highly in the world for its standard of education and offers a unique lifestyle for children(warm climate and clean environment). There is an option to add more sections each section 200 words. What is the norm for this?

Hey all , it looks like almost everyone is either with someone ,Migrating to join someone or is migrating with a family ? I certainly feel like the minority , single no kids . At times i feel this is a bonus as everything to do with the process is what i want to do , certainly no arguments about wich state to go to or the other half hetting cold feet . Occasionally im a little down because it would be totally amazing to share this experience with someone Anyway , couples and families obviously need to sort out a home sooner rather than later , take care of the kids , school etc , get jobs as soon as possible to bring the money in and then hopefully settle into the new life . As a single chap im sort of the opposite end of the scale , Ive worked hard all my life ( im 36 BTW ) and when i cash in my UK life im going to use it as a once in a life time opportunity , with no commitments for the first time in 20 years , bank ballance in the black and no fixed abode im going to take 6 - 12 months out and tour OZ before getting back to reality and settling into WA ( i picked WA for work in the mines , 2 weeks on and a week off will suite me , and its pretty good pay , plus its probably very similer to my old job wich will be a good rourtine for me ) Getting a camper , starting in Darwin and going around clockwise , finishing up Geraldton area maybe a little further north ( is exmouth north of geradlton ?? ) Time and funds allowing i may start at perth and again go clockwise finishing in pereth 12 months later :-) What are your "single " plans , straight into work , tour a little , do u want to get stuck straight in , are you daunted by the fact youyr on your own , are you making decisive plans or just going to take it as it comes ?????? Thoughts and comments welcome . lee

Hi guys, Any advice you may have on this would be greatly appreciated. I am originally a UK citizen and have recenly acquired my Australian citizenship. On a trip back recently I have re-connected with an former partner (also a UK citizen). After a holiday here we have decided we would like to make a go of it. We are both early 30's and in professional roles. I have done some research on how we can achieve this visa wise etc but was hoping someone out there has been through the same experience (and got a happy outcome). We were together around 7 years ago so we don't have any material suggesting that we have been together long term if that makes a difference. Hope you can help and thanks i advance for all replies. Darren

Good afternoon fellow PIO's! I have felt the need to start a new thread, because I am looking for a bit of advice! I am currently working on a 457 visa since Jan 2011. I first did two years on a working holiday, and was six months in limbo after that on a bridging visa whilst waiting for my 457. I am based in Perth, and I will have been working in the same position with my company for two years in January. (Spaced over three different visa types as above!) My problem is that I am hoping to apply for PR as soon as I can Now, I know the obvious route is to go for sponsored migration. But I am finding it too hard to survive with the price of Perth on this money! I am a good, reliable worker. Is there any other way I can get PR apart from through an employer sponsored visa? I work as a Project Administrator / Office Manager (Am sponsored as a Project Administrator), am 27 years old, come from the low risk country, am willing to do a Iielts test is needed, have a Bachelors Degree in Jouralism and a Diploma in Business/Project Management, and many more vocation related certificates. I have 5 years offshore work experience and and 3 years Australian work experience. I love Australia, and I mostly love my life here. I simply want to move forward with it and no longer feel like a slave!! Thanks y'all :cute:

Hi all, Iam Pradeep and i have just decided to start immigration process to australia and i am preparaing for it. Iam totally new to this process. I would like to get useful advise on how can i submit my skills assessment to ACT (Australia Computer society). I would like to know the doucments i would need to submit and if possible the format in which i need to produce them. My friend recently migrated to Australia and told me that i could submit skills assessment to ACT even before i apply for IELTS exam. Please guide me with the process and iam would be really thankful...

Thanks to my friend who recommended this site. It is an opportunity that knowing this site will help me learn more on how to migrate in Australia. I would appreciate any member who could extend their assistance to get started in applying my immigration to Australia.

Hey, Was wondering if anyone could help us! We are a young couple (23) looking to stay a lot longer in Oz. I have a business degree and several sporting qualifications, and my boyfriend also has sporting qualifications. Would we be elligible to apply for residency to stay for another few years? Any advice would be appreciated as we don't really want to do farm work and hopfully there is another way! Hopefully someone can help as we are a little confused! :confused: Thanks, Jenna :wubclub:

Hi can anyone help is an AAT in accountancy recognised in Australia. I have checked the relevant skills assessment website but it's not clear. Thanks

I am registered nurse from India. I did study of B.Sc. nursing in UK. Presently I am working in care home in UK. I am approximetly 2 years of experience of Dementia and elderly people in UK. I need sponsor from Australia's care home. can you help me.

Hi, i am from Nepal. I have completed Master in Computer Information Science (MCIS) and is currently working as Network System Administrator cum assistant lecturer in a collge since 2006. Am i eligible to migrate to Australia.

Hi Guys Im very new to this forum and have kind of stumbled accross it. Im in full planning mode in the very early stages of looking to move to Oz. I havent a clue where I would like to go although I hear Melbourne is beautiful and very vibrant. I training as a hairdresser as im too old for a working tourist visa, and wanted to keep things in line with my current qualificaions without the hassle of having to sit a degree. Very nice of the aussie governemt to choose hairdressing as a required skill :biggrin: I was just really looking for some people to talk to who are either in the process of moving over or who are already there - like everyone else on here i suppose! Nice to meet you in advance Sam x

Hi, Not sure i've ever seen this asked before? I've got a few prescription medicines that i take as and when required, nothing serious but it got me thinking about the medicine cabinet, there is nothing sinister in there but just wondered if they would be allowed past customs? Don't fancy having to replenish the lot after arrival if i can help it! Cheers

Hi looking for a little advice in regards to migrating to Australia I'm English, 30 years old and unskilled... having spent 2 years in Australia on a working Holiday Visa I fell in love with this country and knew that this was the place for me, actually for us, i met my Fiance in Australia a girl from Hong Kong who i travelled with and spent everyday with anyway to the point... I know Australia requires skilled migrants to be able to move there. so i took it upon myself to do a bricklaying course. I am now approaching the end of my course Diploma lvl 2 in brickwork (Is this an accepted qualification in oz or do they require NVQ or?) i plan to study the 3rd year here in England and then get a few years bricklaying experience under my belt in England before i think about migrating. Perth/Western Australia would be top of our choice of places to go as my Fiance has her sister there and she said she would be a sponsor for us if needed Me: England, 30 years old, Studying Bricklaying (Diploma lvl 2) (otherwise unskilled) Fiance: Hong Kong, 30 years old, Higher Diploma in Design (5 years experience in designing Lingerie) Am i doing the right thing? Are we going in the right direction? Should we get married before migrating or after? Bricklaying the right choice? are there many opportunities for this? Would i still need to find a sponsor? Would i need still need to do an assesment before i would get considered? Would it be able to study my 3rd year of bricklaying in Australia? how would i go about this? How much does it cost? would it guarantee me a residency? who to contact? TAFE? Do i need a Diploma or NVQ? (What is recognised in Oz?) Would my girl be able to migrate with her skills alone and am i wasting my time doing my bricklaying course? We are not married yet but we will get married in the future and would like to migrate as a couple.. would this affect me? she is a designer but this is not a job that is needed on the SML (skilled migration List) Can you offer me anymore advice? anyway any advice would be helpful Thanks for reading and thanks for your time Jason

Hi Hope there is someone that can help me. Me my husband and 3 girls are in the process of migrating to perth, my eldest daughters whis is 11 still see's her dad and his name is on her birth certificate but he does not pay maintenance and by english law has no parental responsability (she was born 1999 & we were not married). Does anyone know what i should send with our visa application to surport this? I spoke to Australia House last year and they said a stat dec confiriming no PR would be fine which i got from a solicitor, but now after all this time my agent thinks different. Does anyone know how i stand in regards to the australian law? Any help would be great :arghh: