Bananas Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Hello all, I am completley new here having stumbled across this forum while researching for our move, and pretty clueless, so please bear with me. First up, Visa's, where do I even start?! The process seems daunting :no: We have just started the planning process to move from the UK to Perth. I am a midwife (I have a degree and have completed the first module of a masters) and my husband has his own property maintenance business (no formal qualifications but 10 years experience). I believe I would be the visa applicant. My first concern is the salary of a midwife in Perth. In the UK I earn 43k GBP (London). I am also concerned that my husband would not be able to find work and I would have to support the family myself financially, which depending on the salary might not be feasible. Each website I look at gives a vast range of salaries from 50,000 - 75,000 AUD. I am a direct entry midwife and I have read the Aussies don't like this as much a being a nurse first? I am however at the top clinical level of my profession here. Secondly, I have 3 children in tow aged 13,9 and 1. My biggest concern is my 9 year old. He has ADHD and requires medication to control his symptoms at school. He is in a mainstream school and has above average intelligence (ed psych report). He is very active and participates in various sporting activities daily which is a huge part of his life, he loves sport! The Aussie lifestyle in this respect would be of great benefit to him. If he is kept active and channels his abundance of energy into his sport, he can focus and perform better in school. Would this hamper our chances of a visa having a child with SEN? Incidentally, he does not get any extra help at school or any one to one support. I would also like to ask about housing in Perth and any nice suburbs near the city that anyone could recommend. We would like to be no more than an hour from the city,near a nice beach and a safe and friendly family environment with plenty to do for the kids. We would need 4 bedrooms as a minimum. Our budget is completely dependant on our salaries although we do have a deposit. Good nursery, primary and secondary schools and childcare are also a must. I am sure I will have many more questions but this is a good starting point! If if anyone is willing to share any knowledge with me on the above I would be very grateful! And sorry if it seems simple or obvious, I really am just starting my research :wub: thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa69 Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Hi, also have a look at the Perth poms forum, may find also a lot of information there, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Welcome to PIO... I think your first port of call is a visa, you would need to find out what visa's you qualify for and then decide which is best for you. Some visa's can take a while to process so its probably not going to be a quick move, hence i wouldn't stress to much about work ,a lot can change in 6 months or a year. We have quite a few members in Perth and also a fair few members in the nursing field, so i am sure you will get a bit of help with areas and on nursing..Lots of luck with everything Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 I think you are right to worry about whether you can afford it. Once upon a time, it was considerably cheaper to live in Australia than in the UK, and you could look forward to owning a big house with land and a pool on a modest salary. That is no longer the case, at least in the capital cities. You will find endless debates on these forums comparing the cost of living in the UK vs Australia. The fact that there is so much debate proves that some things are more expensive and some things are cheaper! Overall it is about the same, except for the cost of housing which is generally higher than the UK. That means you need about the same salary as you do in the UK. In your case, you're coming from London which means you'll find the cost of housing cheaper, which is a positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananas Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share Posted December 11, 2015 Thanks all for your input so far. Marisa - I am also a Scot, been in London 4 years now. We love it here but it is so expensive! your right about the housing, anything seems 'cheap' compared to the crazy London prices . I'v noticed the ongoing debate about the cost of living, but to be honest as long as we have enough to cover our outgoings and have a modest family home then I will be happy! Currently sitting in my tiny London semi looking out at the rain and grey skies...I am now off to stalk the Perth forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Check out some houses http://www.realestate.com.au/rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananas Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share Posted December 11, 2015 Thank you amibovered. I found this property which is exactly what we need, but it seems incredibly cheap - what's the catch?! http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-mandurah-121491714?listingType=buy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Thank you amibovered. I found this property which is exactly what we need, but it seems incredibly cheap - what's the catch?! http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-mandurah-121491714?listingType=buy Well it doesn't exist yet. Hasn't been built. It's also not in Perth but in some nameless Mandurah suburb. It will probably be the cheapest, smallest block in the furthest, most outflung suburb. Also, for the price quoted, the house will not look like the pictures. It will be a basic shell - no driveway, no garden, cheapest tiles and fittings, cheapest everything really and one power point per room (if you're lucky). Everything else will cost more. You'll need to add on another big chunk of money to make it liveable and even more to make it look like the photos.. :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 The first thing, visas. Yes, you will be the main applicant and should qualify for a 189 (I think). The first process is skills assessment and ILETS (an English test and you may need academic ilets as part of your skills assessment). You need to calculate your points to ensure you have 60. Although I would be 99.9% certain your sons ADHD will have no effect, it is always worth consulting an expert when there is a medical issue for visas. George Lombard is a registered migration agent that specialises in visas with health complications. Regards work and budgets, I am sure one of our other members will be able to comment on your salary expectations. For your husband, things are probably not as promising. Perth is going through a downturn at the moment and jobs are getting harder to find. On our sister site Perth Poms, we have qualified builders reporting they are now struggling to get full time work. At the same time, the state budgets is shot and some fairly big job losses have been announced for healthcare. However, the journey of migrating is long. It would be many months before you had a visa in your hand and then you have up to 5 years to migrate from grant. Nobody knows how things will be by the time you are thinking of getting on a plane. With regards the link you have for the house, that is a build - so they are advertising you can buy a block of land and get a house built for that price. However, it is not in Perth but in Mandurah which is a small city 50 minutes train ride from Perth. It is a very nice beach city and is where I live and has the advantage that housing is a lot cheaper than Perth. But at that price, it is likely to be in a less desirable area and a very small block (probably no garden) and that building company are one of the cheaper builders - you get what you pay for. Also, build prices are not all inclusive - you would need to spend on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Hello all, I am completley new here having stumbled across this forum while researching for our move, and pretty clueless, so please bear with me. First up, Visa's, where do I even start?! The process seems daunting :no: We have just started the planning process to move from the UK to Perth. I am a midwife (I have a degree and have completed the first module of a masters) and my husband has his own property maintenance business (no formal qualifications but 10 years experience). I believe I would be the visa applicant. My first concern is the salary of a midwife in Perth. In the UK I earn 43k GBP (London). I am also concerned that my husband would not be able to find work and I would have to support the family myself financially, which depending on the salary might not be feasible. Each website I look at gives a vast range of salaries from 50,000 - 75,000 AUD. I am a direct entry midwife and I have read the Aussies don't like this as much a being a nurse first? I am however at the top clinical level of my profession here. Secondly, I have 3 children in tow aged 13,9 and 1. My biggest concern is my 9 year old. He has ADHD and requires medication to control his symptoms at school. He is in a mainstream school and has above average intelligence (ed psych report). He is very active and participates in various sporting activities daily which is a huge part of his life, he loves sport! The Aussie lifestyle in this respect would be of great benefit to him. If he is kept active and channels his abundance of energy into his sport, he can focus and perform better in school. Would this hamper our chances of a visa having a child with SEN? Incidentally, he does not get any extra help at school or any one to one support. I would also like to ask about housing in Perth and any nice suburbs near the city that anyone could recommend. We would like to be no more than an hour from the city,near a nice beach and a safe and friendly family environment with plenty to do for the kids. We would need 4 bedrooms as a minimum. Our budget is completely dependant on our salaries although we do have a deposit. Good nursery, primary and secondary schools and childcare are also a must. I am sure I will have many more questions but this is a good starting point! If if anyone is willing to share any knowledge with me on the above I would be very grateful! And sorry if it seems simple or obvious, I really am just starting my research :wub: thank you! Do you want to be that close to the city? Many hospitals, eg Fiona Stanley are on the fringes. What exactly does your hubby do? Is it property management, or renovation? With houses, to a large degree you get what you pay for. But you need to make sure you pay for your priority, which may be different to other people's. Perth is the ADHD capital of the world, which is controversial. But my nephew is very severe ADHD, and Perth is the best place for him. He loves the outdoor life, loves boats, and has just got a job fulfilling that dream. It is a good place for practical people. As for downturns, in five years it could be booming again, if not there are other good cities that may be. Worry about that when you need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Thank you amibovered. I found this property which is exactly what we need, but it seems incredibly cheap - what's the catch?! http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-mandurah-121491714?listingType=buy One thing being that Perth property is nowhere near incredibly cheap. Although cheaper than London and Sydney. It is highly over valued and in early decline. You are possibly aware we are coming out of the biggest boom in modern times with the falling demand for resources. Mandurah is not the city but in recent times is being counted as part of the outer metropolitan sprawl as the city ever increases in population and spreads. Area ok in some parts, even desirable, but numerous social issues in parts as well. We are more expensive than the bigger cities though in prices and especially social life costs. The weather is generally great. Better place for kids is very debateable. Pluses and minuses. Jobs and supporting a family on a possible solo wage would be my main concern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgt Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Hi ,we've been here for two years and are looking to return due to the downturn, I'm in construction but it's very different from the Uk.Your husbands lack of a verifiable trade may mean it is easier for location visas in your name. They do not multi trade here and he would be labeled a " handy man". If he has done say brickwork over the years, joinery, or plastering he needs to pick one that he does the most and build up evidence of his work history ie business bank account, website , and references.I came as a plasterer but do mostly renovations and maintenance work. We find it seriously expensive, and pretty boring . I'm not getting into any debates about uk v aus this is our experience to present. Good luck with the move. Happy to help if needed , cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananas Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 Thanks everyone, this information is really helpful! Hubby is a joiner by trade, but can do pretty much everything except plumbing and electrics. He has a good wage here in the UK and plenty of work. The thought he might not get any work in Oz really does concern me. It's good to know about Perth and the opportunities for Adhd kids. He is a very practical boy and indeed loves boats also! We were hoping to make the move in 2 years before our oldest starts her Gcse. It seems time could be against us and we may need to wait until she has finnished them. Gosh it seems so complicated and stressful already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Gosh it seems so complicated and stressful already. Yes, it is complicated and stressful especially when you have to consider children as well - but it's a great adventure too! Provided you're moving for the right reasons and have realistic expectations, it's all achievable. The main thing to understand is that life in Australia is not better or worse than in the UK, it's just different. The days when Australia was indisputably a better place to live are long gone. so you need to weigh up the pro's and con's of each country and be sure it's going to work for you (or as sure as you can be!). It's a very personal thing as everyone's priorities are different. The UK's major advantages are the proximity of Europe for holidays/culture, and wider opportunities for education and career, whereas Australia's main benefits are being less crowded, with a more outdoor lifestyle. Some also feel it's safer due to its distance from war-torn areas of the world - although to be fair, that's probably an illusion as Australia is involved in those wars and has had terrorist incidents against its citizens in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Thanks everyone, this information is really helpful! Hubby is a joiner by trade, but can do pretty much everything except plumbing and electrics. He has a good wage here in the UK and plenty of work. The thought he might not get any work in Oz really does concern me. It's good to know about Perth and the opportunities for Adhd kids. He is a very practical boy and indeed loves boats also! We were hoping to make the move in 2 years before our oldest starts her Gcse. It seems time could be against us and we may need to wait until she has finnished them. Gosh it seems so complicated and stressful already. You have to bite the bullet at some stage. With one 13 y o and a 9 yo, the GCSE A level question will drive you mad. Perhaps what you should be asking is why you want to go to Perth? What do you hope to find, achieve - for you and your family? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananas Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 We moved to London from Scotland for a new adventure. We both had great job opportunities, and the local schooling is fabulous. The area we live in lovely but comes at a price, and we feel like we are stuck in the rat race! The reasons for our move, housing cost - I know where we live is more expensive than the rest of Britain. So if we were going to up sticks we may as well do it properly! The property market here has spiralled out of control, we need a bigger house badly! The weather. British weather just isn't the same. The weather factor also ties in with our love of being out doors and the beach. Why Perth in particular? The climate, the ex pat population and it's cheaper than Sydney to buy property. We need to bite the bullet you are right. It's scary though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srh82 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 All of your reasons for moving to Perth are relevant to Brisbane too. And, there are more diverse opportunities on the East coast due to there being a higher population. Perth is struggling: Mining, oil and gas are the mainstays of the economy, feeding construction and public sector funding. Both of these primary industries are struggling on low commodity prices. If I were you, I would consider Brisbane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgt Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 All of your reasons for moving to Perth are relevant to Brisbane too. And, there are more diverse opportunities on the East coast due to there being a higher population. Perth is struggling: Mining, oil and gas are the mainstays of the economy, feeding construction and public sector funding. Both of these primary industries are struggling on low commodity prices. If I were you, I would consider Brisbane. I agree , I originally wanted to go to Brisbane but was fast tracked to Perth ,having been to both, Brisbane wins hands down. Perth is over priced and going through a serious downturn. Iv never worked as hard in my life and see nothing for it. If your husband applies as main applicant he needs to choose joinery alone. The Aussies simply do one trade and do not multi trade. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 We moved to London from Scotland for a new adventure. We both had great job opportunities, and the local schooling is fabulous. The area we live in lovely but comes at a price, and we feel like we are stuck in the rat race! The reasons for our move, housing cost - I know where we live is more expensive than the rest of Britain. So if we were going to up sticks we may as well do it properly! The property market here has spiralled out of control, we need a bigger house badly! The weather. British weather just isn't the same. The weather factor also ties in with our love of being out doors and the beach. Why Perth in particular? The climate, the ex pat population and it's cheaper than Sydney to buy property. We need to bite the bullet you are right. It's scary though!! I'd keep a keen eye on the Perth market over the coming few years, If I were you. Jobs are dissolving at a rate of knots. I have been speaking with a large number of tradies over the past several months as am having a house refurbished and am just starting to hear more saying things are in decline and even more willing to compromise in certain areas pricewise. The process is certainly not as painful as previously and most fully anticipate worse to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 We moved to London from Scotland for a new adventure. We both had great job opportunities, and the local schooling is fabulous. The area we live in lovely but comes at a price, and we feel like we are stuck in the rat race! The reasons for our move, housing cost - I know where we live is more expensive than the rest of Britain. So if we were going to up sticks we may as well do it properly! The property market here has spiralled out of control, we need a bigger house badly! The weather. British weather just isn't the same. The weather factor also ties in with our love of being out doors and the beach. Why Perth in particular? The climate, the ex pat population and it's cheaper than Sydney to buy property. We need to bite the bullet you are right. It's scary though!! Property wise, you might not be able to swap like for like, even in London. Bris and Adelaide are better value. Weather in Perth is fantastic. But the heat can be stifling if you are not on or in water. You can't just get up and go for a run mid afternoon in the middle of summer. I understand the adventure, and if all of the family are behind you then that is great. But there will be disruption, and migrating can be very stressful. ...and the big one is family. Not trying to put you off, but it is an expensive and sometimes disheartening experience. Sometimes it's just better to go on a long holiday to get it out of your system. Personal question I know, but does the gap between your second and third child have any bearing on your decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I will add to the others. Do be careful about the current Perth job market. It may (hopefully) change for the better, but at the moment it is pretty bad. I am out of work from next week (again) and although I have known it is coming and been applying for jobs, I haven't had a sniff of anything yet. Emigrating is an interesting experience and has been an adventure, but for us, it has also been financially disastrous. Do think long and hard about what living in a hot climate is really like. It is not like going on holiday in a hot climate. The "better" weather is debatable and has been the subject of long and intense debates on here previously. But on a 40c day, it is simply unpleasant. I actually find I am less of an outdoors person here than I was in the UK because it is too hot. Even my wife, who was born and raised in Peru - a much hotter climate than the UK struggles with summer. Just make sure your eyes are very wide open. Overall, I don't think Australia is a better country. Just different. We still have crime and social issues and all the other first world problems and pluses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgt Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Good advice on this post. Personally I would sit tight in the U.K. for a couple of years. I have friends in upper management for the biggest builders in Perth, last week they finished 70 people. Their forecast is that things will get worse next year. We,v been here for two years and it's been hard work , we don't party, drink( Just a Little lol) and we have gone backwards financially. We came with 40 k and have 10 left. We are thinking of cutting our losses and returning.Its a great place to live if you have money and there are some here with ridiculous amounts of money.However it will chew you up and spit you out also. in the Uk I had a vey profitable business and took time off with the family etc . Here it's full on work, maybe if we'd have come a few years ago when it was cheaper, maybe it would have worked. Hope it all works out for newbies. It may also be wise to take a course in tactical and evasive action driving techniques,lol You can also tell the poms on the road because they say thanks for letting them pull out. Lol good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi69 Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 I would say the above posts are right, Perth is in a downturn. We still have the big boy tradies still quoting and taking on jobs, but not turning up though lol. Same as what happened in the UK, then they moaned the polish were undercutting them. here, the same, but not polish:wink:. Now lots of laid of tradies are starting on their own, its all word of mouth. Get in there, do a good job at a decent price, build your business, don't rip people off. Theres a pom in our area, who is making a mint cleaning windows. During the boom, nobody wanted to do that, he got out there and by the power of word of mouth and FB, he has now a booming business, no spots for months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 The property market here has spiralled out of control, we need a bigger house badly! ... The climate, the ex pat population and it's cheaper than Sydney to buy property. The property market has spiralled out of control in Australia too! It's very hard to judge from the internet - Australian real estate agents are just the same as British ones, and use fish-eye lenses to make rooms look bigger, and photoshop photos to make horrible houses look good. Most people who come to Australian cities from the UK find that houses are LESS affordable here, judged like for like (i.e. taking into account commuting distance, neighbourhood, size etc). The exception is London and its feeder cities in the South of England, where prices are way above the national average. So, if property is the big driver for the move, I think it's vitally important to organise a visit to Perth to check out the property market. That way you don't get excited about affordable houses on the net, which turn out to have tiny rooms, or be too long a commute, or next to a train line, or under a flight path, or in a dodgy neighbourhood. It would be a great shame to uproot your whole family on the basis that you'll get a better house, then find you can't! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananas Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Thanks for all the fantastic advice on this thread from all who have contributed, it has given us a lot to think about! I hadn't actually considered Brisbane - it's maybe worth a look. A sensible option may be to rent our house out here, and come to Oz and rent for a year to see where that takes us. If it's not working we come back. I'm in awe of people who have made the leap already, it's a huge and uncertain leap to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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