Back to the forum and more determined this time.

[amanda12]

Just wanted to say Hi and introduce myself. :ssign6:

 

I was on here 3-4 years ago when the OH was offered a job in Bunbury with full sponsorship. We pulled out before going through the visa process due to major family kick back. We have always had a bit of a niggle that we should have pursued it. Realistically though, things worked out ok and we have been where we needed to be since then.

 

 

More recently, we have started thinking about the potential of trying again. We are currently facing a few obstacles around OH's work due to a few changes in his registration process and us being older but we are more determined than ever that the time is right and it is now or never.

[calNgary]

Welcome back to the forum..

Good Luck with everything, are you going to try for a skilled visa this time?

 

Cal x

[amanda12]

Welcome back to the forum..

Good Luck with everything, are you going to try for a skilled visa this time?

 

Cal x

 

Thank you.

 

We are trying for a 189 but my points are low. We are older now so may struggle without sponsorship. OH s struggling to make points now too.

 

what position are you in Cal? Migrated or working on it?

[flag of convenience]

I wonder if you are aware a lot has changed in the economy over the period outlined?

[calNgary]

Thank you.

 

We are trying for a 189 but my points are low. We are older now so may struggle without sponsorship. OH s struggling to make points now too.

 

what position are you in Cal? Migrated or working on it?

 

We migrated almost 10 years ago and its probably the best move we have ever made. I have just been back to the UK with the family for the first time since we left,we had a great time but my eldest said it made him realise how lucky he was to live in Aus.

 

Cal x

[amanda12]

We migrated almost 10 years ago and its probably the best move we have ever made. I have just been back to the UK with the family for the first time since we left,we had a great time but my eldest said it made him realise how lucky he was to live in Aus.

 

Cal x

 

Fantastic Cal. Brisbane looks lovely. We haVe been been briefly in the past and loved it. I'm not surprised he is happy there! :wink:

[amanda12]

I wonder if you are aware a lot has changed in the economy over the period outlined?

 

I'm a bit blond (well, metaphorically).. in what respect Flag of Convenience? Thank you.

[flag of convenience]

I'm a bit blond (well, metaphorically).. in what respect Flag of Convenience? Thank you.

 

You'll likely do well then. In what respect? As I wrote the economy is in downturn and boom days are over but prices remain ridiculous in the main.

[amanda12]

You'll likely do well then. In what respect? As I wrote the economy is in downturn and boom days are over but prices remain ridiculous in the main.

 

 

Ah. You asked if I was aware the economy had changed and I wasn't sure what you meant as such.

 

my understanding is that overall Australian GDP continues to grow and has outstripped forecasts? No where near the historical booms it has seen, but still growing. Considering the worldwide recession, it seems to have faired well?

 

obvs I'm here and not there..... So fair play I could be very wrong.

 

i must say, The cost of living has been on the up. Was up when we were looking before but still rising. I keep my eye on that. I like to shop!!

[flag of convenience]

Ah. You asked if I was aware the economy had changed and I wasn't sure what you meant as such.

 

my understanding is that overall Australian GDP continues to grow and has outstripped forecasts? No where near the historical booms it has seen, but still growing. Considering the worldwide recession, it seems to have faired well?

 

obvs I'm here and not there..... So fair play I could be very wrong.

 

i must say, The cost of living has been on the up. Was up when we were looking before but still rising. I keep my eye on that. I like to shop!!

 

I'd treat figures brought out by Australian government departments with a touch of awareness. Iron ore projected forecasts being a prime example to which governments based their spending projections on only to discover the figures were wildly optimistic.

 

The work place has certainly changed in WA. There has been a lot of transmigration to other states and/or movements out of the country. Migration levels to WA are down considerably from boom times as the down turn proceeds.

 

It is a matter perhaps of line of work that you hope to obtain though. Some areas still appear reasonably ok. Others not. I have been witness to four restructuring processes in recent months which resulted in a considerable number of retrenchments (considering overall number of employees) with varying outcomes. Australia and Perth is certainly not some Lotus land I'm afraid. Quite a few Aussies have moved away over recent years to more prosperous climates or in some cases some just wanting more interesting places to be.

[Ausborn]

Ah. You asked if I was aware the economy had changed and I wasn't sure what you meant as such.

 

my understanding is that overall Australian GDP continues to grow and has outstripped forecasts? No where near the historical booms it has seen, but still growing. Considering the worldwide recession, it seems to have faired well?

 

obvs I'm here and not there..... So fair play I could be very wrong.

 

i must say, The cost of living has been on the up. Was up when we were looking before but still rising. I keep my eye on that. I like to shop!!

 

 

Do do yourself a favour and don't lose any sleep over Foc's warped knowledge of Australia's economy . Check his posting history for the last 5 years before dwelling on his advice..Haha good luck..

[starlight7]

Having just been on a quite extensive trip to Europe , Scandinavia and the middle east I would say Australia is still very cheap in comparison except for housing. Clothes are a lot cheaper and food is slightly cheaper. Houses you have to dig around a bit but there are cheaper ones if you know where to look ( and I don't mean in slummy areas either). When the time comes feel free to ask on here because chances are someone will know the particular area you are looking at. I would ignore those who say it is more expensive here- a lot of them don't actually live here or have only been here a short time!

Having said that- water can be expensive here because it is a dry country. At one stage we had a house on tank water so it was free, felt good.

[amanda12]

I'd treat figures brought out by Australian government departments with a touch of awareness. Iron ore projected forecasts being a prime example to which governments based their spending projections on only to discover the figures were wildly optimistic.

 

The work place has certainly changed in WA. There has been a lot of transmigration to other states and/or movements out of the country. Migration levels to WA are down considerably from boom times as the down turn proceeds.

 

It is a matter perhaps of line of work that you hope to obtain though. Some areas still appear reasonably ok. Others not. I have been witness to four restructuring processes in recent months which resulted in a considerable number of retrenchments (considering overall number of employees) with varying outcomes. Australia and Perth is certainly not some Lotus land I'm afraid. Quite a few Aussies have moved away over recent years to more prosperous climates or in some cases some just wanting more interesting places to be.

 

thanks for the info. We are absolutely keen to be 'eyes wide open'. We have agreed that as life is good here, there would be no point us migrating unless we were sure we were going to achieve what we wanted to achieve. That is basically, a better climate, longer evenings, reduced working hours (while not impacting on standard of living) and more family time and access to outdoor activity.

 

lies, lies, and statistics? Viewing a general trend though, it does seem to have faired better than most European countries. Though obvs, that is not tangible from here.

 

job wise, I am pretty certain I could get a job ok and pretty much in most metropols. DH prospects have changed though and it is the new restrictions on any Australian registration that may impact where we go and ultimately whether that gives us a location we would want to raise a family. We are not looking at WA this time. Adelaide and Melbourne (having lived in Melbourne before) are preferred but we are not sure he can work in a city and may have to go DWS. This would probably hold us back as we don't really want to be that isolated.

 

Thanks for the info. Anymore snippets always welcome.:yes:

 

Helps us navigate the confusion.......

[amanda12]

Having just been on a quite extensive trip to Europe , Scandinavia and the middle east I would say Australia is still very cheap in comparison except for housing. Clothes are a lot cheaper and food is slightly cheaper. Houses you have to dig around a bit but there are cheaper ones if you know where to look ( and I don't mean in slummy areas either). When the time comes feel free to ask on here because chances are someone will know the particular area you are looking at. I would ignore those who say it is more expensive here- a lot of them don't actually live here or have only been here a short time!

Having said that- water can be expensive here because it is a dry country. At one stage we had a house on tank water so it was free, felt good.

 

 

Thank you Starlight. Things are expensive here and set to increase now post Brexit. We live on a permanent pay freeze working ridiculous overtime and can't see how we can manage a reasonable family life with the predicted changes. It will cost billions to unpick our laws alone........

 

I know many things are more expensive in Oz but I guess the same as here, shop around and know what is seasonal and how to shop. Buy in offers. Cook cheap. Save money for wine......

Thank you.

[amanda12]

Do do yourself a favour and don't lose any sleep over Foc's warped knowledge of Australia's economy . Check his posting history for the last 5 years before dwelling on his advice..Haha good luck..

Lol. As sceptical over postings as Australian government statistics? C

[flag of convenience]

thanks for the info. We are absolutely keen to be 'eyes wide open'. We have agreed that as life is good here, there would be no point us migrating unless we were sure we were going to achieve what we wanted to achieve. That is basically, a better climate, longer evenings, reduced working hours (while not impacting on standard of living) and more family time and access to outdoor activity.

 

lies, lies, and statistics? Viewing a general trend though, it does seem to have faired better than most European countries. Though obvs, that is not tangible from here.

 

job wise, I am pretty certain I could get a job ok and pretty much in most metropols. DH prospects have changed though and it is the new restrictions on any Australian registration that may impact where we go and ultimately whether that gives us a location we would want to raise a family. We are not looking at WA this time. Adelaide and Melbourne (having lived in Melbourne before) are preferred but we are not sure he can work in a city and may have to go DWS. This would probably hold us back as we don't really want to be that isolated.

 

Thanks for the info. Anymore snippets always welcome.:yes:

 

Helps us navigate the confusion.......

 

It can indeed be confusing. It appears if in nursing the options are best. If you want to check out costs you could do worse than consult Numbeo. Perth remains the most expensive city in the Oceania region. Melbourne by the way is some 12% cheaper according to figures.

 

It is wise to look at the overall picture of expectations and reality checks on what can actually be achieved by moving al the way to Australia. Remember immigration is a big business here and a big influence on the economy.

[amanda12]

It can indeed be confusing. It appears if in nursing the options are best. If you want to check out costs you could do worse than consult Numbeo. Perth remains the most expensive city in the Oceania region. Melbourne by the way is some 12% cheaper according to figures.

 

It is wise to look at the overall picture of expectations and reality checks on what can actually be achieved by moving al the way to Australia. Remember immigration is a big business here and a big influence on the economy.

 

 

Thank you FOC......

 

Numbeo has been very helpful. I had heard horror stories of the spiriling cost of living in Aus and was surprised it wasn't as bad as I thought.

 

Nursing is my area. It seems to be quite good for me for work but less so for the other half who is a doctor.

 

Much more restrictions around his registration. Choosing where we migrate to is therefore very limited by his career options, if at all.

 

Thank you you once again.

[Marisawright]

That is basically, a better climate, longer evenings, reduced working hours (while not impacting on standard of living) and more family time and access to outdoor activity.

 

 

 

Longer evenings? One of the few things I miss about the UK is the long, light evenings. Even at the height of summer, it's dark by 9pm almost everywhere. True, it doesn't get dark so early in winter, but it's still dark by 6 or 7 so it doesn't make much difference.

 

I'm also not sure where you would have reduced working hours. In general, Australians have shorter holidays (4 weeks is standard) and longer working hours than the UK. Standard office hours in Sydney are often 8.30 to 5.30 these days, and if you want to earn your bonus or get a pay rise, you'd better not be leaving on the dot! Of course it depends on what your occupation is, so it's important to research your specific jobs and their prospects.

 

Edit: I see you're in nursing so that doesn't apply to you - there are several nursing threads which would be worth seeking out to get a feeling for what that's like. It does seem that doctors and nurses are able to do better in Australia provided you can get all the registration hoo-ha sorted out.

[JockinTas]

Yes, I was scratching my head about the longer evenings. Further north you go in Australia the shorter the evenings. Same as the further north you go in the northern hemisphere the longer the evenings ......................... in summer of course.

[flag of convenience]

Thank you FOC......

 

Numbeo has been very helpful. I had heard horror stories of the spiriling cost of living in Aus and was surprised it wasn't as bad as I thought.

 

Nursing is my area. It seems to be quite good for me for work but less so for the other half who is a doctor.

 

Much more restrictions around his registration. Choosing where we migrate to is therefore very limited by his career options, if at all.

 

Thank you you once again.

 

I used to share with a few doctors in London decades back. As such got to know a lot of others while studying medicine or not long out in the real world. Some over the course of time ventured over to Australia. One didn't remain, but another found it to his liking and in time set himself up in a very pleasant seaside city in Oz. He finds it far preferable than locating to a city practice.

 

Nursing does allow more options. Great line to be in for those liking to life in different places/countries. I wonder if a smaller community may not be the answer? At least for a time.

[supercow]

Smaller communities are the best. My Aussie living experience is limited to the Sunshine coast only, but my life is better than I could ever have hoped / imagined it to be.

 

Theres a massive new private hospital being built too

 

We basically ignored all the statistics, ignored the advice given by numerous parties on where I'd find work, where I'd not find work, came over with little to no solid plans, ignored the advice not to buy a house within the first year.

 

After 6 months, I'm :

 

* On a good salary

* Work 10 minutes from home

* Work is right next to the beach

* Own my dream house (within the limits of my socio ecenomic profile I guess )

* Made a handful of good friends

* Ocean allowing, I surf before work, during lunch and during the summer, after (or alternatively go to the gym when it does not allow)

* Spend multiple times better quality time with my kids

 

With this, I'm not bragging (well, maybe a little) ... but what I'm trying to say, is follow your gut feel, it will trump all other advice, because with a positive outlook, things tend to fall into place.

[amanda12]

Smaller communities are the best. My Aussie living experience is limited to the Sunshine coast only, but my life is better than I could ever have hoped / imagined it to be.

 

Theres a massive new private hospital being built too

 

 

Thanks Supercow. Seems there is a lot of building work going on in healthcare and Sunshine Coast looks beautiful. We would be happy there but it doesn't seem to be a DWS and jobs are filled with domestic trained doctors.

 

The jobs currently are Mackay, Bega NSW, Geraldton WA, Mildura Vic. They are just a little too remote for us really and we would prefer to be in a bigger locality such as a metropol or a regional area of.

 

X

[Marisawright]

Smaller communities are the best. .

 

That's true, IF you're the kind of person who enjoys living in a small community!

 

I think we are all tempted by the "Escape to the Country" idyll but the fact is, it suits some people perfectly, and some people not at all. One thing I've learned about myself, having tried living in country towns, is that I'm a dyed-in-the-wool city girl. I could live in Noosa but anywhere else on the Sunshine Coast would be too isolated for me. We're all different!

[flag of convenience]

Country living in Australia, is vastly different compared to UK or Europe or most anywhere else. Of course it can work but a lot of variables need to be considered.

 

Is there enough to sustain one looking at the bigger picture? Small towns can be cliquey and parochial. They may not offer diversity in lifestyle or life experience. Often the kids will need to leave home to study in higher education. Some small towns only provide education to Year 9.

Work may be off a limited nature and kids forced to leave town anyway.

 

How are medical facilities? Will you need to go to a larger town/city or even capital if requiring medical treatment. What about age care facilities? Once the kids leave home will there be enough to occupy oneself?

 

How far is it to ' escape' to bright lights and vibe of a city? Are you the sort of person that can integrate in a small town community? Many I've come across do feel a sense of loneliness. Some manage by joining a church group, bridge, and things of that nature in order to survive in a sense of nor being 'cut off'

 

I suspect many will need to look beyond a beach (although one aspect, I personally miss about country living, is being able to swim nine months a year) there are so many aspects to ponder when it comes to small town Australian living. Can be great. But certainly not for all comers.

[newjez]

Thanks Supercow. Seems there is a lot of building work going on in healthcare and Sunshine Coast looks beautiful. We would be happy there but it doesn't seem to be a DWS and jobs are filled with domestic trained doctors.

 

The jobs currently are Mackay, Bega NSW, Geraldton WA, Mildura Vic. They are just a little too remote for us really and we would prefer to be in a bigger locality such as a metropol or a regional area of.

 

X

 

Country in the Eastern states isn't as isolated as country in western Australia.

 

Might be worth coming on a reccie to see how you feel.