LAW Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Hi all, We lodged our 189 skilled visa last week and have been on a bit of a high knowing that we have finally got to this point! Needless to say the reality of the 7-8 month wait that the DIBP are currently advising for processing feels like a long time! So, I was thinking about how to spend that time wisely and was considering some of the organising that can be done now...any suggestions or experience welcome! My list so far goes like this... 1) Open an Australian bank account and potentially start making some deposits (savings permitting). Have been reading about what bank to go for but is a bit of a minefield. 2) Don't renew mobile phone contracts and use a pay and you go service when they are due for renewal. Need to actually check when renewal dates are but the intention is there! 3) Start putting together a larger box-file of all documentation we will require out there (this is semi-started given all the stuff we needed to submit for visa anyway). 4) Start making a list of DIY jobs to get the house sale (likely) or rent ready. Oh, and actually start doing some of them! Any more ideas from those who have been there? Would be good to have something to focus on other than the waiting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus1 Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 There's some general ideas on this article 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAW Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 Thanks Cerebus...this is great! Anyone else recently lodged their 189? We are hoping to go to Melbourne some time towards the end of next year hopefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Do you know where you are moving too? You can spend some time researching areas and looking at property on sites like realestate.com. Back when we applied quite a few years ago, I found researching all the different areas great fun to kill time. You could also look into shipping companys and decide what you want to bring with you. Lots of luck with your application Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 4 hours ago, LAW said: Thanks Cerebus...this is great! Anyone else recently lodged their 189? We are hoping to go to Melbourne some time towards the end of next year hopefully. The time will come around so fast. Where in Melbourne are you heading to? We lived there for 8 years and I ran a relocation company there before heading to FNQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAW Posted October 29, 2017 Author Share Posted October 29, 2017 Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I bet the time will fly by Pom Queen! We have three kids too and time just zooms past when you have littlies. We have started looking at properties in and around the Altona, Point Cook, Sanctuary Lakes, Werribee areas west of Melbourne, as thought it looked like you got more for your $'s there. Any thoughts on these places Pom Queen? Also seemed a good option for train route into CBD. Have no firm plans but liked the look of these areas. I guess it depends what happens job wise for us and what salary we can command between us. It definitely is addictive when you start looking at houses on realestate.com calNgary! Have no idea what to do with shipping at this stage! Though, we don't have loads of furniture to take as much of it is needing replaced. Just a new sofa, coffee table, computer table and storage chest. We thought it would be better to buy new beds/matresses for kids and ourselves on arrival rather than waiting for them to arrive via shipping and were thinking move cube might be an option given positive reviews I have seen on here. Any suggestions re. banks? Have had a number of e-mails from various companies looking for our business having now lodged. Commonwealth bank and John Mason international movers among them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus1 Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 3 hours ago, LAW said: Have no idea what to do with shipping at this stage! Though, we don't have loads of furniture to take as much of it is needing replaced. Just a new sofa, coffee table, computer table and storage chest. We thought it would be better to buy new beds/matresses for kids and ourselves on arrival rather than waiting for them to arrive via shipping and were thinking move cube might be an option given positive reviews I have seen on here. Any suggestions re. banks? Have had a number of e-mails from various companies looking for our business having now lodged. Commonwealth bank and John Mason international movers among them. Quite a few members have used movecube, I'm sure they'll be happy to share their experiences. I think the big four banks - Commonwelath, ANZ, Westpac, NAB will all offer a similar level of service. We're personally with ANZ for everything but any should be fine. If you use a shipper, then John Mason do seem to have a good reputation, hardly ever see any complaints about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 We used a large Movecube. We are a family of 3 and I chose to be really ruthless and de cluttered in the months leading up to our move. I also had a very definite list of what furniture I wanted to take, sell, recycle and dump. A large Movecube may well be enough for you but if you have 3 kids and lots of personal effects then for a family of 5, you may well have too much to fit. Even with me chopping our personal effects down by half and furniture wise only shipping our KS bed and frame, set of drawers, simple chair, blanket box and desk (dismantled) we filled our cube to the brim. We had 30 or so boxes of stuff in there also but carefully packed to maximise on space. If you want to bring a sofa you really need to work out the dimensions carefully and ensure you could fit it in a cube and also fit in boxes around it. We were super organised and did a dummy run and taped out an area of floor and worked out exact amount of room and sizes of boxes etc we could stack into it. We knew well before the cube arrived what we had to work with and I just kept getting rid of stuff and packing non essential things up ready for the move. Even then at the last minute we had a few boxes we shipped separately as we ended up putting some bikes and golf clubs into the cube ?. If you have a time frame in mind to make the move I’d get serious on the planning now and be organised. Even if it’s just things like making lists of stuff to take with, sell before leaving, donate/recycle etc. You will find it changes a little as you go. And sit down with the kids in the run up to Christmas and get them to have a big sort out. Anything they’ve not used or don’t really want, sell or donate to charity shops. And then don’t go mad buying heaps of gifts that won’t really get used or serve much purpose other than to fill a stocking at Christmas to replace it all. Shop smart and think ahead. I did things like bought son a set of decent UV rash vest and bathers for the beach in a size or two up from his current fit. Same with any clothes and PJ’s. And some flip flops a size or two up. Made the gifts more practical where I could and things we would take and use once there. We got a bigger scooter for son for his birthday that we could take apart and put in his checked bag to fly over with us a few months later. He loved being able to have his scooter from day 1 when we arrived and it didn’t weigh much really in the grand scheme of things. Fwiw we opened an account with Commonwealth before we moved over and have had no issues. We have never done bank to bank transfers as rates poor and they charge fees. We’ve always used a forex and got better rate and no fees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 If you have monthly Three mobile contracts you can use your phone here with all allowances as if "at home" for three months (data is restricted to 12mb).Also good to research & make a comparison list where you could stay initially (before renting/buying) if you know where you're going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABG Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 +1 to switching to a sim only deal with Three. You can get a dual sim card phone and have both cards running. Free calls etc to UK, and your friends/family in UK can phone you on a local UK number Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 we are with three and intend on canx our contract 2 months after we have arrived as you can use your phone as you do in the uk for upto 3 months with the feel at home coverage. We will then take out a new one there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevsan Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 On 10/30/2017 at 11:52, snifter said: We used a large Movecube. We are a family of 3 and I chose to be really ruthless and de cluttered in the months leading up to our move. I also had a very definite list of what furniture I wanted to take, sell, recycle and dump. And sit down with the kids in the run up to Christmas and get them to have a big sort out. Anything they’ve not used or don’t really want, sell or donate to charity shops. Agree with all snifter said. We were the same and used the large movecube. It was perfect for us. Bear in mind you will be without whatever is in there for around 3 months. Either 3 months before you go, or 3 months after you arrive or a bit of both which is what we did (approx 6 weeks each side) so you will need to budget for some stuff - TV, fridge etc and end up with 2 etc. Agree you need to be ruthless and adopt a it goes in the cube or the suitcase or it doesnt come attitude, but at the crunch we had space left and should have been more prepared for adding more stuff. Having been here a while now i really regret not bringing more of my power/hand tools / garden stuff etc. Its a pain that they will need more attention to cleaning but at the moment time is on your side. I shudder at the stuff i gave/threw away, angle grinders, bench saws all sorts thinking i'll never need them again. and i do. - especially if you get to buy a house again!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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