Moving with kids

[EmmaFoxworthy]

Hi all, I’m hoping someone can help me out I’ve been seeing some great spirit on here when people ask for advise so I’ve decided to ask for some myself. 

We will be moving with two children who will be going into primary school, I’m unsure how we will go about renting our property as I’ve heard we can’t rent out without seeing it, understandable but when you can’t what route do I take with this. And most importantly enrolling my children into the school we would like them to go to. Our local popular schools get maxed out so what is everyone’s experience with this? 

 

Thanks all x

[JRC]

We plan on renting a holiday let via Airbnb for a month when we first arrive and fingers crossed this will be roughly in the suburb we hope to rent long term in.  Don’t know about the school intake though, sorry. 

 

I have looked on the Realestate.com.au app and it lists all local schools for each property listed which is useful - I’m a teacher so it’s helped me to see which localities have the biggest choice  of schools so therefore more chance of job vacancies. 

[Quoll]

Get  your long term rental and the local school is required to find a place for your child. All gov schools have catchment areas so if you are in the catchment area they have to take you. Most people choose rentals based on where they work, what other amenities they require, what accommodation is available and what they can afford. Nobody gets their knickers in a knot if you don't put a kid in school for several weeks /months while you're getting settled. 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Quoll

[EmmaFoxworthy]

Thanks for the info both  how long would you say it takes to complete when you find the rental? 

Do the schools generally reach year group capacity? If we tried to get our son into the school he’s in now he would be on a waiting list and unless a child left he wouldn’t get in, even if he was number 1 on the list. 

Ideally we wanted them both to start when the children move into their new year groups (everything’s new so they have better chance of camouflaging) or am I over thinking their feelings lol! 

I’ve been told that depending on which visa we get we may have to pay for school fees is this correct? 

Thanks again you’ve been a big help x

[Marisawright]

You're over-thinking their feelings.  

The risk with rushing them into school is that you'll end up getting a job miles from where you live, and you'll have long commute times which will cut into the time you can spend with your children - which in the end, will be more of a disadvantage than being kept out of school for a few weeks. 

I wouldn't recommend arriving in December/January anyway.  The summer holidays are the worst time of the year to try to get jobs or find rentals. 

[Quoll]

6 hours ago, EmmaFoxworthy said:

Thanks for the info both  how long would you say it takes to complete when you find the rental? 

Do the schools generally reach year group capacity? If we tried to get our son into the school he’s in now he would be on a waiting list and unless a child left he wouldn’t get in, even if he was number 1 on the list. 

Ideally we wanted them both to start when the children move into their new year groups (everything’s new so they have better chance of camouflaging) or am I over thinking their feelings lol! 

I’ve been told that depending on which visa we get we may have to pay for school fees is this correct? 

Thanks again you’ve been a big help x

It's a foreign country with different rules. Yes you're over thinking things. Schools are obliged to find a place for a child in their catchment area. Theoretically, once you have your rental agreement you rock up to the school with your visa, your rental agreement and the kids vaccination record and they could start there and then but generally the school may ask you to give them a couple of days to get things organised. Kids move all the time so there's no need for them to start at the beginning of a new year and I agree with the point above, arriving Dec/Jan isn't a great idea for finding jobs or rentals! 

Yes, some visas require you to pay for schooling in some states. That can be upwards of $5k per child per year, so which visa are you talking about and which state? And in some states a fee paying child may not be entitled to a place in the local school if it's oversubscribed (they usually do get into the local school though). If you're on a permanent visa you won't have to pay other than The usual things that everyone pays - books, stationery, excursions, visiting teachers, voluntary contributions etc. If you're on a temporary visa though in NSW, ACT, WA, SA then yes you will have to pay at the moment but there's no telling when other states may also decide to charge.

[JRC]

As a teacher let me reassure you that kids are fine if they start mid year so don’t panic about the time of year you put them into school, they are so resilient! 

[EmmaFoxworthy]

It will be on a sponsorship visa, I don’t at all mind paying the fees but I’m trying to find out everything I can.

i know the little ones will love it, my son who is 7 would be more the worry leaving his friends 

[Quoll]

5 hours ago, EmmaFoxworthy said:

It will be on a sponsorship visa, I don’t at all mind paying the fees but I’m trying to find out everything I can.

i know the little ones will love it, my son who is 7 would be more the worry leaving his friends 

Which state? 

The kids may love it or they may hate it, you never know. Some kids hate not being with their extended family and friends but as it's only a temporary visa you'll be coming on, you can treat it like a big adventure. What the kids miss out on in school, we hear from returnees that the UK system is generally pretty good at helping them get back on track.

[Marisawright]

5 hours ago, EmmaFoxworthy said:

It will be on a sponsorship visa, I don’t at all mind paying the fees but I’m trying to find out everything I can.

i know the little ones will love it, my son who is 7 would be more the worry leaving his friends 

If it's just a sponsored visa, then I wouldn't panic too much.  The employer should be paying a lot of your relocation expenses and may help with temp accommodation when you first arrive.  You've also got the benefit that you know where one of you will be working, so that narrows down your suburb search.

As Quoll said, some kids thrive on it and some struggle at first, but kids that age are resilient and they will adapt - and anyway, it's only for 2 or 4 years and then they'll be home again.  It's a great age to be doing a temp contract because they're young enough that their education won't suffer from the disruption (once they get into secondary school it's harder), and it's a great way to widen their horizons.  Enjoy.

[EmmaFoxworthy]

Thanks for all the information guys, it’s nice to have good people like yourselves to lean on for these supportive questions. I could google the hell out of everything and it’s no match to speaking to people with experience.

am I good to put any kind of topic on this thread? 

I will anyway but happy to repost as a new question!

so our other very un nerving niggle is, my husbands job here in the UK is very beneficial to our later life, he works at Jaguar Land Rover and some people quote his permanent position there ‘made for life’ he doesn’t like it much but it pays the bills and some. We are so nervous about leaving this behind, for us to have to come home in a few years (ideally if we come we contribute to the country and stay unless it’s definitely not possible) is it worth breaking his service here. Australia for us ticks every box, but where would we stand in building a future for ourselves after work when we are on a sponsored visa just hoping to be able to stay at the end of it!?  

 

Thanks again all xx

[Wonderingaloud]

Unfortunately the possibility of remaining in Australia and gaining PR after a temporary visa is not as easy as it used to be. It depends if your occupation is still on the long term list afew years down the line, and that you meet the age and skills required to amongst other things. Eligibility requirements can change quite a lot for eg the level of education achieved for a certain profession. It doesn’t matter if you have 30 years experience but without a degree in nursing (as an example) it just won’t cut it. A lot of diploma trained nurses missed out afew years ago when this change was implemented. There have been massive changes in recent years, occupations ‘downgraded’ to the short term list (so no possibility of PR) or removed completely. Even having enough points for some of the permanent visas is not enough, because those with more will always be picked first, so meeting the minimum is no guarantee.

It’s unlikely in all honesty that you will be able to stay- a temporary visa is exactly that- you fill a gap in the market for a temporary amount of time. Treat it as an adventure, make some memories but expect to go home at the end of it. Your children are a good age, and will be resilient as far as education goes.  If there’s a possibility to stay then fabulous, but don’t set your heart on it, just incase. Of course you never know, but as far as your husband giving up his job goes, it’s a big gamble tbh. 

You say Australia ticks every box but you won’t know until you live there, and to be honest, living on a temporary visa without access to Centrelink support etc, is hard, not to mention expensive with kids and the possibility of school fees etc. 

I wish you all the luck with it, but plan for the worst, and if the worst happens- you’re prepared. Anything more than that will be a bonus. 

All the best!

 

[EmmaFoxworthy]

I do believe at present vehicle mechanics is on the medium to long list, I know this can change. We have an agency calling on Monday x

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, EmmaFoxworthy said:

I do believe at present vehicle mechanics is on the medium to long list, I know this can change. We have an agency calling on Monday x

Yes it can change and it happens with no warning. If you want to move permanently to Australia then be patient and apply for a permanent visa now, don’t even think of trying the sponsored route. The transition from sponsored to permanent is very uncertain and highly stressful these days with a high refusal rate

[EmmaFoxworthy]

I think we qualify for 70 points so you’re right maybe a more stable visa would be better, we just wanted stability with the sponsored job but it sounds like it limits you in a few ways! 

We just worry about the great pension my husband will receive which when we look at it is very much the same as Australia. Which is great, if it works out..if it doesn’t, we worry he wouldn’t get the perks he does now. Not so much me, but he sees those figures..he’s worked hard so I don’t blame him. 

Is this site mostly people who have made the move or are citizens on here too? You’re a lovely bunch that’s for sure xx

[Marisawright]

32 minutes ago, EmmaFoxworthy said:

I think we qualify for 70 points so you’re right maybe a more stable visa would be better, we just wanted stability with the sponsored job but it sounds like it limits you in a few ways! 

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure 70 points will not get you a permanent visa at the moment.  

You need at least 65 points to apply, but then you go into a competition, not a queue.  The people with the most points get invited.  70  points is on the low side, and hundreds of new applications come in every single day.   As long as there are applications with 75 or 80 points coming in, they'll get picked and your application will just languish.  It may even expire before you get an invitation.  From time to time, Immigration publishes the points that are needed to get an invitation. I'm not sure how you find that out, but agents should know. 

A sponsorship visa doesn't give you stabliity - in fact, it's the opposite.  The only security it offers is the security of a job when you first arrive.  After that, you're walking a tightrope, because your visa is entirely dependent on your husband's job.  What if he hates it?  You'll have to pack up and go home. What if the company gets into difficulties and he's made redunant?  You'll have to pack up and go home.  What if the company goes bust?  You'll have to pack up and go home. 

If you do choose the sponsorship route, it's crucial to check the employer very, very carefully.  Sadly, some employers are well aware of their power and treat temporary visa holders badly, making unreasonable demands or not giving pay rises because they know the employee can't leave (actually, he can leave, but only if he can find another employer who's willing to sponsor him, and many employers won't sponsor because it's too expensive and they have to open their books to the government).

Edited August 10, 2019 by Marisawright

[Marisawright]

To get some idea of how stressful it is to attempt to transition to the permanent (186/187) visa after your temp visa, take a browse through this section of the forum:  

https://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/48-business-sponsored/

Edited August 10, 2019 by Marisawright

[Quoll]

Can your DH take a career break? You could rent out your house then suck it and see. It always worries me when the "ticks all the boxes" mantra gets trotted out if you haven't ever actually lived in Australia. Bottom line, it's just another first world country with just the same first world issues, there's nothing magical about it. If Your life ain't broke  then don't try and fix it I reckon. However, if your aim  in life is adventure and you're prepared to sacrifice financial stability and tens of thousands of pounds then go for it. 

In answer to your question - dual citizen, married to an Australian, 32 years in Australia, 8 years back in UK, impending move back to Australia now my dad has put himself into care. Not really relishing the prospect but we are sadly past the point of no return on lots of different fronts so we have to go. There are loads of things the Poms whinge about and they don't know how lucky they are - I often tell them what the same situation would be like in Australia and they gape -  little things like the cost of renewing your passport, the recent hot  weather, waiting to see a public specialist for a non emergency situation etc. Nowhere is perfect, sadly.

[Wonderingaloud]

 

7 hours ago, EmmaFoxworthy said:

Is this site mostly people who have made the move or are citizens on here too? You’re a lovely bunch that’s for sure xx

Lived in/near Brisbane for 8 years. Came out on 457 temporary visa, no kids. Lucky to get a great employer who I still work for, who sponsored me (and husband) on 186 visa afew years ago. We are now citizens with 2 little Ozzie children.

For us, best decision ever. We are visiting in the UK at the moment and are feeling so blessed we get to go back to Australia to live. We truly love it here but then we went when the immigration situation was better and didn’t have children in the mix. For us, it was an adventure and it didn’t matter if it didn’t work out -it was a life experience. But as it happened, it did work out. We are very lucky.