IT Opportunities and quality of life in Perth, WA

[Bloodr0se]

(My partner has been offered a trainee Healthcare position in Perth and the visa application is currently in progress. She really wants me to go with her however I have several major concerns, not least regarding work opportunities there for myself. I am a British IT professional with a relevant degree and approximately 10 years of experience in the field. I currently work as a DevOps/Application Engineer for a software company. We do have an Australian office however I haven't really been with the business long enough for an international transfer, their setup and structure is completely different and the office is in a different Australian state anyway. 

I have been listed as an accompanying spouse on her visa application (407) however my understanding is that I can only work part-time, should the application even be accepted. Can anyone provide any info regarding the current employment market there and also whether or not there is the possibility to secure a full-time position under such an arrangement, presumably with local employer sponsorship? 

Thanks in advance.  

[Jon the Hat]

I would say you have a wonderful opportunity to experience life in a new city in a new country.  Why not?  Sounds like you are relativley young and I assume no kids?  You might find you take a little while to find the right role, so might be worth looking into software companies in perth, or indeed remote work?

If you are a spouse on a work visa you should have full work rights; I think what people refer to is that companies will often pick someone with citizenship or permanent residence over someone with a limited term 3-4 year visa if they are looking long term.

Perth is a lovly place to live, particularly if you like ourdoors and watersports.  We are moving back to Perth after 15 years in the uK as soon as we can sell our house.

I would suggest you absolutley apply on her visa.  I would also be asking your firm if you can work remotely, even 3 weeks out of 4 and one in the office in Sydney or Melbourne (or wherever their office is).  Don't ask don't get.

Good luck!

[Bloodr0se]

5 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

I would say you have a wonderful opportunity to experience life in a new city in a new country.  Why not?  Sounds like you are relativley young and I assume no kids?  You might find you take a little while to find the right role, so might be worth looking into software companies in perth, or indeed remote work?

If you are a spouse on a work visa you should have full work rights; I think what people refer to is that companies will often pick someone with citizenship or permanent residence over someone with a limited term 3-4 year visa if they are looking long term.

Perth is a lovly place to live, particularly if you like ourdoors and watersports.  We are moving back to Perth after 15 years in the uK as soon as we can sell our house.

I would suggest you absolutley apply on her visa.  I would also be asking your firm if you can work remotely, even 3 weeks out of 4 and one in the office in Sydney or Melbourne (or wherever their office is).  Don't ask don't get.

Good luck!

Thanks for the quick reply. The application has been filled already for both of us I think. The problem is that her visa is 407 and not a regular temporary work visa and I believe spouses on 407 are limited to 40 hours of paid work per every 2 weeks. Part time jobs in IT are obviously very hard to come by and also I wouldn't want to be in any way financially dependent upon her. I am obviously qualified to practice my profession but I don't know how much difference that would make in this case.

I have considered just doing remote contracts but they tend to be pay poorly and can be extremely competitive due to low wage economies, outsourcing etc. 

I'm sure it's a really great and healthy place to live but I'm just cautious of not being able to enjoy it due to career and financial concerns etc. I'm in my mid-late 30's but don't have any kids and no major financial commitments atm. 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Bloodr0se

[Marisawright]

When I was in my thirties, my partner got a job in Africa.     There was no question of me finding work there, so I simply took a career break for three years.  I did worry that it would affect my career, but what's more important - money or your partner?  

As it turned out, it wasn't a disaster, I did get back to the workforce on my return and it wasn't a problem.  If you've got a good reason for your absence, employers aren't too worried.  Perhaps you could take the opportunity to do some further study so you can show you've kept up to date with your profession in the meantime?

Once she's got the visa and you know you're definitely going, don't just hand in your notice. Talk to your employer and see what the options are.  Maybe you can keep doing some work for the UK office remotely.  Maybe you can work for the Australian office remotely with a weekly visit.   What's the worst that can happen if you ask?   

Edited January 3, 2020 by Marisawright

[newjez]

11 hours ago, Bloodr0se said:

(My partner has been offered a trainee Healthcare position in Perth and the visa application is currently in progress. She really wants me to go with her however I have several major concerns, not least regarding work opportunities there for myself. I am a British IT professional with a relevant degree and approximately 10 years of experience in the field. I currently work as a DevOps/Application Engineer for a software company. We do have an Australian office however I haven't really been with the business long enough for an international transfer, their setup and structure is completely different and the office is in a different Australian state anyway. 

I have been listed as an accompanying spouse on her visa application (407) however my understanding is that I can only work part-time, should the application even be accepted. Can anyone provide any info regarding the current employment market there and also whether or not there is the possibility to secure a full-time position under such an arrangement, presumably with local employer sponsorship? 

Thanks in advance.  

I haven't worked in Perth for many years, and I don't know your skill set, but would something like this suit you?

https://au.jora.com/job/DevOps-Engineer-6cf37316c03910376171e84d314cc9f7?from_url=https%3A%2F%2Fau.jora.com%2FDevops-jobs-in-Perth-WA&sl=Perth+WA&sol_srt=7968ccd3-4e75-498f-8036-8b8a130eb5ab&sp=serp&sponsored=false&sq=Devops&sr=1&tk=1XvLx64NRdr1KWuvRlod-zeRJasJ6wnMX6gdiKKNl

[Marisawright]

I may be barking up totally the wrong tree, but I think a bigger question might be, what are your partner's long-term intentions?

Based on some of your earlier posts, it does sound as though she's been trying to find  a way to actually migrate to Australia. If that's the case, then I think it's really important that you suck it up and decide to move with her.    Those two years on the 407 visa will give both of you an accurate idea of whether you would actually want to settle in Australia.  

She may be surprised and find it's not quite what she wanted after all (a lot of Brits get starry-eyed about Australia and it doesn't meet their expectations when they actually move).  Or maybe she'll love it and you'll be terribly homesick, or vice versa.  Either way, it's a chance to establish your feelings so you can have a meaningful conversation about your future. 

 

[AliQ]

14 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Perth is a lovly place to live, particularly if you like ourdoors and watersports.  We are moving back to Perth after 15 years in the uK as soon as we can sell our house.

Totally agree. We lived in Perth for 28 years, LOVED it. 

[Jon the Hat]

I thnk the 40 hours a fortnight applies to the main applicant, and the point is to ensure they actually study. I suggest you do some more digging.

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Jon the Hat said:

I thnk the 40 hours a fortnight applies to the main applicant, and the point is to ensure they actually study. I suggest you do some more digging.

I checked and the OP is right about the restriction

[s713]

Being realistic, you might struggle. There isn't much of an IT scene in Perth at the best of times (worked there in IT for 11 years), not like there is in Syd or Melb. Plus, if you are on a temp visa with the extra restriction of reduced working hours, you're not much of a catch unfortunately.

As for quality of life, fine if you have the money. If your Mrs is a Trainee and you're on reduced hours, I hope you have lots of savings.

[Bloodr0se]

20 hours ago, newjez said:

I haven't worked in Perth for many years, and I don't know your skill set, but would something like this suit you?

https://au.jora.com/job/DevOps-Engineer-6cf37316c03910376171e84d314cc9f7?from_url=https%3A%2F%2Fau.jora.com%2FDevops-jobs-in-Perth-WA&sl=Perth+WA&sol_srt=7968ccd3-4e75-498f-8036-8b8a130eb5ab&sp=serp&sponsored=false&sq=Devops&sr=1&tk=1XvLx64NRdr1KWuvRlod-zeRJasJ6wnMX6gdiKKNl

Thanks. Yes, that's basically almost my current job description although I mostly work with AWS rather than Azure. 

[Bloodr0se]

9 hours ago, s713 said:

Being realistic, you might struggle. There isn't much of an IT scene in Perth at the best of times (worked there in IT for 11 years), not like there is in Syd or Melb. Plus, if you are on a temp visa with the extra restriction of reduced working hours, you're not much of a catch unfortunately.

As for quality of life, fine if you have the money. If your Mrs is a Trainee and you're on reduced hours, I hope you have lots of savings.

We're both relatively comfortable financially however I do completely appreciate your honesty. Her trainee position is a high end medical one and is still paying more than she currently receives as a temporary employee for the NHS. 

While I could afford to only work part time for a year or so, I'd obviously really prefer not to do so and I absolutely don't want to be financially dependent on her. 

[Bloodr0se]

14 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I may be barking up totally the wrong tree, but I think a bigger question might be, what are your partner's long-term intentions?

Based on some of your earlier posts, it does sound as though she's been trying to find  a way to actually migrate to Australia. If that's the case, then I think it's really important that you suck it up and decide to move with her.    Those two years on the 407 visa will give both of you an accurate idea of whether you would actually want to settle in Australia.  

She may be surprised and find it's not quite what she wanted after all (a lot of Brits get starry-eyed about Australia and it doesn't meet their expectations when they actually move).  Or maybe she'll love it and you'll be terribly homesick, or vice versa.  Either way, it's a chance to establish your feelings so you can have a meaningful conversation about your future. 

 

Without giving too much away, my partner is not British. She has lived in the UK for many years and became qualified here however she is originally from SE Asia and one of the drawing factors of Australia for her is the much closer proximity to her home country. 

Her trainee contract is for one year I believe. I'm not entirely sure if that is subject to a potential extension or another substantive position though. 

[MarkyMarc]

Potentially yes,

I work for one of Australia's biggest IT companies.  We seem to always be crying out for application developers.  It's one of the most in-demand professions in IT.

Obviously the current market conditions could be affecting that, however if you are serious about moving I can potentially look at putting your CV forward for you.

You would need to confirm your working rights etc.

 

[ali]

On 02/01/2020 at 22:32, Bloodr0se said:

(My partner has been offered a trainee Healthcare position in Perth and the visa application is currently in progress. She really wants me to go with her however I have several major concerns, not least regarding work opportunities there for myself. I am a British IT professional with a relevant degree and approximately 10 years of experience in the field. I currently work as a DevOps/Application Engineer for a software company. We do have an Australian office however I haven't really been with the business long enough for an international transfer, their setup and structure is completely different and the office is in a different Australian state anyway. 

I have been listed as an accompanying spouse on her visa application (407) however my understanding is that I can only work part-time, should the application even be accepted. Can anyone provide any info regarding the current employment market there and also whether or not there is the possibility to secure a full-time position under such an arrangement, presumably with local employer sponsorship? 

Thanks in advance.  

I believe you can work up to 40 hours per fortnight on this visa - some places may offer fixed term contracts, it may be worthwhile exploring casual work with an agency so you don't breech the visa requirements regarding work.

[Bloodr0se]

On 18/03/2020 at 01:12, MarkyMarc said:

Potentially yes,

I work for one of Australia's biggest IT companies.  We seem to always be crying out for application developers.  It's one of the most in-demand professions in IT.

Obviously the current market conditions could be affecting that, however if you are serious about moving I can potentially look at putting your CV forward for you.

You would need to confirm your working rights etc.

 

Thanks for the reply. I do have the visa already and as Ali suggests, it's limited to 40 hours of work per fortnight. 

I'm more of a DevOps Engineer than a developer really so while my job does involve writing code, it's mostly automation scripting in Python, bash, Powershell etc rather than application development. 

Presently my partner is in Perth and I'm still in the UK. I was due to travel to Perth in mid-April for a few weeks to look around and review job opportunities however that obviously might not be able to happen now considering the current global travel situation. 

If you think my skill set might be suitable though then please just reply and I can send a CV over. I could be available for a chat or interview via the phone or Skype in the short term if that's suitable.