Totally overwhelmed !! Advice appreciated

[Charlum]

Hey guys 

We are a family of 4 living in the UK, our children are 8&9, my husband and I both have skilled trades & have literally just started the ball rolling with speaking to migration agents to try and get us over there.. The thing is, we love so much of Australia that we don’t know where to actually settle, we are swaying towards the Gold Coast/Brisbane/Newcastle way on. We want somewhere where there is a bit of everything going on such as close to amenities,the beach, safe for a family to live peacefully,good schooling and work prospects, and just a good quality of life for us but not too quiet and not the hustle and bustle of a city. This makes us super awkward but with us having children we want to relocate here for a better life . Where do most likewise families start? Is there places anyone would avoid? Any advice in general would be great.. thank you 

 

Kind Regards

The Lumley’s
 

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

Because Sydney is where the in-laws live, it’s the only place we have ever lived in Australia and when we return there in a few years, that’s where we will be. 
 

But from the business travel I have done, Adelaide would be my first choice. 
 

now business travel, like holidays are nothing like living in a place, but it seemed to tick the boxes for me.  
 

- an attractive but small city, so there’s things to do without the hustle and bustle

- low traffic. The guys in the office get to work in 20 mins (in Sydney the last 2k would take that long in a car). 

- housing prices that seemed much more affordable to me 

 

worth putting on your research list I would suggest.  

[Marisawright]

6 hours ago, Charlum said:

We are a family of 4 living in the UK, our children are 8&9, my husband and I both have skilled trades & have literally just started the ball rolling with speaking to migration agents to try and get us over there.. The thing is, we love so much of Australia that we don’t know where to actually settle...We want somewhere where there is a bit of everything going on such as close to amenities,the beach, safe for a family to live peacefully,good schooling and work prospects, and just a good quality of life for us but not too quiet and not the hustle and bustle of a city.

My vote would go to Newcastle.   It's a good-sized city with gorgeous beaches, good schooling and good job prospects - and house prices are half that of Sydney.  If you don't mind a commute, you've got a range of smaller towns nearby - maybe you'd like to live in the wine country, if you're a sailor you might choose Lake Macquarie, or perhaps you'd prefer swimming with dolphins at Port Stephens, for instance.  When I lived in Sydney, I had two work colleagues who made the daily two-hour commute from Newcastle to Sydney.  They'd been transferred to Head Office but refused to relocate their families because they both felt Newcastle was such a good place to bring up their children.  That has always stuck with me. 

For me, the big advantage of the East Coast is flexibility.   You should be able to find work in Newcastle, but if you're a contractor, you're close enough to Sydney to pick up jobs there too.   If you find Newcastle isn't right for you, and you have to move to the Gold Coast, Brisbane or Sydney, it's a manageable drive and won't be too expensive.  

Whereas if you  choose Perth or Adelaide, both lovely cities, you're a long way from anywhere and facing a very expensive move if you realise it was the wrong choice.   Adelaide has a reputation for being difficult to find work, too.

Edited September 7, 2020 by Marisawright

[Marisawright]

One more thing - before you get too excited about Newcastle, Adelaide or anywhere else, I suggest you have a consultation with a migration agent.  Don't waste your time shopping around agents - pick a good recommended one and stick with them.  I recommend Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda.  

I say that because it's quite likely you won't get to choose which state you go to.  Migrating to Australia isn't easy.  The application process is competitive. It's not "if you have all the qualifications and experience on the list, you get a visa".  It's like applying for a job:  there are thousands of qualified applicants and the government cherry-picks the top few. 

The best visa, the 189, lets you live wherever you want - but that is also the most competitive.  Officially you can apply with only 65 points, but in practice, you don't stand a chance unless you score over 90 points.  It's more likely you'll have to go for the 190, and those are offered by the individual states, depending on their needs.  So you might find your occupation is on the list for WA but not on the list for NSW, for instance.  That means you'll have to live in that state.  

Good luck!

[Charlum]

Wow some great info here thank you! & definitely a lot to think about and process.. A bit disappointed that we can’t really choose the state but thank you for letting me know, is there a way of moving states once there or do we have to stay put? 
 

thanks for all your advice it’s really appreciated x

[Lavers]

Hi Charlum what is it that you and your husband do?

We have just moved to Adelaide 2 months ago, me, my wife and 2 girls 10&5. So far all loving it.

We had to do 4 weeks quarantine which wasnt the best but at least we are here.

Came with no job but I found one after being out of quarantine in a week as a Metal Fabricator.

As marissa says though the 189 visa which allows you to go anywhere is really hard to get so after that is the 190 so check each states website to see if your trades are on the list.

Also you dont both need to apply so if one trade is on the list but not the other then go with who's trade is on the list.

Also on the 190 you have to stay in that state for 2 yes then after that you are free to move wherever you wish.

 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Lavers

[Charlum]

Hello thanks for your advice. So I work as a trainee nurse for the NHS here in the UK, I work in an emergency department so I have tonnes of experience & anticipate to have what qualifications I need by the next year or so & plan to stay in medical sector. I also have a beauty therapy qualification with distinctions and NVQ’s levels 2&3 in Business Administration, so I will be the main applicant. My husband is the manager of a timber firm and although his job pays well, he doesn’t have a trade to back him up so we are hoping that my trades will be enough to get us in. We hope that by the time we get to Oz (if we get there), that we will have enough money saved up to take our time settling in and finding work which sounds similar to what your family has done. Your success story gives me hope! Whereabouts did you emigrate from? How did you find the whole experience/costs etc if you don’t mind me asking. 

 

Thank you. 

[Paul1Perth]

1 hour ago, Charlum said:

Hello thanks for your advice. So I work as a trainee nurse for the NHS here in the UK, I work in an emergency department so I have tonnes of experience & anticipate to have what qualifications I need by the next year or so & plan to stay in medical sector. I also have a beauty therapy qualification with distinctions and NVQ’s levels 2&3 in Business Administration, so I will be the main applicant. My husband is the manager of a timber firm and although his job pays well, he doesn’t have a trade to back him up so we are hoping that my trades will be enough to get us in. We hope that by the time we get to Oz (if we get there), that we will have enough money saved up to take our time settling in and finding work which sounds similar to what your family has done. Your success story gives me hope! Whereabouts did you emigrate from? How did you find the whole experience/costs etc if you don’t mind me asking. 

 

Thank you. 

We came out from near Stockport in 92, so a long time ago but it was the middle of a recession in the UK and here. Interest rates were really high too.

My wife is a nurse and I have a degree and work in IT. We both gave up decent jobs to come.

We had a 2 year old, hadn't been before, couldn't afford a reccie, didn't know anyone here and chose Perth because we liked the look of the City, the climate, bit like you, didn't fancy big cities and traffic and had dreams of living near a beach.

I was out of work 5 months and my wife went for "a chat" at Royal Perth hospital after a couple of weeks and came out with a job to start the following week.

Another thing that attracted us to Perth was the house prices. We sold a 2 up 2 down end terrace near Stackport for 50,000 pounds and the equivalent in dollars would buy you a detached 4×2 near the beach at the time. We spent lots on emigrating and getting set up here so still ended up with a mortgage, after renting for a year and having a good look round at suburbs we liked.

We got our "dream" place, nothing special as Perth houses go but we love the suburb, 2 mins by car to a fantastic beach, 30km from the City, close to the freeway, excellent public transport, trains up and down the freeway are good and cheap. It still feels like we are on constant holiday.

Our eldest, who's 31 now has been living in Newcastle for about a year. He met his girlfriend in Whistler, Canada, where he worked for a couple of years and she's from Newcastle. She was keen to be close to her family for a while but they have now moved to Perth and like it a lot better. They both say there's heaps more to do here and house prices, rentals a lot cheaper. They rent a 2 bed place in Scarborough for the same price as a single bed in the centre of Newcastle.

I have travelled a lot with my job and love Brisbane, gold coast, sunshine coast, Adelaide was our second choice  BTW. Glad we chose Perth though, we love it. 

My eldest is a sparkie, instrument tech on an oil rig. Really good money. Our youngest has autism but has managed to get work in a cafe where he loves working as a waiter and been there for 6 years. Near the beach too, so lovely spot.

All the best.

[Quoll]

3 hours ago, Charlum said:

Hello thanks for your advice. So I work as a trainee nurse for the NHS here in the UK, I work in an emergency department so I have tonnes of experience & anticipate to have what qualifications I need by the next year or so & plan to stay in medical sector. I also have a beauty therapy qualification with distinctions and NVQ’s levels 2&3 in Business Administration, so I will be the main applicant. My husband is the manager of a timber firm and although his job pays well, he doesn’t have a trade to back him up so we are hoping that my trades will be enough to get us in. We hope that by the time we get to Oz (if we get there), that we will have enough money saved up to take our time settling in and finding work which sounds similar to what your family has done. Your success story gives me hope! Whereabouts did you emigrate from? How did you find the whole experience/costs etc if you don’t mind me asking. 

 

Thank you. 

Are you doing a nursing degree? That’s now a requirement to be registered as a nurse in Australia. Only post qualification experience is included in assessments. There is also talk about whether nursing remains on the skills list with local nurses being churned out and not always able to find jobs. 
Not sure about business admin but qualifications usually need to be accompanied by relevant recent experience. 
As for where to go - go where you get an offer and where you get a job. Generally, the nicer the place, the more the competition for work and sometimes you might need to compromise on some things - for example, living in more remote areas you’re more likely to find a job in essential services but that means living hundreds of miles from a beach and with a questionable future for your kids. It’ll be a matter of working out what you’re prepared to compromise when push comes to shove. What are you expecting your “better” life to look like? 

[Marisawright]

4 hours ago, Charlum said:

Hello thanks for your advice. So I work as a trainee nurse for the NHS here in the UK...I also have a beauty therapy qualification

If you are still a trainee, then you have many years to wait before you can migrate. As Quoll says, you must have a degre in nursing.  Then you must have nursing experience, and the bad news is that they don't count any experience you got before you completed your degree.  So, complete the degree first, work for a few years to get experience, then you could apply.   There is also a risk that nursing won't be on the list by that time, as Australia is well-supplied with nurses except in remote rural areas.

I don't think beauty therapist is on any of the lists.

Edited September 9, 2020 by Marisawright

[Paul1Perth]

6 hours ago, Quoll said:

Are you doing a nursing degree? That’s now a requirement to be registered as a nurse in Australia. Only post qualification experience is included in assessments. There is also talk about whether nursing remains on the skills list with local nurses being churned out and not always able to find jobs. 
Not sure about business admin but qualifications usually need to be accompanied by relevant recent experience. 
As for where to go - go where you get an offer and where you get a job. Generally, the nicer the place, the more the competition for work and sometimes you might need to compromise on some things - for example, living in more remote areas you’re more likely to find a job in essential services but that means living hundreds of miles from a beach and with a questionable future for your kids. It’ll be a matter of working out what you’re prepared to compromise when push comes to shove. What are you expecting your “better” life to look like? 

The downside of going to where you can get a job is you could end up somewhere where your lifestyle, schooling, weather, location is worse than you had in the UK. Our first an foremost thought was where we would like to live and settle and we would look for jobs there.

Bit like if you lost your job in the UK but liked where you live I don't think your first thought would be move somewhere because of job opportunities. You would stay put, apply and wait for an opportunity.

Life has certainly been better for our family here.

[Lavers]

59 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

The downside of going to where you can get a job is you could end up somewhere where your lifestyle, schooling, weather, location is worse than you had in the UK. Our first an foremost thought was where we would like to live and settle and we would look for jobs there.

Bit like if you lost your job in the UK but liked where you live I don't think your first thought would be move somewhere because of job opportunities. You would stay put, apply and wait for an opportunity.

Life has certainly been better for our family here.

I 2nd Paul on that, if you are going to move to the otherside of the world, then you want to move some where which appeals to what you want.

[HappyHeart]

Hi Charlum

Assuming you are soon to qualify as a registered nurse in the UK it shouldn't be difficult to gain registration in Australia. I can only speak for WA which is where I am but have a look here 

https://www.osrecruitment.health.wa.gov.au/Nursing-and-midwifery-careers

When we came out the health department was actively recruiting overseas nurses so I had my choice of regions. We turned down QLD for reasons I won't go into and chose Perth. Initially I went through an agency but found it cumbersome and started directly emailing HR at individual hospitals. I had a phone interview at Royal Perth and 6 months later we were here on a 457 temp visa. Soon after recruiting ended and we couldn't gain hospital sponsorship for PR as promised do we got state sponsorship and did it ourselves which worked out well. My husband who doesnt have a trade as such was out of work for 6 months but has been employed full time ever since. 

I see from a quick look online there isn't the aggressive recruiting these days however with COVID there has been increased demand for acute nurses and with ED experience you may find it easier. 

Perth is a great city. Climate warm to very hot in Summer. Cool and wet in Winter. Geberally pefect in Spring. Quiet(ish) that's all subjective but generally Perth lifestyle is all about the great outdoors, fantastic beaches and national parks etc. Still a buzzing small city vibe for those who like it. I personally couldn't live in Melbourne. Too many people. Adelaide I found similar to Perth on a brief work trip. 

Best of luck. 

Edited September 9, 2020 by HappyHeart

[starlight7]

Plenty of work for nurses in Victoria.  My granddaughter is having to do 12 hour shifts they are so short- Covid won't last forever and it might be a good time to check the employment situation out.

[Charlum]

Thank you all for your feedback, it’s been really knowledgeable listening to all your advice and definitely have some feedback that I never even considered, it’s going to take a long time to get in (if we do get in) but at least if we do get in it will give us time to sort out our stuff here and do the move as best as possible and more educated with this forums help. If anyone thinks of anything please feel free to add more comments I’m writing everything down. Thanks again 

[Rallyman]

On 08/09/2020 at 09:47, Marisawright said:

My vote would go to Newcastle.   It's a good-sized city with gorgeous beaches, good schooling and good job prospects - and house prices are half that of Sydney.  If you don't mind a commute, you've got a range of smaller towns nearby - maybe you'd like to live in the wine country, if you're a sailor you might choose Lake Macquarie, or perhaps you'd prefer swimming with dolphins at Port Stephens, for instance.  When I lived in Sydney, I had two work colleagues who made the daily two-hour commute from Newcastle to Sydney.  They'd been transferred to Head Office but refused to relocate their families because they both felt Newcastle was such a good place to bring up their children.  That has always stuck with me. 

For me, the big advantage of the East Coast is flexibility.   You should be able to find work in Newcastle, but if you're a contractor, you're close enough to Sydney to pick up jobs there too.   If you find Newcastle isn't right for you, and you have to move to the Gold Coast, Brisbane or Sydney, it's a manageable drive and won't be too expensive.  

Whereas if you  choose Perth or Adelaide, both lovely cities, you're a long way from anywhere and facing a very expensive move if you realise it was the wrong choice.   Adelaide has a reputation for being difficult to find work, too.

House prices are on the up in Newcastle, lots of people moving out of sydney . Lots of agents advertising for stock, a recently completed unit being rented out for 2k per week on honeysuckle drive , it’s crazy. 
 

The area we have built blocks of land selling for 350 -  650k          ( average 750m2)
it’s madness 
 

Edited September 9, 2020 by Rallyman

[Lavers]

On 09/09/2020 at 06:38, Charlum said:

Hello thanks for your advice. So I work as a trainee nurse for the NHS here in the UK, I work in an emergency department so I have tonnes of experience & anticipate to have what qualifications I need by the next year or so & plan to stay in medical sector. I also have a beauty therapy qualification with distinctions and NVQ’s levels 2&3 in Business Administration, so I will be the main applicant. My husband is the manager of a timber firm and although his job pays well, he doesn’t have a trade to back him up so we are hoping that my trades will be enough to get us in. We hope that by the time we get to Oz (if we get there), that we will have enough money saved up to take our time settling in and finding work which sounds similar to what your family has done. Your success story gives me hope! Whereabouts did you emigrate from? How did you find the whole experience/costs etc if you don’t mind me asking. 

 

Thank you. 

Hiya 

Sorry for the really late reply, we came from a place called Rossendale about 30min drive from Manchester.

The cost to get us here was:

£4150 for visas

£1520 for skill assessment 

£860 for medicals

£1800 for airbnb (6 weeks)

£1860 for flights

£1600 for large movecube

After that then it depends on how long you have to wait for a job, how much you spend on a car and new furniture etc.

We didnt use an agent and managed to do the process on my own and with the help of these good people on pomsinoz.

Everything has gone along fairly easily really, the visa stage seemed to drag a little but we wheren't in a rush to get here anyway.

Have you looked into anything yet?

[DevilsAdvocate]

Just my Two Cents, We initially lived in Adelaide for two years. Wife, Two kids. Wasn’t for us. Was contemplating moving back to the UK. Hardly any work there. Felt like a constant battle. Prior to leaving, thought we would give the Goldie a try. 5 Years later never looked back and had another kiddie. Complete contrast. But hey, it’s only my opinion. 

[Frankly1759]

Brisbane....one word reply!

[Paul1Perth]

14 minutes ago, Frankly1759 said:

Brisbane....one word reply!

Not near a beach though. Nice City, like it but you have a long ride to a decent beach.

[ramot]

34 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

Not near a beach though. Nice City, like it but you have a long ride to a decent beach.

1hr 15 mins from central Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast on a clear run, trouble is too many want to come here

[Paul1Perth]

4 hours ago, ramot said:

1hr 15 mins from central Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast on a clear run, trouble is too many want to come here

1hr 15min is about 1hr 10min too far. Then you have to find somewhere to park, pay for parking and then drive back.

Can't beat living close to a good beach so you can walk to it or take the bike. No paid parking where we live but the carparks are full when it's nice weather. 

[ramot]

30 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

1hr 15min is about 1hr 10min too far. Then you have to find somewhere to park, pay for parking and then drive back.

Can't beat living close to a good beach so you can walk to it or take the bike. No paid parking where we live but the carparks are full when it's nice weather. 

Parking is free in Mooloolaba, Luckily I live about 8 mins away., but plenty of people think it’s well worth the drive. I’ve only visited Perth once, has the city got nice beaches? Or do you have to drive out of the city? 

[Paul1Perth]

23 hours ago, ramot said:

Parking is free in Mooloolaba, Luckily I live about 8 mins away., but plenty of people think it’s well worth the drive. I’ve only visited Perth once, has the city got nice beaches? Or do you have to drive out of the city? 

Perth is on the River about 10km from the beaches. Fremantle is right on the Coast. 

City Beach is closest to Perth. The beaches are great North and South for km's. Trigg, Scarborough for surf, Cottesloe can be OK  for surf sometimes. A lot of safer beaches if you're worried about kids.

We have friends live in Mooloolaba, they moved over when their son competed for Mooloolaba surf club for a few seasons. It's a great spot. Love the Sunshine Coast, could easily live there.

[WelderGuy5]

Hii

Nice story. Zeroin on trade u fit in and nail it with Professional help. Good luck