Gothnet Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I checked my status yesterday and it said meds were finalised, but as far as I knew I didn't even have a CO yet and I was frontloading. Today - APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome!! :jiggy: They didn't even ask for form 80, which I hadn't quite finished yet, and it looks like I didn't need to apply for the SS either (that hasn't come back yet) Applied for 175 on 10/08/2009, CSL Granted 01/12/09. Thankyou so much to the people on here who have answered my questions and helped me along the way, and good luck to you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartertucker Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Congratulations, great news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest17301 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Big congrats...super quick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jules2 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Congratulations x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kangaroo Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Super!! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothnet Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 Thanks all - Now, where did that thread with the useful list of stuff to do before leaving go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest juliemtaylor Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 wow that really was fast! Good luck! Julie x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAITINGGAME Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Brilliant News, Well done on this emotional rollercoaster. Lindsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest annemarie and brian Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! on your VISA!!!! THE CELEBRATIONS FOR XMAS START EARLY IN YOUR HOUSE. annemarie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothnet Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 Actually, serious question, what do I do now? There was a thread on here some time ago, which I can't find now, that had a good list of things you ought to do before leaving the UK. Anyone have a link? And about getting the passport stamped/updated, can I do that at Australia House or does it have to be on entry to Aus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Karen and Colin Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Congratulations on getting your visa. Bet you're well happy. Great to see some positive movement......at last. Fingers crossed it keeps going. Enjoy your celebrations. Karen & Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hi and congratulations, we also got our 175PR csl visa a week ago and although we aren't certain where we want to go, we are buzzing, until you get it you don't know how good it feels and it sure feels good, its like a get out of jail card in monopoly, the uk being the jail and no matter how bad it gets here thanks to gormless gordon and europe and its getting really bad, we can just go and leave all the cr-p behind, sweet. jim. PS in case the anti-oz lot come on and say its as bad there, save your breath no one believes you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sh7t man no way Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 soooooooooooooooooooo pleased well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mylady Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 CONGRATULATIONS:jiggy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheHollies Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Huge congrats!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothnet Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 And you! Well done and good luck! Now it's just the financial arrangements, the packing, the moving and the rest, but after the ACS/visa process it's going to be a breeze! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheHollies Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 And you! Well done and good luck! Now it's just the financial arrangements, the packing, the moving and the rest, but after the ACS/visa process it's going to be a breeze! lol, i know what you mean! going to have a break from it all and enjoy xmas and then start with arranging flights etc after then All the best to you!! :jiggy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cazz Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Congratulations & good luck with all your plans X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyT Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hi Gothnet, Huge congrats on your visa. I have got a MASSIVE to do list that I got from various posts on PIO, off lots of people who have already done the move. It is saved on my computer in the office, so when I get in I will post it on here for you. Sorry, I am still in bed on my daughters laptop enjoying the peace (all left for school...........aaghh). I will get my lazy butt up soon. Tracey xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Great news!! congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stockies Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Woohooo !!!!! Congratulations........ Claire.xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyT Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hi Gothnet, Here are 3 to do lists, that I copied and pasted off PIO threads. Please be warned, they are BIG: TO DO LIST ONE Before you move 12 months to go Make sure you have at least 2 years left on your passports. Dig out all your personal paperwork, including birth, adoption and marriage certificates, employment refeences, driving licences and qualifications. Apply for your visas Update your CV to make it suitable for the Oz/Kiwi market place. Start job hunting. Put your house on the market. Get your finances in order, consolidate bank accounts and reduce debts. Consider talking to your employer about your migration plans. Talk to your childrens schools about your plans and ask them to prepare hand-over files. Discuss your plans with extended family and friends. 6 months to go Get quotes from removals companies and flights and get them booked. If you are shipping pets, make sure they are fully innoculated and fir to travel. Your vet can advise you. Get quotes and book pet shipment. Sell any unwanted items of furniture and clear out cupboards. Clean and paint any garden tools and furniture you plan to take. Items with soil on will be denied entry at customs. Give formal notice to your employer and ensure you get your P45. Ask your doctor, dentist,optician for your hand-over files. Open an Oz/Kiwi bank account. Set up a trading account with a currency broker. Request credit references from your bank,building society or any other lending agent. Identify temporary accommodation in case your house sells sooner than expected and you have to move out 2 months to go Track down temporary accommodation in Oz/NZ. Book accommodation for each destination on route. Register children in new schools. Book accommodation in OZ/NZ for pets. Start having Goodbye parties now as time runs away at the end. Organise all birthday cards and presents for the next 3 months. Request up to date statements on any endowments, pensions and investments. Depending on your tenancy agreement, give notice to your landlord if renting your property. 1 month to go Give your change of address to your bank, passport office, DVLA, pension company, inland revenue, insurance brokers and accountants. Bring council tax and utilities up to date and cancel accounts for TV, internet, phone and insurance. Go to a car book sale to sell any items you don't want to take with you, or donate them to a charity shop. Arrange all your post to be redirected to a friend or relative. Transfer funds to Oz/NZ. Start packing non essential items. Collect all hand-over files from doctor, dentist, optician, schools etc. Arrange some private health cover for Oz/NZ if required. Pay off any outstanding debts. Close any surplus bank accounts and destroy unwanted cards. Shred any personal records you are not taking and dispose of. Confirm the removalists are booked. Ensure all your relevant paperwork is in a handy travel file. Cancel any redundant direct debits or standing orders. Ask for a copy of your No Claims Bonus from your insurance company. 1 week to go Cancel any newspapers, milk or satellite TV subscriptions. Sell your car, bike, van or any other transport you wont be needing. Cancel car insurance. Buy some currency for each destination on route to Oz/NZ. Throw more Goodbye parties! Ensure that yur gods are either about to leave the UK or are on their way Down Under. Organise any presents and cards your children may want to send to their friends prior to leaving. 1 day to go Make sure transport to the airport is organised and will arrive in plenty of time for the flight. Establish who will be coming to the airport to say goodbye. Pack activity sets and small gifts to amuse young children on the flight. Get a good night's sleep When you get there On arrival Pick up a copy of "On Arrival" magazine at the airport; it contains lots of ideas, information and helpful websites. Collect your hire car and check into your accommodation. Contact people back home to let them know you have arrival safely. Try not to sleep through the day. Set up a Pay-as-you-Go mobile phone to start your off - you can buy a cheap SIM card and use it in your UK phone. Find your nearest internet cafe for property and area research. Take a few days to get over the journey and explore the area. 1 week later Get a tax file number (TFN) for Oz or an IRD number for New Zealand. Contact your new employer to confirm you have arrived. Explore the area or suburb you think you would like to live in and ask the locals as many questions as possible. Meet with rental agents and start reviewing some accommodation property options. Find a solicitor to help with rental or purchase contracts. Consider buying a car sooner rather than later. Used cars are cheap if you don't yet qualify for credit. Get car insurance. Register at a local school and arrange to meet your children's new teachers. Get a landline installed and set up internet access. Invite your neighbours around for drinks and focus on making new friends for you and your children. 1 month later Review your financial position and transfer more funds if required. Set up standing orders for utilities. Register for your local doctor and dentist, and for Medicare (Oz). Meet with mortgage brokers to understand your borrowing capacity. Visit your children's schools to ensure that they have settled in ok. Identify a reliable plumber, electrician and mechanic in your area. Consider re-writing your will. Discuss your first month with your employer and resolve any problems that may have cropped up. Start to attend social functions or join a sports club. Establish a routine and settle into your new life! Not taking credit for typing it out, but had saved it as a word file for future use! Lisa.xxx __________________ My avatar is a picture of a Kangaroo a kid in my class drew. The paws and pouch look a little unusual! 9th May 2006 - GOT IT!!!! TO DO LIST 2 I’ve had a few e mails on the back of a posting I made last week with regards to our initial settling in over here. I’m no great authority on this subject I just know what worked for us, so to save me sending lots of repetitive posts here’s the summary of the stuff we done that we think certainly helped our transition and the first month a lot less stressful than it could have been. As we don’t have children (brought the dog though – he’s doing well) there may be glaring omissions here which I’m sure someone is better positioned to make a more informed post about. We like most of you done a lot of research and reading before we came and to be honest, I never found a concise (or idiots!) guide to the things to do, it’s all there in different books and websites but the key things are often buried amongst a lot of nice to know stuff, so here goes – (if I’m telling you how to suck eggs my apologies) Before you go (a few months before?)– Make a (another) list. A big one. Put on it everything that you currently own, use, rely on and do. Everything from the hard stuff (your car, tools, furniture, push bikes, garden equipment), your utilities (electric, gas, water, internet providers) and the boring stuff (bank accounts, insurance policies, motor insurance and no claims certs, wills, mortgages). Your bank accounts/standing orders and direct debits are a good place to start to prompt you here. Now, two things to consider, what do we need to do about all these things before we go and how will we go about acquiring these things in Oz? With the material things it’s easy – what’s essential and what’s nice to have versus the shipping costs – we used Allied Pickfords as they seemed to be the only ones willing to send a rep to the wilds of Cumbria to come and make an assessment in our home. The guy was a mine of info and we ended up amending our list a lot after talking to him. Haven’t got it yet but its docking next week ahead of schedule so fingers crossed. The non material stuff you need to consider how & when to close stuff down, it’s a bit of a pain but phoned them all a couple of months in advance and asked for the relevant contacts so they were at hand when the final month came. Cuts down on the last minute panics. As to your utilities in Oz, if you rent through one of the biggies (LJ Hooker, Barry Plant etc) once you agree a rental a sub agency that they use will call you up and arrange all your utilities on your behalf – power, gas, phone, and internet. That seems to run really well. Hassle free! Banking – Open an Oz account from the UK, Commonwealth, ANZ, Westpac all have an office in London that you can contact online and set the account up. We looked at them all & they all offer more or less the same service as they are bound by Aussie law. That law being you can send in as much money as you want but cannot remove any until you show up in person to activate your account. That was an experience; we used ANZ and trotted along to the desk in the main ANZ branch in Melbourne the day after we landed (looks like a church inside). Told them what we wanted and a guy took forty minutes aside with us to arrange our accounts, pin numbers etc (they can open a higher interest account for you when you’re here and then he sat us down in front of a PC until we both understood their internet and phone banking system. Good customer service). We were lucky enough to have a friend (of a friend actually) who was kind enough to let us use their home address as our postal address until we rented. This is very useful if you can do it at all. We didn’t really want ATM cards etc being posted in the communal box of the holiday accommodation unit. You will also need a residential address to register a car to (certainly in Victoria – or so we were told). We owe these friends a night out. BIG TIP! You cannot get a credit card in Oz until you are in employment so DO NOT give up your credit cards (in fact, if they are anywhere near expiry get new issues) and keep your UK bank accounts open. We told the bank that we were coming here on a suck it and see basis which seemed to keep them happy. Credit cards are just too useful over here – bonds on rental accommodation, car hire, even pay as you go mobile services – some only allow remote top up via credit (not debit) cards. Moving money out here. We used HIFX and cannot say a bad thing about them (although they can be a bit pessimistic – they tend to phone you to warn of an impending drop in the exchange rate but I must have missed they’re call when there was 2.53 to the pound a while ago). Keep an eye on the rate yourself, every day. This is a great link http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/f...5/intraday.stm The UK bank will love you and lavish you with attention when you sell your home (better luck than us there by the way, comedian tried to drop the price at the last minute when he found out our plans – now that was stressful) and load up your UK account. We’d never been so popular. We opened an account (Nat West) with the specific intention of moving money about electronically, I told the guy who opened it where we were going and that I would at some point be needing to move large amounts of money abroad. No problem he lied! Here’s the pinch as best I understand it. Amounts over £10K they will not move on an electronic instruction – they asked me to call in at the branch! Obviously not a runner. HIFX Australia (which we now use – once you are out here a UK based company cannot ship your money over to you as you are now an Australian resident) informed us that a UK bank must act on a written and signed letter from a customer, so off that went (you can get special international express envelopes over here that get back to the UK in two or three days allegedly – unfortunately there is no such thing for getting stuff back this way). Then the bank manager and/or the banks security service will call you up on the number you have given them in the UK. The moral of this story is keep you UK mobile handy while this process is going on. The movement of money was the only hassle that we have had but in reality, its better set up that way to prevent someone else moving your money, so bear with it. Right, rambled a bit there, sorry about that. So you know what you’re sending and what your not. Time to prioritise what you will need to do once landed. You need to live somewhere for a while – we used a holiday rental in St Kilda, booked it for a month. The up side was that it’s a great place and very near Melbourne city centre, the downside is that it is an expensive area to stay and despite the guide books telling you that it once was a red light area – it still is. And they are the probably the same Hookers that were there when the guide book was written. They all look like Suzi Quatros mam. Don’t let that put you off St Kilda though, it doesn’t have the dangerous edge that you associate with red light areas in the UK. It’s well policed and you just use a bit of common sense, and the Hookers did actually used to wish us Merry Christmas on the way home at nights, really! Couple of pointers when renting initial accommodation from the UK, make sure that you can connect to the internet (get to that later) from your digs, a wall safe would have given us more peace of mind and it’s an advantage to find one that lets you let you pay in weeks at a time. This is important as we had found a rental within two weeks and you don’t want to have to fork out for two weeks you’re not going to use. We used a chain called easy stay and despite us actually paying in advance, when we wanted to quit early they refunded the last two weeks no problem. All they ask for is 48 hours notice your moving out. Holiday accommodation in high season is expensive; if you do not get stung a little here you are doing well. In Oz We started working through our ‘to do’ list the day after we got here (stayed in an airport hotel first night as we landed at daft’ o’clock in the morning, then hired a car from Avis at the airport – slightly cheaper to hire once here. No panic as there’s loads of offices at all major airports and they all tend to be next to each other. We shopped up and down the street and chose one. Get one with a big boot!) Then it went something like – • Bought Aussie mobiles (pay as you go do some great deals – but you have to ask what offers are on, they don’t always advertise them!!!! ask for a pre-paid capped offer), you’ll need contact numbers for all the following stuff. • Activated our bank accounts • Registered with Medicare (Aussie NHS find their nearest office on the web) • Took out Medibank insurance (private medical insurance) to cover dental and ambulance bills. The saying here is that if the accident doesn’t kill you the ambulance bill will! I blanched at the thought of the cost of private medi cover when I thought about what it costs in the UK, it costs us $26 (£11’ish) per month for a couple (again, find their offices on the web, they are everywhere)! • Got on line. THIS HAS TO BE MY TOP TIP, absolutely invaluable. If your not computer literate no worries because I’m no genius and we managed, but before you leave the UK get to know how to search the web and send e mails that’s all you need (the fact that your reading this I imagine you are already there) or get a friend or a relative to give you a crash course. I closed my Virgin mail account before I left the UK as they don’t service Oz and opened an AOL account, can’t recommend them as they are not cheap and are in decline everywhere outside America apparently but it bridged a gap until I got sorted here. A yahoo mail account would have done the same and cost me nothing. Try not to rely on internet cafes as you will be surprised just how much time you will need to spend online (@$5 an hour or free for two hours in local libaries) • I bought a Dell laptop (Dell’s warranty extends to Oz, apparently!) to travel with and it’s been worth its weight in gold, doesn’t have to be special just the basics will do. • Once we got here we bought one months unlimited internet access for a dial up connection from Dodo. What? Easier than it sounds, go into a Tandy or any electrical store and you buy what looks like a DVD case, take it home and find no DVD, take it back to the store where they point out a little sticker with a phone number and a reference number, go back to your digs and call the number and then they call you back on your mobile (UK providers take note) and talk you through the set up (if you need to dial a number to get an outside line from your place let the technician know). Then your on line, the cost to use the line from our accommodation was 37c an hour. Peanuts. You can also use it to phone home if you down load Skype, computer to computer is free, we bought £20 of credit with them on Pay Pal so we could phone landlines and it was costing us .012£ per minute to UK. Make free calls and set your conversations free with Skype , send and receive e mails and let the kids Yahoo their mates back home hence proving to them you are not actually abducting them to another planet. • Register with all the estate/rental agencies in your area for daily updates, there are loads of them everywhere. Then you spend the morning scouring the net and the afternoons doing drive by’s (but not like the ones in downtown Los Angeles) and viewing properties. • There is quite a bit of paperwork when you apply against a property to rent, no easy way around it. We bought a cheap printer/scanner here so once we had filled applications out in the evening we scanned them and sent them as an e mail to the estate agents overnight so the paperwork was in front of them the next day. • We have been very lucky as in we have managed to rent fully furnished which I’m told is rare (good for us as we sold all our furniture before we came). We had always owned our own home in the UK and only rented for a month before we came, so we were short on the landlord references that were asked for. What we did do was write a covering letter with each application explaining who we were, what we did in the UK and explained why we had no income (ie. Only just arrived – but employable), we offered character references (called back to folk in the UK and they agreed to stand for us), we offered to show the agent our bank account bottom line & we were prepared to pay a number of months in advance to seal the deal (never had to go that last mile in the end). Certainly in Melbourne there is no shortage of rentals, I can’t speak for the other states but bear in mind that renting is much more common in Oz than in the UK. • Buying a second hand car :scared: – the same world over. Be careful, we ended up going to a Ford dealership and spending a little more than intended (helped as we don’t need to buy furniture for a while!) as I think you get a better warranty. Also, don’t be freaked out by high mileage too much – they all have it, everywhere is so far apart! I found the dog end of the market, the bangers expensive but the new or nearly new considerably less so. RACV (RAC) cover is cheap and worth having if you’re planning on travelling any distance in a second hand car, the most expensive cover is $170 per year and that covers everything, they even send Kylie out in the tow truck …….well maybe. • Last and by no means least, when you rent/buy go and meet your neighbours, they’ll be as curious about you as you are them. You don’t have to be an extravert just say hello you have moved into the area and could you tell me what day are the bins collected! Questions are great ice breakers. We done this and again have fallen lucky, we have been out to two sets of neighbours (every body needs good neighbours…..sorry) for drinks already and another offer pending. All Aussies, so don’t huddle under the expat thing too much…..go for it. Right, that about it. I’m reading this back and it wanders about a bit but I hope some of it helps. Can’t say for certain that all the details are 100% accurate but I’m telling it like it’s been told to us from the people who we have dealt with. Sounds like a big job doesn’t it? It is, but it gets a hell of a lot easier if you do the ground work up front, make a plan for arrival and share the work between you. Mind you I’ve got to be honest, our dog didn’t pull his weight much, you would sit him in front of the internet an he would make out like he just didn’t understand! Has it been worth it so far? Love to tell you but I’m off to light the Barbie (no, not one of the dolls! The one we got in Bunnings for $400 in the sale). Wish you all the very best of luck, it’ll be fine. Mike & Jayne TO DO LIST 3 BANKING TIPS oke to various banks and cluey relatives in Oz to make some sense of banking plus added in what we remember from living there. Aim is to maximise interest on dosh from sale of our UK house until we buy in Melbourne plus minimise ripoff bank charges. Our plan is below. Hopefully might save someone else a bit of brain space figuring it out. Basics: - Govt debits tax is taken on all transactions from accounts with chequebook facility - not just on cheques from those accounts. Daft. - Impossible to avoid charges for using ATMs from other banks so you need to bank with a 'biggie' that has loads of machines: Top four are NAB (National Australia Bank), CBA (Commonwealth), ANZ and Westpac (Bank of Melbourne in Victoria). First two are the biggest. Check who's the biggest where you're going. - Banks charge ridiculous amounts for current accounts unless you have lots of money with them. You have to have a $20K 'relationship' in total with the bank to avoid all charges. So it's possible to have a basic account charge free with minimal money in it (earning even more minimal interest!) if you keep $20K in something with better interest with the same bank (eg term deposit). - You can get an instant access account with someone like ING (see their website www.ing.com.au) paying 4.75% on any balance. You need an account with another bank as a 'front' and the money can be transferred in and out same day by phone or web (none of this 3-5 days rubbish!) We're going with Commonwealth so our strategy is: - Use credit card for most transactions - look for one with decent bonus points/offers - direct debit full balance monthly from bank account - CBA high interest current account (aka Cash Mgmt A/c) - keep minimal money in it, enough for day to day use, request no chequebook so no debits tax, transfer money from ING to top it up monthly/whenever - CBA basic account (aka Streamline A/c) - with chequebook, keep $1 in it, transfer money across if cheque written (instantly done at ATM) - CBA term deposit - eg 90 days pays 4.4% if set up on web (can only do it once in Oz), not as much interest as ING but difference more than offset by saving on bank charges with free banking - ING a/c - rest of dosh earning 4.75% - can set this up on arrival, application form on web, need copy of CBA bank statement, takes 1 week to open Hope this is some help to someone - my brain's fried... RENT REBATE WHEN YOU ARRIVE Some news that should linterest you new comers. When you arrive as a perminant resident and you are looking for work you can claim a rebate on any rent you are paying. You only get the payment while you are not working and you get it from center link along with your child benefit. I have just filled a from out for the family we have in the Mandurah house ( they told me about it actually) and they are going to get back around $100 a week. Hope this helps Paula TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR ONE WAY TRIP Try John Wason Ltd. Click here for their web page. They do a special insurance package for expats. It covers your travel there and your contents after you arrive. You can pick and choose which bits of the policy you want. It is even transportable so that if you move to somewhere else in the world your insurance always goes with you. I insured with them and the quote was very reasonable and they were very flexible with which bits of the policy came into effect at certain dates during the move. More importantly I've also had to make one claim (theft from my house in Australia) and they settled in full (minus the excess) very promptly I found two cheap policies (Which best buys) who cover one-way trips. In both cases cover ends 48 hours after arrival. Most others end at immigration control - what use is that if your stuff gets nicked in the airport carpark??? For under 40s: www.leadedge.co.uk For over 40s: www.worldwideinsure.com Same company for both. Columbus (0207 375 0011) offer one way travel insurance. It stops as soon as you pass through immigration, but at least you are covered for delays, loss of baggage, etc. They were very reasonable, only £35 for two adults. I rang a big Aussie insurer for Victoria - RACV - www.racv.com.au., phone no. 00 61 13 19 55, to compare local prices. RACV said they were perfectly happy to cover temp accom for however long, whether with or without a lease, rent paid nightly or whatever, on same basis as usual contents. Then just a change of address when moving. Premiums were much lower than Wasons esp with a letter from previous insurer saying no claims in last 2 years. A lot of excess options are available - up to $1000. Sample premium for $75K cover new for old with $300 XS in Box Hill, Melbourne was $363 pa. They laughed at the premiums we pay in London... So we're going to go with the cheap best buy travel policies above: leadedge/worldinsure which expire 48 hours after arrival. Then ring up in first 2 days to get RACV cover on the spot. Outbacker is another option for one-way trip insurance - www.outbackerinsurance.com The cover levels seemed better than other policies in the same price range. Getting one way travel insurance is not an issue and quite esy to do it's just finding a policy with enough cover to: a) Ensure you fully covered for a period of 3 weeks b) Offers sufficient person effects cover so that laptops, cameras jewllery etc are covered (most limit it to £1500) which is no good for us. The Future Mrs Dinky has an engagement ring which is worth more than the total cover and I'd hate to have to replace that again! Any people who have been through this already or who have found a solution I would appreciate suggestions. Try giving Sweeneys a ring.....specialised insurances 0208 6562544 Also very good at Shipping insurance...hell of a lot cheaper than the ones pushed by the removal companies TO DO LIST Sell House Pay off any debts Sell car Contact Tax Office (UK) Get immunised for travel Sort shipping company Refs from banks (you will need proof that you are good payers) Refs from employers Stop Cable Stop Council tax Stop House insurance Stop Electric, Gas, Water, Phone, Car insurance Arrange mail to be forwarded to Brenda Change addresses with bank Book Flights Close all bank accounts Proof no claims bonus. Convert dosh, open bank account Get hotmail a/c Stop car insurance and get rebate make sure mobile is operative in oz or cancel contract go to Link shop and buy one-tel pay as you go unlocked mobile with very low call costs £49.95 works in oz they say Organise ALL the keys you have to the house and doors to give to the new people Get e-mail addresses for everyone you can (cuts down on postage costs) Cancel mobile phone contract Cancel mobile phone contract OPen oZ bank account (HSBC) prior Register with as many job agenices as possible as I am trying to do a present, Hays and TMP Hudson have Global parts in london I have numbers if anyone wants them. Be checking housing market and rentals on line Decide what you will do first travel, or stay in a b& B Arrange for car rental for first 2 weeks rentnewcars.com - where bar far the cheapest on all the sites I went on If you are a tradesman, print of the licence form for your licence complete and have your qualifications ready in hand luggage to Leaving Party Pack you suitcase just before packers come with all the bits you will need when you go - (we are travelling first and leaving in Feb but in our cases will be our clothes,(summer) trade papers, driving licence, all important paperwork, references etc. (in hand luggage. So all winter clothes I have will be given away. Fly west and avoid jet lag [:-) and get 32kg allowance each without having to be tied in to the Qantas migration fare. Which can be costly. Find out about what you can put in the hold for free. cancel internet check and have smear Medical records Carrianne __________________ I am where I choose to be ) Hope this helps. Tracey xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abrar Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunseeker Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hi, Just read (and printed) your to do lists. They are so helpful. We are waiting on a job offer and hope to move to NSW in September. One thing I did'nt quite get, right at the end you say, fly west to avoid jet lag etc. Can you explain a bit about that and the 32kg baggage allowance and what you can put in the hold for free? Many thanks. Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gothnet Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Hi, Just read (and printed) your to do lists. They are so helpful. We are waiting on a job offer and hope to move to NSW in September. One thing I did'nt quite get, right at the end you say, fly west to avoid jet lag etc. Can you explain a bit about that and the 32kg baggage allowance and what you can put in the hold for free? Many thanks. Ann How strange that this thread about me getting my visa gets resurrected now. I'm currently enjoying my first week in australia As for the baggage allowances, this is something I fell foul of. I booked my flight through BA and ended up flying through singapore, which is good for me as I have family there. BA are pretty good about luggage, they give you 23 kg allowance in economy, and you can take extra cases, up to 10 per person and 23kg per case, for 32 quid each case. But Qantas operate the sing->Perth leg and are much more restrictive. They charge hundreds of dollars for extra bags. Like around 600 AUD for another 23 kg case. You can send bags as freight but that is complex and involves going to the security protected part of changi airport and hunting down the freight section and it still costs about 140 quid for the case. And you get it days after you arrive. Should get mine today... Qantas are much more generous when you fly between aus and the US. So I think the advice above might be that you should check out the prices of going via the US because you might find that it's easier in terms of baggage allowances and also less of a physical strain due to jet lag. Not sure how true that is for such a long journey, but in general going west is better for the lag. HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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