The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Phoebe!

 

My husband and I are in a similar situation, he is 67 and I am 66. We have both taken cleaning jobs to help to pay for our visa's. Having only our state pensions we will need to sell our house to pay the second instalment (fingers crossed and hoping that it sells) we too are full of doubts wondering if we are doing the right thing. we hope to get similar jobs I'm Australia. I have been looking at different websites showing job vacancies and there are loads of jobs, and I know they employ lots of older people.......so I feel confident we will get something. we enjoy working.....? We will enjoy working in Australia........you are never too old for a new start.

 

cheers cakey

 

Hi Cakey

 

Very well done to you and Mr Cakey!! There is a huge amount of wisdom in your attitude and your words.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Les Avalook]

Hi Cakey

 

Yes that's exactly the position we are in and really the only true worry we have, apart from getting the actual visa :wideeyed:

 

That's why I thought it could be good to set up a thread on ( Parents working in Oz) to give us still waiting an insight as to what is available. Like you we have had many types of work over the years (including cleaning) so are willing to do anything it takes :biggrin:

 

We are 57 & 55 proberbly be around 59 & 57 by the time visas are granted so no pension for us at all until I am 63 and hubby is 65 so it would just be nice to hear from those who have already managed to get settled into work in Oz and what is available out there. for people like us :cute:

 

Phoebe

 

You may wish to recheck your pension age.

 

State Pension age calculator: Directgov - Pensions and retirement planning

 

I hope you are right. :notworthy:

[PhoebeW]

You may wish to recheck your pension age.

 

State Pension age calculator: Directgov - Pensions and retirement planning

 

I hope you are right. :notworthy:

 

Hi

 

Yes I did check it some months back, I rang them after I had looked on the website just to double check, maybe the confusion is that it's me that is 57 now and OH is 55 :jiggy:

 

Apparantly I get my pension in the November before my 63rd birthday in the January it was a :shocked: for me I can tell you because I was thinking at least I would be amost eligible for my pension by the time a visa was granted :arghh:

 

Phoebe

[phyllis71]

Hi Cakey. we are also interested in working. We will be going to Sydney.and we are in our Sixty's. but not afraid to work. Could you give me some website about work for the over sixty's. Thanks Phyllis

[PhoebeW]

Hi Cakey. we are also interested in working. We will be going to Sydney.and we are in our Sixty's. but not afraid to work. Could you give me some website about work for the over sixty's. Thanks Phyllis

 

I would appreciate that too :wink:

 

Phoebe

[Guest Cakey]

[v=PhoebeW;889294]Ivv would appreciate that too :webe

Hi Phoebe, Hi Phyllis

 

we are heading for The Gold Coast, Queensland so I have been looking at newspaper websites e.g gold coast.com.au for the Gold Coast Bulletin and courier mail.com.au for The Courier Mail. they advertise jobs and also property to rent or buy and car sales. I also know that the theme parks on the Gold Coast e.g Dream World and Wet and Wild are always recruiting staff so that is also a possibility. I know it's too early to apply for jobs at the moment but it gives you an idea of what is out there and what kind of wages are on offer. Most of the cleaning jobs I've seen advertised are around twenty dollars an hour which is a lot better than the minimum wage they pay here in England. Hope this may be of some help.........

 

cheers Cakey

[yomvard]

Hi Phoebe!

 

My husband and I are in a similar situation, he is 67 and I am 66. We have both taken cleaning jobs to help to pay for our visa's. Having only our state pensions we will need to sell our house to pay the second instalment (fingers crossed and hoping that it sells) we too are full of doubts wondering if we are doing the right thing. we hope to get similar jobs I'm Australia. I have been looking at different websites showing job vacancies and there are loads of jobs, and I know they employ lots of older people.......so I feel confident we will get something. we enjoy working.....? We will enjoy working in Australia........you are never too old for a new start.

 

cheers cakey

Hi Cakey and Phoebe,

We are in the same position as my husband is a cleaner here and hoping to do the same to support us in Aus. Both my sons have been in Aus for 10years and keep assuring us that there are plenty of jobs and especially for older people as it is normal for older people to work later as most of the benefits are hard to get and most are means tested anyway. At first when we went over there I was horrified to see pension aged and disabled people working in shops, on the streets selling things and outside shops shouting their wares. However is seems to be a normal thing as oldies work much later than here. So going on this, then employers must also hire oldies musn't they?

regards

Sandy

[phyllis71]

Thanks Cakie, it gives a place to start. We will look into the Sydney Papers. Good Luck Phyllis

[PhoebeW]

[v=PhoebeW;889294]Ivv would appreciate that too :webe

Hi Phoebe, Hi Phyllis

 

we are heading for The Gold Coast, Queensland so I have been looking at newspaper websites e.g gold coast.com.au for the Gold Coast Bulletin and courier mail.com.au for The Courier Mail. they advertise jobs and also property to rent or buy and car sales. I also know that the theme parks on the Gold Coast e.g Dream World and Wet and Wild are always recruiting staff so that is also a possibility. I know it's too early to apply for jobs at the moment but it gives you an idea of what is out there and what kind of wages are on offer. Most of the cleaning jobs I've seen advertised are around twenty dollars an hour which is a lot better than the minimum wage they pay here in England. Hope this may be of some help.........

 

cheers Cakey

 

Hi Cakey

 

Thanks thats a starting point :biggrin:

 

We are also hopefully heading for the Gold Coast :jiggy:

 

Phoebe

[clubby67]

Hi Steve and everyone

Just a quick note to let you know I did email as you suggested and we had been allocated a case officer on the 18 October and it said they would be in touch soon, then low and behold got another email next day requesting police checks,form 80 and who our AoS is going to be.

 

It all seems so real now, scary but exciting at the same time.

 

Thanks for you advice and can you up date the tracker now please.

[PhoebeW]

Hi Steve and everyone

Just a quick note to let you know I did email as you suggested and we had been allocated a case officer on the 18 October and it said they would be in touch soon, then low and behold got another email next day requesting police checks,form 80 and who our AoS is going to be.

 

It all seems so real now, scary but exciting at the same time.

 

Thanks for you advice and can you up date the tracker now please.

 

 

Nice one :biggrin:

 

Good luck with it all :wink:

 

Phoebe

[wow]

Got my request for 2nd VAC payment today....... Yippeeeeeeee I'm on my way.

I have posted this on the expats forum too

 

Wow, what a feeling. My left hand doesn't know what my right hand is doing. I'm all of a shiver, LOL

It's all systems go now and I have just had a chat with my daughter and son in law in the sunny Gold Coast. Weather s lovely, all is well and I can't wait. I'm not even going to mention the exchange rate or let it get me down. It is

what it is.

 

Fingers crossed that my house sale goes through without a hitch now.

Good luck to all of you still waiting and as has been said before, once the call comes, it's a mad dash to fit everything in.

 

It's such an emotional time as we all want to be with or families.

 

Gods speed to you all and a special thanks to Gill and Steve (gainwave).

June xxx

[Sue Ashforth]

Hi June - still waiting for ours! Sent AoS through on 8th October - expected to hear by end last week! Please keep your fingers crossed for us!! Hope everythig goes well with the house sale and that your journey is a happy one - you sound SO EXCITED!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

[wow]

Hi June - still waiting for ours! Sent AoS through on 8th October - expected to hear by end last week! Please keep your fingers crossed for us!! Hope everythig goes well with the house sale and that your journey is a happy one - you sound SO EXCITED!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Hi Sue,

Yes I am very excited, no nerves at all i just want to be out there.

All the very best for you. If they are asking for payments then you know it's in the bag and am sure you will hear any day now.

Then the fun starts, LOL:eek:

I'm sure that you will let us all know how it goes. xx

[Sue Ashforth]

Thanks June - I'm definitely cracking open the (old) bottles of champagne when we do! Don't drink much so they've been lying in the cellar for about 7 years but can't think of a better excuse to pen them! How are you feeling? It's the wait that's so frustrating for me - can't pack anything, can't plan anything!! We're so happy for you!!

[wow]

Thanks June - I'm definitely cracking open the (old) bottles of champagne when we do! Don't drink much so they've been lying in the cellar for about 7 years but can't think of a better excuse to pen them! How are you feeling? It's the wait that's so frustrating for me - can't pack anything, can't plan anything!! We're so happy for you!!

 

I'm feeling like I don't know where to start. A bottle of bubnbly may be a start, LOL. My buyers have just had their survey done yesterday so i feel like I am waiting for the ok with that (it seemed to be ok as i asked the surveyor before he left). I will feel much better once I have exchange in a couple of weeks or so.

 

I want to book my flight but I am holding back until exchange and wondering what to do in the "limbo" period. A friend advised me to get my cases out and start a practice run weighing what I am taking. Once I have a baseline weight for what I want to take i just need to weigh any additions and that way I can be sure of total weight. I don't want to get stung at the airport for excess baggage.

 

I hope to get the 50kgs allowance from Emirates for a one way ticket (although I need to check as i think that offer expires end of October, unless anyone else knows differently). There is so much to do now and so little time, :wideeyed:

But, as my son in law said, I can chill out on the wonderful beaches of the Gold Coast at Christmas! What a lovely thought.

So get yourself organised Sue as this will be you all too soon.

[Les Avalook]

I hope to get the 50kgs allowance from Emirates for a one way ticket (although I need to check as i think that offer expires end of October, unless anyone else knows differently). There is so much to do now and so little time, :wideeyed:

 

 

Congrats June,

 

Not sure which offer you refer to as I know many have stopped, but this one is still open if you open a bank account with:

 

ANZ UK - Relocation services

 

There is nothing that says this should be your only/main bank account and no need to put £1000s in. :idea:

[wow]

Congrats June,

 

Not sure which offer you refer to as I know many have stopped, but this one is still open if you open a bank account with:

 

ANZ UK - Relocation services

 

There is nothing that says this should be your only/main bank account and no need to put £1000s in. :idea:

That's the one Les. I'm sure it only lasts until end of October 2010.

June

[wow]

Hi Everyone,

Just in case anyone else is interested i contacted ANZ in London and asked if they were extending their extra baggage allowance offer they have with Emirates which runs out on 31 10 10.

 

I got an immediate reply, which is very nice for a change, to say that, yes, they are extending until end of February 2011. Happy days.

 

June

[Guest guest43653]

Hi Phoebe!

 

My husband and I are in a similar situation, he is 67 and I am 66. We have both taken cleaning jobs to help to pay for our visa's. Having only our state pensions we will need to sell our house to pay the second instalment (fingers crossed and hoping that it sells) we too are full of doubts wondering if we are doing the right thing. we hope to get similar jobs I'm Australia. I have been looking at different websites showing job vacancies and there are loads of jobs, and I know they employ lots of older people.......so I feel confident we will get something. we enjoy working.....? We will enjoy working in Australia........you are never too old for a new start.

 

cheers cakey

 

Hi

Can you tell me some sites that show job vacancies in Australia i know we have a long time before we get there but was just wondering what sort of jobs are out there we are looking to go to Sunshine Coast and just wondered if you knew of any. Thanks

[Guest]

Ernest asks:

On the question of Drivers Licences. Do holders of Drivers licences from Britain have to undergo full drivers licence tests in Australia, or is there a converstion?

Many thanks

[Guest guest36187]

Im pretty sure you just hand in your UK one and get an aussie license

[Guest cazbeckham]

We just filled in a form and showed our UK licence which we got back and then had eye test photo taken and licence paid for and handed to us all in less than an hour.

 

This is is Queensland by the way, not sure about the other states.

[Guest]

Thank you Joanne and Caz for your very prompt response.

Whilst I will be coming in from South Africa, whose licences I am led to believe are not acceptable, I obtained my licences in Rhodesia having undergone the Britsh Hendon Driving Courses. Are you in a position ascertain if my DL will be acceptable, if not to whom must I write to.

This is an important aspect and I would appreciate your findings.

Regards

Ernest

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Thank you Joanne and Caz for your very prompt response.

Whilst I will be coming in from South Africa, whose licences I am led to believe are not acceptable, I obtained my licences in Rhodesia having undergone the Britsh Hendon Driving Courses. Are you in a position ascertain if my DL will be acceptable, if not to whom must I write to.

This is an important aspect and I would appreciate your findings.

Regards

Ernest

 

Hi Ernest

 

Which State will you be moving to, please? What you need to do is to send a photocopy of your current driving licence to your child in Australia. Your child then needs to ask the driving licence people in the relevant State about whether they will simply issue a new, Aussie driving licence on production of your existing licence or whether they will require you to take an Australian driving test first.

 

My guess is that they will simply swap your present driving licence for an Aussie one. Plenty of people from the various countries in Africa have obtained Contributory Parent visas in the past and I have never heard of any of them having problems with obtaining an Aussie driving licence once they move to Oz.

 

You need to do as I suggest, though. That is the only way that you will obtain any certainty about this, hon. A load of rumour and hearsay from people on an internet forum is no use whatsoever - it has at least a 50% chance of being wrong. Asking the driving licence people in the relevant State has a 90% chance of producing an answer which is likely to be accurate. :yes:

 

Cheers

 

Gill