where to go....Perth or Canberra

[Guest colsha7]

Hi all,

 

I may go on a bit but please bear with me....would be very grateful for any opinions you may have...would help me a lot.

 

My husband is a nurse, 42 years old, currently working as a ward manager (9-5) has done this for about 10 years (both in England and Germany)

 

He has been offered a few jobs. 1 is in Perth with a PR. 121. and $3000 relocation. We have a time scale of when everything should be done and according to that we would be looking at April 2012. Great, plenty of time to save and get everything sorted. The other is in Canberra temp. 457,PR after 1 year... good job (day clinic, so 9-5) start date November 2011. relocation excellent. 3 months rented accomodation and utility bills paid + $2000.

 

My main worry is the kids. We have 5......not all will be migrating though. Our oldest lives and studies in Germany. Shelby will be going to uni this year (Adult nursing, will come to Australia when she is finished) so they are fine. Ally is 18 and is doing his AS Levels this year (had to resit yr. 10 when we moved from Germany due to different school system) so he will be in his A2 year in November....This is my problem. We are originally from Scotland and have only lived here since 10/08 so no family to leave him with. Can't send him back to Scotland (different school system). Also not poss. finacially to leave him here so he would have to come....he doesn't want to though. Wont leave his girlfriend...thinks he is in love;)) I don't have any concerns with the kids settleing as the settled very quickly here after our move from Germany. So I know they will be fine, I dont want to put Ally's education on the line. He also wants to go to Uni (RMN). He has said that if it doesn't work out with his girlfriend he would come to Australia with us and go to Uni there. So it's not school that keeps him here. I have also read that there may be International school fees in Canberra (have sent the education dept. an email explaing our situation and asking if and how much school fees apply) I believe there are no hefty fees in Perth???

 

Hubby also has Polycystic Kidney Disease...he could fail his meds. which is another concern. he may pass his meds for the 457 as this is only temp. but once down there and we apply for the PR he may fail;( I have read that he can then apply for a health waiver???? However if we go for the PR with Perth and he fails the meds then no Australia:(((

 

I know on the 121 we all need health checks. What about the 457????? Have heard conflicting advice here. The nurse recruitment agency who found Colin the job in Canberra say only Colin, but some people on here have said that when they migrated on 457 everyone had to have the meds done. I looked on the education dept. Canberra and it states that international students need meds done. If this is the case I believe I would have to pay for everyones meds twice, 457 and then after a year for thr PR....Money, Money, Money!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Also...Perth or Canberra??????????????????????

 

I wont be working at first......not really trained at anything except being a mum for the last 22 years...so don't know how easy it would be for me to find a job/settle in either state??? Perth looks and sounds lovely, great weather, lovely beaches etc....... Canberra also looks very nice but weather wise?????? also no beach;(((( I also want to move to place where Australians live and not just little Britain......

 

Thanks for listening.....look forward to any insight you may be able to give me.

 

sharon.xxxxx

 

 

[Guest siamsusie]

Hi Colsha,

 

Just bumping this up for you, seeing Australia is awake now, you should receive some good replies.

 

Susie x

[Guest Guest26012]

Hi! Hard decision for you eh? I can only speak from my experience but i would go with the PR. Im a nurse, in Perth and came over on a 457 3 odd years ago, now PR. It worked for us as the hospital did PR sponsorship after 3 months. However, i have known people, nurses and others who have lived through uncertainty until they got PR. We came as a couple with no kids so it was different for us. Perth is a lovely place to live and work, i cant comment on Canberra as ive never been there. Good luck with your decision x

[ali]

I would say PR every time, it offers stability, you can choose your hours (you have to work full time on a 457) and if you can work wherever you want to.

[Quoll]

You are going to be faced with the same medical dilemma whichever time you go for PR so if you dont get it with WA you probably wouldnt get it later - however I have no idea whether the condition is going to be a deal breaker or not. Discussing it with one of the agents who have real experience with medical conditions would be the best way to go (Peter Bollard or George Lombard are usually mentioned in this connection)

 

Canberra is a lovely place - it certainly isnt "little Britain" (very few Pom migrants and certainly no Pommie enclaves) and is closer to all that is going on on the East Coast - sure the beach is 90 minutes away but there is a lot of local water as the place is built on 4 lakes. A lot of Canberrans also have beach houses. It has all the advantages of a big city along with those of a big country town but fewer of the disadvantages. Sydney is an easy day out as are the snow fields. You can see the bush from anywhere in town and the weather is nicely seasonal - the hots are not so hot (thank heavens) but the colds are colder and we do have definite seasons. You could do much worse weatherwise.

 

It is an expensive place to live - but so, I hear, is Perth. The education costs are an issue if your occupation is not on MODL but I would guess that nurse is on there so you should be OK otherwise it is going to cost you $8 - 10k per child pa. Failing that, the Catholic system only charge local fees (around $3kpa) and almost half ACT kids go private anyway. Educationally it is probably easier to bring prior learning into ACT than anywhere and there would be credit for AS levels as we have a continuous assessment process for yrs 11/12 rather than final exams as most of the other states do.

 

Average income in Canberra would have to be well over the national average - my guess is around $80k as that is an APS 6 level and that is not high flying by any means. Most families I know are two income - so reckon on a household income of around $130k on average although of course there are still people on well less than that (I have no idea how they manage to be honest!). Rental costs are high especially with a large family - the bigger the house the more it costs, as usual! The cheaper places are further out so what you save on rent you spend on transport but you would not get much change from $500pw for a rental for a big house bottom line. However "further out" in Canberra is never really far from where you might be working - you can do the territory from top to bottom in 45 minutes on a good day.

[Pumpkin]

It would be a no brainer for me, go for the PR now. If the medical condition is going to be an issue now, then it will be an issue later when you try to convert to PR. You are not going to get let off with a "health waiver" because you are already there on a 457. I would rather know up front.

 

I cannot comment on Perth or Canberra. I have never been to Canberra and I spent only a day in Perth, didn't like it but it was only a day.

[Guest tartan girl]

Hi Sharon, go for the PR every time - as others have said health issue will always be there but if you get PR you have security for the future.

We moved Scotland to England (3 years) then Darwin (4 years) on 457 and were hugely relieved to get our PR.

Now living in Perth, which we like, lovely beaches, beautiful down south for holidays. Small city but plenty available to sit all tastes.

Never been to Canberra but the extreme cold would put me off (yes living in the tropics has ruined me!)

Good luck!

[newjez]

Hi Sharon - I would check what the treatment would be like for your husbands medical treatment in Perth. Perth is a long way from anywhere, and whilst it is a medium sized city, and has excellent medical facilities, if you need something specifically for your husbands condition, you will have a long way to go to get it.

 

Canberra is a bit odd. Lovely, but odd. I always think it's a bit like Brussels in that being a political centre - it seems more alive during the week than at weekends. I always felt it was a bit like an English 'new town'. But I've never lived there, I only visited on holidays. Some people love it - some people don't. If you ski - it's probably the best place to be in Aus bar Melbourne.

[ali]

Your husband would likely receive treatment at Royal Perth depending on where you were living. The Fiona Stanley Hospital is also being built which will be one of the best in the country (so they say), so I wouldn't worry about receiving medical treatment if you get your visa

[Guest colsha7]

Thank you all for your insight. We have decided to go for Perth with the PR. this way our 18 year old has time to complete his schooling and hopfully get a Uni place for next year. If not we will put him on the visa anyway as he is still dependant and at school. Colin is off to see the specialist tomorrow so fingers crossed all is ok. Will be sending everything off to AHPRA in the next week (still waiting on the translations). I have also made an appointment at Manchester for him to have his meds done. I know we all need them but we were thinking if Colin does fail then we will have saved ourselves £800.

Thanks again.

 

Sharon.xxxx