I'm so confused..help please :-)

[jaxcooper]

Hi, Hubby and i have discussed moving to Oz for a couple of years now and we visited Brisbane back in 2009 and fell in love with what we saw. Hubby has elderly parents and didnt want to leave them behind so we put it on the back burner for a while.

We have seen that there will be new immigration rules coming into place this year and i'm starting to panic that we'll miss our boat if we dont start the process. Also i'd like to move before our daughter transfers to secondary school in 4 years time so bith children can start the same school together.

My inlaws have poor health and my husband has said that he knows that theyll not necessarily be around for much longer but he still doesnt want to apply for a visa yet just in case it happens too quickly.

I think i saw somewhere that you have a couple of years to make the move after the visa has been granted, is this correct? I dont want to tear him away from his parents when theyre so ill and old but i dont want to miss starting the process either.

Alternatively should i back off and see if we can get a sponsered visa perhaps when he is ready? For a sponsored visa should we still get his skills assessed by the ACS first?

My next dilemma is where to go. I have heard that for work in IT , western Australia is the best bet, yet we know people in Adelaide so its tempting to head for familiar faces.

 

So many question i know, i'm sorry :embarrassed:, my head is spinning and any input will be really gratefuly received :

 

thanks

Jacqui

[rammygirl]

If you qualify apply now. With general skilled visa 175/176 you have up to 5 years to finally make the permanent move after the grant, but you do have to enter Australia to validate the visa (usually one year after the date on police/medical checks as they expire). You can however just go for a holiday and return to the UK.

 

I would get started soon if you want to get an application in before the July changes come into force, as the work assessments etc can take months and you must have these before applying.

 

As it is if you start the process tomorrow your visa may not be granted until the end of the year so you could have nearly 6 years before needing to move out permanently. Not all visas have this flexibility though so do check carefully.

[Guest Big Steve]

I would get the ACS to assess skills ASAP - it can take a few months to get your paperwork together, and then for the ACS to do their bit. With July looming, I suspect the workload for the ACS will go up and you will need to have the assessment for the actual application. As rammygirl says, you have 5 years to enter once the visa has been granted (subject to a validation trip). So starting now, for a small amount of money in the scheme of things, will give you more choices, not less in the next few months/years.