Just starting the process - so many questions - honest responses wanted please!

[Guest ThompsonFamily]

Hi all,

 

We are just starting the whole process of moving to Australia, my husband's career is on the critical skilled migration list and we have passed the eligibility questionnaire. We are attending the Down Under Live Exhibition in Leeds, March 2010 which I hope will help us start the ball rolling.

 

I am just in turmoil with so many stupid little questions and don't know who to ask or where to find answers.....so I am hoping someone will be able to help?

 

Is it recommended to use a migration agent?

 

We pay so much national insurance and tax and the cost of living is increasing in the UK all the time. How do people compare the cost of living honestly to the UK?

 

On a more light hearted note, my husband wants to know if you can honestly keep a traditional English lawn in your back yard, LOL?

 

Hoping you all have loads of support and advice.

 

The Thompson Family

Sean (33) Design/ Mechanical Engineer

Christy (28) Outdoor Education Instructor

Elena (2)

Baby Thompson (Due July 2010)

[Guest JoTanCalOwen]

Hello there,

 

WE used an agent, but didn't knowwhich way to turn when we started our process and we hadnot heard of PIA. It is personal choice, some have managed without an agent, for what we have paid out so far, the agent has made it easy as such for us. With contact whenever we have needed it, questions answered and straight forward Trade Recognition Application and stae sponsorship, now our visa is lodged and we just wait

 

We used Australian Visa Bureau at Australia House they have been very good with us, altho you do pay

 

See if you can find the breakdown of individual prices of what you need and compare to a couple of agents quotes and go from there.

 

 

Good luck with everything

Tanya

[Guest brianlynnette]

Hi all,

 

We are just starting the whole process of moving to Australia, my husband's career is on the critical skilled migration list and we have passed the eligibility questionnaire. We are attending the Down Under Live Exhibition in Leeds, March 2010 which I hope will help us start the ball rolling.

 

I am just in turmoil with so many stupid little questions and don't know who to ask or where to find answers.....so I am hoping someone will be able to help?

 

Is it recommended to use a migration agent?

 

We pay so much national insurance and tax and the cost of living is increasing in the UK all the time. How do people compare the cost of living honestly to the UK?

 

On a more light hearted note, my husband wants to know if you can honestly keep a traditional English lawn in your back yard, LOL?

 

Hoping you all have loads of support and advice.

 

The Thompson Family

Sean (33) Design/ Mechanical Engineer

Christy (28) Outdoor Education Instructor

Elena (2)

Baby Thompson (Due July 2010)

Hi i think it depends on what budget youve got aswell, weve got none haha, were getting a spouse visa, got the forms sent out to us from australia house in london, visa off them is gonna cost us £875 without the medicals or police check but for the visa off a migration expert it would cost £2,500 also without the meds and police check, it would be worth your while to email or phone (£1.00 a min tho ) australia house in london and ask them if they will be able to help with the visa you need, email add is london.cc@dfat.gov.au they normally take 3 days to get back to you, i find it best to email 1 question at a time so they answer everything good luck x

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Hi all,

 

We are just starting the whole process of moving to Australia, my husband's career is on the critical skilled migration list and we have passed the eligibility questionnaire. We are attending the Down Under Live Exhibition in Leeds, March 2010 which I hope will help us start the ball rolling.

 

I am just in turmoil with so many stupid little questions and don't know who to ask or where to find answers.....so I am hoping someone will be able to help?

 

Is it recommended to use a migration agent?

 

We pay so much national insurance and tax and the cost of living is increasing in the UK all the time. How do people compare the cost of living honestly to the UK?

 

On a more light hearted note, my husband wants to know if you can honestly keep a traditional English lawn in your back yard, LOL?

 

Hoping you all have loads of support and advice.

 

The Thompson Family

Sean (33) Design/ Mechanical Engineer

Christy (28) Outdoor Education Instructor

Elena (2)

Baby Thompson (Due July 2010)

 

 

 

Hi guys and welcome to PIA, as for information just ask away on here there is always someone who is willing to offer some advice and help.

 

 

We never used an agent and our case was not straight forward, i had to get PR of the older kids from the mrs ex, i had to get PR to be able to take them outta the UK.

 

We just pre-empted any questionas that DIAC may have from us by using the various sites that are available on the internet ( now i only really come on here )

 

You could have an english lawn if you water it very often and if it isnt too big, you could always have the fake grass, but grass is not a big thing here due to the water restrictions.

 

Enjoy your stay with us and must ask away for any info that you require.

 

HG

[Guest Guest75]

Welcome to PIA!!

 

I see your questions are getting answers.

 

You will have loads of questions and worries - big and small and daft.

The only daft questions are the un- asked ones!

 

 

:)

[Diane]

We pay so much national insurance and tax and the cost of living is increasing in the UK all the time. How do people compare the cost of living honestly to the UK?

 

Just to answer this bit of your post, I think the cost of living if anything might be a little higher here - it's swings and roundabouts with stuff like petrol and housing being cheaper, but some foods a little more expensive, and additional costs for things like medical and dental and state school fees, plus (a lot of the time) lower salaries. You'll still pay tax, and you'll have to consider pensions ('Super') here, and benefits depend on the type of visa you come out on (such as child benefit, help with childcare costs etc)

 

Lots to do that doesn't cost money, but you can't live on fresh air and sunshine, so you do have to be prepared to take a few steps back before going forward. Those who come with an open mind tend to be the ones that make a success of it, those who come expecting a land of milk and honey viewed through rose-coloured glasses tend to be the ones that end up disappointed!

 

I see you're a design/mechanical engineer - but not sure which area of engineering you're in? If you're in construction, or civil, or electrical engineering, there seems to be quite a few jobs around in Adelaide, but if you're in manufacturing it's not so rosey!

 

Don't let me put you off though.....!!!

[Guest EHumphreys]

Hi Thompson Family,

 

My name is Einir Humphreys and I have a Relocation business here in Adelaide called Down Under Relocations. You might find it useful to have a look at the website in regards to the help and support information.

 

Good luck on your exciting adventure!

 

Einir

[Diane]

Or you could have a look at Home2Home (Home 2 Home Settlements) or give Mary on their UK help desk a ring. She's been here several times and is a mine of information

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

Gday Thomson Family.

Like you we had know idea where to start so we used an agent called George Lombard who was brilliant, kept us up to day though the whole process so if your not sure i would recomend using an agent.

As for the cost of living, it truly depends on your life style. Me and the missus alway were used to eating fresh and cooking from fresh as much as possible so the cost is cheaper for some thing but a little dearer on others but then again food is a lot more fresher and heathier here plus it depends where you shop.

Ready meals if you can find them are very expensive and so are special uk imported stuff so our attitude has alway been "if your in australia eat australian", why would you want to eat english food here.

[jo_marnes]

Welcome to the beginning of the bumpy and very stressful road to Australia! It's hard work to get here but in my opinion, totally worth it! Its good you have found this site - so many people here able to help you out. Here are my answers to your first (of many!) questions,

 

 

Is it recommended to use a migration agent? - In my opinion, NO! We were told by agents that we didn't qualify for enough points (enquired at several agencies). They did not seem to have any more of an idea as to what we knew by using the DIAC website. We did it all ourselves, took a while but was totally worth the savings.

 

 

How do people compare the cost of living honestly to the UK? The cost of living is increasing here too. I feel it is about the same as the UK - some things cost less, some things cost more. Don't move here thinking it will be cheaper.

 

On a more light hearted note, my husband wants to know if you can honestly keep a traditional English lawn in your back yard, LOL? In a word, No! The grass here is different. Its hard to keep green in summer but it does recover well over winter.

 

Best of luck!

 

Jo

[Guest mimasawrus]

Hi

 

We` have been here for four months and are beginning to love it. We did not use a migration agent we did it ourselves and saved heaps of money. We just followed the instructions on DIAC and were fine we found the hardest thing was waiting for information from others in the UK like references from employers and professional organisations and the stress the waiting causes. If the DIAC need anything they will always ask. WE got here so I am sure you will do it to. We have found the cost of living about the same and it is stressful at first when you havent got an income and are using savings etc, but when wages start coming in the stress does lift and the fun really begins. The food is great the lifestyle is great and there is also a lot to do for free. Just remember that it will not be without stress, but no pain no gain

 

Good luck

 

Laura x:jiggy:

[Guest nishman]

I can't tell you how many hours I've spent with a hosepipe in my hand trying to keep the landlords' front lawns green in the summers - such a waste!

Grass has to be tough here to handle the summers, but it is possible if you have the patience (and a big rainwater tank)

With some of the other questions:

Agents? We used one, but in hindsight could have got away without. At the time it was one less thing to worry about. If we had to do it all again, I'd be pocketting the fee to pay for something else.

Costs? Swings and roundabouts. I think we all have to change our spending habits (certianly when it comes to food stuffs) to match what's on offer/in season etc. On paper ($ to £) it may appear cheaper, but bear in mind you'll be earning $'s here, and the equation may well be re-balanced after that.

What breed of mech eng are you (I'm a mechy too - working in design/management, mainly in support of the metal processing and mining sectors)? Work is starting to recover in metals/mines here and there is plenty of work in the infrastructure/water/defence sectors too. As mentioned, manufacturing isn't quite as good as it was...

[Guest ThompsonFamily]

Thanks for the reply Nishman, regarding work, I'm mainly plant and process systems - with experience in Chemicals, Oil and Gas and Water industries, although I work as a freelance Mechanical design/ project engineer so have fairly good experience in other areas.

I'm currently working on clean/waste water systems in the UK, so that would probably be my initial choice of job.

Did you need to get your skills assessed by Australian engineering council if so, how do education levels match to UK? - I am IEng registered with IPlantE, and have HNC Mechanical, HNC Electrical and am about 2/3 way through OU degree.

Also, did you get state or company sponsorship before you moved out - are these schemes worthwhile/ limited or hard to come by?

 

Any advice appreciated - many thanks.

[Guest bugbabe]

Hi,

We are doing this ourselves, but I think we have only managed it because of this site...it really is invaluable. Everyone is really helpful and friendly.

Jamie is having his quals assessed at the moment, go onto Engineer Australia and follow the links. It cost $450 and takes up to 16 weeks (his qualifications are not accreditated by the Uni he went to-they have no link with Engineer Australia or something) but if your Uni is, then it costs $250 and takes 4 weeks.

Then we will apply for state sponsorship and then for a 176 visa, which is quicker than a 175 and less points.

 

Engineers wages seem to be a lot higher over there, and theyre not bad here either...but we'll see. We are going for adventure not for money.

 

Fire away with any questions regarding Engineer Australia

Good luck with your journey x

[Guest ThompsonFamily]

Cheers for the advice, please let us know what the skills assessment results are - have you spoken to anyone at Engineers Australia? - any ideas what they're generally looking for?

What made you decide on Adelaide?

[Guest nishman]

Have replied to your post/pm - as mentioned, water projects are all the go at the moment. So a CV with "water treatment" all over it should do well.

BTW wages look higher here at the moment when converting back to pounds due to the strong dollar. 4 yrs ago, converting back the wages, they were about the same.

Feel free to PM any more Q's - I'm out of the office (and hence out-of-PIA) for the rest of the week - so don't think I'm ignoring you if I haven't got back to you

[ShaunWilson]

Thanks for the reply Nishman, regarding work, I'm mainly plant and process systems - with experience in Chemicals, Oil and Gas and Water industries, although I work as a freelance Mechanical design/ project engineer so have fairly good experience in other areas.

I'm currently working on clean/waste water systems in the UK, so that would probably be my initial choice of job.

Did you need to get your skills assessed by Australian engineering council if so, how do education levels match to UK? - I am IEng registered with IPlantE, and have HNC Mechanical, HNC Electrical and am about 2/3 way through OU degree.

Also, did you get state or company sponsorship before you moved out - are these schemes worthwhile/ limited or hard to come by?

 

Any advice appreciated - many thanks.

 

What type of Oil and GAs experience do you have, and what sector within Oil and Gas. I currently work for an Oil and Gas drilling service company and we are about to recruit for staff positions with full sponsorship. When they took me over ALL costs (visas, medicals, flights and relocations-shipping costs- expenses) were covered.

[Guest needtogonow]

Hi and welcome to PIA. My husband is also a Mechanical Engineer specialising in plant maintenance/facilities management. As he was on the CSL we went down the state sponsorship 176 route and did it all ourselves. Poms in Oz was also useful for the research. We started the process on July last year and will be arriving in Adelaide at the end of March!

 

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions about the process.

 

Bex.

[Guest starduster]

Hi all,

 

We are just starting the whole process of moving to Australia, my husband's career is on the critical skilled migration list and we have passed the eligibility questionnaire. We are attending the Down Under Live Exhibition in Leeds, March 2010 which I hope will help us start the ball rolling.

 

I am just in turmoil with so many stupid little questions and don't know who to ask or where to find answers.....so I am hoping someone will be able to help?

 

Is it recommended to use a migration agent?

 

We pay so much national insurance and tax and the cost of living is increasing in the UK all the time. How do people compare the cost of living honestly to the UK?

 

On a more light hearted note, my husband wants to know if you can honestly keep a traditional English lawn in your back yard, LOL?

 

Hoping you all have loads of support and advice.

 

The Thompson Family

Sean (33) Design/ Mechanical Engineer

Christy (28) Outdoor Education Instructor

Elena (2)

Baby Thompson (Due July 2010)

 

Hi.... Re your visa process, we used an Australian Agent simply because we didn't have a clue what we were doing! Truth be told I was recommended a UK Agent but had a few beers on the night we (I) signed up, and signed up to the wrong one! The best advise I can give is never lose sight of your dream, and use this forum... its full of good honest advise. I wish we had used it more.

One minute I was the main applicant, then my wife, then back to me, then we were told we needed family sponsorship and finally got state sponsorship.

Our Agent was £1600 (plus £80 per telephone consultation - we had none!), medicals £900 (for family of 5) plus the visa application fee. Expect other fees to get your qualifications checked. Don't get your medicals/ police checks until DIAC request these. Also, check when your UK passports expire, we had to renew on of ours during the visa process.

 

good luck. Grant

[Guest Vix]

The English lawn may be a problem. There are water restrictions here, which means that it is difficult to have a decent sized lawn that is actually green. Maybe you could paint it? =P

[Guest mumsy]

Hi all,

 

i am Amy 23 and we are also just starting the prosess too. We are going through a migration expert at the mo, celtic migration. they have been really helpful so far. (fingers crossed)

They have found my OH (terry 26) a job already got written contract for 4 years as a gas fitter in adelaide. which was great as that is where we decided we wanted to settle. OH is just finishing of his TRA and then if all goes well start visa application.

 

I do have a few questions of my own if any one would like to help please feel free!

 

We have 2 children sky 4 (5 in july) and sonny 2 (3 in june), just wondering what the schools are like in adelaide?? and nurserys??? costs??

Where is the nicest place to settle in adelaide for a young family?? I have been looking and i cant make my mind up, any suggestions!!

 

Thanks in advance

Amy and family

[Diane]

Hi Amy

Just want to say, make sure you double - even triple - check everything that agent tells you. Feel free to PM me for more details as don't want to put on an open forum, but know of people that have had dealings with them in the past and that's what I'd strongly recommend, just to be on the safe side! Always a good thing I guess with any agent anyway...

Diane

[Guest Vix]

Hi all,

 

i am Amy 23 and we are also just starting the prosess too. We are going through a migration expert at the mo, celtic migration. they have been really helpful so far. (fingers crossed)

They have found my OH (terry 26) a job already got written contract for 4 years as a gas fitter in adelaide. which was great as that is where we decided we wanted to settle. OH is just finishing of his TRA and then if all goes well start visa application.

 

I do have a few questions of my own if any one would like to help please feel free!

 

We have 2 children sky 4 (5 in july) and sonny 2 (3 in june), just wondering what the schools are like in adelaide?? and nurserys??? costs??

Where is the nicest place to settle in adelaide for a young family?? I have been looking and i cant make my mind up, any suggestions!!

 

Thanks in advance

Amy and family

 

My younger brother went to Marion Primary School when we moved over here. There is a nice community of parents at the school that my mum got involved in as well. The area around there is also nice. Oaklands Park, where we used to live, is right near a shopping centre and public transport, and my brother used to ride his bike from our house to the school. I also did a week's work experience there a few years ago in a reception class. I it was a good experience, as I got to watch the children learn a dance routine for the Dance Spectular. The sports are also fun, and my brother enjoyed playing cricket. They also do music lessons, though I believe they only teach string instruments.

 

Hope that helps =)

[Guest mumsy]

thanks all to the quick reply, helped a lot already :-)