Hello Everyone!

[Guest Ben]

Just registered, found the site from Poms In Oz and as Adelaide is where we want to end up thought this would be a nice way to meet people with the same in mind

 

I am in my last three years of 22 in the Royal Navy, a Marine Engineering Electrician by trade although that involves everything from 440VAC Generation right down to 24VDC consumption, so lots of scope there!

 

My wife Dawn has an NVQL3 in Childcare and Education with approximately 4 years of experience. (Looking after other peoples screaming snotty gits is not something I could ever do, so I take my hat off to her ).

 

We have three kids, Matthew 11, Harry 10 and Katie who is 2 and has me totally wrapped around her finger :embarrassed:.

 

Like I said, I still have just under three years left to do, so we haven't even started the process yet and as such it is still a pipe dream for us. We don't even know what the employment opportunities are like in the Adelaide area for us yet, but thats why we're here!

 

Good luck to anyone going through the process, and Merry Christmas everybody!

 

Ben

[ianb]

Ben and family,

 

welcome to PIA, much better than the other sites;)

Good luck when you start the process. Everyone here is always willing to offer advice so ask away for any advice.

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Ben

 

Just be aware of the DIAC age-restrictions, I suggest, plus the fact that the MODL changes according to current demand from time to time. Unless you will both still be comfortably under 45 in 3 years time, it might be prudent to secure a visa fairly soon anyway, do a rekkie trip just to validate it, and you will have 5 years from the date of the visa grant to make the permanent move to Oz.

 

Please study the two links below:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/immigration.htm

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/booklets.htm

 

It is not too soon to print off and really study Booklets 5 & 6 very closely.

 

However, the recently defeated Lib Govt introduced some significant changes to the skilled migration program shortly before the recent election. They were defeated because of other issues - I think the immi reforms were not a bone of contention. It remains to be seen whether the new govt will make any major changes. Should they decide to, it is impossible to predict when.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest Ben]

Thanks very much for the kind welcome and the information guys

When I leave the mob I will be 41 almost 42. I leave my last ship next year some time, and hope to spend the remaining time gathering all of my qualifications together and finding out about transferring them to appropriate Australian qualifications, if that is at all possible.

[Guest mOZzy]

hello and welcome

 

that's quite a goal in mind you've got there!

but then again better well prepared than sorry!!!

 

you'll find this forum full of answers and don't forget the ever so helpfull site

 

www.adelaidebound.com

[Guest Ben]

that's quite a goal in mind you've got there!

 

Erm, thanks for the welcome!

But what did you mean by that?

You've got me all worried now!

[Guest theshearers]

Hi Ben and familly

Welcome to the site. We were in a similar position to you when we started the process. My husband Steve is now in his last 18 months of his 22 in the Royal Marines.

We contacted an agent 18 months ago when he had 3 yrs to do just to get the ball rolling really.

We had his skills assesment done through the Institute of Engineers Australia (IEA) as he is a Electronics Engineer. He has a degree in Electronic Systems Engineering and is an Artificer Electronics in the RM.

My advice would be to contact some of the agents and see where you stand. Most of them will give you a free consultation before signing up with them. You may find that you don't need to use an agent once you have had a consultation but at least you've had a bit of free advice!!

There are loads of jobs websites that you can have a nosey at to see the jobs situation. You may also know that alot of the defence contractors are also based in Adelaide (BAE, General Dynamics, to name a few),so it may be worth looking at their websites as they all have careers sections. You should also check out www.adelaidebound.com as you will find loads of valuable info on there!

Give us a shout if you need anymore info and I hope it all works out for you and hopefully we'll catch up with you "Down Under"!

Good luck

Vicki

 

PS: where do you live at the mo? We are at RMB Chivenor in North Devon but Steve is being drafted to Portsmouth in the New Year so we will be moving in Feb!

[Guest Ben]

Hi Vicki, Steve and Cameron.

Thanks for the good advice, I have nowhere near the qualifications that Steve has, but its nice to find a family that has been in our situation! Makes us feel much more confident, if you know what I mean

We live in Plymouth and will stay here until I go outside in October 2010.

[Guest sarahsmartiepants]

Doubke check the visa you are going to apply for as you most likely will not be able to do deffence work on a temp visa and normally not on a perm visa either. In most cases for defence work you will need to be a citizen.

Also look into licences to allow you to do the job you will want to do. A lot of people come here and slip up on this.

sarah

[Guest Libby1971]

Hi

 

Good luck for the final few months those of you preparing to leave the forces.

 

Sarah raises a good point. A friend of mine has been a perm resident in Aus for 7 years but couldn't get a job she wanted in the Benefit Dept as she wasn't a citizen. The general rule of thumb with regards to getting it is get your perm residency and then 2 years later you can apply for citizenship. However, some of the visas are giving you 3 years on a temp visa and during that, for example, you have to work 12 months and can then apply for perm residency. Read, read and then read more on the different ones.

 

I would definitely be contacting agents in your situation to get advice on which visa to apply for and what documentation I need to supply.

 

Good luck and we all love talking/ typing and don't bite!

 

Libby

[Guest Rob and Clare]

If your really interested in Defence work then it could be worth applying from the UK, recently ASC and BAE ran adverts for Australia in the Times, if these companies need and want you they can help push citizenship through for you, but it has to be for a job they cannot fill locally.

 

Otherwise it's a 2 year wait if your perminant residency was granted before July 2007, if it's after July then it's a 4 year wait. The rules seem to get harder and harder for us ?

 

Have fun planning your future.

[Guest mOZzy]

oops, i didn't mean to 'scare' you :embarrassed:

 

i think i just meant that when i knew we wanted to do this i went to it straight away - i couldn't have waited any day longer

 

so good on you to set out your long term goals and work towards it!!

 

what made you decide on adelaide?

[Guest Ben]

Sorry Mozzy, hope I didn't come across too abruptly mate, wasn't intended

Adelaide, well i've only been to Adelaide and Sydney and as I come from London, Sydney reminded me too much of London to be honest whereas Adelaide just felt instantly comfortable and friendly (too me). Also one of my mums school friends lives in Adelaide (Christies Beach) with a rather large family (Seaford), they are going over there annually to stay and although I know its staying with friends, they still have never had a bad word to say about the place (it was a few years ago now that I went there).

[Lea]

Definately be worth contacting ASC - we spoke to them at one of the EXPOs before we came over. There is a lot of expansion going on at the moment with warship contracts recently being awarded to ASC. When we spoke to them they didn't seem to bothered by the citizenship issue. Same with British Aerospace (hubby is an Aircraft Tech - ex RAF) they actually offered jobs (outside Adelaide unfortunately) even though we are only on a temporary Visa.

 

However like Sarah says other companies require citizenship and strictly enforce this requirement.

 

Good Luck

 

Lea

[cormcvcr]

Hi Ben, Dawn and family,

 

Welcome to PIA, can't help you with the job front, but people are a font of information on here and will help you everystep of the way, where ever they can.

 

Definately give a few migration agents a call, they will all supply slightly varying information so it helps to build up a bigger picture of what you need to do and the different paths that you will have.

 

Good Luck with your quest.