new girl, scaredy cat

[Guest hel&sam]

Hi all

 

ive been lurking around on here for a couple of weeks now. Time to bite the bullet. We've decided to join you good people and head from Manchester to oz!!!!! Argh !!! i'm so excited maybe slightly premature, but also terrified. I'm a radiographer, the OH is a maintenance fitter so we are going on the skilled migrant thingy. i've just begun the harrowing task of filling in the form to get my qualifications ok'd. So thats me, time for questions. Any general radiographers out there - whats the money like, any major difference in practice to a uk district general? Same for maintenance fitters?

Did anyone use a migration agent? are they worth the money and who was good/bad/indifferent.

How will i cope when i have a row with the OH and dont have my bessi mate to share a bottle of wine and an moan with??? sad to say thats actually going to be hardest bit.

Fully expect to have hundreds of pathetic and not so pathetic questions in the next few months, please be kind any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[cint&mark]

Hi there - firstly - welcome to the site!! We're from sunny manch too - just waiting for our house to sell before the off... what you said really struck home with me - that ' having a row with OH and not being able to have a bottle of vino and a moan with yer mates' thingy is the bit that freaks me out too!!! We did have a migration agent - mainly cos me n' him are sssssssoooo crap with forms etc - we didn't really trust ourselves to do it all right - plus we've got three little'uns and no head space at all.. for us it was worth the money - just having someone organise us! We went with 4 corners [based in cheadle if i remember correctly:confused:**. Anyway - just wanted to say hello:) and all the best with everything! Jacinta

[Guest Nicky&Andy]

:jiggy:Hi helen, great site isnt it, dont worry about the questions you ask, someone will always reply, thats what makes this site so good is the friendlyness of every one.

 

we also went through an agent, worth his weight in gold for us, some people go it alone , best of luck with every thing, keep us posted

 

nicky

[suzer]

It is the worst having an argument and not having anyone to vent to, and nowhere to go. You do get somewhat used to it, especially if you have some of your own space to go to. It's either that or we need a Poms in Adelaide support line lol...drinkies buddies, like the opposite of AA;)

[Guest louiesmum]

JUst wanted to say Hi welcome to site good luck with it all!! We didn't use an agent & managed ok I think!! There were very stressful times in there, but I think they wld have been there anyway!!!! Good luck with it all, the waiting on things is the worst, but keep positive!

[Guest hel&sam]

:D:Daw thanks guys, you all seem friendly enough, praps i wont be all that lonely after all when i get there. think the drinking buddies support group is a very good idea, specially if its for harrassed wives. you may well have a very good idea there.

 

think i'll price up a few migration agents and see what they can offer

[Guest mOZzy]

hi helen and family and welcome

 

to answer your questions:

we did use an agent (go matilda, and they were great so far), mainly because we had so much going on that time and we wanted it right the first time! - we found the TRA the most difficult bit so maybe worth a try to use the agent just for that and do the visa alone?

OH has also applied as a fitter but i am not sure how much we can help you there with the new system. but ask away (he does maintenance too with plc's and all those things)

 

re the support network: as far as i know there are not many on here who say they haven't made any friends once over! and it seems to be a 'thing' to support the new arrivals (if they want to of course) - and there are lots of meetings and winery tours or even golf if you want that. and since you've got kids that should make it easier too. just dont hide! - should i be out there first: i'll have a bottle ready for you should you need it

 

 

good luck!

[Guest caoimhe]

Hi Helen welcome to PIA

We used an agent as we didn't know where to start (Visa Bureau) found them great, kept us right with all forms ect, but it down to personnal choice

 

Leaving friends and family is bound to be the hardest bit, I don't know what I am going to do without my sister to moan to every day but think of the bigger picture and remember with technology today communication with home is a lot easier and cheaper than it used to be