Rabeah

Thanks Lazy Cow, you are absolutely right with your opinion regarding using gas-permeable lenses. Unfortunately, I don't have my old script from Europe, but I've the one for my glasses but that wouldn't help. These would be my 1st Australian gas-permeable lenses, but my 3rd ones so far. The right fit is always an issue for me. The first ones were too small and squeeszed while wearing them, the 2nd ones too wide and dropped out of my eyes while trying to put them into...Here in Australia it could only get better

Thank you for this advise. I even don't know which brand I had because I bought them in Europe. Sorry to disagree, but hard lenses are not uncomfortable if you are used to them! And even healtier in the long run. I wore soft lenses for more than 10 years and that can damage the eye because of less oxigen supply and so on...

Hi there, at x-mas time one of my contact lenses broke down. I fragmented it Does anyone know a good optometrist in Adelaide who is specialist in contact lenses? Hard ones. Thanks in advance, Rabeah

I was also on Cerazette and started with Micronor this week, thanks to this tread and Sarah's hint. My GP also said that this pill is the closest one to Cerazette available here in Aussie. I don't have any side effects so far, but I got my periods again on Cerazette 4 months ago! I haven't got any periods for 2 years since starting with Cerazette, in June I got my 1st one, in August the 2nd. It's crasy how different we all are, in terms of reacting to it and Micronor in different ways. I found Micronor is also a cheap contrareceptive pill, only 15 bucks for 4 months compared I was used to pay in Europe... Hopefully, we all can tolerate this new stuff. Good luck

Thanks Sarah, good information. Micronor is the equivalent for Cerazette I suppose. I'll write down the name so I'm prepared when I'll visit my gp in October.

Hi Sarah, i'm in the same boat, no Cerazette available in Aussie!!! I don't know what my gp will prescribe me in October when i'm running out of my last pills... The only thing i know is, that they don't have exactly the same hormone here, and when it's not under the PBS from the government it would be very expensive. May i ask you what you have to pay for 3 months? Cerazette is the best pill in the world, i couldn't stand all the others because of my migrane the other contrarezeptives (tried also several pills) caused to me! Hopefully, one day Australia get Cerazette? there seems to be no sign of getting it here in hundred years, seems to expensive for the government. Cheers, Rabeah

Hi again, a short up-date. My hubbie got a new job yesterday:smile: after 10 days intense search he was successful because he matches to the job requirements. He got a feedback which may help me and others. You have to be the "perfect" candidate, you have match most of the requirements. I'm so happy now! Unfortunately, I'm a very impatient person. I have to learn to be more patient here in South Australia, then I might get a job, too.

Thanks a lot for your hints! I've to state that I've already an Australian resume and an Australian cover letter. I did it before I arrived and got even help from TAFE SA to shape my resume in a perfect way. But it's worthless, when there are no jobs and as you say it's very competitive here. We've also Australian family in NSW for more than 30 years. They helped us with good advise and tips for settling and getting into the workforce. But as you see they live in NSW, where the job situation seems different. I even applied for "odd" jobs in supermarkets, Coles, Woolworths, Foodland, McDonalds, a kind of work I also gained experience in my old homecountry when I was a student not too long ago. But only rejection letters....:mad:it seems to me that all qualified people here in Adelaide want to secure any job, because too many qualified people were fired from their former jobs? And then it is allowed to start jobs (for example McDonalds) with only 15 years! That's unbelievable that we as Migrants are even competing with kids, prohibited to work in such kind of environment in most of Western countries at that early stage of life. My hubbie has had a lot of job interviews, that are good news. But like before coming close to the job but not close enough. Thank you for your comfort. The new financial year is coming, so hope is still there! Regards, Rabeah

I can completely agree with your opions! It's not only a problem getting a job it's also a even greater problem to stay in your job! My hubbie lost his job last week, because he asks if he gets a contract. One day after his "stupid" question they sacked him! He's a qualified CNC Machinist. Employers expect more from Immigrants than from their own people, for example a forklift licence, than he should read drawings on a CAD basic. So what else? Me to, having problems. I'm an admin clerk, looking for work nearly for 4 1/2 months. Nothing!!! I'm on two waiting-lists. That's the game they play here "waiting-lists" so called casual pools, because they have more people searching for work than work itself!!! PLEASE NEW ARRIVALS BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO! ADELAIDE HAS A LACK OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES! IT'S ALL A LIE FROM THE SOUTH AUSTRALIEN GOVERNMENT! SKILL-LISTS ARE WORTHLESS! If possible go to other states with more job opportunities. Last but not least Adelaide is a beautiful city when you have a job. Lots of facilities and attractions. Cheaper than other cities. But sorry folks, I'm too frustrated at the moment.

Thanks for your replies! I tend to have the view like Stevo, Extras only. But wasn't sure. It all depends on good luck or bad luck in life (means accidents happen or not). I know about the life time cover. thank you folks charing this with others. Ambulance cover I think is a must, isn't it? Cheers, Rabeah

Hi everyone, now I've settled in Adelaide and I was wondering joining a private health insurance just to give me peace of mind. I'm a permanent resident since February and checked different brochures and surfed on the internet for special offers. Which were your experiences with private health insurances? I read about HFC, Bupa, HIF, Medibank, nib...It makes it hard to decide. Recommandations are welcome. Cheers, Rabeah

Thanks a lot for your advise!

Hi PomsinAdelaide, we are moving next week to Adelaide. Could somebody please tell us how you managed to get your furniture - we want to buy it at gumtree or the OP-shops - into your new home. We would rent a removal van but me as a woman cannot carry the big ones...And we do not know anyone in Adelaide. Did you use professionals when you arrive or did you ask your neighbours? Here in Germany sometimes people offer those kind of service in a newspaper advertisment. Thanks for advice.

I want to share my opionion with you. There is no need of avoiding help from centrelink. Of course immigrants have to register at centrelink. Not everyone is from Great Britain or another English speaking country. For example, in Germany applications and cv's look completely different from english versions!!! They are much more shorter, they begin with the oldest experiences first etc. It would be stupid not having a job yet and not to registered at Centrelink!!! Australia is a country of all nations, people with different rules, habits, laws who have to adjust to the English system (of course Aussie-English system) often need professional help. In my experience I'd better ask a professional Aussie at centrelink than preparing a cv in a wrong style and not getting the job I wanted to. Medicare is also naturally.

We're flying out January 31th and will arrive on February 2nd. And when will you both take your flight? We're also thinking about renting in the northern suburbs, because it's nearer to the jobs

Hello members, hubby and me are just preparing to make the move in February. I was wondering if somebody living in Adelaide/South Australia could tell us how the labour market is at the moment? Hubby is a CNC operator (TRA recognition as a fitter/general). Hopefully there are enough job vacancies for trades worker. Thanks a lot for replies.

Thank you very much for your answers. I'll keep your advise in mind and now I'm prepared. Indeed, I was never a tenant, I owned my own flat and sold it when I moved to my husbands place 500 km away from my former hometown!

Hello, my hubby and me are going to move to Australia in February 2012. I've read here that some immigrants/tenants provide a cover letter like an introduction letter of themselves to real estate agents or landlords. Mostly tenants in overcrowded cities do this because they don't want to be forgotten with 30-40 applicants on one house only. They write 1 or 2 paragraphs about themselves with a nice photo. My question is what details do you put in such a letter? Name, age, marital status, but how did you write it in a good style? We are moving to Australia because...We want this house because... Thanks a lot for any advise!

Hi, we did it by ourselvers, our case was not complecated. I would say read the DIAC booklets - I suppose booklet no. 6 is the right one - they explain everything in a quite good manner. After reading and some questions we rang DIAC and I can say from my experiences they were very helpful and friendly. They answered all our questions and the most important thing is that the information given were first hand! And oh I forgot: English is not my mother tongue and we got through the whole visa process without difficulties. I also recommend pomsinoz, the sistersite from here. The agent we phoned once at the beginning went bankrupt, so we had to do it by ourselves (he took the money of many applicants and some original papers without doing anything for them we read on the Internet later) BE CAREFUL. Good luck!

I found this forum very helpful and understanding. I can't understand this sarcastic tone from member jason. I would have been grateful for those answers even if they aren't the answers I expected. By the way, what's the oppucation of your wife (you never told this) and how do you know they take them out of the list? My hubby and me had sit the IELTS together.

Hello, wasn't online since yesterday. Thank you so much for your help, especially RockDr for your good advise of making a visiting calender and Ryan T Lion for your detailed reply!

Hello everybody, I'm curious about how long it will take for new arrivals like my hubby and me to get a roof over our head in Adelaide? We're not asking for short term accommodation but rather for long term rentals. Maybe some members who are already in Adelaide could tell us how long it took until you moved in (on an average) and if it was easy to find something appropriate. I've read here that you cannot trust the pictures from the internet from some realestate agents. Don't know if it's true. Thanks. Regards, Rabeah

Thanks a lot for your information. Now I'm a little bit more relaxed.

Dear members, i'm new here at this great forum. first of all, thank you members for all your information. now i need some piece of advise: my partner and me are going to immigrate to adelaide february next year. we're read a lot how to rent a house/flat. all agents want to have so much things immigrants like us don't have, for instance, 2 references of former landlords, the last 4 utility bills and the last 4 rent receipts from the former flat in europe. i want to knwo if this is really necessary as a new immigrant? are australian realestate agents or landlords really interested in pieces of evidence from Europe? i'm asking because we are located in germany, our landlords do not speak a word english!!! and our utility bills are all in german and bank statements as well. it's very expensive to translate our required rental documents. as foreign speakers we had to translate documents for TRA and DIAC and now i develop that we may have to do it again in order to get a roof over our head. i would appreciate to get advise from someone here who can provide us with information. thanks. regards, Rabeah