Pollyana

Because the only people that can tell you whether you will pass are the medical guys at DIAC and they won't do medicals just to find out if you would pass. Also, even if someone would pass now there is no guarantee they would pass 3 or 4 years down the line - their health could have changed, or the requirements could have changed.

cristeto1981

That sounds like a pretty sweet deal for me. Do it.

aussietobe

Maybe thats why the UK is almost bankrupt?

Chortlepuss

It's certainly why you worry about getting sick in Oz... I had a minor operation last Xmas, and with full hospital health cover my 'gap' and ancilliary charges came to over 3K. Would have been more if I was on a 457 - was told by my Dr not to even think of waiting for the op here in the public system

One thing for OP to think about - what is your skill set? Is it very marketable? It is possible to find a new sponsor in Brisbane if things don't work out, and if you've skills in demand (e.g. SAP, technical business analysis) etc this can be done, so provides a potential (if stressful) safety net

also - unlike other states 457ers don't pay school fees in QLD (although this could change)

dave_m13

Hi All

Really appreciate all your responses and advice still not sure whether will end up doing this or not.

I think if the relocation costs are a considerable amount we may consider it but at this stage 90k may be to tight. I think I had in my head that 100k would be just about enough.

Thanks again
Dave

Ps will keep you informed on what we decide.

macy

Please don't be put off just be aware as I am sure you are of all the risks involved, my hubbies first job was badly paid and at the time we didn't know any different, our savings were soon eaten up by bills and it took a couple of years once circumstances changed to sort ourselves out, it is great living over here but terrible when you can't even pay the electricity bill, paradise we found out can be quite expensive.

PeterYork

Hi Dave, very comprehensive research.

I would advise not to believe people who say things cost 2x or 3x the price here. Many people on this forum would say overall the prices are roughly equal, especially if you take the long-term exchange rate of 2.3-2.4$/pound and are prepared to learn where to buy things etc.

On your costs- they seem about right. Wouldn't have thought 800 a month for public transport, unless the whole family is using it all of the time (monthly tram/train ticket here in melbourne is $130 for the inner suburbs I imagine similar for brissie). OTOH, other costs may be a bit low-food and rent?

I would definitely insist on relocation expenses. Flights + $10000 would be good. We got flights + 5000 and felt poor for the first year (+ we have no kids) but we had very little savings to bring over..

verystormy

Would just re-iterate what people have said about the 457. We are here on this visa and came over at the end of the mining boom. Which ended 1 month after arriving. It has been a lot of stress being on the visa after watching friends being forced to leave the country.

We are going through company sponsered PR at the moment and will be VERY glad to kiss goodbye to the 457.

BUT.... Would i still have come. Yep, in a heartbeat.

As for relocation costs. Its difficult as we dont have children and my sponser picked up the flights and some removal costs, though we did arrive with no furnture only boxes of cloths and personal belongings. We used the little cash we had to re buy furnishings.

I do think Australia is expensive for many things - food, internet, mobile phone, housing. But taking the board down to the beach is free!

oxford_lad

To be honest just do it, or you'll live to regret it!!!

I'm coming over, have never been to Oz but have got myself a job and thought b*llocks just do it, there's nothing really left here in the UK it's going to take years to get back on it's feet if it ever does....so why the hell not....

a man who's never made a mistake has never made ***** all!!!

hollykimalan

Your mate sounds unlucky....I know I guy called Framac and everyone who has been on here for more than a few years will remember his story....He got his PR!
I wont say anymore...just try a search. You'll see what I mean.
HKA
x

MDawson

Excellent job offer thats for sure, but think carefully about moving to Oz,
you may not be made welcome by the natives ? then you waste lots of money returning to the UK.

danth

DO IT! We moved to Kent about 10 years ago and I can't tell you how much harder it was living there than here. We stayed for a year and while we enjoyed our time (kids were 2 and 6) it was bloody hard. I still feel that, with the right information, life in Australia is much healthier, easier and there are opportunities here that are just too hard to find in the UK. Don't dwell on negatives that people give you, just find an alternative. I read about car problems, hard to find clothes and food stuffs on these threads and just think about how we had the same sort of problems in the UK (I can laugh now about the Vauxhall Cavalier we bought that blew up on the way home from the private seller. No recourse at all! Just lost our cash!) You just need to readjust and find an alternative. The kids will love it. Get the admin done and the rest will work out for itself.

dave_m13

Ok Little update

I have been offered the Salary of 90k as you all know.

They also offered initial set up costs when we arrive, 4 weeks in an Apartment close to office, as well as arranging a company to assist in finding a rental home, schools etc.

Unfortunately we have very little savings and it cannot be done without any assistance when we get there. So the agent is going back to see whether they could do a lump sum of $10k when we get to brisbane. This however would be a substitute to a payrise, which would have been after 6 months. I personally prefer this.

I have read one of the replies and got me thinking, I made a mistake on the train/bus cost, as everything seems to be weekly, just took the monthly amount to be weekly, it should actually be about $170 and this is for 4 zones, so may be less.

If we are able to get a loan for a used car, then the monthly amount would be much less than $800. I am going on the assumption that people seem to struggle to get a loan from banks on a 457 visa. $800 is for a new car costing around $30,000

Rent - 2000
Car - 800
Car Insurance - 50
Fuel - 180
Contents Insurance - 41
Food - 1000
Train/Bus - 170
Gas/Electric - 150
Medical Insurance - 250

So its looking a little bit better but only if we can get the assistance.

Both my wife and I have already done the WHV albeit 10 years ago. So we both know what its like, I know it will be very different to actually living there.

Thanks again for all your replies

verystormy

Medical insurance should be paid by the employer for people on 457 visas

Geordie George

Just a quick note on a relocation package. Our situation is that DH's company paid for flights for our family (3 of us) to Aus, a stopover in Singapore on the way, 4 weeks accommodation on arrival, a relocation agent and $15,000 expenses. It sounds very cushy. The 4 weeks temporary accommodation they put us up in was dreadful - we moved out after not even staying one night. (I wasn't prepared to stay in a hotel that didn't even have hot water.) The relocation agent was, in essence, a glorified taxi driver and didn't really assist us in any way (we've lived here before and knew suburbs etc, so probably didn't need one in some respects, but we expected them to help us get the rental we wanted. They really didn't.). And we went through the entire $15k in about 8 weeks - accommodation costs mainly.

I'm just saying that what sounds like a great assistance deal isn't necessarily. I'm glad we had savings behind us to cover our backs, particularly as securing somewhere to live proved a nightmare for us. Brisbane might be very different to Sydney though (the rental market here is, erm, competitive!) and you could well find that your package turns out to suit you perfectly.

Good luck with your decision. (FWIW, I'd risk it. )