1 week visit is it doable?
 

Although I validated my visa way back in 2004 I'm seriously considering a little recce trip.

Originally, there was going to be 5 of us going and therefore decided to just treat it as a holiday so didnt bother looking at suburbs, schools etc. Now circumstances have changed significantly and I'm now coming on my own with 2 kids :unsure:

I'd rather be a bit organised when I arrive and have already sorted an account, moved money etc. as well as discussing mortgage options with the bank.

I have been in contact with a few schools and have a couple short listed depending on availability of places.

I've got a job lined up and have some of the paperwork etc. sorted.

I have a week off at the end of May and had planned on going down to Bath with the kids. I'm now seriously considering flying over to Brisbane for a week to check things out.

My question is: Is it possible to look at schools, suburbs etc in a week.
As I said earlier, I already have a bit of an idea where I want to go depending on the schools the kids go to.

If I could look round the areas and schools ie, St. Pauls and Bracken Ridge/Bald Hills and Cleveland state and Cleveland I feel I would have things more straight in my mind.

I could also go to work and finalise all the paperwork instead of trying to do everything by post and email. As well as go to the bank and get a bit of help filling in the forms there.

So, is it doable or will I be too knackered (and will the kids hate me for going to Oz instaed of Bath :confused: )

Tracey

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

We went for 10 days on our reccie. Do-able but verryyy knackering. We left the kids behind!

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

I wouldn't be taking the kids, I'm sure they'll be most impressed ;) I dont think I could stretch to 10 days though. Still, if there's just me I should be able to get a good rest between the mad visits

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Oh yep do it!! A few days is better than none eh?

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

I just noticed where you're from. My Dad used to live not far from you in Burgess Hill, my sister lived in Brighton but now in Eastbourne I think :confused:

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Go for it, you will have an uninterupted seven days to right lists-see the areas-see the schools- locate your preferences all without the kids moaning.

then when you land you will be able to take charge and settle your family in, much better than finding yourself in unfamiliar territory with tired and moaning kids, especially as you will be all emotional from the flight.

might not get another chance so do it girl.

louise

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

If you plan out what you want to do each day it should be OK.

Good luck.

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

My hubby has done a couple of 1 week trips and seems to have managed okay, we did 10 days last time and although I wouldn't do it that short again if I had a choice, if there is no other way I would do it and it probably wouldn't be that bad. We did Sydney and Brisbane in the 10 days we were there, so if you are going to one place only it should be a bit better!

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

so do the kids not have to go an a reccie? i was under the impression that all the family planning on emigrating had to go on the reccie.
jayne.

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Only if you are also validating your visas as part of the reccie and won't re-enter before the entry deadline on your visas.

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Hi Tracey

Yeah its doable, oh goin out for a week on 19th May for a reccie, he will probably be totally knackered when he gets back but hey......a weeks better than nothing if its all you can fit in!
Hope it goes well if you decide to go:)

Jayne

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

god there is so much to understand on this whole business, the quicker i get to the expo in october the better and hopefully i can get a few of the q's i have answered.

jayne.

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Why wait til October? Just ask your questions on here...we will help you! :)

Jackie x

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

i feel as though i know nothing and just when i think i am getting the hang of it something else crops up.

we are going to apply for a 136 visa?but not until we are ready to make the big move. it would work out far too expensive for us as a family of 5 to have a validation trip. we would much rather spend all those thousands of £'s on relocaing.

so is this how it works????

1. we apply to have our skills assesed,

2. then apply for the visa,

3. hopefully they are ganted then we have 12mths from date of issue to either validate or emigrate,

4. if we validate we then have another 4yrs in which to emigrate.

5. out of the 1st 5 years from date of visa granted we have to be in aus. for 3/4 yrs to become PR. or are we already PR on a 136?????

you see, i am so green on this subject and a desperatly trying to work it all out.

jayne.

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Yes it is - I run holiday homes and I have had several familys that have come for 7-10 days just to do a quick reccie

Go for it

K

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

same here, very tiring, did not get everything done, got home and decided to live in another state as QLD was not for us due to teaching qualifications and complications, arrived in Sydney with no reccie trip to start from. Reccie was worth every penny.
Good luck

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Yeah I think it's doable! If you can get over the jetlag on the first day you should be fine!!

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Correct.

Correct.

No. You generally get 12 months from the date of the police checks or the medicals (whichever is the earlier). For example: we had our medicals in early July 2005, visa granted Sept 2005, date of first entry (i.e. visa validation or emigrate) was no later than 6 July 2006.

No. If you validate rather than emigrate by the "first entry date", you then have five years from the date the visa was granted to emigrate. In our case, the visa was granted on 23 Sept 2005 and it says in our visas "must not arrive after 23 Sept 2010".

You are already a PR on a 136. But if you don't achieve/take out citizenship within those five years, you will need to apply for a Resident Return Visa (RRV) if you want to leave and re-enter Oz after the 5 year date. In our case: If I don't have citizenship by 23 Sept 2010 and then wanted to take a trip out of Oz and want to come back, I have to apply for a RRV first.

Hope this makes it clearer.

Gina

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

It is doable and better than nothing but it will be hard work.

Might be better than no visit at all to give you a taste. You might glean that its a non starter, good - but you might get an artificial sense of it.

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Definitely doable, but you just have to be a bit hardcore.

If not, there's always redbull

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Is do-able if you don't suffer any jet lag! and if you anally plan every day, with a military type strategy :p

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Hi, when we validated a couple of years ago, we came out for 4 days (arrived on Sunday, left on Thursday). We managed to get bank account set up, OH's TFN, and managed to have a good look around the area to give us an idea where we would like to settle. Yes, we were completely knackered when we got back!!

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Fantastic, how did you get the TFN? I thought you had to be resident to get that?

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Hi Tracey,

My husband went for a week on his own and managed to meet with the business sponsors, check out areas etc arrange banking. At least if your on your own you can just get on with it rather than keep stopping for things, he found it tiring and the time difference is a pain but he took lots of video to show me what was what as i had never been. The short of it is yes you can do it but you sound pretty organised and it is still quite expensive even for a week isn't it. If I were you I would save my money have a great week in Bath with your kids and when you come over if you haven't any family here there are plenty of people on here that can help inc myself . Just my opinion I am sure you will make the right decision pro's and con's with both. Best of Luck Jodi:D

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

Thanks for that.

Just chatted to a friend over in Oz and she kind of said the same. Probably wont get much sorted and would be better saving my money.

Still undecided :unsure:

Re: 1 week visit is it doable?
 

huge thanks gina:thumbup:
jayne.