Canberra Bound
 

Hi Everyone!

Rather than lurk, I thought of using my first post to greet everybody. I am from the UK, and am married with 3 kids, and currently live in Gibraltar.

For years now we have wanted to move to Australia, but my skill was never much in demand. And yes, it is Canberra where we have always wanted to go, just seems like an ideal place for us, and I do happen to have a thing for planned cities, don't ask...

Anyway it just so happens that my skill has been on ACT's list since October last year, so we are now eligible to migrate to Oz and land in ACT via the 176 visa. Needless to say we are ecstatic!! :thumbsup:

Anyway just a short intro, so hello again!

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Dear LAB_ACT,

We are (most probably) at the start of the same process for the 176. About to do skills and am supplying ACT with info re my desire to live there and job prospects following a positive response to my CV.

Have you been there before?

We did about 8 years and really liked it. Melbourne we found was very big, Sydney was sprawling, Perth was delightful but a bit isolated. Adelaide or Brisbane would be good but that's not an option. Darwin is apossibility for us and is trangely tempting ...

Need to ensure skills are o.k. and get the state sponsorship so let's keep in touch.

Bezza

Re: Canberra Bound
 

just planning to move to Gibraltar soon, sounds like you considering moving out from there, how is life over there?

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Sounds like a good place to introduce myself, I lived in Gibraltar for about seven years and have lived in or near Melbourne for a total of about 10 years, currently back in the UK but heading back to Melbourne in October, Canberra I like the place, people in Australia take the Mickey out of Canberra boring etc, but like visiting, good pub there called the George Harcourt or something like that :thumbup:

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Hey guys, thanks for the replys!

bezzanbob
How weird, because the other places just don't fit us somehow if that makes sense, and I was extremely close (it was between myself and another guy) to getting a position with Deloitte up in Darwin, which we would have loved. Also weirdly drawn to it. Adelaide seems interesting also...

Never been to Oz, but we don't usually let that stop us in our many moves so far, besides we aren't in a position to take a trip, and haven't been for the last few years.

How far are you guys in the process, have you already sent docs to the relevant skills assessment centre?

I have just found out from SBM in Canberra, after sending them my CV, that they would welcome an application, so now just busy gathering docs to send off to TRA to assess my skills.

Lets definitely keep in touch, and good luck in the process!

westline
How do I put this, well to start with its extremely small. Now you might know this already, but I mean its REALLY small. Some like that, some don't but most places are in walking distance. There is one supermarket (Morrisons), and one high street where you meet every living soul that you know, where they stop and have a chat. By the end of it you don't remember what you went there for. Lots of little independent stores selling clothing, perfume (cheap), booze (VERY cheap), cigarettes (EXTREMELY cheap £1.50 for a pack of 20 for those that smoke), and electronics such as cameras, computers, etc. You'd think with all of the little stores there would be alot of variety, but there isn't, as they all sell similar stuff. Oh and they just got rid of road tax, which is nice for those drivers out there.

Everybody lives in apartments, which are bloody expensive (dearer than London), so please make sure that either you have a large enough salary, or you get an allowance for this. Houses are available if you are willing to pay £4000+ per month for the pleasure. Can sometimes feel like a big council estate with development after develoment in some areas.

Income tax is very good if you have a family, as they give allowances. If you are able to buy here, there are even more deductions. For those that are single it used to be 40% income tax, but now you can choose between allowance based, or income based.

Weather is great in Summer (30 degrees), and it stays warm until October, where it does get quite cold, not to British standards, but if its been 30 all summer and suddenly drops to 8 or so, it feels freezing. The apartments aren't also setup for this so you will feel it unless you buy electric heaters, and even then double glazing hasn't arrived here yet.

Now some good points, as everyone will tell you its safe, and it really is. No serious crime here, and there is a real sense of community, allthough you will probably mix more with ppl that aren't originally from here.

Schools are very good, and teach the British curriculum, if you have kids to think about.

I always say check it out, even after loads of research and comments, you don't know till you try it.

What field do you work in, if you don't mind me asking?

Lucky Lucan
Good to know about that pub :). Yeah I have noticed that many ppl kind of dis the place, but I suppose that'll keep the population controlled :D

Nice to meet you all

Re: Canberra Bound
 

How weird, because the other places just don't fit us somehow if that makes sense, and I was extremely close (it was between myself and another guy) to getting a position with Deloitte up in Darwin, which we would have loved. Also weirdly drawn to it. Adelaide seems interesting also...

Tough question - especially when sponsorship asks for one place to be justified over and above all other destinations

Never been to Oz, but we don't usually let that stop us in our many moves so far, besides we aren't in a position to take a trip, and haven't been for the last few years.

How far are you guys in the process, have you already sent docs to the relevant skills assessment centre?

About to do skills assessment.

I have just found out from SBM in Canberra, after sending them my CV, that they would welcome an application, so now just busy gathering docs to send off to TRA to assess my skills.

Exactly the same here

Lets definitely keep in touch, and good luck in the process!

Yes - it would be good. Best wishes

Re: Canberra Bound
 

LAB_ACT, thanks a lot for that
Obviously, lack of space, living in departments and renting prices in Gibraltar sounds a bit depressing..
I am working in IT, based in London, last couple of years been hanging between London and Edinburgh because of the job requirements, seen my family occasionally around weekends/holidays or Christmas time, etc.,
speed of life is good but at the end of the day everything is good in moderation, so who knows ? may be 20 min walking distance to the work place will be more than welcomed on top of this here in UK we got official – recession which could last for the good next year or so

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Hello to Canmberra bound folks!

come on down the weather is wonderful.....going to get to 37 today but should cool with a storm this arvo!

Been her over 4 years now and I really do love it here. Am thinking of seeing more of Oz though but not decided on anywhere just yet

Re: Canberra Bound
 

If you are interested in relocating, even just for a while to see how things go, and depending on what you do in IT, we have a vacancy here where I work, with one of the eGaming (basically online gambling) companies. Let me know and I'll PM you the details.

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Hi sasbear, that temperature sounds wonderful in comparison to what we are experiencing here. Can't wait to get there, seems so long to wait. But first gotta get past TRA.

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Woo hooo, more Canberrans! Hope you guys all like it here, all the benefits of a big city without the disadvantages and all the benefits of a big country town without the disadvantages.

I've been all over and it definitely has to be one of the better, most balanced places to live - reasonable employment, affordable housing, good weather without being OTT hot (apart from today - bring on that cold change, Sas!) good facilities, and not an overwhelming sense of tourist kitsch.

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Hi quoll, kind of affirms what we thought of it. You reckon there is a lot to do for kids...this is one of the only things we haven't looked into?

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Yay more Canberra bound.

We've been living in the ACT for about 7 months now and our 10 year old loves it, we have a lot of the same attractions that the other cities have but without the hustle and bustle.
We initially used Canberra just as a foot in the door to get to Australia but I can honestly say really enjoy it here

We also came to Australia on the Gov sponsored PR visa you guys seem to be doing, so if you have any questions about it I might be able to answer them for you.

Re: Canberra Bound
 

lOADS OF STUFF FOR KIDS - THE SCHOOLS RUN SO MANY AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS IT ISN'T FUNNY AND THEN THE ACTIVITIES ON THE WEEKEND TOO - YOU WILL BE A TAXI DRIVER FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS!!


Hey you should come to the meet up in Canberra on the 24th January (Saturday) will update the post on the meet up section now I have the details.

Where in Canberra are you? North or South??




Quoll - up for a picnic??

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Were in Kambah (South) but we will venture anywhere for a meetup. ;)

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Hi Graham and Maria,
Can't wait to get going, just gathering all details from past employers at the minute for TRA. Just how strict are they over at SBM Canberra regarding proof of funds? What I mean is, that we will have a bit under the amount they request for us as a family. Is it much of a deal breaker for them?

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Good to know, thanks!

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A chap on another board has been knocked back because he is underfunded but he was underfunded by quite a long way apparently so not sure how a little bit will go.

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OK updated Canberra meet up thread and will post a location map tomorrow. We have many south siders who get together too :-)

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Funding.

We are in the process of selling a house - an inheritance - we hope.

What precisely do the ACT require as transferable funds - i.e. cash or assets? - and how liquid do they need to be.

Bezza

Re: Canberra Bound
 

We are on our way well fingers crossed if we sell the house!!! :thumbdown: Anyway that is another thread - I am really pleased to see so many people heading Canberra way it is great! OH has a job offer and we are in the process of the final stages of our visa wooooo hooooo :eek: Hoping to be there in August winter we know. I have done a lot of research and the people on here really helped me look on the positive side of Canberra and now me the OH and my son can't wait! To have some resemblance of the seasons is a plus as far as we are concerned and to be a couple of hours from the beach is good and then the snow plains in the winter what more could anyone ask for!!!??? :rofl: I am hoping that when we get down there that we will be able to come to some of the meet ups it would be great to make friends!

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Yes I have the same question. Would they need bank statement only for the transferable funds?

Re: Canberra Bound
 

hello all
i am new to this site and it has been a great help so far. my husband got a job in canberra with ip australia. we are still waiting for the nomination for the rsmv. i am a nurse and we have two young boys 4 and 20months. loooking forward to this move although a bit anxious. not many people mention canberra from where i have searching but good to hear from people who actually moved there. anyone know what nursing jobs are like there and which are the best/affordable places to live?

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Rental vacancy rate the worst in the country but then the retail space per head is four times that anywhere else in Oz and that was before DFO opened (yes that isn't sustainable but for shopperholicks it's paradise)

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Hmm, best and affordable arent words that usually occur in the same sentence unfortunately. Canberra is a big place and where people live is usually determined to some extent by where they will be working. If you work in Tuggeranong you dont want to live in Gungahlin for example.

You shouldnt have too much trouble with nursing jobs - two big hospitals and several small private ones.

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Hoped you may have come to the meet up today. It was fun.

Hey Q - great day today - we are also going back on Monday for another picnic. Went for a swim in the lake:thumbsup:

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We had our Visa granted on Thursday so we are hoping to be Canberra bound by August/September - very excited:lol: Hopefully there will be a meet up sometime around then it would be good to meet some people who have lived there for a while and can point us in the right direction for things!:thumbsup:

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Good news on the visa!!!

Lots of friendly, helpful people here in Canberra.

:thumbsup:

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All we had to do was provide bank and mortgage statements ;)

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Ooops and big apologies I was at the ACT BMW Car CLub BBQ at Corin Dam and I completely forgot. Hope there is another soon?

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Will let you know - hope you had fun...we did:)

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Hellloooo everyone, :D

First of all... YAY :thumbsup:... a post about Canberra with actual people in Canberra posting! It's great!

I'm new to this forum and I just wanted to introduce myself… I currently live in the UK with my mum, dad and 2 sisters! We started our visa application nearly 2 years ago (maybe slightly less… it’s been so long that I’ve lost track of dates)! We are all looking to go over on my dad’s visa which I can’t remember what it is but I do know that we have to move to Canberra as that’s where my dad’s skill is needed!

Last week we got asked to provide medical information and police checks which I believe is a good thing  so I’m now in the process of researching Canberra as much as I can! I didn’t bother doing it sooner because I didn’t think I would get accepted on my dad’s visa as I’m 21 years old and according to Australia government I’m not dependent on my parents, which does make me laugh as I definitely couldn’t afford to move out at the moment let alone pay bills and have a social life!

Anyways I’m getting a little side tracked here… my main reason for posting on this thread is I would like to hear what everyone really thinks about Canberra! Also in your own opinion what is it like for people my age? One of my sisters is 20 too so we are both curious about what our life out in Oz will be like especially in Canberra!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Hi All

We are also at the same starting point for our 176 visa as you guys. I had a positive response back from my skills assessment as a Construction Project Manager back in December, it took about 4 weeks which was surprisingly fast!

Sent a copy of my CV for them to have a look at, and got the all clear to proceed with our visa application.

We have just finished putting together our "Commitment to Canberra" statement but are a little worried as to whether we have ticked all the boxes. Has anybody sent theirs and had any feedback?

cheers

Daz

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Nearly everybody is into sport. Have a look at Questacon, CSIRO Discovery Centre, Tidbinbilla tracking station, Cotter Reserve, National Zoo & Aquarium, War Memorial (excellent), National Museum of Australia, and well just to many to list.

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Regarding the commitment statement, for me it really was a case of writing down all the research that I did. So I covered things like:

- Summarising why I chose Canberra
- Explaining what research I had done i.e. what website’s I reference, what paper’s I used, the expo’s I attended and what magazines I read and what i found out from them.
- Employment – what research done there, what the jobs availability was, what the employment market is like, clearly there is a lot of federal employers so for the work I do in IT this is a consideration as many need security clearance and how I would anticipate working with that, what websites I used to research the market such as www.seek.com.au etc
- Lifestyle and work life balance – I covered things such as Climate, Work life balance (so things like getting around, lack of traffic congestion as the role that I had at the time meant a 4 commute each day and how working in Canberra can significantly reduce that which is time I can productively give to either my employer or family), Arts, Culture. Sports and Leisure Facilities, property and education.


All in all I did a huge amount of research and documented it in a succinct way. If you have an agent use him/her as they should know what they are after and should be able to share other successful commitment statements, I would send a copy but unfortunately lost it when my disc crashed, and like everybody who works in IT had never bothered to back it up :-(

Re: Canberra Bound
 

Thanks for the info 101126.

Re, your lack of back-up................my PC died a few weeks ago, followed a day later by the external hard drive which was used as a back up for all my music, films family photos etc so basically we lost the lot!!!!!

Daz

Re: Canberra Bound
 

thanks for that, thats hpeful

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More good news - we accepted an offer on our house today :D so looks like the final hurdle has gone as soon as it is through for def we will be on our way!!! YAY!!!:thumbsup:

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Hey great news!!!:thumbsup:

Re: Canberra Bound
 

I am seriously considering Canberra for my family. Research is showing this might the best place to raise our children and have a good work/life balance. We are thinking about the 176 visa (depending on what ACS gives as my ASCO code) but had a question about sufficient funds.

I currently have a portion of the required funds saved but my father is going to "gift" the remainder of the funds to me. Can he simply provide his bank statements and letter stating that he will provide the required funds upon our immigration or do the funds need to be put in my name prior to the application? My father would, of course, prefer not to give the funds out of his bank account until necessary because of interest lost. The reason my father is doing this is my wife will not let me sell our home here in the UK until we are positive that this is the right move for the kids because she doesn't want to be homeless. My wife is already an American expat living in the UK and worries about expating again.