TMRE

OK here goes. We have decided to move to Aus after becoming more and more convinced that it will give us a better lifestyle. My husband is 34 this year, I am 31 and we have two girls who are 12 years and a 14 month old. We think we should apply for a 136 visa and hubby can then apply for a job when we arrive. He is currently employed as a senior analyst programmer (IT) and has been doing this type of work for 8 years or so. The job prospects do look good over there but we are well aware his wages will not be the UK equivalent. When and if we do go we will have £100,000 or so to take with us after the house and car and some furniture etc is sold. Family ties in the UK are not that strong on either side so don't have to many qualms about leaving them. We will be going blind so to speak having never visited Aus but hubby has a friend in Brisbane and think we like the idea of going there. I know there is a lot to think about but hubby thinks we should just apply for the visa and go from there. It will be a big step for all of us but especially for our eldest as she has just settled into grammar school. I don't want to affect her education and job chances by moving her unless we are really sure. Is there anyone on here that can offer advice on how long visas take and any good agency's to use. Also do the agents do everything for you or is there lots of paperwork to fill out ourselves. Anyone with kids that moved as well how are/did they take to the move. Any advice/ links to other appropriate posts would be gratefully received. Thank you
Tam

wmoore

Hi Tam, welcome to the forum. The first important thing to note is that getting the visa is based on you reaching a points score, and if your husband will be the main applicant, he will instantly lose 5 points when he hits 35, so time is of the essence!

Start by going to www.acs.org.au and looking for the Current Guidelines for migration assessments. Make sure that your husband meets the criteria laid out in there. Then go to www.immi.gov.au and follow the links to migration and Skilled Independant.

When I got my visa in 2005, it took me about 2.5 months to be assessed by the ACS and then another 3 and a bit months for the visa itself. I believe it's going a bit slower at the moment.

Some people insist if it wasn't for their agent, they wouldn't have got their visa but others (like me) were happy to do their own research and do it solo. Read up on the facts, ask some questions on here and make up your own mind

TMRE

Thanks for that. My husband has checked and the work he does is on the MODl list. He would have to get a skill assesment done though as he has a degree but not in computing though, and it looks like a requirement anyway. We have enough points from what we can gather so shouldn't be a problem. Think we will use an agent though as he is so busy at work at the moment and I don't get to much free time wil a toddler running around to sit a do it. I don't want one mistake meaning we don't get the visa!

VikkiL

Hello and welcome,

We are in the final stages of applying for 136 MODL, just about to complete medicals and then wait for the official nod! We are going to the Brisbane/Sunshine Coast area and, like you, are going 'blind'. We have 3 kids, aged 16, 6 and 2 so understand your apprehension regarding your eldest girl but I think that now would probably be the best time for you to move. Most dont finish their education until 18 in Oz so there is plenty of time for her to settle in and get used to the system/make new friends etc. We hope to have our visa by June this year and if this is the case, the whole process will have taken us around 10 months to complete. We did use an agent but would not recommend him as we ended up doing a lot of work ourselves but I do know that Ian Harrop and Go Matilda both have very good reputations, if you go to their websites you can fill in a points calculator just to see how many points you can get.

Good luck with everything, you will get lots of help from this site and I am sure that when they wake up in Australia you will get plenty of replies!!

Vikki

bethandneil

hi there and welcome!

we (me, hubby, 2 children aged 2 and 4) are off to brisbane in september, we have our visas, they took 9 months exactly and we used overseas emmigration as our agent who i can highly recommend.

we did a rekkie to brisbane last january and it is absolutely fantastic.
expect some emotional ups and downs along they way but i truelly believe it is all worth it

good luck

Beth

TMRE

Thank you Vikki. Hope things go ok for you. Have just read about go matilda and they seem to get a good review. Watching Prime minister in waiting Mr G Brown deliver his budget has just tipped the balance. Aus here we come

VikkiL

Will the last one in the UK please turn out the lights Thankyou!!!!

TMRE

Won't need too, nobody will be able to pay the huge bills so leccy company will cut the power!

grahampaula

grahampaula

Hello and welcome to the site. We applied for sub-class 136 MODL (OH is an Electrician) it took 9 months to get our visas. We used www.1stcontact.co.uk and their service was excellent, we used them because of word of mouth and also they offered a "No Visa, No Fee" service it might be worth giving them a call as you have nothing to lose. Just want to wish you good luck with your application.

wmoore

Nice

sophjam

Hi Im New Too, We Decided To Go It Alone As The Cost Of The Agency Fees Would Eat Into Our Savings.i Have 2 Children Too And Feel The Same Apprehension Im A Nurse And Have Just Sent The Forms Off. I Sent Them Off Together Before The Skills Assessement Came Back From The Anmc So I Think There May Be A Problem But Im Expecting It !! We Are Hoping To Settle In Cairns As We Have Family There. I Found The Gathering Of All The Information Time Consuming But Hope This Will Make Me More Determined To Make It Work When I Get There. Thats My Way Of Thinking Anyway.