davey6693

Hi everyone,

My wife, 4 year old son and I have started some serious investigation into life in Australia. We live in Canada. She's Canadian and I emigrated from the UK when I was 23. I'm now 38.

The basic plan is for a 189 for a chemical engineer with a Mater's degree from the UK. Looks like there isn't an issue getting that recognised via the Washington Accord. I've got some questions related to the 189 and the work experience, but I'll post them in the correct forum.

We have yet to make any firm decisions, and of course have much to learn, but assuming we don't hit any major stumbling blocks and the desire holds up (we'll be a while yet), we think our timeline might look something like this.

Oct-2017 Degree validation with Engineers Australia for SkillSelect
Feb-2018 Visit and do some proper research. Join a few morning commutes etc
Aug-2019 File Expression of Interest
Oct-2019 File for 189
mid 2020 Receive 189 (hopefully that's enough time)
Sep-2020 Arrive, rent, start looking for a house
Nov-2020 Move into house (preferably by early Dec)

We are waiting a little bit because we're in a good place with jobs and have an outside chance at paying our house off before we go. We are looking to buy, so I expect the main focus area to be Brisbane for its (cough) affordability.

Anyway, anything more specific I can probably ask in other places. Just wanted to say how much we appreciate what we've learned already in these forums.

Dorothy

So what's the plan B for if/when the immigration rules change in the next three years and your skill is removed from the list?

Would it not make more sense to apply for the visa while you can, validate it and make the move at a later date?

Bermudashorts

I agree with Dorothy, that is a risky plan and to be honest quite unusual. Once you have decided to move, why take four years over it? Your life is quite possibly going to slip into limbo in the meantime.

But the main point is indeed, that just because you qualify for a visa now, it does not mean that you will do in three or four years time, rules have changed massively and on numerous occasions since I joined this forum seven years ago.

davey6693

Thanks to both of you for replying. It's very helpful to get this type of advice upfront.

First off, we haven't decided to move at this point. There's a pretty strong flame burning for what we think we can get out of life there. Final decision is coming after we visit ourselves probably Jan 2018. We are trying to balance head and heart here with the actual move date, as I think you have the best chance of sticking in Aus if you can get your finances in as good a shape as possible.

All that said, if we get a visa in let's say a year's time, it would be 3.5 years before we show up there. From what I've read, and any info you have here would be very beneficial, less than 2 years spent in Australia means we'd end up with a 1 year RRV whenever the 5 years are up and we want to visit family outside Australia. What happens at the end of the 1 year RRV? 1 extra year etc etc until we can acquire citizenship? That sounds like it's workable, I'm just in the dark how things go after you get that first RRV.

jad n rich

My first reaction was why?

But seriously, if you are coming out of Toronto or Vancouver property in Brisbane would look hell cheap. Indeed if you were coming out of Sydney or Melbourne.

But its very underpriced and frankly having lived in most of the above I can no longer see why. I am not sure by 2020, it would be the case.

I take it heat is draw card. As long as you can handle humidity in summer its temps are pretty sane compared to most of australia.

verystormy

I think you need to make a decision as it is not unlikely that your occupation will drop off the list, making getting the visa impossible.

Once you have the visa, you have 5 years to make the move.

I would recommend you research jobs. A friend of mine is a phd qualified chem engineer. Australian by birth and very experienced. I am just about to write a reference for him for a potential job. The first sniff of a job he has had in about a year

Beoz

Why such an emphasis on the bits I have in red?

evets

Hi Davey,

Not sure what part of Canada you are in but have you been following the housing market in Oz, a little bit on the same lines as Canada. Who knows what it will be like by 2020, either the bubble has popped or else!

Have you checked out the job market to see how many jobs are being posted for you what you do and what your wife does. This would have an impact on your final destination.

I agree with Beoz, after watching a number of auctions here. They are not filled up with home buyers but with investors and I suspect like Canada, you would make numerous bids to try and secure a home.
Whether you could complete that in a a few month's is another matter, all depends on how much you have to spend.
One thing to note, house prices are usually not listed and when they are it is a guideline, say 350-400k, when in reality the owner wants at least 450k if not more.
Brisbane may be affordable, compared to the rest of Oz, but only if you can find work there.

davey6693

Thanks once again for the replies.

Yes, property here has been a lucky investment for many in Canada, especially if you bought in the early 2000s. Not in Toronto or Vancouver here unfortunately, but I expect we'll probably get in the mid $400s for our place (dollar is almost the same). It looks like Australia has had a similar story. Sydney and Melbourne are in no way affordable, and I'm not taking 75 minutes to get into the CBD.

I would anticipate still taking out a mortgage in Brisbane of mabye 100k to get into the types of suburbs we might be able to afford (Logan, Meadowbrook and a few kilometers west into Forest Lake-(where crime isn't ideal it seems) are churning up a couple of results on realestate.com.au.

Beoz I think I can see your point here - better to start looking sooner for houses. Definitely we should adjust that. The 'paying off' I should clarify: that would be for our Canadian house. As we're in a good position at the moment here money-wise we think it makes sense to get our mortgage down as low as possible before moving. One of the positions we want to be in down there is to not owe a huge amount on a mortgage as we settle in and find work.

Jobs-wise, I think I may have a chance at transferring some fairly specialised skills to a company doing very similar work to what I do here. The drawback with being more specialised is of course that you're less suitable for other roles, so this will have to go right for us to consider making a move.

As for plan B? If we don't like it on our 'research trip', or something else goes strongly against us and it doesn't work out, we don't go. We don't hate our lives here, but you don't have to hate your life to investigate something new and potentially exciting.

Bermudashorts

I have a funny feeling thst is not what Beoz meant at all.

I must admit I don't understand why you are buildng in time to pay off a mortgage on a property you indicate you plan to sell anyway - that makes no sense, your mortgage will be paid off instantly when you sell it (assuming no negative equity).

davey6693

This is just whether you want a bigger mortgage in Aus or a smaller one. Smaller is going to work better as you'll have lower payments and less pressure if jobs take a while to sort out, if there are layoffs etc.

Bermudashorts

I understand very well that a smaller mortgage means lower payments, I am not completely dim! What I was commenting on was why you think it is important to pay off the Canadian mortgage when you plan to sell it anyway. Perhaps you simply mean you want to save up more money for the move...

davey6693

Absolutely no dim-ness implied ! Very thankful for the time you've all taken to reply to me.

Yes that is exactly it, just having more of a cash position to throw at it.