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Moving to Sydney with children

Moving to Sydney with children

Old Aug 6th 2011, 10:41 pm
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Default Moving to Sydney with children

Hi all
I have been offered a position in Sydney on a 457 visa. This is great news and I am looking forward to the move! However, I do have a number of questions and would be grateful for any help...

- My children are currently in the UK system (9, 14 and 16 years old). I am worried about the 16 year old as he is about to start his A Levels. Am I making the right decision?
- We have budgeted about AUD 600 per week for accommodation and we need a 4 bedroom house. How realistic is this?
- I am confused with the weekly rate for rental accommodation. What is the usual length of a contract?
- I will be working in the CBD and would like to have a commute longer than 40 minutes. What areas would you recommend given the budget and need of good schools?
- How easy is it to move from a 457 to PR? can this be done straight away? I have read that a 457 does not link to PR, so how can this be achieved?
- Can my husband work if I am on a 457 visa?
- I understand that being on a 457 visa, we will have to pay for school fees. How common is it for companies to pay this cost?

Thank you so much for your help!
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Old Aug 6th 2011, 10:54 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Hi, I will try to comment on a couple of your questions. We moved over just over a year ago, work in Sydney CBD and our journey is 40 minutes in light traffic i.e. 6.30am.

I don't have children though so cannot really comment well on the 16 year old, but I think he could do the final year of high school here and then I think they go to university after that. What I am not sure about it how he would fare with gaining entry to UK university if you go back. But there are some people who can help with that.

Wasn't sure if you meant to say you want a commute "no longer" than 40 minutes or whether you are definitely looking for a longer commute.

I think that your budget is very tight for a 4 bed house 40 minutes from Sydney in a nice area that is. I do not believe you would find anything Northern Beaches, North Shore in this budget, you might in the Hills District but that is more than a 40 minute journey. Sutherlandshire seems to be a bit cheaper and you might find something here, I think this is more than 40 minutes.

I have not seen many people on BE say that school fees are paid, however that is not to say you won't get your paid. The more senior a position you are in the more likely you will get the extra perks. I would ask because it is a lot of money for three children.

Yes your husband can work on the 457.

If you qualify for a PR visa you can apply for one. The 457 has nothing to do with it, you don't "move" from a 457 visa, you are applying for a completely different visa.

What do you do? Are you eligible for a skilled migrant visa or the ENS visa and is your employer willing to sponsor for that if so?

Good luck with your move.
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Old Aug 6th 2011, 11:33 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

I would really hesitate about moving your 16 year old especially if there is any likelihood that you will return to UK once your temp visa expires. At 16 he could start year 11 in 2012 - with the HSC being an examinable course with continuous assessment he would be really disadvantaged for uni entry were he to just pop into year 12. The other disincentive is that if you all decide that this isnt where you want to pop your clogs and he wants to go to a UK uni then he would be up for international fees because he will have not been in the country for the 3 years prior to beginning uni. If he can do A levels then he keeps all his options open - he would be better placed with A levels if he decided to move to Aus for uni because they travel here far better than year 12 results travel back to UK where he would probably have to do a foundation year prior to beginning a degree. In your situation I would be looking to family/friends/boarding school so that you dont muck up his education, especially if he has university aspirations.

In the meantime, you have your 14 year old coming up for GCSEs and moving back to Uk without them can be a bit of a trick if you decide you dont want to stay.

Schools in NSW cost $4.5k per child pa (I suspect that a senior secondary student is actually a bit more expensive but cant find that at the moment). It is actually cheaper to enrol them in a Catholic school ($3k pa)
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Old Aug 6th 2011, 11:50 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

If you come here look at an international school which offers the International Baccaleureate. Not cheap bu at least it will offer a more direct way into a UK uni on return. I would also look at residence requirements for subsidised uni fees in the UK. On a temp visa your children would not be eligible for HECs so uni fees would be expensive here.

Basically ensure that you are very well compensated for moving here.

600 AUD a week is realistic in our area but quality won't be good. Commute to CBD is 1 hour door to door by train. Contracts are normally 6 or 12 months.
Originally Posted by CatarinaKnight
Hi all
I have been offered a position in Sydney on a 457 visa. This is great news and I am looking forward to the move! However, I do have a number of questions and would be grateful for any help...

- My children are currently in the UK system (9, 14 and 16 years old). I am worried about the 16 year old as he is about to start his A Levels. Am I making the right decision?
- We have budgeted about AUD 600 per week for accommodation and we need a 4 bedroom house. How realistic is this?
- I am confused with the weekly rate for rental accommodation. What is the usual length of a contract?
- I will be working in the CBD and would like to have a commute longer than 40 minutes. What areas would you recommend given the budget and need of good schools?
- How easy is it to move from a 457 to PR? can this be done straight away? I have read that a 457 does not link to PR, so how can this be achieved?
- Can my husband work if I am on a 457 visa?
- I understand that being on a 457 visa, we will have to pay for school fees. How common is it for companies to pay this cost?

Thank you so much for your help!
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 1:22 am
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Your son would go to year 10 if You arrive with in the next few months, we live on the upper north shore & we pay $700 a week for 3 bedrooms & are about 40 mins away from CBD.
The High school that my daughter goes to is really good & I can highly recommend the primary school that my son goes to. Check with your new employer if they offer you some kind of assistance with school fees & medical insurance. your husband can work under ur visa.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 9:28 am
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Originally Posted by Bermudashorts
Hi, I will try to comment on a couple of your questions. We moved over just over a year ago, work in Sydney CBD and our journey is 40 minutes in light traffic i.e. 6.30am.

I don't have children though so cannot really comment well on the 16 year old, but I think he could do the final year of high school here and then I think they go to university after that. What I am not sure about it how he would fare with gaining entry to UK university if you go back. But there are some people who can help with that.

Wasn't sure if you meant to say you want a commute "no longer" than 40 minutes or whether you are definitely looking for a longer commute.

I think that your budget is very tight for a 4 bed house 40 minutes from Sydney in a nice area that is. I do not believe you would find anything Northern Beaches, North Shore in this budget, you might in the Hills District but that is more than a 40 minute journey. Sutherlandshire seems to be a bit cheaper and you might find something here, I think this is more than 40 minutes.

I have not seen many people on BE say that school fees are paid, however that is not to say you won't get your paid. The more senior a position you are in the more likely you will get the extra perks. I would ask because it is a lot of money for three children.

Yes your husband can work on the 457.

If you qualify for a PR visa you can apply for one. The 457 has nothing to do with it, you don't "move" from a 457 visa, you are applying for a completely different visa.

What do you do? Are you eligible for a skilled migrant visa or the ENS visa and is your employer willing to sponsor for that if so?

Good luck with your move.
Hello
Thank you for all your replies and help.
I can see that I need to budget more than AUD 600 a week for accommodation as location and commute time is rather important for us. I meant no longer than 40 minutes to CBD, so I assume AUD 700 will do?
My husband is from the the UK, but we have actually never lived there, so my children would have to pay full international fees if they were to go to a Uni in the UK, so the plan would be for us to get PR by the time that my 16 year old goes to University.
I am lucky in the sense that he has done some 2 fast track A Levels, but I am not sure how does this translate in the continuous assessment in the Australian system. Would the best thing be for me to get in touch with a school and send them his school reports? However, in order to do that, i need to identify a school, so my next request is what locations should I be looking at in the North Shore? Chris and Farideh you mentioned that you are happy with the schools that your children attend, could you let me know the name?
I really want to go, but we are obviously worried about schooling...
I am being relocated as a Manager (this is what says in the contract), would this mean I could apply for PR?
Once again, thank you for all your help!
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 9:43 am
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Originally Posted by CatarinaKnight
Hello
Thank you for all your replies and help.
I can see that I need to budget more than AUD 600 a week for accommodation as location and commute time is rather important for us. I meant no longer than 40 minutes to CBD, so I assume AUD 700 will do?
My husband is from the the UK, but we have actually never lived there, so my children would have to pay full international fees if they were to go to a Uni in the UK, so the plan would be for us to get PR by the time that my 16 year old goes to University.
I am lucky in the sense that he has done some 2 fast track A Levels, but I am not sure how does this translate in the continuous assessment in the Australian system. Would the best thing be for me to get in touch with a school and send them his school reports? However, in order to do that, i need to identify a school, so my next request is what locations should I be looking at in the North Shore? Chris and Farideh you mentioned that you are happy with the schools that your children attend, could you let me know the name?
I really want to go, but we are obviously worried about schooling...
I am being relocated as a Manager (this is what says in the contract), would this mean I could apply for PR?
Once again, thank you for all your help!
We started out with about this budget but we didn't see anything for this price on northern shore or northern beaches. I still think this could be a little tight for a 4 bed house with a 40 minute commute to Sydney.

You probably have two options for PR, first is employer sponsored PR. Are they willing to do this and does your occupation qualify?

The other option is skilled migrant, is your occupation on the list? Manager is not specific enough for anyone to advise.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 10:01 am
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

I live in the inner west. Bus is 30/40 mins to CBD, driving is somewhat less.

I pay under $600 a week for a 4 bed house (well its really 3 with an office) with a large back yard and in a nice area. House isnt flashbut its liveable LOL

If you look around Concord, Five Dock and surrounds, you might pick something up in budget.

Cant help with much else.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 10:26 am
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Hi,
As Quoll mentioned I’d try and get your 16 year old into Year 11 at the start of 2012 (academic year starts end of Jan) then they can do the HSC and get ready for Uni in Australia, assuming you stay!
We have younger children and moved to Sydney 18 months ago. Although we hadn’t considered Catholic education before moving over we’ve enrolled our children in Catholic school, which has a great reputation in Sydney. Most Aussies consider Catholic school a ‘private’ option although it’s not as expensive as independent private schooling.
Quoll also mentioned that you’ll pay tuition fees in NSW because you’re on a 457 visa – $4,500 per primary aged children and I think $5,000 for High School children. Catholic schooling would be less per year. We will have paid less than $2,000 this year for my son’s primary school. If you have more than one child at the same school you get reduced fees. Depending on how you feel about faith-based education it might be worth researching Catholic schools...
When we moved over we had a budget of $700 per week for a three bedroom house and were looking in the Eastern Suburbs (Coogee, Randwick). It wasn’t enough. We’d ended up moving further out to the South Eastern Suburbs (45 mins bus ride into the CBD), and still had to settle for a fairly rundown property to get something without our budget. Areas you might like to research are Maroubra, Malabar, Chifley...depends what your priorities are though in terms of proximity to beach, parks etc.
All the best, Sarah
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 10:35 am
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Originally Posted by shussel
Hi,
As Quoll mentioned I’d try and get your 16 year old into Year 11 at the start of 2012 (academic year starts end of Jan) then they can do the HSC and get ready for Uni in Australia, assuming you stay!
We have younger children and moved to Sydney 18 months ago. Although we hadn’t considered Catholic education before moving over we’ve enrolled our children in Catholic school, which has a great reputation in Sydney. Most Aussies consider Catholic school a ‘private’ option although it’s not as expensive as independent private schooling.
Quoll also mentioned that you’ll pay tuition fees in NSW because you’re on a 457 visa – $4,500 per primary aged children and I think $5,000 for High School children. Catholic schooling would be less per year. We will have paid less than $2,000 this year for my son’s primary school. If you have more than one child at the same school you get reduced fees. Depending on how you feel about faith-based education it might be worth researching Catholic schools...
When we moved over we had a budget of $700 per week for a three bedroom house and were looking in the Eastern Suburbs (Coogee, Randwick). It wasn’t enough. We’d ended up moving further out to the South Eastern Suburbs (45 mins bus ride into the CBD), and still had to settle for a fairly rundown property to get something without our budget. Areas you might like to research are Maroubra, Malabar, Chifley...depends what your priorities are though in terms of proximity to beach, parks etc.
All the best, Sarah
Thank you, Sarah
Would it possible for you to let me know the name of the school or schools that you know are good?
Regards
Catarina
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 2:24 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

The school that my children goes to are state school & have no idea how much it would cost you under ur visa requirements.
My daughter goes to Killara State High school & my son goes to Lindfield East primary school, both my children settled well into their new school, the reason we choose the area was because my OH works near Manly & we needed to be near train station.
But if your not so bother about which end of Sydney coming from as long as it's within 40 mins journey than you have much better selections to pick ur accommodation. it's very expensive around here & I find quality of the rental aren't as good for the money As they ask for, I know we pay a lot more because we are in the catchment area of this High school.
Good luck with ur search.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 5:18 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

457 status does not work well with teenage children in the picture.

If you are intending this to be a permanent move, you need to think about getting a permanent (employer sponsored) migration visa from Day One.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 9:09 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Thank you, Jaj
I will be speaking to my employer in a few hours. Why do corporates offer a 457 rather than PR, if they know i would like to make the move permanent?
Regards, Catarina
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 9:25 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Originally Posted by CatarinaKnight
Thank you, Jaj
I will be speaking to my employer in a few hours. Why do corporates offer a 457 rather than PR, if they know i would like to make the move permanent?
Regards, Catarina
Because then you are tied to them, it will also be quicker to organise in most cases. You still haven't said what you do? There are more occupations eligible for temporary sponsorship than there are permanent. Your occupation might not be on the PR list.
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Old Aug 7th 2011, 10:08 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Sydney with children

Originally Posted by Bermudashorts
Because then you are tied to them, it will also be quicker to organise in most cases. You still haven't said what you do? There are more occupations eligible for temporary sponsorship than there are permanent. Your occupation might not be on the PR list.
I am a global mobility manager. If this profession is not on the list, how will i ever manage to get PR?
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