Yemi82

Hi all,

I would appreciate any advice or guidance to similar threads please.

I have been offered a job in Sydney, they want me to start in April! which is far too soon even though I requested a June start date. My husband can't come out till October but they don't seem to be budging. I have 2 kids, a 6year old and a 4month old so I have a LOT to do if I am to be there in April. Could anyone please advise me on the following:

- Ideal place to live which is about 30mins away via public transport to the Rocks in Sydney. Our budget is $900 a week

- Ideal primary schools, private or public within commutable distance from the Rocks, Sydney

- Where does a girl go to find a nanny, ideally to share with another family. I hear this is expensive but need to start budgeting.

- Does there tend to be an area in Sydney where UK and US expats live? My husband is American.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance x

Bermudashorts

Loads of time until April. We got jobs on our visa validation trip, flew back to UK put house up for rent, sold car, packed a container, cats, finished up jobs and moved over within a month. I think April is more than reasonable, nobody recruits today for a June start, so I wouldn't push that or probably they will retract the offer. I would.

I can't think of anywhere where UK or US expats live and nor to be honest would I want to. Australian's are quite like us, they speak the same language and generally it is not so hard to get along with them and fit in. I like meeting Brits and talking about the motherland, but I have never seen any reason why I would need to live near them.

Re areas to live, presumably you want a house? Or are you happy with an apartment? 30 minutes from the Rocks / CBD is pretty central and I am not sure that $900 would stretch to a house in a nice area quite so central. It is not a bad budget though, I am just not sure of 30 minutes, even 45 minutes would open up a lot more options. Perhaps have a look at the train timetables and maps if 30 minutes is a very strict criteria.

http://www.sydneytrains.info/stations/network_map

Yemi82

Thanks for your reply, really appreciate. Thats also good to hear you were able to make the move in a month, very impressive. Did you do this with kids in tow? That is my concern especially finding a good school and nanny for my son who will be 6months.

Regarding the place to live, you are right 30mins travel will be pretty central so would happily commute 45mins for the extra space in a house. I like the idea of a ferry ride in although I might be asking too much. Thanks again

bitzenpces

Finding care for your kids is going to be a challenge. Once you've decided on a suburb, a big challenge in itself, you need to decide on a state or private school - state schools tend to have a strict catchment zone, private schools tend not to. Care for your baby can be provided at a daycare centre, or via a nanny. As there is a higher staff:kids ratio for the 'baby/toddler' rooms at childcare centres, there can be intense competition and long waiting lists for places for this age group. You might be able to find a daycare centre that also provides out-of-school-hours care provider for your 6 year old's school, so that you would only have one drop-off/pick-up. The OSHC is sometimes available on school premises or they provide a minibus service to drop-off/collect kids from the schools they serve. Alternatively, the nanny could do the school drop-off/pick-up and look after your 10 month old full-time.

For more information on these arrangements, perhaps try more baby-specific websites, such as:

http://www.findababysitter.com.au/Ar...FVAHvAodSj8AoA
http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/
http://www.bubhub.com.au/index.php
http://www.kidspot.com.au/

Have you got a relative or friend who could come with you and have a working holiday for a few weeks, or couple of months? Can your husband take some leave?

I can only wish you good luck.

Bermudashorts

No I didn't do it with kids, but I readied two cats for the trip and that takes more planning than kids before travel anyway, although a bit less to do once you get here. I don't think you will make much progress on schools until you get here, so a couple of extra months before the move wouldn't help a lot I wouldn't think.

Why can't your husband come with you? It would make life a lot easier, arriving by yourself with two children sounds a bit tough. Even if he just came on leave.

Yemi82

Thanks again guys, really appreciate it. Some good advice there regarding taking a family member on a working holiday. This is very much becoming and option.

My husband is currently station in Japan as active duty, he works for the US Military. He is currently in the process of leaving the military but won't be released till early October, hence why the anxiety.

Scotty1

Yemi, are your new employers giving you a relocation package? If so can I suggest you use a bit of it on a relocation consultant. I don't work in Sydney so it's not self interest, but I think given what you have to organise on your own from abroad and that you don't know the area, it may be a few hundred dollars well spent.

Yemi82

Thanks Scotty1, I didn't know such a thing existed but definitely good to know! Thank you

TakenThePlunge

Expensive doesn't even come close to describing it...

For a nanny with no experience (think backpacker that's been vetted by an agency and given maybe a weeks training), you'll pay $16/hour plus have to put aside about $4 hour on top of that (holiday pay, domestic workers insurance and super contributions - and then manage the paperwork yourself).

For a more experienced nanny, about $20/hour ...

Add to this, most nanny agencies expect you to sign a fairly long contract with them.

Because of this nannying isn't as prevalent here - nearly all nurseries have baby and pre-toddler services - staffing ratios are excellent, 1 in 4 children, but this is also fairly expensive and finding places is hard.

I know all this because my daughter worked in childcare here, in the babies area and then nannied for a while for http://www.kiwiozchildcare.com.au.
(I still can't believe she gave up a $1000/week secure job, to go back to the UK, but that's a different story)

Good luck with the move, your budget for accommodation will find you a place easy enough, but if you're here on your own the childcare costs might overwhelm your budget pretty quickly.

bitzenpces

At least you get some of the costs of childcare covered, but you don't with nannies. Also, the quality of the nanny you get can be very variable. If a backpacker, they won't be around for long, which can leave the kids and the mum in the lurch. Childminders and au pairs don't exist in the same way here. A friend had a foreign language student live with the family for about 6 months, but the student only had to do about 15 hours of work a week. Their kids were older and had started kindy/primary, so I wouldn't chance this with a baby. These students were in Australia to learn English, so don't think I'd want someone like that looking after my baby.

As we all know, there are a lot of non-financial costs to be considered when you migrate. It is tiring, stressful, frustrating, busy and challenging in all sorts of ways, adapting to new working and living environments. Large amounts of money would assist in this process, but money is not everything.

A website that might help you to find more information and American enclaves in Sydney: http://www.americansociety.com.au/aws.php.

Yemi82

Thanks guys, I have to say childcare costs scare me! I am considering heading out to Sydney without the kids who will stay with my mum till I can settle in and hubby comes a few months later to ease the pressure with childcare.

I only found out today that being on the 457 visa means I pay primary school fees in excess of $5000!!! and I don't think I am able to claim anything back under that visa class! Does anyone know how much I get taxed as a temporary visitor?

Thanks a lot guys x

Bermudashorts

You get taxed same way as anyone else, you are not temporary for tax purposes. Make sure you tick the right box or you will be taxed a lot more.

Beoz

Your employer, the sponsor of you visa, the company that needs your service because they cannot find it locally, should be stumping up any additional costs. After all they need you right? Negotiate.

spuddyo

There are plenty of suburbs within a 30 minute ferry ride, Woolwich, Balmain, Milsons Point, Neutral Bay, Double Bay, Watsons Bay, Manly etc.etc. You can't get much more central than a job on 'the rocks' and starting your day on a ferry is a good way to do it.

Good luck with your move and getting established, it all seems daunting but once you get settled in hopefully you will love it.

Yemi82

Thanks Spuddyo! really nice to get the encouragement. I fly out end of April to set up before the kids arrive.

Hmmmm Beoz - you are right, I should negotiate but already signed the contract, I did negotiate my salary to cover the high expense cost but it seems now things are real, more costs are coming out of my ears!!!!

Thanks so much peeps x