emmaandjamie2007

Hello all,

Ive been dreaming of Australia for so long and yesterday we decided to do something about it.

Its still not a simple process but what i would like to do is break down our progression so that those is simular circumstances can see how hard or easy it is.
Ive been watching and reading the expats forums for so long and have found some of the stories inspirational and some almost made us give up hope of even trying for a life down under.

We are a family of 5, myself im 34 for the past 5 years ive run my own buisness as a Locksmith and a Gas safe engineer working on boiler and heating systems, My partner (been together for 17 years but never married ) who is a carer for the elderly and 3 children at school aged 14,13 and 12.

Because there is not a formal qualification for Locksmiths in the UK the option to get a visa for that was slim and because i did not do an apprentiship as a Gas Engineer that will not be easy either
I read alot into it and even although i wont be able to go as a gas engineer i should be able to get a accepted as a general plumber

The next step was to find a visa agent and the name that come up over and over again and was highly recommended was Go Matilda, so we filled in the online interest form and received an email back from Alan Collett that very day saying we would receive a call from Marina Towner based in Southampton over the next week to discuss the visa.
The next day Marina called, we had a detailed chat discussing the possibilities and the process ect. I was very impressed with her knowledge on the subjects and felt very confident we had picked the right agents so today I've started filling in the paperwork she has sent and will get it sent back.

If anyone is interested i will keep the process going and hope to inspire as i have been inspired!

Also could anyone recommend where the best place in Australia for a family is with the best schooling and the most opportunities??

Sorry to go on and thankyou in advance....

The Read family

Pollyana

Thats like asking "what is the best place to live in the UK?"
Australia is huge and diverese, you'll need to give us more info - public or private schools, what ages, academic or sporting kids?
Beach? City? Rural? Outback? What interests do you have?

emmaandjamie2007

That's easy.... Surrey!!

But seriously thank you for replying,

I guess if there is a big gulf between private and public schools in Australia then private would be best.

We are all fans of the outdoors and make the most of the few dry days we get each year! and enjoy sports especially Rugby.

I was fortunate to come to Australia for two weeks a few years ago and stayed in Sydney and Brisbane, Loved Sydney but would not like to live there and pretty much loved everything about Brisbane other than the prices of property but knowing how diverse Australia is could there be somewhere else that's even better?? Or upcoming?? I guess the most important factors to us is low crime, a uni within commuting distance, short drive to the sea would be a nice luxury and somewhere with a good job market? Hope this helps?

RedT

Welcome Read family! Prepare yourselves for the rollercoaster that is emigration! Luckily there are plenty of friendly people on here to answer practically every question you could possibly have : )

Bermudashorts

You were put off by property prices in Brisbane? You are going to struggle then as that is one of the cheaper places to head.


I honestly think you need to pinpoint your criteria a bit more than this. I don't think any of the major cities or towns have crime rates particularly lower than any other and rates vary within cities anyway.

I believe there are universities in each city and if you look at a map you will see that most major settlements are close to the coast and so living within an easy drive of the sea is readily achievable for most people.

You probably won't find that your occupation will determine where you nee to live, like some of us do. I would perhaps suggest that you look at the different climates and see if there is one that suits you more than others?

Or if you price of property is a big concern then there are definitely some cities you could rule out.

Or maybe you just come and take another look for yourself.

Lois1

When you spoke with the migration agent, did she mention the best visa to apply for? We had a totally different state in mind when we started the process but our agent advised us that with OH skills, we would have a better chance of getting state sponsorship in WA, so thats the route we took on his advice even though it wasnt our first choice.

if you can narrow down to a state at least then there will be folk on here who can help with your questions in more depth. Climate from state to state varies considerably at times so it may be worth looking at that first if its an important aspect for you. Youll find good and not so good suburbs in any area so i would suggest state with a state first and go from there.....

Good luck