Hello all,

I've been browsing these pages for a few weeks now and thought it was about time I signed up and introduced myself.

I'm Jez and will be flying out to Melbourne in the first week of September. I travelled around Australia in 2002/2003 on a 1 year working holiday visa. Melbourne was my favourite city, perhaps because I lived and worked there for three months and this was during the summer Returning to Australia has always been in the back of my mind and now appears to be a good time for me to make the move.

My vocation is in civil engineering and more specifically railway design, which is quite specialised and engineers with my skills/qualifications seem sort after in Australia. This has enabled me to to secure a job in the city of my choice

It has been a bit of a whirl wind experience considering I made first contact with a recruitment agent in April, job offer in June and 457 visa granted in July!

It hasn't all been plain sailing though... My house has been on the market for a little over two months now and although there has been a reasonable amount of interest, no offers have been made. This is a bit of a worry given how I think the housing market in the UK is going. I've also got to sell my beloved TVR

The true scale of the move hasn't really sunk in yet. It doesn't feel like I'm starting a new life, which I put down to being too busy organising things instead of sitting around pondering. I'm sure it'll kick in when I say goodbye to the parents in the airport though.

If there's anyone about Melbourne who would like to meet up for a drink and share experiences please get in touch

Jez

Good luck with it all mate - you've made the right and sensible choice of city, which is interesting as you've experienced all of them on your travels.

Whereabouts will you be living and working?

BB

Congratulations mate, I am in a similar position, been offered job in Melbourne, sponsorship (visa) being sorted, house on market. Things are also moving very quickly however I have never been to Oz so it is reassuring to see after your travels you have chosen Melbourne. I am flying out for a 2-3 week visit around 13th Sept to meet colleagues get my bearings etc. Looking at moving me and family out October / November.

Good Luck

Maybe catch up for a beer or two.

Cheers Neil.

Hi

I'm very much in the same position as you. However I've never been to australia never mind melbourne so it's encouraging when others like it and it's they're favourite Australian city.

I feel so strange about the whole thing it's like I'm not going even though I've finished work.

We fly out on the 21st sept. Does anybody know with the 457 visa if I need to go the embassy in london and get it put in or can this be done at the melbourne airport when we arrive?


X

You can get a visa label at Aus House London, or at a DIAC office in Australia

Good luck everyone.

I too am heading out to Melbourne in October (as long as my AHPRA reg is sorted).

Never been there either, so its a big adventure.

Thank you for the warm welcome all

Buzzy-Bee: My new office is on St. Kilda Road towards the north end of Albert Park. For the first month the company are putting me up in a serviced apartment "close to the office". I'd best find where before I arrive! After that I'm thinking about finding a place in and around the St. Kilda area for starters.

Melbourne felt the most 'together' city of the them all with lots going on for all tastes and the public transport was great I managed to pack in quite a lot during my three or so months in Melbourne and stayed in the CBD near Flinder St Station, Fitzroy and Elsterwick. I didn't venture too far out into the 'burbs though.

Neil: A bit of a recci is a good idea. Good luck and I hope it's what you expect and more. I'm up for a beer or two when you arrive

Amybelles: Friends and family are asking if I'm excited about the move and to be truthful I don't think I am just yet. It feels like I'm going away with work for a while, just a little bit further than usual...

The info that came through with my visa (email) stated the following;

"VISA EVIDENCING FOR VISA HOLDERS OUTSIDE OF AUSTRALIA

Not all visas for travel to Australia require a label to be placed in your passport as evidence that a visa has been granted.

Certain Subclass 457 visa holders may travel label-free to Australia if
they hold a passport from an eligible country. The complete list of
eligible label-free countries for the Subclass 457 is available at:
http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/sbs/visa-labels.htm."

The UK is classed as a label free country.

Pozz: I wish you all the best with your plans. It's nice to hear there are some people in a similar situation to me

Jez

Jez, that's pretty much where I worked when I first came to Melbourne. It's a very nice place to work, lots of places for a stroll at lunchtime, not just Albert Park but Fawkner Park too which is very pleasant and the Botanical gardens. It is well served by trams but not so by trains so it would be good to choose somewhere to live on the tramline which St Kilda is.

BB

Hi, we came over ona 457 in April, the visa is now electronically tagged to your passport so you need no paperwork in the passport itself. However make sure you keep a copy of the paper visa with you when you are dealing with banks, real estate etc.
Sonia