Scotty Claire Harry

Hi ALL!!! Im sooo pleased i was introduced to this forum!!

Its a great help just reading others stories.

We've just decided that our future no longer belongs in the UK and we are very excited about the propects of living life down under!!!

I know we have a long road a head and im not the most patient person but i know it is going to be soooo Worth it!

Were a young new family and really want this great future for a lil baby boy who is currently nearly 6 months old!! We have no mortgage as of yet and it was a toss up of settling here and doing the same old thing and forever Work to Live or just go for it and migrate to a better way of living!!!

We are litrally at the begging of our quest and would really love to here your thoughts and feelings on the process and some generall advice!!

We are applying for a 175 Visa, My husband is a Heating engineer for British Gas and he will be the main applicant! If there are any Ex British Gas engineers who have migrating it would be great to here how it went!!

We hope to migrate to Queensland but if there were any other places that were best suited it would be great to know!!

I look forward to hearing from you and meeting up in OZ!!!

Claire

georgey

Hi Claire,

We began the process in May and have just sent all my hubby's paperwork to
the TRA. We were originally applying for 175 but changed to 176.
If I can answer any questions about the early process I will.
Be prepared for lots of paperwork.

Sheila

angnfrank

Hi Claire & Sheila,

Well we (myself, husband, 17 year old son and 4 year old daughter) are even a few more steps behind you both, we have hummed and ahh'd for several years with regard to taking the first steps and read and read as much as possible, we know a couple of people who have made the move but one was over 30 years ago and the other aprox 7 years ago so things were very different for both and they are not really able to offer any valid advice about making the move in terms of agents and paperwork, so I have a question for either of you if you were able to help! have either of you used a recommended agent to start the process for you or have you just done it yourselves? I am concerned with regard to using an agent that no-one has any experience of using, unfortunately there are a few too many cowboys out there, but I could really use the advice they may offer and the time it takes to do it all, I feel I maybe still filling in forms and chasing people up this time next year , like I said we haven't even worked out which would be the best visa for us to go with yet...!
Any advice would be very welcomed. Thsnks in advance
Angela

benny the ball

Hi,

We've been out in Queensland for nearly two years now and loving very minute of it. The outdoor lifestyle really suits our daughter.
Good luck.

Ben

msn81

Hi Angela + OP,

I've just been through the whole process and now here on a 136 visa. If you have the patients I say do it yourself. I did everything myself and it was pretty easy. I know other people who used agents and paid huge fees and in the end they didn't really do much. An agent will still need to request all the information from you anyway, so all you're paying for is for them to fill out the forms. It's a con when all the information is online and straight-forward, the Oz government makes it pretty easy for you.

That's my opinion at least, but probably listen to what others have to say also - depends what you're comfortable with.

Good Luck All!
Mark

angnfrank

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply, I guess looking at it that way it would just be as easy to do it ourselves, I'm pretty good a form filling so if the forms are there to do then I can see myself being able to cope with that. I guess i'm just trying to work out the best way of doing it, in terms of which visa to go through and whether myself or the hubby would be the best candidate to apply. So rally i think I am being lazy and initially feeling a little bamboozled with all the info' I amtaking in, my eyes are becoming square with all the reading I seem to be doing, I don't think I read this much in the 3 years of doing my bloomin degree
Anyway thanks again Mark, and how much are you loving it? I am now beginning to feel mighty envious of everyone who has done it and there living the dream...oh well one day maybe
All the best
Angela

slipshot

To you all...

There will be tons of advice on here about everything you need to know - some of it conflicting and others very helpful.

As long as you embark on this move without the rose tinted spectacles others have (since unless you are loaded, you still have to work for a living and that could be even longer hours than you did in the UK), you'll be fine.

As for agents, I'd always recommend using one. We had one of the easiest applications there was but still used one. For us, it was a case of rather getting it right first time, and giving us the best opportunity, then risking saving money for a long term gain.

I appreciate it is not cheap, and that of course may be an issue, and there is no reason why you cannot gain all the info you need from here. It will just take longer and may not always be the best advice - who knows.

If you want a recommendation, www.gomatilda.com where very good for us and many others and have a good pedigree so they'd be worth a shot.

And good luck to you all...

msn81

Hey Angela

When I applied I investigated all possible options of where to get the points from. I found there were many ways to get the additional points which you wouldn't necessarily know about. You may find avenues you hadn't considered before so I'd suggest familiarising with all available visa options to see if there are better ways to get the best possible chances of your application being approved.

2 Examples:
-I managed to get additional points as the main applicant because my wife speaks a foreign language.
-Now considering to sponsor my mum to come out / retire on a parent visa, but considering a student visa / resident return visa (she migrated + returned to the UK some time ago) or parent sponsored visa - all these options allow her to come a lot quicker than the 10 year wait for the standard parent visa...

I came to Oz on a WHV first to scout out whether I really liked it before coming for good. Its a good life out here, but work hasn't been easy to find and I've relied on my wife to be the bread-winner for 5 months! Without money we've had to struggle, living a frugal few months, but managed to get by. Making new friends has been a bit challenging without the money to socialise all the time also. Can't say I'm living the dream right now, but feel, given time, there is a 'better' lifestyle over here.

The hardest part is making that first step - deciding to go for it or not. But once you start, have 100% conviction its the right thing.
Good luck!

markthespark

In a similar boat to yourself its exciting and daunting at the same time! all the best

georgey

Hi Angela,

We , that is me 38, hubby 41, sons 13 and 7, are using an agent and up to now they have been great. We are using Visa-go.com, they have checked all paperwork before its been sent, hopefully reducing the chance of it being returned and nothing is too much trouble for them. I am constantly on the phone to them.It is true they are quite expensive but we really didn't know where to begin with all the many forms so for us it's working up to now.
Good luck,

Sheila

jimmie2807

We used visa bureau and they are fantastic. Cost 2 grand but best money I ever spent. We have just been accepted on State Sponsorship.

Chelle66

I think it depends on the agent that you use. We used an agency, and yes it cost us a lot of money, but it was worth every penny. I truly believe that we wouldn't have been able to it on our own. Our agent was recommened by someone who had used them and we would also recommend them. Also, and I don't know if this makes a difference, but our agent was also an aussie in Oz. You also need to make sure that whoever you decide to use is registered with MARA (I think). I would also say NOT to use one of the 'agencies' that you see in the national papers.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Michelle

rinkerdink

Couldn't disagree more, the trouble with trade applications is that you need to know not just the information they want (this is not as clear as it could be by a long shot) but how they need it presented so they understand it. I have read loads of stories on here from people worried about their independant submissions that have taken weeks/ months to compile and whether they have included to much, too little or the wrong information. Mark is correct in that the agent will ask you to supply them with the information (let's face it they're not telepathic) but they will ask for the information they need and no more or no less. They will complete all the forms chase it through the system and generally be there to offer advice support and reassurance in times of doubt - this is particularly usefull at present with the constant changes to the MODL and CSL lists (you'll get the hang of the accronyms). You will also be advised on the appropriate visa options open to you in plain english and if trade tests are required they will arrange these for you too. Reference letters and testimonials will be drafted and vetted upon their return to ensure they do your OH background and experience justice and do it in terminology that the Aussies will actually understand. All this for a couple of grand on average paid in installments over 12-24 months usually - no more wondering, worrying, guessing or trawling forums for advice from other well intentioned amatuers.

My personal recommendation... Ian Harrop, google it and you will find it straight away.

Good Luck whatever you decide!!!!!!!!!

georgey

Yep, I agree with all of that !

angnfrank

Hi Sheila and all who have kindly taken the time to reply to my worries, having read all responses with an open mind, we have decided to contact an Agent [email protected] who has just replied to us and they will give us a call tomorrow to inform us of our visa strategy, how they might help, and there fees - on a no obligation basis of course.
I hope this wil give us a good understanding of where to go next and options available to us to then we can decide how best to move forward.

I will of course keep you all updated of our situation...whether you want to know or not

Once again many thanks guys and to anyone about to embark, or already well on there way, or the lucky ones who have done it, good luck to one and all and keep the stories and info coming.

Regards Angela