Sn00peh

Hi,

I am planning to move to Sydney In January to work as a peri operative registered nurse. My nursing registration is currently being assessed and I have an interview in September for a job with alliance health agency. I will be coming out on a working holiday visa with hope of swapping to a sponsorship visa or citizenship visa if I find enjoy it as much as I think I will!

I have been searching online to try and find the closest match on wages I will be earning to try and work out how much I will be able to afford to spend on renting an apartment. I will be moving out on my own with 2 years experience in the orthopaedic scrub, scouting (circulating) and recovery areas of peri operative nursing. Most of the information I have found online (from this website and others) seem to mostly date from 2012 or give you the ballpark figure of 50k a year plus enhancement rates. Can anyone give me a proper idea as to how much I will be looking to earn annually/two-weekly/hourly? Also can anyone tell me how much this will allow me to spend on renting an apartment considering most apartments don't tend to have bills included. I am looking for a 1-2 bedroom place not a studio as I hope to have an apartment that I could sleep 4 eventually with sofa bed in living room if not a second bedroom.

Also can anyone recommend the areas of Sydney I would be best focussing my apartment search in with good transport systems in to the city/local amenities plus tell me the areas I should definitely avoid if possible?

I do not yet know which hospital I will be working in which is why I am trying to get a head start on searching areas so I can narrow it all down when I know where I am working.

Sorry for the long post! I am moving out on my own and don't know anyone in Australia so am hoping to find some helpful people on this forum thanks in advance!

Kapri

Current Rates of Pay

This is the link for the NSW nurses award. This is for the public system but I imagine private would be similar.

A second year nurse earns $1146 per week (about $59,000 pa)

If you work in the public system, you can salary package, which increases your take home pay. Also, super is an extra 12.5%

Sn00peh

Thank you for replying to my question! You wouldnt happen to know roughly how much the cost of bills etc are out there for water, gas, electricity etc, just trying to work out how much i would need to budget for when it comes to renting an apartment.

ozzieeagle

'''


Thats excluding penalty rates, (Shift allowance in UK speak) which has to be at least 10pct extra, more like 15pct.


I'd be amazed if 59K didn't end up as a 70K plus income with Penalties... then 8pct extra on top of that in take home pay because of Salary packaging... So should be worth 75K at least. Super goes on top but, you dont get that for years.

Check very thoroughly with your co workers as to where they choose to Salary Package, I'm not aware of any nurses that salary package cars, they always go for Mortgage, Interest, Meals and Entertainment and Holidays. The restrictions/rulings on cars are generally too prohibitive AFAIK.

Reason I know about this, is my wife has been in a Nurse in the Government system for over 30 years now. Albeit here in Victoria.


Then there's bank and agency work on top if you wish.

Sn00peh

Thank you very much for your thorough reply! It would be lovely if I could earn that much that is for sure, I don't really know much about how Australia's shift allowance will work for me and know next to nothing about salary packaging!

I will be working on the agency when I get out there as a lot of the hospitals in Sydney ask that you have a couple of years experience of working in Aus and a long term visa when applying to them for a job, although I am hoping to be able to find a full time permanent job with one of the big hospitals when I get there.

Would working on the agency change the salary packing? As from what I was just reading about it, you only get the option of mortgage/rent/meals & entertainment if you work for a public hospital or a private non profit hospital. I don't know where my agency are going to place me just yet so not sure if it will be a public or non profit hospital. Where do agencies usually place their staff? Are they more private or public based?

old.sparkles

On a WHV you will only be allowed to work for an employer for a max 6 months.

I know you are waiting for AHPRA registration but have you had your skills assessed by ANMAC?

Sn00peh

Yeh i know about the 6months for a WHV which is why i am hoping i will be able to find a permanent job so i can swap to a sponsored visa somehow.

No i havent had my skills assessed by ANMAC, i wasn't aware i needed to, what do i need to do?

old.sparkles

Skills assessments are for PR visas. If you are only hoping to swap to a temporary 457 visa I don't think it will be a problem, but if you want to go for PR you will need skills assessed. Check here - International services | ANMAC | Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council - for more info to be prepared

Sn00peh

Would I need it for a sponsored visa also? The one that goes up to 4 years? By the time I would be looking at a PR visa I will have been working in Australia for at least 2-3years I would imagine if not more. Would that not change the assessment process?

Sorry for all the questions, I am doing the emigration process on my own with this forum and google as my search references!

old.sparkles

I don't think you need a skills assessment for the 457 as a nurse (I think only licensed trades need one), and if you worked for that employer for at least 2 years and that employer agreed to sponsor you for a 186 permanent visa, you still wouldn't need one.

The risk with a temporary sponsorship is that if you lose your job, you only have 90 days to find a new employer to sponsor you or leave the country!

Nic1412

Hi,

I am dual trained nurse/midwife who is considering a move to australia next year. Like you, I will more than likely be moving on my own and know very few people in australia.
I am unsure whether the public or private sector is the best place to work and if anyone could offer any advice on that that would be great. Also, I am a little bit confused regarding visa process and sponsorship. I have only just started to research properly so any advice would be greatful!
Also, if there's anyone who's thinking of moving and like me knows very few people please get in touch. Thanks.

Sn00peh

It is easier to move out there from what I have found with a working holiday visa, I am not sure how old you are though as to if you qualify for that. I was recommended to travel on the working holiday visa and then find someone to sponsor me for the sponsorship visa when I get out there. Before this I was told best way to get a sponsorship visa is apply through the AHPRA for my nursing registration and then contact a load of different hospitals private and public with your cv and a covering letter explaining your interest in working for them and informing them that you have sent off your application to AHPRA So they know you are actually interested and in the process of moving rather than just testing the waters with a possible high chance of changing your mind!

I haven't done this thigh so it is just hearsay from what I was told when I was on the early days of researching it all

I am afraid I don't know what is better with regards to private and public hospitals as I myself have wondered the same thing

Nic1412

I'm 28, so if you're under 30 you can qualify for a working visa?
Thanks so much for your help - is getting a sponsorship out there easy to do or is it a case of just seeing how your first job goes and taking it from there?
There seems to be lots of private healthcare out there which seems appealing with regards to employee benefits etc.
I'm thinking of Sydney too - Have you found out anymore info on cost of living etc out there? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I'm a complete novice to all of this!!

Grayling

A few points

Cost of living is expensive....especially in cities like Sydney.

Conditions and benefits in Private hospitals are generally far worse than in the public sector.

Sponsorship is not that easy in the big cities. ( has been virtually impossible in Queensland recently).....easier in rural areas although private hospitals will often sponsor.....be careful about what they promise you and what you take on.....a permanent visa is nearly always better

Do you have degree training?.....if not you will struggle to get registered

Nic1412

Thank you for your advice - yes, I have degrees in both nursing and midwifery.
Ok, seems like maybe more of a rural area is the way to go. Are there any particular areas you'd suggest. I would prefer to go on a permanent visa as I am not thinking of going until maybe summer 2015, which gives me plenty of time to sort out a permanent visa.
Thanks again for your help.