Hi steve,

The visa is valid for 5 years providing you validate by a certain date. We validated in Feb 04, the visas last until Jan 2009.
Obviously we will have to stay in oz for at least 2 years once we get there and if there is any emergency back in the uk then will have to sort out a 3 month RRV.

andy

Andy, forgive my ignorance, but how do you validate a PR visa ?
Is it as simple as going over to Oz, getting it stamped then returning
to the UK until you are ready to move permanently

Cheers

Steve

Correct steve. you could visit for just 1 day if you really wanted to. the date you have to validate by is 12 months after the date of your police check or medicals whichever is sooner.

we had a holiday with my cousin and her family in melbourne as they had sponsored us.

andy

Let me see... we will have sold the house, and the cars, moved the kids, (and all my beloved woodworking macinery!)........

No she bl**dy well can't!

(wannabauzzienurse's OH)

Give me Cairns over Brisbane, Sydney Mebourne etc any day. I've experienced them all and Cairns suits me fine...each to their own I say.

Sure some won't settle and go somewhere else in Oz or home, there's people on here with 136 visas who busted a gut to get it then decide they can't hack it and go home after a couple of months....who knows what the future will bring.

In defence of the hospital they are going to great lengths to ensure their new recruits settle including helping locate accomodation and are helping put spouses and partners in touch with employers AND $3000 towards relocation, they've invested a lot of money to get these nurses it's in their best interest to help ensure they're happy.

I wouldn't be surprised if not all who accept offers actually make it out there but i think those that get there will have the sense to have done a bit of research first and make an informed choice....us nurses aren't daft believe it or not

What's the weather like on your planet all expenses paid?? yeah right As for being tied to them...yes they confiscate our passports on arrival and secure us all to dripstands with a tournequet

Problem with Cairns for a lot of people who consider it, is not the nursing but the job for the other half. Due to it's size has lot fewer choices for spouses work so you need to make sure your hubby/other half is in a job Cairns has on offer.

he's a chippy, apparently there's a fair bit of work around due to cyclone larry and loads of new house building, but he's not fussy and is willing to do pretty much anything if it pays the bills we'll be right...she says hopefully

also don't know if anything will come out of it but the hospital is working with the local chamber of commerce and recruitment agencies to help find work for spouses and partners of the new nurses, so we'll see what comes of it.

That was our worry but I got 2 job offers out of 4 companies I contacted (all of whom were interested), a good salary, $5000 relocation money AND 4 weeks free accommodation !

To be fair my job is in demand across oz ( thank god !)

The hospital in cairns has been very good in sorting out contact details for recruitment agencies, childcare, accom etc. and I'm sure that the people in cairns are brill.
The cynic in me says why wouldn't a local landlord be more than willing to help out the newcomers with "special rates" to help fill his newly built 48 apartments ?


Andy

Chippy is the sort of occupation you can do anywhere so you should be ok even without hospital/chamber of commerce help.

Cheers that's what we're hoping

Wannab.........all tradies need licences and cards of one sort or another which take time to get. In the interim I think they are restricted to subbie work ?

Try using the forum search facility for Carpenters as there are bound to be several threads on the subject.

I believe you said hubby has no quals so I am not sure what that would restrict him too. Maybe a tradie could respond please ?

Anyway, word on the street is that chippies are currently THE most sought after tradie in these parts. If that's the case there must be an opening or two.

The fully qualified chippies are said to be currently earning six figures.

Thanks Bix, yes we're aware of the need for licences and cards etc and it is a concern I'd be lying if I said it wasn't but we don't need six figures (be nice tho!) to live on and he can do labouring if necessary. He doesn't just do building carpentry he's also a very capable furniture maker and self-employment doing that is something we've been thinking about.....please don't tell me we need a licence for that as well He used to make small items and flog them at markets and there's a few of those around I'm aware of so we've got a couple of options but in a country where you need a licence to fart we have a challenge ahead

Eyes wide open then - great stuff

Pray tell me........did you obtain a licence for having ideas ?

Is it not the case that you need to emply 2 australians to have the ideas for you ?