Plan of Action - A family move
Jan 15th 2007, 7:47 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 14
Plan of Action - A family move
Hi All,
Very new to the website and trying to use it for some information. I have done a couple of searches but I was hoping for a bit more direct (and quicker) detail.
As a start we are looking at selling most of the un-necessary items (extras if you will), then looking to put the house up for sale to start the ball rolling. Then sell everything a few months prior to flying out.
We want to try living in Australia for 12 months before seeing whether we want to make it permanent. Correct me if I'm wrong but the holiday permit won't be a good idea for supporting a family of 6...
So, the biggest questions I really need answering are:
Many Thank
Ben, Sarah & Family
Very new to the website and trying to use it for some information. I have done a couple of searches but I was hoping for a bit more direct (and quicker) detail.
As a start we are looking at selling most of the un-necessary items (extras if you will), then looking to put the house up for sale to start the ball rolling. Then sell everything a few months prior to flying out.
We want to try living in Australia for 12 months before seeing whether we want to make it permanent. Correct me if I'm wrong but the holiday permit won't be a good idea for supporting a family of 6...
So, the biggest questions I really need answering are:
- Visas - skilled workers, I'm an IT professional and my wife is a trained hairdresser) HOw much are the costs associated with applying and how long does it normally take.
- Jobs - Is it best to go through an agency, wait for a permit, apply using local sites, etc?
- Hairdressers. What is sought after, where?
- IT. Where (other than Sydney) is there a good IT industry?
- Schools - Kids vary in age, this year the kids will be 14, 13, 9 and 5. What costs, paperwork, etc is required to get them in a school? Is there an Ofsted site to see what schools are like prior to application?
- Medical costs - Obviously we have the NHS, what is the cost or equivalent in Aus?
- Houses - Rented (at least to start off with) Accomodation, what are the general costs, services (taxes), electric, water, gas, etc...
- Cars - MOT's, Road tax, Insurance. Then drivers licence considerations?
- Weekly Shopping costs - Supermarkets, grocerers, butchers, etc...
Many Thank
Ben, Sarah & Family
Last edited by spezer; Jan 15th 2007 at 8:24 pm.
Jan 15th 2007, 10:40 pm
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Cairns
Posts: 3,918
Re: Plan of Action - A family move
Hi
All the answers to all your questions are on this site and using the search method may be slower than direct answers but you'll get a broad range of replies using that method. To answer some of your questions:
If you want to live in OZ for a year before making up your mind as to whether to live here permanently, than selling all your worldly goods and house might not be the best idea - put your stuff into storage and rent your house out - many on this iste have regretted selling everything lock, stock and barrel only to return and have to start again from scratch.
Visas - either D.I.Y - or use an agent - the agent route will cost you around 2000 - 3000 pounds, which should include your TRA assessment. have a look at:
www.dimia.gov.au
I don't think you'd need a permit to work in IT or hairdressing...hairdressing may still be on the MODL list (check the dimia site again for that) which gives you extra points towards your application. Youn apply for jobs just like you would in the UK - paper ads, agencies, knocking on doors.
Schools - if you use state school or a private school - you ring them, make an appointment to have a look around, fill in the forms. Private school usally require a deposit / registration fee. State school is 'free' - you pay for books / pencils / that type of thing and usually a small contribution to school each year. Private can cost you anything from $2000 to $15,000 per child, depending on where you live and if its Catholic, independant, Anglican etc etc
Medical - theres Medicare (you would have to find a 'bulk-billing' doctor - who sends their bill direct to the govt, rather than you paying but mostly here you pay to see the doc (around $45 for a short consultation) and then you can claim a small amount of that back through Medicare offices.
Private medical insurance for a family of 6 could be costly, depending on your 'extras' and inclusions.
Houses, rented or bought - it all depends on where you are living - $300 a week would get you a 3 bed on an average block in the north, don't know about other regions. Bills - again depends what you use.
Cars - rego is around $500 for the year, car insurance, mine is around the $500 mark again for fully comp. Servicing, depends on your model - mines around $120 per year. Licence - go to the transport office in your state and swop and go! there used to be a written test but they recently got rid of it.
Supermarket costs - family of four here spend around $200 per week - and thats with planning meals, cooking from scratch, buying fresh fruit, veggies, meat and hardly any rubbish at all. Using a fruit and veggie barn or market could reduce costs.
A ball park figure for a family of 6 is impossible to say, IMO. I don't have a family of 6. Depends on so many things - where you settle, what your lifestyle intends to be - extravagant or simple, what you consider a decent standard of living, what you will earn, etc etc. Some families manage on $35,000 a year and some struggle on $80,000 a year.
Good luck.
All the answers to all your questions are on this site and using the search method may be slower than direct answers but you'll get a broad range of replies using that method. To answer some of your questions:
If you want to live in OZ for a year before making up your mind as to whether to live here permanently, than selling all your worldly goods and house might not be the best idea - put your stuff into storage and rent your house out - many on this iste have regretted selling everything lock, stock and barrel only to return and have to start again from scratch.
Visas - either D.I.Y - or use an agent - the agent route will cost you around 2000 - 3000 pounds, which should include your TRA assessment. have a look at:
www.dimia.gov.au
I don't think you'd need a permit to work in IT or hairdressing...hairdressing may still be on the MODL list (check the dimia site again for that) which gives you extra points towards your application. Youn apply for jobs just like you would in the UK - paper ads, agencies, knocking on doors.
Schools - if you use state school or a private school - you ring them, make an appointment to have a look around, fill in the forms. Private school usally require a deposit / registration fee. State school is 'free' - you pay for books / pencils / that type of thing and usually a small contribution to school each year. Private can cost you anything from $2000 to $15,000 per child, depending on where you live and if its Catholic, independant, Anglican etc etc
Medical - theres Medicare (you would have to find a 'bulk-billing' doctor - who sends their bill direct to the govt, rather than you paying but mostly here you pay to see the doc (around $45 for a short consultation) and then you can claim a small amount of that back through Medicare offices.
Private medical insurance for a family of 6 could be costly, depending on your 'extras' and inclusions.
Houses, rented or bought - it all depends on where you are living - $300 a week would get you a 3 bed on an average block in the north, don't know about other regions. Bills - again depends what you use.
Cars - rego is around $500 for the year, car insurance, mine is around the $500 mark again for fully comp. Servicing, depends on your model - mines around $120 per year. Licence - go to the transport office in your state and swop and go! there used to be a written test but they recently got rid of it.
Supermarket costs - family of four here spend around $200 per week - and thats with planning meals, cooking from scratch, buying fresh fruit, veggies, meat and hardly any rubbish at all. Using a fruit and veggie barn or market could reduce costs.
A ball park figure for a family of 6 is impossible to say, IMO. I don't have a family of 6. Depends on so many things - where you settle, what your lifestyle intends to be - extravagant or simple, what you consider a decent standard of living, what you will earn, etc etc. Some families manage on $35,000 a year and some struggle on $80,000 a year.
Good luck.
Jan 21st 2007, 8:33 pm
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 14
Re: Plan of Action - A family move
Thanks for the info...
Schools - Is there a site like Ofsted? I haven't chosen a location to go to yet and have so many choices to make, once I start choosing I don't want to have to move straight away as the school isn't as good as the one the other side of town...
House - wise I suppose it does depend where you are, just wondered if there were any differences, like the dreaded poll tax of old in the UK I should be expecting as an extra cost.
Thanks again, look forward to a bit more info to help me along...
Ben
Schools - Is there a site like Ofsted? I haven't chosen a location to go to yet and have so many choices to make, once I start choosing I don't want to have to move straight away as the school isn't as good as the one the other side of town...
House - wise I suppose it does depend where you are, just wondered if there were any differences, like the dreaded poll tax of old in the UK I should be expecting as an extra cost.
Thanks again, look forward to a bit more info to help me along...
Ben
