regional state sponsor for western australia..pls help
 

Hi, my name is neil mcchesney a wall and floor tiler from scotland. I was applying for a state sponsor visa to WA through my trade being in high demand. I had to sit the ielts exam and needed a band 8 score in all 4 parts of the exam to a get this visa. I got 3 band 8 and a 7.5, so will have to resit it to try for the 4 band 8. another option which i have enough points for is a regional state sponsorship, in where the wa goverment give me a choice of regional areas in which i can go to and live for 2 years then can go wherever we pls in oz. Has anyone heard of, or done it this way? Me and my family are desperate to get out, and one of the regional areas i can go to is mandurah,,,,,can anyone shed light on this area and things like housing, schools shops and work...anything would be much appreciated...many thanks...neil:)

Re: regional state sponsor for western australia..pls help
 

I live in Mandurah. Its a nice, small city, gets a lot of tourists, and is pretty sleepy. It has schools, but, not having children i cant say how good they are. It has pretty much all the shops you want, and Perth is only 50 mins away on the train. Cant help with your work much. But, i do know a few trades people struggling to get full time work at the moment.

A bigger issue is your comment "desperate to get out". What is it you want to get away from? Most people that move to Oz trying to escape something in the UK get a nasty shock when they arrive and find it is no different here

Re: regional state sponsor for western australia..pls help
 

We live a 20-minute drive from Mandurah and think it's a real gem. The foreshore is great. It's perfect for a leisurely stroll,has some fantastic swish apartments overlooking the water and plenty of places to eat and drink.

It does get very busy in the summer, not surprisingly. We visit at least once a month. In fact we were in Mandurah on Saturday for a meal at an Indian restaurant.

Don't know about work but Mandurah has everything you need in terms of schools, medical facilities, shops, restaurants etc. There is a decent shopping centre on Pinjarra Road. Mandurah has become very popular and the population apparently is set to boom as Perth becomes less and less affordable as a place to live. As Very Stormy has pointed out Perth is only 50 minutes by train.

I use the Mandurah line everyday and I have noticed in the past 12 months more and more commuters get on and off at Mandurah.

Re: regional state sponsor for western australia..pls help
 

I don't know the ins and outs of this type of visa but I've got a feeling if the WA government was to direct those in short supply to a 'regional area' that it wouldn't be somewhere like Mandurah. ;)

Re: regional state sponsor for western australia..pls help
 

You were really close with the IELTS, I would recommend trying again rather than going for the regional visa. I have no idea whether Mandurah is a nice place to live, but I have read plenty of stories of people struggling to find work in regional locations, so don't put this restriction on yourselves unless there is no other way.

Re: regional state sponsor for western australia..pls help
 

You would be incorrect in your feeling. Mandurah is within the postcodes deemed regional for state sponsorship purposes.