luverly

My b/friend and i are moving out to Melbourne together at the start of October this year. It has all happened very quickly over the past month and a half. Both of us have permanent jobs over there and are being sponsored on 4 year visa's, I have only just started the visa process but the fella is in the final stages of waiting for his to come through. He will be out there a week or so before me sorting a house and getting settled etc.
All sounds very idealic and rosetinted so far, except that the fella and i have only known each other for 7 months and to add to the madness he lives in Coventry and i live in Glasgow so we have never lived in the same city let alone with each other.

We are both very very sure that this is what we want and both our families have been unbelievably supportive of us (even though my parents are only meeting him for this first time this weekend) and the only thing that is really bothering me is my financial situation. I'm 25, not a home owner, have no savings and basically live from month to month on my wages. The fella is in a very different situation having had a house and car to sell and being very financially stable. He also has a relocation package including flight costs for his new company whereas i don't

Can anyone recommend the cheapest way of getting a one way ticket to Australia ? - short of selling my soul !
Also does anyone know whether i need to prove that i have a certain amount of money in my bank account to be able to enter the country on a 4 year temp sponsored visa?

This is possibly one of the most stressful times of my life and it would be really great to hear from anyone else who has gone through this in similar circumstances.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice y'all can give me.

Cara xx

soapy©

Sorry i dont have any answers but i doubt if theres is anyone in the world with similar circumstances.

anyway dont get too stressed a good glasgow lass like yirsell will get through it.
good luck with everything.

soapy

MikeStanton

If you can find a legal way of getting my London->Sydney unused half of a return ticket transferred to you (due to expire in 6 months time), you're welcome to it. However, I spoke to Flight Centre in Oz and said that it's not transfereable : which is a bummer, cos it's a Singapore airlines ticket...

Bordy

Why doesn't your boyfriend help out with flights, after all hes getting his free. Least he could do is pay half of yours.

Where in Melbourne are you heading???

Rob McKay

Hi Cara

Funny you should mention one way tickets to Melbourne, as I too am heading that way in 4 weeks time! I have been speaking to various flight centres and the best price I can find so far is £442 one way with Malaysian! I'm sure there are better deals - just need to keep searching! Can't your boyfriend's employer pay for your flight? I've been given a lump sum relocation allowance and that covers both myself and any dependents.

In terms of the new relationship - best of luck! Again I've just got into a new relationship (6 months - although have known her 3.5 years) and I've been offered a job in Melbourne and have managed to get her to come out with me - so I know how stressful it can all be.

Rob

Blossy

QWe flew with Singapore and found ebookers the best priced

JAJ

Have you both thought about:

- the risks/disadvantages of the temp visa vs PR in terms of your rights in Australia?
- how you might be able to get PR when you arrive?

Jeremy

jayr

As previously mentioned, I would definitley check if the B/F's company will also pay for your relocation. My company paid for me, wife and 2 kids.

Do you know if your employers are giving you Living Away From Home Allowance? Given you are temp visas you should be able to get this (but only if employer will offer it). It's a big tax break which would likely save you about $10-15k of tax p.a. (though buying a house will mean you are not eligible).

You don't need to prove funds to get in - just turn up

luverly

Thanks for all the responses, because my boyfriend and i have not lived together for 6 months or more, i am not considered to be his legal partner so his company won't pay for my flights etc.

We aren't intending to stay in Australia for ever, we willl probably come back after 2-3 years to live in Scotland so we aren't worrying about PR at the minute, just happy to both have perm jobs to go to and temp sponsored visas.

I have to admit i had thought about asking the fella to pay for some of the flights and i think he isn't sure whether to offer or not - he knows i am fairly independent ( i refused to go out on a working holiday visa and look for sponsorship when we were there cos i felt i would be too dependent on him) poor fella probably doesn't know whether he should offer or not.

I have looked on ebookers and they seem to be about £500 for one way which is ok. Not sure what part of Melbourne we will be living in, my job is in Moonee Ponds and the fella will be working for Ford out in Broadmeadows. Essendon is one of the places we have been looking at renting, anyone from Melbourne have any advice on that area ?

Cara

OzTennis

Good luck with the move, can't help on much but Essendon is a nice area and has above Melbourne average property values, is reasonably close to the city centre, very close to Moonee Ponds (say hello to Dame Edna for me) and not too far a commute from Broadmeadows. They have a poor 'footy' team (wait for Bordy or Hevs to come in) Good luck, as someone said, quite unique circumstances.

OzTennis

hevs

They have a great footy team, well better than footscray anyway

Don't know much about the area, but the airport would put me off

OzTennis

You've got me on the Bulldogs! Essendon is quite a large suburb and many parts eg over by Maribyrnong River are well away from the airport (but perhaps not its flight path?).

Just to change tack completely the family in that magnificent film 'The Castle' lived right next door to Essendon airport (under a pylon). Dad says 'location, location, location is everything' (or words to that effect)

Just looked at latest median property prices - Melbourne $357,876; Essendon $484,500; Essendon North (nearer airport) $420,000; Moonee Ponds $431,750 and dear old 'Broady' $208,000.

OzTennis