Very curious!
 

Hi, Me and my partner have become very curious about moving to Australia, Im a qualified apprentice served electrician with 7 yrs experience, she is a social care worker.

I have been advised so many times to give Australia a go, being an electrician I get told this every so often. It seems the perfect place for us, we love the weather, apparently great people and a much better lifestyle than over here.

What types of place would you suggest to us? we love the beach, we're young mid 20's, not partying but like socialising, we're not city people.

Earnings? how much does our jobs typically earn and is there much opportunity for us?

House prices? with the jobs what type of house price range would we be typically looking at to buy.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Re: Very curious!
 

Anyone?

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They're all in bed mate

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I was actually just thinking that, aint got a clue on the timezones!

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its right we are in bed your first post was at 2.30am

for info re sparkies look here
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=97

house prices
http://www.realestate.com.au/buy

Re: Very curious!
 

If you're looking at moving to Australia then the first thing you're going to need is to learn some patience. Less than 2 hours before bumping a thread in the middle of the night?

Try www.immi.gov.au to see if you qualify. Bear in mind that the rules are about to change in July, so unless you can get your skills assessed and an application in before June 30 you'll have to look at whether you qualify then.

Current processing times for skilled visas is about 2+ years. Add in the time it takes to get your skills assessment done and wait for state sponsorship you're looking at 3 years or more in total.

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Have you been? How do you know it's the perfect place for you? The weather 'sounds' perfect when not here, however some areas have 40+ degrees in summer which is not ideal when working, QLD is currently dealing with major floods, the largest cyclone we've had, major bush fires, very very high humidity levels etc. Yes it may suit you but until you've actually lived through a year or so of the climate, there's no way of knowing if it will suit you. As for better lifestyle - where are you now? Don't get me wrong, I and many others love it here but for many more, the climate means they do less outdoors than they initially imagined.

Check out that you do actually qualify for a visa, then consider all the many different climates the country offers. It's not just hot and sunny. :D

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I actually clicked on that everybody was asleep if you look at an earlier post, easy mistake to make.

Im not in a rush to get out there, I have time on my side its just a lot of people have mentioned to me to give it a go I wont regret so im on here for some advice but I think some people got out of bed the wrong side.

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I dont think its the perfect place for me I said it SEEMS the perfect place, thats why im on here to get some advice.

As for the floods, do you think im stupid? I understand the devastation it has caused through the country.

I have a lot of family out there who emigrated 30 yrs ago and some more recent 10yrs ago who would never come back, I have a friend who spent a yr out there who said he would love to go back.

If this is how you welcome people then I think I will stay here, but I think you grumps are in the minority.

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Maybe she only read your first couple of posts or maybe she was reiterating the netiquette of not bumping a very short time after the first post.

Maybe she did get out of bed the wrong side, however, she also gave you very useful info so gratitude rather than sniping would be the way forward.

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Well instead of helping on the subjects I posted, I got told to check that I qualify which was quite patronizing quite similar to yourself actually.

I have already checked if I qualify and at the moment I do, but none of my original questions where answered in either of you posts.

I really appreciate any help which is given, but I didnt come on here to get patronized, I just wanted some advice on a possible change in my life which im very interested about.

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Back to your original questions

How do you know it is a 'better lifestyle'?

It is not in my opinion.

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Your question is way too open. This massive country is surrounded by water and therefore beaches. Most people live around the edge, in suburbs close or relatively close to the cities so lots of socialising available depending on what you want. You think you like the climate but you don't tell us if you like dry heat, high humidity, Mediterranean climate, cool winters etc etc etc.

You have been given the link to Realestate.com, there is also Domain. As for jobs, your best bet is to look at seek, mycareer, careerone etc which will give you an idea of what is currently available to people with Australian experience and licences.

My previous post was simply to point out that what one imagines will suit them quickly becomes (for many people) hell on earth when actually living here.

No one has patronised you or if they, I, have I apologise, it wasn't meant that way. I am interested to know who these people are who tell you you'll love it here and that it would suit you. Many people in the UK still have a utopian view of Australia which bears no relation to the facts.

You didn't say you had already checked to see that you qualify so how was anyone to know? I was also mentioning the floods because many (possibly not you) have rose tinted glasses on regarding the Australian climate. I again apologise if you don't have these on, your first post didn't tell me that and we can only go by what you post.

For your occupation then Steve's link to the Electricians forum is a godsend. There are one or two social workers on the forum (from memory) but I can't remember if they're actually here or still there waiting on a visa. If you give the search facility a go (pink toolbar at top of page). In the Advanced Search section you can put in key words and change the period of searching - useful if you don't want info from years ago which may no longer be valid.

We all love our own areas but are loathe to suggest them to others as we have no real idea of what they are coming from, what their expectations are etc etc.

Good luck with the research and application. :)

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I dont know its better, its what I have heard off so many people, but theres only 1 way to find out and thats come over which I plan to do.

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Thanks for the advice this is what I was looking for. The amount of searches I have done on this forum just as a guest is unreal I have picked up quite a bit of info, I gather an electrician will generally earn £55k a year maybe more but I want to be realistic and look at the base rates. The OH possibly 45k looking at the jobs offered at the moment.

We like it hot, but have to remember working conditions probably late 20's I could handle but wouldnt know until I come over. We were in Domincan Republic last year and the temp was in the early 30's and it was roasting, but I have been in hotter temp than that which didnt seem as intense as the Domincan heat.

We dont like busy cities, more relaxed family environments but plenty of places to socialise, have a beer, some sports and things like that. Would like to be reasonably close to the beach.

I have family in oz who have lived there for years so I have a better understanding through them than, other people who have been out couple of months to a yr.

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People aren't paid in pounds in Australia...currency conversions are meaningless! The current exchange rate really flatters Australian salaries...it's fun converting at the moment, but misleading.

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ok, bear in mind that my answer only really considers South East Queensland. Obviously Australia is a big country and there are loads of other places that you will need to consider too.

I reckon that the gold coast is a fairly good bet for you guys. It has a growing population and as a result there is definitely a demand for electricians and social workers. However - the construction sector has not been doing too well over the past 2 or 3 years....as a result, you might find that there are already plenty of sparkies competing for work.

The gold coast has great beaches and a good choice of entertainment for people in their 20's, in my opinion. It has a great climate too.

In terms of buying a house, I will assume that you & your partner don't have much in the way of $$$ right now, as you are fairly young. If I were in your shoes, I would forget the idea of buying a house at this time. Concentrate on your application, and where you would like to live. If after a couple of years you actually like living in Australia, then it might be time to start thinking about buying a place.

Instead, you should think about renting a place. As you aren't city folk and you love the beach, why not rent a place near the beach? Something like this place at Kirra beach. Doesn't look too great from the outside, and probably isn't that nice on the inside either. But it is fairly cheap at $250 per week, a few steps away from the beach, and in an area that isn't bad at all.

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I would put it in pounds wouldnt I, Sorry I meant $$$$$$$.

Cheers for pointing that out.

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Thanks for the advice, really great info. We had for some reason been looking at the Gold Coast, I have no idea why but its the place that has drawn us in so i'm quite pleased you advised that.

We bought a house over here at the age of 19 and altogether have paid £30k off, due to some luck and the mortgage payments so I suppose that would help if we sold up.

Could you advise on a few places I have noticed in that area and tell me what they are like, gold coast, sunshine coast and rockhampton? Think I have all them correct.

Again thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

Re: Very curious!
 

Rockhampton isn't really in that area, it's 400 miles from Brisbane.

It's a big country town and it wouldn't be a lot of peoples cup of tea!

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Right I will tick that off the list, so really gold coast upto the sunshine coast is where I want to be looking.

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No problem. As has already been mentioned, I'd probably steer clear of rockhampton. Just my personal opinion, but it's pretty average up there.

Look at the gold coast, sunshine coast, but also you should think about the coastal areas near perth, Melbourne & Sydney too.

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You might find a lot of work doing ceiling safety inspections. Before signing up as an Aussie sparky, be sure to brief yourself on the Federal Government ceiling insulation debacle. There have been deaths. The hot weather isn't all it's cracked up to be. Neither are "some" of the people. Come for a holiday in the middle of Summer before making any decisions. Good Luck :)

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Mate - regardless of your qualifications, heat tolerance or where you want to end up - strikes me that you're young and presumably child free?

Give it a punt - its not necessarily a life sentence. If you have family, its a much bigger consideration, but if its just the two of you it makes the whole thing about 1000 times more straightforward.

You're in the perfect point in life to give it a try - wish I'd done it in your position rather than at 39 with two complaining nippers in tow!

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Bear in mind that when people talk about the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast they are usually thinking of the beach front strip (about 5km wide to the main N-S highway) whereas the relevant council areas extend quite a way inland and up into the hills - for example, there is a huge difference between living in Noosa and living in Beerwah, but they are both Sunshine Coast. Make sure you know what you are looking at.

Judging by how long it takes for a tradesman to come round and give a quote (let alone do the job) you shouldn't have too much trouble finding work. Electricians can earn very good money in the mines as long as you don't mind working two weeks on two weeks off - good way for young people to build up a stake to buy a house. If you have £30k equity in your home that might just pay the deposit on a property within 2-3km of the coast at Sunshine or Gold - might, I say.

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Yep, Child free and it would be 2 of us.

Thanks for the encouragement mate, we are starting seriously to look into it now, if we dont like it I suppose it wouldnt be too much of a fuss to pack up and go back home.

Thing is I dont want to be regretting not giving it a go, so will be coming for a visit in the future.

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Im actually looking for some advice on this, so we can see what property would be in our price range. We dont expect to be sitting right on the beach (although would be very nice) but a nice neighborhood 5,10mins drive from the beach would nice.

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Just wondering, if you already have family and friends here, why not consider the areas where they live? If anything, it would narrow the area down a bit. Never underestimate the support of family in such a life-changing decision (and how grateful you would be for their support if kiddies ever came along). We stayed with my sister for the first 6 weeks, which meant that we didn't have to organise accommodation immediately upon landing, and they were a tremendous help getting us settled in.

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Very good point, only problem their on the opposite side of australia to where I have been looking.

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Having worked very closely with your occupations, all options may be open to you , If you apply for state sponsorship with your trade, your visa should come through quicker, I think the states still excepting are WA, SA, Vic, Tas, NT, ACT. Although with the Brissy floods they may have opened it back up for QLD.

You will need to get your Trades Licence once here, so give yourself a few weeks grace on arrival, and expect to spend $1000 + on extra bits ( white Card - OH&S etc). A qualified electrician can earn on the books and local anything from $32 - $39 per hr plus super. As a contractor you can price from $49 per hr up to $80 per hr, most are about $69 per hr. Working in the mines, WA is the bigest at taking in trades at the moment, most do 4 weeks on 1 week of to bring in the right money, for this you will earn an average of about $12000 after tax per mth plus Pip ,plus super. But its a hard slog.
You can then work agencies, they are paying about $55 per hour at the mo in Brissy.
Your Wife as a social worker will not have any probs finding work, she could start of at the JSA contracts, Youth connections . Her pay again would start at about $46000 - 58000.
Housing you are looking at a minimum of about $440.000
I would recommend the city’s for the continuation of work,

Re: Very curious!
 

Thanks Milly thats some great info, I wouldnt be looking at the mines to be honest, I worked away for 5 yrs over here and I wouldnt really want to do that again. I Currently earn £20k over here because im not near any large city's so anything from $25 per hour upwards would be great for me because we're used to working with a tight budget.

If we had a total income of $100-$120k that would be enough wouldnt it?

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It all depends on how you live your life...... Some people live very comfortable on $65000 per yr,
The cost of living in Australia is high at the moment, My Husband is crying out for qualified Electricians at the mo , and is currently paying Agency's top money. But living in a small place, sometime's can be hard. As there is not as much work around as people think. SA has been over populated with Trades at the mo, the basic work is there but not really in overtime, although its a good place to start off, Especially for your wife. You need to be paid a minimum of $1000 a week after tax this is Easily achievable on base hrs, this with your wife’s wage will set you up nicely

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We are used to a very tight budget and we never really do anything, all our money is spent on bills, your lucky if we have 1 takeaway a month and we very rarely go out due to work being dead over here.

I wish I was coming out now if your husband is crying out for electrician, I will have to keep him in mind for when I do actually come out.

Trying to work out our living costs now so we now what price market we would be in for our house.

All advice is much appreciated, keep it coming!

Re: Very curious!
 

Many people on here - like Moneypenny - have been here for years, or are even Aussies born and bred, so don't dismiss all their opinions too quickly ;)

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I wasnt referring to her, I was referring to friends who have been out for a short time and judging Australia.

Read the posts correctly before you critisize.

Re: Very curious!
 

Hi Curious guys

Firstly I'm in construction..chippy and from the UK..Partners an Aussie, and having lived with onefor 6 years..they're all grumpy in the morning!!! believe me! Mainly because in the heat you get 2 hours of sweaty heat sleep..so go easy on them..although you're right in the fact you only posted..didn't exactly wake them in the middle of the night on the phone..which often happens to me in the UK!

What's right about a place to live...A new life, a new start, a place to raise a family in relative safety with peace of mind..cool with me. To get away from problems, debt, find a job..Nope won't happen

You sound like you want to have a new life..sensibly your looking very early, doing your homework and giving it lots of thought.

Now I'm no expert, but I am a UK citizen (OK ..POM) We still live in the UK but will be moving permanently back in May.

We have a home in Brisbane which we've renovated for two years..

OK facts: Aussie workers are NOT slackers..many stories on forums about them being talkers, work shy, folk preferring foreign workers ..rubbish, so don't arrive thinking you will be picked up because your English..nope!

I've worked on my own renovations in Brisbane...Get it right..It's not holiday hot ducking out of the sun..have a little break..It's working hard hot..exhausting relentless and day after day..you will pray for a cool day and rain sometimes..you will miss the English seasons the difference between summer and winter in QLD is a 'pullover' at night!

It's not for the fainthearted but the one thing you're going to notice is work colleagues! I've worked in the UK construction industry for over 35 years. and the fun has gone out of it..Aussie's still have that! thank god!

Most Aussie tradies work site to site short contract and are very self reliant and that's why they are not 'slackers' a reputation is lost and work dries up..they don't rely on spoon fed work, and aren't afraid to get of their backsides and travel distances to pay the bills.

You could upgrade your Qual's get a sponsor and be like a lot of brits, end up working for a company doing the worse jobs that no-one else wants to do get fed up moan and go back to the UK moaning..Or understand that your sponsor has given you a chance..he knows your going to be off after two years..he won't waste his time and money training you for specific tasks or giving way to wage demands..You'll finish your sponsorship then look for better pay and prospects..they know it.

Or plough some cash in buy a ute hire some labour..make work for Aussie people..yep..they like that!

Standard of living..don't even have to mention that...but I'm not talking money..what price can you put on 'better' security for your family and freedom of choice!

Don't even think about coming to Australia unless you have maybe $60-70k
You're gonna need it if you need retraining/upgrade work certs etc..rentals are high and rare..30-40 per viewing, you have no credit rating (zero). a friend in Brisbane was telling me that some new arrivals were having to offer up to 12 months rental in advance to try to beat off competition..sounds like you're going to need two cars and at least three months safety net money..Not to mention a 'flight home fund'..(a must!) for emergency's

Australia is a great place..so the UK..many Aussies settle here. It's no better no worse and definitely not cheaper!!

So think about it carefully..sorry about the bluntness but too many guys roll down to Aussie with rose tinted specs..within your relationship and home..It'll be the same! work, bills, mortgage,...But with the benefit of 'big skies' warm days, better schools..Oh ..cheaper petrol!!

Hope it helps

Oh! and Aussie's get a blooming grip fella!! and have a good one!!!..all of you!

Re: Very curious!
 

Cheers mate some very helpfull info there, and I like it straight to the point.

One thing I will do, I wont stop researching from now until I go out there, firstly for a holiday.

Im at the age where I can give it a go for 6 months to a year and if im enjoying I will stay but if I ever wanted to come home I could.

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Oh, You'll at very least need a white card..(CSCS)

You can sit the test online and get it sent to you in the UK, one less thing to worry about!..only a few dollars!

I got mine here www.bluedogtraining.com.au ..but they're are plenty of other companies..make sure it covers your state!

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A reference for jobs is here http://www.seek.com.au/ Just nice to check up the job market at times

Good luck

Re: Very curious!
 

if your going to try au with a holdiday visa and you want to work as a sparkie youll need to sort out a licence, ( i`m assuning as ive read gold coast / sunshine coast you intend coming to qld so the following is specific to qld each state has its own version of an electrical licence and it own courses and regulations to getting said licence ) you just wont get a start without one in qld, to apply you`ll need proof that your "as qualified" as an australian sparkie, there are a couple of ways taht this can be done but for speed and budget i`d recommend applying for an artc http://www.deewr.gov.au/Skills/Progr...ages/home.aspx as an electrical mechanic ( dont mix up a artc with a tra cert ) ones for prooving your qualifed to au standards the later is for immigration from certain countries )

next would to do an electrical courses via distance learning, much more convieniant than trying to work around the local tafe ( college)
have alook at qet`s site
http://www.qet.edu.au/

both of the above would be done before leaving the uk

on arrival apply for a permit to train
http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/fair-a...eas-applicants
and apply for a job as a TA ( trade assistant ) you need to be working in order to complete a log book of work completed, this is required for your "full" licence

theres loads there for your research as and when you want more info try posting in the sparkies section there are loads of guys willing to give help and advice
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=97


regards steve