terryg

Hi all

I thought it may be a good idea for each of you who have applied to sum up your story so far. This will help both existing and new users with snapshot stories of where each of us is up to rather than having to trawl through hundreds of different threads and posts. Please feel free to tell your story - Anyway, here's mine.....................

I originally applied for skilled immigration subclass 136 as an accountant in October 2002 after having my skills assessed in September 2002. However I was then successful in obtaining STNI for Victoria. I now have to wait for DIMIA to give us a PR visa which I am told takes 1 to 6 months from STNI approval (I got STNI on 5th Feb 2003). So with a lot of luck we should get our visa by say August / Sept this year and then put the house on the market - as soon as this sells we are off to Melbourne.

We have only visited Melbourne which was in Jan this year and it was awesome - We most definitely want to live there - not saying that Perth or Brisbane are no good as we have never been - but I cant stand the heat for too long and my best chance of getting a job is in Melbourne - the only drawback is the houses are quite dear, but I refuse to get a mortgage again EVER so we will have to wait and see what happens. We spent a lot of time looking at suburbs and houses with agents and I also had one interview and spent time talking to employment agents. We had a really good look around speaking to the locals about life in Melbourne and what they do and don't like. The only thing they said they don't like is the weather which is very temperamental but on the plus side it gave them variety rather than just being sweltering hot every day. For example the first day we arrived (9th Jan 2003 from memory) was 44 degrees and the next day was 19 degrees. The rest of the two weeks was 25 to 35 degrees. Went to the Australian Open Tennis for the day which was excellent and only $25 for a ground pass - a tad cheaper than Wimbledon bearing in mind that we watched 4 games in the Vodaphone Arena one with Kim Cloisters and another with the Williams sisters playing doubles.

We will probably have to rent for the first 6 months whilst we a) look for a house and b) Wait for the sale to go through - not looking forward to moving all the time/don't enjoy it but c'est la vie !

I am also a bit concerned with living in limbo - for the first 6 weeks our stuff will be being shipped and we will have nothing - where do we sleep/eat and cook - bit of a dilemma at the mo but I'm sure we will cope.

I am using Concept Australia as a migration agent.

I am 36 and my wife Sharon is 38. We have two boys, Nick who is 4 in May and Alex who is 2 in July.

I am currently having to study Australian Tax and Australian Company Law with the University of Southern Queensland by Long Distance which should increase the chances of me getting a job.


All the best

Terry & Sharon

Carrianne

Hi Terry and Sharon,

We got married last July and decided to apply to emmigrate for a better relaxed outdoor lifestyle to get away from the keeping up with the jones although we know it exists in Australia but not as severe has where we live. (my best friend has is a citizen now in Cronulla) she stated that we would love it out there.

We have applied for the skilled independant visa via Go matilda, my hubby had his skills assessed last Oct and we applied for our visa in Feb this year. Not in a great rush to get over there too many things to do here yet.

My hubby is a Carpenter and Joiner and I am a Business Analyst. I could get a transfer with my job but only to Sydney as I work for a global company but don't want to live in Sydney just yet but never say never.

We applied for our skills assessment without going to Oz. we then went for a month on Christmas eve, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane. We where adamant that it was Perth we wanted to move too and still love it but fell in love with the people we met in Noosa and the Sunshine Coast and we kinda know people who live in Brisbane and the suburbs. so we are heading for Caloundra.

We are both quite young and fell in love with surfing and I love scuba diving anyway, so this will suit us down to the ground, work hard and party chilled out but hard. I am 30 and my hubby is 25.

Carrianne

pamzo

Hi Terryg

Our story so far is this. We applied Feb 2002 under skilled migration and have just had our medicals, so expect our visas in perhaps the next few weeks. We have always wanted to move to Perth as my husband travelled Oz for a year following university and was particulary impressed with Perth. We went to Perth on holiday last month for me to take a look around. I really liked it, clean, friendly and the climate was good, there were a few really hot days but there is always a breeze so its not too bad and days that hot don't last. The winters are apparantley fantastic, little rain 20-25 degrees.

I am 37, hubby is 34 we have two kids age 2 and 4. Hubby is a Chartered Accountant working in Industry and we only found out since going on holiday that he will have to do the tax & law conversion courses. We have missed the March intake so he will have to start them in July which means we will now not be going out there until the beginning of 2004, but he visited employment agencies whilst on holiday and it seems important to do these courses. They told us it would take 6-8 months to secure permanent employment but contract work may be found in days.

We are still in 2 minds whether to take the gamble on our safe, secure life here, for the relative unkown.

The dilemma continues !

Sindy

Hi Terry

My husband, Bill, had his skills assessed in June 2002 by TRA. We paid extra for fast track but due to a Manager forgetting to certify one piece of paper it ended up taking just over two months to get a code number!

In September we sent off all of our forms to apply for our visa, subclass 139. I am luckly to have family living in Adelaide and my cousan kindly agreed to be our sponsoror and assurer (she probably regrets this now with the amount of forms she has had to fill in!)

We were asked for our medicals in Feburary, which are being processed in Australia now as I type, although we are STILL awaiting our police checks If all works out with the selling of the house we hope to be in Adelaide by the end of September.

We have three children, Lewis 9, Scott 7 and Rosina 3.

We are using a migration agent - Migration Bureau - overly expensive!

Sindy

mashiraz

Good Idea Terry!

Decided to give it ago after several holidays to visit friends in Adelaide and after seeing Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns. Always decided it would be Adelaide though.

Applied for skills assessment to AIM (as Manager) 4 years ago and failed as insufficient experience at the right level. Waited 2 years and applied again and successful. Applied for Visa to AHC London and was in the unfortunate position of many being transferred to adelaide for completion. Finally granted visa after 17 months, in Feb 03. Got voluntary redundancy at work - good timing, took new job as still waiting - bad timing!

House now on market waiting to sell, wish I'd done it sooner, and looking forward to handing my notice in. Aiming to get to Adelaide end June.

If anyone wants a nice house on Notts/Derby border PM me! I have a hubby (both 36) and kids 7 & 2.

Mash...

joh117

Terry good idea

We decided to emmigrate after visiting friends in Melbourne ( Mornington Peninsula ) Dec 2001. We knew them through my husbands cricket club a couple of players from flinders came to play a season in York and I became friends with their girlfriend/wife.

In September 2002 we were ready to get our skills assessed My husband as a Civil Engineer and the main applicant and me as an Office Manager. The results came back quickly.

On the 26th Nov 2002 our application for Skilled Ind visa arrived in Adelaide.

We married on the 4th Jan 2003 and on our return from Sri Lanka noticed they had taken payment on the 13th Jan 2003. We have not had an acknowledgement letter/email though when we emailed to ask for a ref to send a certified copy of the Marriage Certificate we got a very short and sweet response with the ref.

We have 2 houses in York and my husbands is on the market now. Fingers crossed it will sell before then end of the summer. We are planning on working in Melbourne when we get to oz but ideally would like to buy property and do it up to sell on. Something we would like to have done in the UK if prices were not so high.

I am 28 and my husband Shami is 32. He has already emmigrated in his lifetime so I am hoping that will ease things. Even though his mum did the hard work in him coming to the UK as he was only young.

We are lucky in that when we arrive in Melbourne our friends are fighting over who will put us up. We already have a great circle of friends there and a college friend emmigrated to Wollengong 3 years ago so she can offer loads of advice.

We have been offered a holiday home to live in by the beach in Mornington until we decided where we want to live. It will definately be on the Mornington Peninsula though and I prefer the bay side (less likely to come across a shark and the sea is much calmer).

Anyway I try to forget how much time has gone by I will be sooo excited when the medicals and police checks are requested. I will put my house on the market then as we can go into rented if needs be. If all falls through (fingers crossed not) we will buy somewhere bigger here anyway.

Good luck to everyone and let the months pass quickly ( God I never normally wish my life away!!!!!!)

Jo and Shami

Daffy

Terry & Sharon

My husband came home from work Sept 2001 (he's a builder) after a really bad day and said he'd had enough of this "God damn country" and "that's it let's emigrate". That was it, I was straight onto the AHC for all the forms.

I travelled to Oz 12 years ago as a backpacker. It was on a whim after a failed relationship, I was alone and as soon as I arrrived I thought "God what have I done". But 3 days after arriving in Perth I landed a job up in Broome on the West Coast. I travelled for a week up the coast stopping at several towns and then spent 5 months working as a cook/deck hand on a pearling boat, called the 'Northern Leader' in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Broome. Three weeks out at sea (hard graft) and 3 days back on land. It was fantastic. After the harvesting season the job came to an end but I was fortunate to land another job on a boat which was about to set sail from Fremantle back down near Perth. So I set back off on the Greyhound bus down to there. I was one of five crew who were needed to sail a boat, called the Taka II, from Fremantle up the west coat, round the top and on to Cairns. It was a prawn trawler bought there buy some big business man, converted in Fremantle into a diving boat. We spent two weeks sailing the boat to Cairns, stopping off at Darwin and a place called 'Portland Roads' up near Cape York. In Cairns the boat went off working as a Charter Diving Boat. I went on to be employed as a hostess on the Taka II taking rich American and Japanese tourists out, diving on the Barrier Reef. This is where I got my Scuba licence.

From there I went on to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and across the Nullarbor Plain stopping at several places, before finally leaving Perth.

So when my husband said let's do it, I thanked God we could.

It took from April last year till 7 February for us to get our visa. We fly out to Adelaide 10 June (STNI).

We opted for STNI for the quick route but I hope to show my kids all of it and settle where we we feel happiest.

I wish everyone on this site every bit of luck for their wonderful future in Oz!!!

Daffy

HeatherS

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this site too so it's good to hear all your stories.

We applied for visa subclass 136 independent in July 2002 knowing that we didn't have enough points (5 points off due to the increase last May, bummer.....) but as our intention was to go to Adelaide anyway, we decided to try the STNI route as soon as we get our letter from ASPC.

However, I am an impatient soul & seeing that others have done the same we emailed Immigration SA on Thursday & they emailed straight back saying they are able to consider us for nomination, we just have to send them all our details! SO exciting!!

Anyway I am Heather 35, Chris is 40 & we have three kids age 8, 5 & 3. Chris is an engineer (or fitter according to TRA) & I am a teaching assistant.

We are hoping to get out within the next 12 months which will give us time to get organised. Can't wait!

yafm

[QUOTE]Originally posted by HeatherS
Hi Everyone,
We seem to be the odd one out. We are going to retire on a 410 visa (we hope) to australia. Originally I visited oz in 1998 and came home enthusiastic about it. Hubby Colin looked into migration and found that as we were then 47 it was too late to migrate. (we did not know and there may not have been at that time - a chance to 'buy' 5 points) we were one point short.

Now after several more long visits to australia where we love the life we have decided to pack our bags, rent out house, say goodbye - sob sob - to the 9 grandchildren, 2 great grand-children and fulfil our dream.
We know that we will have to pay australias' high taxes and we know that we will also always have to keep applying for renewal visas and fulfilling their up to date medical and financial criteria but we think it will be worth it for however many years of better life style we can manage to get before 'they send us home'

We have lots of distance by blood and close by friendship relations in NSW and loads of other friends we have met on cruises and other holidays throughout australia and staying with these people have convinced us that we are making the right decision for US. We will of course miss our family but they are growing up and ;living their own life so perhaps they can visit with us in AUSTRALIA.
We decided this in November 2002, got together all the information and I went up to australia House on 12th March to present my application - front loaded - and are now waiting - and waiting - and waiting:

springflower

Hi

We started the ball rolling last year when i sent off for my assessment but didnt actually get a positive result and thought that was the end of our dreams, but after lots of positive replies from everyone on this site we were told about another way of going.
We applied for a 457 IE temporary business visa in January after recieving information from Alan at Go Matilda. We went for our medicals on the 12th March so we are waiting eagerly for the mail every morning! I hit 45 tomorrow and was hoping it would be a double celebration but I am still waiting to hear. We are going to live in Busselton, south west about 3 hours from Perth, where my mum and sister both live at present, and hopefully buy one of the local cafes out there. My partner Ray has all the qualifications but as he is 53 he too was past the sell by date as we call it. After a couple of years we will be applying for our permanent visa and then we will be smiling for ever! My two lads 12 and 8 are so excited about seeing their gran again and knowing when we go this time they will be staying.

For now all I do is check my email and smile at the postie every morning :-) Cant wait to book the airfare

Good luck to everyone who is just starting out, my advice would be to take up a hobby, something completley different to pass the time. For all those waiting and nearly there, just carry on opening the wine, it does help :-)

Jan :-)

karawara88

Ok here we go, my main reason for first applying was the election, I said if the idiot Blair was elected I was going, and it came to pass. !!

Due to lifes little surprises I split from my partner who still lives in Perth and ended up back in the UK, I said if the idiot Blair gets re-elected I would leave, It came to pass. !!

This time I have met and married the girl of my dreams (ahhh) and have been waiting for her to get a visa. This now done we have sold the house and will be bailing out around July to Perth.

Goodbye President Blair. !!

moosifer

Hmm I'll make it brief!

Aged 31, realised that the UK is falling apart at the seams, and want to bail out and go somewhere that I can feel more secure. Main reasons for wanting to go are crime, illegal immigration, cost of living, and the fact that London is the world's most unfriendly place ever.

Never been to Aus, but figure after reading this site that it can't be bad at all, so I'm applying for STNI to Melbourne.

I'm going out for a year on a working holiday visa in September, and then I'll just stay if/when my PR visa is granted.

Might see some of you there

lindy

Hi, Well i think that my story is a bit different to anyone, we have applied just started with the skills assessment and neither of us have ever been to Oz. My family are "colonialists" in Zambia, so my childhood was a great outdoor life, and I have always wanted the same for my kids. We went to Zambia for a year in 1985 with my daughter, fell pregnant there and then panicked and came back to Uk, the thought of going into hospital and maybe needing blood again was terrifying with the HIV rate there.
I have a brother and cousins too many to count in Oz already and no family in the Uk, so it seems the right decision to make. Hubby is a mechanic, but can also turn his hand to anything, want to fulfill our dream of building our own house, which is too expensive to do around our area on the south Coast. We have spent nearly all our lives being impetuous and selling house and moving on just a thought at night, so why not emmigrate on the same principle. I will not get to my death bed and wander what I have achieved during my lifetime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

debsy

what an interesting post! Well our story is we went for a holiday in Nov/Dec 99 to the Gold Coast. I am from Essex and yes I have got blonde hair I am from Chigwell but NO I do not wear white shoes and dance round my handbag (past it now).

We have two girls aged 6 & 9. Hubbie is a general manager of a 5* hotel in Side, Turkey and we live in the hotel. We started our application and 2000 but we were too lazy to fill in the forms so we hired an Agent in Brisbane who has been excellent (www.ausimmi.com). We got our skills recognition from AIM (General Manager) in January 2001 and we sent our main application in May 2002. Our visas were granted on 15 August and they are now safely stuck in passports!

We are validating in January and hoping to move in September. We are thinking about the Gold Coast but we cannot make up our minds it could be the Sunshine Coast, Northern NSW or even Melbourne - anyone else got any other suggestions?

Debs

kittenlips

Hi Everyone

Well here is our story.... My husband is 42 and I'm 32. Hubby is an electrician and I am a desk top publisher. My job is practically extinct in Australia, so we are going out on hubby's credentials!

We are in early stages of process at the moment. Still waiting for hubby's TRA, which we sent off (fast-track) early August. So hopefully we will get that back next month. Got everything else ready to send off immediately for the visa application!

We are also being sponsored under the designated area sponsorship, by hubby's cousin who lives in Adelaide. As neither of us have ever been to OZ that's where we are heading!

We have both felt unsettled for a while now. Ever since we got married (4 years ago) we have been trying for a baby. We have had 1 IVF attempt and are about to undergo a 2nd attempt. Either way, whether it works or not, we are off! And IVF is half the cost in OZ as it is over here in the UK!

Anyway life is for living! You are a long time dead, so what the hell, we've got nothing to lose either, except a bit of money!

Good luck everyone

Theresa and John