joesoap

Hi, just thought I would say hello to the group. I have been a silent member for some time now and want to thank all the people who gave me information during that time. I migrated to Redland Bay in February '07 with my partner Rosie. Six months on and we are still waiting on our queensland licences. I'm an electrician and Rosie is a nurse. We had started a cleaning company while we were waiting on our licences and got quite a lot of work but it was hard work. Rosie has a nursing interview tomorrow and I have an interview on tue for a factory job. (Why does it take so long for our qualifications to be recognized?) We will have sort out taxes for the couple of months that we worked but in the meantime we are living on our nest egg. We have met very few people since we arrived and find it hard to make new friends.Is anyone else in the same situation?

Maple Leaf

hello..i am not in your situration at all ..but just wanted to say hi and welcome to australia.

i am sorry to hear it is taking so long to get your licences...how frustrating!!..have you followed them up..? is that timeframe normal....?

i am thinking too..that if you were working.with your own cleaning company.(sole traders etc)..then that can be limiting in meeting new people..? maybe once you both get out *there* and working with others...you will find things a little different...have you joined any clubs of interests..etc..just a thought.

i hope things get sorted for you both very soon..and you can both then get on with what you do!....~~

Paula223

Hi my name is Paula and we have been here 3yrs in Perth my husband 3 kids and our whippet.I can say it as taken us 3 years to get sorted like to actually feel like this is home now.Im self employed cleaner for the defence team so im getting pretty good pay now $30 an hr but first 2yrs was hard to get good pay.
We have built our house now in a place called SettlersHills Baldivis Rockingham and i feel brill so things do get better but just takes time good luck

Kapri

Hi - I'm really surprised it's taking so long for your partner to get her nursing quals recognised. it generally only takes a couple of months if you do it from here. I'm sure someone said (Grayling I think) that once you're in Australia you can just turn up and do it on the day as long as you have all the relevant documents.
I know it's difficult for tradies. There have been a lot of threads on here about it.
Hope it all works out soon.

the rhinos

hiya - we are new to thread - married two children flights booked for 23 feb 2008 - husband is a joiner so we have got in through a sub class 136 skilled visa - we are planning on moving to brisbane and having read the expats forum we are bit concerned that my husband also has to obtain a licence to work - is showing your passport showing the visa, qualification, and references not enough - please help thought we had done it all having spent 2 years getting the visa - do we now have to go through some other channels -? cheers The Rhinos

jamieffi

Hi there! I'm currently a plumber in the uk, and to be honest spoilt for choice when it comes to jobs for plumbers over here, but after reading some of the threads on the site i've become very nervous about how to get a licence and finding work in oz. God knows what i'll be like when i get there!

on a mission

When you leave the UK behind, stop hankering for it.

Stop comparing $ to £

and build a social circle.

brissydeb

Good tip

Moonwalker

Hi jamie,

It was on the radio this moring about plumbers in perth being the best paid tradies in Oz they are earning $1500 a day so dont fret about getting a plumbing job, good luck

northernbird

I have got a plumber coming into do some work for me. It will mean 3 short visits to connect, disconnect and move pipes before and after my kitchen is fitted. He is charging me $700 for that. Don't know how much that would cost at home but it sounds OK for what amounts to about half a days work.

Wendy

I had a plumber in last week to unblock a drain, they charged $60 call out and $35 per 15 minutes. Thought that was bad enough

Just Lisa

As long as you don't go to SA - top wage $30 an hour - $24 average.

joesoap

Hi Kapri, The reason it took so long for my partner to get her quals recognized was due to references not having the correct details to suit the Aus criteia but she should be sorted out now.

joesoap

I was never hankering for the UK and never will be nor was I comparing $ to £s. I migrated to Aus to stay here and I will sort out the teething problems.

the4ofus

Hi Joesoap,

Welcome to the forum. We are not yet in Oz, just actually posted off our visa a/f to our agent yesterday so we still have quite a wait (so I'm led to believe).

So where in NI are you from? We live in Newtownards, originally from Bangor - but 7 years ago when we were buying, could not afford to buy there. However, I and the kids love Newtownards - hubby "puts up" with it for our happiness

Hope you get out there and start mingling soon.

Lynn xx