tiger222

We did. Where will you be living?

Bonzer Sheila

Sorry I missed you earlier.
Not sure exactly where we will end up yet. We have options. Chris, my husband, will initially be required back in Sydney...but will move around in his job. We spent three years living in Watson's Bay in the eastern suburbs, 2001 - 2004. A fabulous location but it took me 7 and 1/2 weeks to find a house we could afford there and the boys were only in primary school at the time so no major headaches on the education front. I am however under no illusions about the realities of resettling in the beautiful city of Sydney and the complexities of re-establishing the boys into the school system there. There may well be the opportunity for us to go to Canberra....easy housing...loads of space....a somewhat sterile city but excellent schools...highest retention rate of High School students onto further education in Oz. With the boys now 15 and 11...I may bite the bullet for a few years and move to 'Stepford', as more brother-in-law affectionately calls the faceless ACT suburbs.
Do you know Australia? When we were last downunder we travelled extensively...every State and Territory...I've always meant to add up the kilometres we travelled, just for the hell of it!! Managed to do both islands in NZ too . Wow! Came home to UK totally broke.
Where are you from in USA....I have only managed 11 of your States so far!!
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

memewest

Morning Sheila......Welcome to the Mad House!!

good to see another Devonian on BE!!

tiger222

Sheila -

My you are well traveled! I think you might have been to more states then me! We live in Wisconsin - just north of Chicago and south of Canada - I was just thinking that I should cross the border into Canada sometime this summer - just to say I did!

We've never been to Australia. Looking forward to exploring and settling.

Bonzer Sheila

Hi there!
Are you going to get the opportunity to explore before you emigrate? If I can tell you anything that might help your travels please ask.

Wisconsin...well unfortunately it was not on my adventure trail. Isn't it funny that some of us will travel extensively in someone else's country but ignore our own backyard. I remember chatting to some students in Boston working at the Tea Party Ship Museum...they asked where we'd travelled to date; when we told them we'd driven from New Orleans, out of Louisiana into Mississippi along the Gulf Coast into Alabama and then Florida...they just said 'Why?' Their idea of travelling was to 'do' Europe then perhaps have some sun in Florida or California but that was that! Similarly in Sydney...many Aussies (perhaps only one or two generations in) would visit their homelands; Europe, South Africa, Israel or wherever...and maybe 'do' some sun in Queensland. Again when I told friends we were flying to Adelaide then planned to take a slow drive westwards along the coast, exploring, then to Melbourne, Ballarat etc before revisiting Tasmania, the response was 'Adelaide...why?' Our boys' school's deputy head, a true blue Aussie in her fifties, admitted she had never seen the Red Centre!

This all made me realize how little my own children had seen of their own country. On our return to the UK we have made sure we've toured Wales and Scotland and Ireland and have taken three canal boat holidays in different areas...a marvelously gentle way to see those villages and towns that are so often by-passed by modern motorways.

Sorry to go on...I think I have gypsy blood!

Do you mind if I ask what you plan to do in OZ?

BS

tiger222

Like most of us, we're looking for more opportunity, and a better life for our children. It's just more unusual for people from US to emigrate

memewest

Anyone got that kettle on??

Could murder a brew.......no decaf mind!!

Bonzer Sheila

My husband has transferred to the RAN and I plan to teach. NSW and ACT both do the sensible thing and have 4, 10 week terms each academic year giving us parents four bites of the cherry to take a family holiday/adventure!

I actually meant are you going to be able to explore OZ before you emigrate?

Do you have a specific job to go to or are you going to be able to take your pick based on skills etc?

Sorry...don't mean to sound so nosey...guess I just am!
BS

anmuthu

Hi all,
I have done my 175 MODL E-visa on the 23/4/05. The inquiry status shows as

23/04/2008 Application received - processing commenced
23/04/2008 Application fee received
02/05/2008 Application being processed further

Does this mean a CO has been assigned and processing further. The document checklist says that I have to do PCC and medical and should submit within 28 days along with other documents.

Below is the document checklist that I have to complete

23/04/2008 Birth certificate or other evidence of age Required Message
23/04/2008 Copy of page of passport containing personal details Required Message
23/04/2008 Evidence of IELTS test Required Message
23/04/2008 Evidence of overseas qualifications Required Message
23/04/2008 Evidence of skills assessment Required Message
23/04/2008 Evidence of Specific Work Experience Required Message
23/04/2008 Evidence of work experience Required Message
23/04/2008 Form 1221- Additional personal particulars information Required Message
23/04/2008 NZ - Consent to Disclosure of Information Required Message
23/04/2008 Passport photo Required Message
23/04/2008 Form 160EH - Radiologist report on chest x-ray Required Message
23/04/2008 Form 26EH - Medical Examination for an Australian visa Required Message
23/04/2008 Form 47P - Overseas penal clearance certificate Required Message


Can I send the medical results online or is it compulsory to send it to LCU.

benlast

The examining doctor will send them for you: I believe they go to LCU. On the forms it specifically tells you NOT to accept them back from the doctor once completed.

Cheers
Ben

tiger222

OK Ben -

Now that you passed the IELTS and you have your medicals and PCCs front loaded - what are you doing to get ready?

Does your agent give you a timeline? When do they think you'll be receiving your visa?

tiger222

He Passed!!

OH passed his IELTS exam on the first try (without any prep - which made me nervous)

His overall score was 8.0

S=9
R=7
W=8
L=8

That's 10 points!

Time to get busy selling/clearing/packing stuff and get the house sold.

memewest

YO!!!! CONGRATS TO YOUR OH!!!

Time now t be busy, busy, busy.....

tiger222

Thanks, Meme!

I see from your signature that you applied for the VISA!

How did that go?

benlast

Right now? Selling/giving away/recycling/discarding the stuff that we're not shipping to Oz, letting the house and moving into a smaller place for six months to save money (and force ourselves to downsize our possessions!).

Nope, he hasn't, and I haven't asked. Best method of estimation I know of is to check timelines on BEUpdate.co.uk - currently showing that many people who applied for 175 visas in October have had them granted (and some from November). So that indicates that five or six months isn't beyond the bounds of possibility. The problem now is that the timeline isn't set, which makes planning very tricky; however, I might be able to go over earlier on a temporary visa. That depends on a number of work-related issues...

What about you, tiger - have you picked a date?

Cheers
Ben