pumpkin blossom

Well we certainly want to buy eventually. But until we have PR we won't consider it. At the rate we are going money wise we should still have a nice amount for a deposit on a house.

We camped for 3 weeks while we looked for a rental. It was a pain as we had our dog out of quarentine a week after we arrived, and my course started 2 days after arriving.
The rent seems to be about the same as renting in the UK (well where we were). Houses are not maintained to the same standards though. They don't seem to have all the regualtions for rented houses as in the UK. It took our landlord 7 weeks to get rid of the possums in our roof (keeping us awake at night).
The total worst thing about renting here compared to the UK is that they do property inspections. We had our first one this week! And if you can't make the time they won't rearange it (our rental agent at least), they just let themselves in and snoop around your home!

Anyway.

Midnightaction- sounds like you will do well, but just a couple of things to think of.... what course are you doing? Mine is a horticulture course. There are only two of us on the whole course with cars. Everyone else said just as you that they didn't mind getting the bus. Many of those people have been unable to do work when it is available as either the places are not on bus routes or start early enought that the not wonderful busses here do not start in time to get them there.
Also, only one person on my course has managed to get a full 20 hours of work a week during term time. I would work on the basis of two days work and see if you would still me ok?

midnightaction

pumpkin blossom Thanks for the advice

If I am honest then I would say that yes of course a car would be great and save me a tonne of time and effort and if I could I would really like to get one, but unless a miracle happens then I just don't think there is any way I would be able to afford one

Well not unless anyone knows if there is a car I can pick up for around $1000

As for the job, I kind of sort of have a job that I can go to, I have friends who need household chores and childcare done for them (Kind of like an au-pair) so I can work for them for the 20 hours a week and I am hoping that will cover me. Obviously there is a chance that particular job might not work out so I am willing to keep my options open and pretty much do anything that I can.

Whats is the likelihood of getting a job in the service industry, shop work, bar/club work, waitressing, general dogs body........is that available or like gold dust ??

Sarah xx

pumpkin blossom

I suppose that very much depends on where abouts you are going.

We are in Adelaide. Hubbie was offered bar work an hour north of the city, but my course is south, so we couldn't go for that. He applied for every pub, cafe, resturant etc (well I'm sure he must have missed some) around the city and around the suburbs where we are and although he has bar experiance (admittedly not for the last 9 years) nobody was interested. They were all very positive to his face, but then no call backs. He did get a job in a kitchen, but they were only paying $20ph for weekend work, which is pretty poor, so now he has found a job in a call centre.

My job is not badly paid, but that is because it is in a field I am trained in already, so I could live off 15 hours work a week, but some of the jobs when you are unskilled are pretty poorly paid (I did have one at $16ph). I could only get two days a week in that one too, and it was 45 minute drive away, so if I were single I couldn't have survived off that. We are in a better position than most probably as there are only two of us, and hubbies 20 hours a week would cover MOST of our bills and rent.

Another thing to maybe consider... Here in Adelaide at least the unis are always after people to put up foreign students temporarily when they first arrive. I have been asked (and made to feel very guilty for not doing it) by two lots of people to do this as they are so desperate. They pay $220pw, I am not sure if you are supposed to provide evening meals out of that though. If you could find a rental suitable it might help to pay the rent (although you might have to keep it secret from your landlord).

Anyway, good luck

stumpysean

Hi, another question!........... Is it right that you can apply for the student visa 4 months before the course starts???????

If so, how long does it take to be processed? We're thinking of signing up for the course on the Sunshine Coast which begins Feb 2010, however I would want to be out before that to find rental, get car, settle kids into school, find work etc.....

Can me & hubby start work from date of vias issue or can we not start work until the course starts?????

Anyone know? Because if we can start, I'd like to come out as soon as visa is issued (or as soon as poss) say, End Dec/Jan.

GaznEm

Hi Stumpysean

I applied for the course which starts on 14/07/08 on 18/09/07 and was accepted on 21/09/07

My COE (which you need to apply for your Visa) came through on 26/9/07.

We applied for our visas on 17/03/08 (4 months before course start date), went for medicals on 27/03/08 and received our Visas on 09/04/08. (So from applying for Visas to receiving Passports back with Visa labels in them it took 23 days).

GaznEm

Oh, forgot to say, you can't apply for permission to work the 20 hours until the course has started, so even though we leave for Oz on 08/06/08, we can't even think about working until after 14/07/08 when my course starts.

sharonmcallister

HI everyone, I have noticed a few posts from people saying they are going over on a student visa initially and then hope to be sponsored over in oz. How does this work? Do you have to be sponsored for an occupation on the skilled occupations list or can it be anything? Just interested as we are going over on a student visa. I am going to be studying hairdressing at clip joint in adelaide, hubby is going to be working evenings/weekends so he can watch the kids during the day to save on childcare fees.

We know a lot of people over there so getting him a job for the 20 hours shouldnt be a problem, so if anyone can share any light on the sponsor side of it, I would be really grateful, does it have to be the one who has the student visa who gets sponsored or could my hubby be the one who is?

thanks in advance,

Sharon

pumpkin blossom

You are going to Adelaide, so that counts as rural Australia and so opens up different visa options for you.
Either of you as long as you have a qualification of at least Australian diploma equivalent can be sponsored for ANY job (assuming the company is big enough and they can convince immigration they can't fina anyone).
Or there are more jobs which are not on the normal list, but are available for regional 457 visas. My job in the UK was one of these, so I am hoping to get sponsored through my previous occupation.

What course are you doing in Adelaide? I am doing horticulture there, it is really good. Good luck

Our visa took two weeks online. One week wait until medicals, which were then refered to Oz, and then granted a week after that. We could also not work until we had started our course, and as the TAFE I am at had not had international students before it was about 2 weeks into the course before they worked out how to give us permission with immigration.

chandugitam

You could buy a second hand motorbike or scooter for very less and the running costs would be low compared to a car (with the rising petrol prices).

quoll

Dependent children of international students Queensland Ed department policy is here. I think the non govt schools also have a higher fee rate as well for international students. Hope it gives you a bit of a clue as to what you may be up for.

midnightaction

Ooo yeah I didn' think of that, what a great idea, I can see me whizzing around on a little moped !!

stumpysean

Thanks for that link, confirms what i thought!

chandugitam

I would do that when i land in Australia. Can buy a good & new bike for AUD 9000 (hyosung) or a second hand one for AUD1000 and spend the savings on petrol on buying beer for all my friends (or build bank balance) while others struggle to pay the petrol bill especially when it touches AUD 4/L.

The 150/200CC bikes would give me a mileage of 50-60 km per litre.

Of you could even pedal to Uni/work