carrieann8675

Hi was hoping for some advice as my family are hoping to emigrate to Australia, we have completed a quick points assesment and dont think there should be a problem but it's where do you start??????? We found an agent emigratingexpert.com - anybody used this? I have tons of questions but will ask them bit by bit so I don't overload everyone. Would really appreciate any feedback......thanks Carrie-Ann

memewest

Hi, we started by deciding what visa to go for, what part of Australia we would like to live in and researching that, and then before you can apply for your visa, i'm pretty sure in saying that you have to have your job skills assessed by a governing body.....Have a look at www.immi.gov.au and you should find alot of answers to questions on there, any others, and you can always count on the BE site!!!
meme xx

Sally Simpson

Welcome to BE!
Would advise you to shop around for an agent, loads of threads on here on this subject, just make sure they are MARA registered.
You do not have to use an agent, if your case is straightforward & you are not undeterred by form filling, you may want to do it yourself.
Getting your skills assessed is the first thing that you need to do, what field are you in?
Good luck & ask away

carrieann8675

Hi my husband is in the printing trade and works for an australian company called Amcor and I am a qualified masseuse, also practice reflexology and indian head massage. The ideal scenario would be for my husband to get sponsored through his work..... I also have 6 years micro-electronics experience with an HNC in mechatronics which I have found is one of the desired skills.

We have 2 little girls who are 3 and 5 and would love to do it now whilst they are young enough.....

Will check if the agent I found is MARA registered, It would be Melbourne area (I know it's huge) that we would be moving to hopefully, I'm a bit worried about snakes and spiders but love the idea of everything else!! Are wages quite a bit lower than UK?

ozzydreamer

I agree, go back to the Australia heading, where it says Immigration, Meet ups in Australia, The Barbie etc. and at the top there are links for Wiki Immigration info etc. I only realised they were there yesterday!
That will bring up a few sites etc.

Basically like you say - see how many points you qualify for, see what visa you will go under. Then see if your jobs are on the wanted list etc.

Once you know your points and visa type you can search for posts on here about people applying for the same visa etc.
Like ppl said you'll need to get your qualifications assesed before applying, and if its straight forward you can do it yourself.

As for wages - from what Ive seen it looks like most people take a pay drop, or stay at what they are on - but then renting you get more for your money etc. so evens out.

Work out your cost estimates aswell, we are allowing £20k for everything (visa's, medicals, assesments, flights, accomodation for 3 mths, food for 3 mths, spending for 3 mths, new furniture, 1 car and the insurance and registration, phones and petrol for 3 mths)
Here is how I came up with costs http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...62#post5818662

Sally Simpson

Is your experience recent though?
If at all possible, you should go for PR rather than sponsorship as there are other benefits such as medicare & schooling but also means that you are not tied to an employer. His company may work differently in Oz. Just a thought!

Oh & re spiders & snakes, loads of us on BE with those very same fears. You you do a search there will be loads on it. There are many people who rarely see them, try not to worry. I am trying very hard in this respect at the mo!

carrieann8675

Thanks for that what is PR?? Have been looking at the snakes and spiders on the internet and freaking myself out definately wont be getting a shed lol!! x

carrieann8675

Just found out PR means permanent residency duh! Will need to get with the lingo lol!! Does anybody know what the shops are like? i.e supermarkets, fashion, department stores etc. I think I am doing my husbands head in about all this (I'm v. impatient and want to know everything and a bit over excitable) so its great that i've found this forum to speak to people in a similar situation. What's the best/cheapest flights and does anybody know carrier prices for all your stuff???

pommy

fill the forms in yourself and save a fourtune i did my own for a 136 skilled independant visa start to finish 6 months no someone who used an agent started same time as me still waiting for a case officer

carrieann8675

Where do you get the forms?? Dont agents help with finding properties and sending out you CV's etc

Sally Simpson

They get paid to help you get your visa not sort out your entire life!

Have you tried the Immigration website? Full of really great info including a points calculator!

Perhaps you might like to spend some time looking through past threads to find some of the info you require. There is a search facility, can be hard to find what you are looking for but if you are specific in what you are looking for, you should get what you need.
Have you read the thread about getting the most from the site also? May be a good place to start!

stephanie_brooks

Hi there. Wow its quite over whelming seeing how many people out there are like me, keen to move to Australia!! Has anyone visited there before?? I heard there's an Ozzy jobs expo on in Leeds in April that I'm thinking about going to. Just wanted to know if any of you had been before and if you could give me any tips about going.

Racht70

Welcome to BE carrieann and stephanie.Yep Stephanie me and 3 of my 'wanna be in oz' friends are going to leeds in april.Not started the process yet ...gently working on the old man.

carrieann8675

Hi Stephanie and Rach nice to see you are in the same boat, I am going to an emigration exhibition in edinburgh on 23rd Feb so will let you know how I get on.

Sallyclaire I spoke to an agent this morning who said they help with visa, renting property, putting your CV out there so sounds like they do help quite a bit And for the fee seemed like quite a good idea to us are you in Australia at the moment?

Speak soon everybody

stephanie_brooks

Hi carrieann – just wanted to see how you got on at the exhibition you went too? Also, Rach, I might be going to the same Leeds one as you.