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10 years in the making but so worth it

10 years in the making but so worth it

Old Jan 30th 2013, 7:57 pm
  #1  
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Default 10 years in the making but so worth it

I am a forum poster from old, I doubt many will remember me as our journey started over 10yrs ago but with the grant of a 189 visa today we will be able to apply for citizenship in 1yr and officially be able to call Australia home.

Here is a brief synopsis of our 10 year journey.

2001 - Hubby and I + 2 kids (3 & 6) decide we want to move to Australia. I have no 'skills' hubby is very skilled but has a mishmash of qualifications and his experience came before his qualifications making the process difficult and not so much info/resources were available online then. Never the less we persevere.

2002 - Hubby approaches UK employer aniticipating help with assessment. Employer says they want to keep him - but they cannot offer him employment in their Oz branch but they can in NZ with a view to moving to Oz at a later date. We had never thought of NZ but the prospect of a sponsor and a job to go to (which will take us to OZ in the end anyway!) seemed to good to throw away and and awesome adventure so we agree.

Nov 2002 - Off we trot to NZ (Christchurch), dont know anyone, on a work to residency visa. At the time this means you had to stay with employer for 2 yrs earn over $42K yr and then you qualified for permanent residency, sweet.

Keen to settle we buy a house within 2 weeks of landing and enrol the kids in school etc. It soon transpires though that the Christchurch branch had been 'told' to make room for my hubby and they clearly did not want him. He was accused of being a spy from head office, subjected to awful workplace conditions and they refused to pay him the agreed wage, making us in breech of our visa conditions. When we highlighted this they couldnt care less.

2003 - Realising we were in a dodgy situation we decided to attempt a skills assesment (not needed on a work to residancy visa) so we could apply as skilled independants and cut our ties with the employer. After a long, painful and stressful process we got the visa and we told the company where they could stick their job.

2003-2006 - With the promise of Australia now gone, and jaded from our experience we decided to knuckle down and get on with life in NZ. I loved it and so did the kids however the limitations on their future prospects from living in South Island NZ became more obvious as they got older, especially when eldest son expresses and intrest in persuing a career in F1 motor sport. For my husband the original lure of Australia never really left and he could not settle in the NZ workplace. He changed jobs frequently and upskilled quickly meaning he was no longer on 'the tools' anymore, which was good, but still could not settle. The elephant in the room that was Australia was getting harder to ignore.

2007 - I decided I wanted a career and enroled on a pre-nursing course with the view to becoming an RN in NZ. My dad and stepmum decided to join us in NZ and completed the immigration process and moved in down the road. We gained our NZ citizenship. Yet the elephant in the room was now unavoidable. Hubby applied for jobs in Oz and was snapped up, only problem he now didnt really do the job he was qualified in making a skills assessment a nightmare he did not want to engage in. I said I was up for the move if I could do my nurse training there, I enroled got in so we decided to move to Brisbane on our kiwi passports (subclass 444) and take it from there. Needless to say my dad was a bit miffed.

2008 - We settled quickly (again), hubby felt much more at home in the workplace, we found an amazing school for the kids (now 9 & 12) and their future prospects seemed to really open up. I got on with my nursing degree and all seemed well.

2008-2012 - As the restrictions of being a kiwi in Oz became more apparent I felt more and more uneasy. Paying for my uni upfront was one thing but would we be able to afford the kids, no HECS and this moving countries lark is not cheap! We could not vote, everytime we looked eligibitilty for services seemed to be being stripped, it started to feel insecure. Then our daughter was very ill and for a short while noone knew what was wrong and a debilitating genetic condition was suspected. Fortunately this was not the case and the cause was found and after a small operation she was ok and has remained so for 2yrs. BUT if she had of had a long term condition I realised we would be pretty much on our own as far as goverment support was concerned, we would get hospital treatment but that would be it, no allied health etc it worried us a lot.

2012 - Hubby had changed jobs a few times and employer sponsorship is hard to get as a kiwi, after all its not like you will be kicked out of the country without it, so not much incentive for employers to lock horns with immigration, and as hubbys jobs progressed they matched his qualifications even less. I had qualified as a nurse but as I was over 40 and had little experience could not qualify. Then they changed the system to EOI, still didnt seem like I could do it. Then they announced the points passmark as 60!!!! Suddenly it was do-able, just needed to pass IELTS. On 12/9/12 I passed IELTS with flying colours, on 14/10/12 i submitted an EOI, on 3/12/12 I was invited to apply, applied on 4/12/12, Case officer on 12/1/13, medicals on 25/1/13..........189 VISA GRANTED 30/1/13!!!!!

Due to the fact we have been in Oz for 5yrs on a subclass 444 we can apply for citizenship in 1 yr. Not quite in time to get HECS for our sons 1st semester at uni (still wants to be a motor racing engineer) but we can pay for that.

Sooo pleased, its been a long time in the making, and has been both financially and emotionally expensive.......but so worth it, Australia is home.

Never give up folks.

Paula
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Old Jan 31st 2013, 4:45 am
  #2  
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

I remember you well! Great update - massive kudos to you. By the way, when you apply for citizenship on a 444 you can't use the online form because you can't "prove" the date when you migrated to Australia on a 444! So you have to use the paper forms. As my wife entered on a 444 and me on a 461, I could apply online and she couldn't ridiculously which meant we ended up at different citizenship ceremonies! So just one to watch for.

We also came via Christchurch (then UK for 8 years) to Australia and know well the NZ working practices!

Again, well done for perseverance.

BB
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Old Jan 31st 2013, 7:49 am
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

What a journey
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Old Jan 31st 2013, 8:01 pm
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Great read and congratulations! What a journey!!!!
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Old Feb 14th 2013, 2:05 am
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

An inspiring story and shows that persistence pays off.

Congrats to you all!!
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Old Mar 6th 2013, 6:18 am
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Wow that's some journey, well done.
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Old Apr 4th 2013, 11:21 am
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

great story! congrats!
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Old Apr 4th 2013, 3:43 pm
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Thanks for the update. Glad things are working out well
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Old Apr 4th 2013, 10:52 pm
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Congratulations! What an amazing story. Well done.
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Old Apr 6th 2013, 10:04 pm
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Well it seems persistance does pay off congratulations.
Will your family stay in NZ or come to Australia ?
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Old Apr 12th 2013, 2:10 pm
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Amazing Story.
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Old Apr 13th 2013, 9:37 am
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Wow -
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Old Apr 16th 2013, 1:48 am
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Thanks for all the comments. It has been a long road, even now I sometimes cant believe we got there in the end. Cant wait to have the passports in my hand to make it real.

My Dad and his wife will stay in NZ they happy there. My brother moved to NZ not long after we left for Oz and he loves it there, so most of my family are just across the ditch now, just my mum and step dad in UK.
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Old Apr 27th 2013, 9:59 pm
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Makes my journey appear positively simple!

Really nice to hear of your perseverance and that you're finally getting what you all wished for.

Very happy for y'all!
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Old Apr 29th 2013, 9:14 pm
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Default Re: 10 years in the making but so worth it

Originally Posted by Watt Dabney
I am a forum poster from old, I doubt many will remember me as our journey started over 10yrs ago but with the grant of a 189 visa today we will be able to apply for citizenship in 1yr and officially be able to call Australia home.

Here is a brief synopsis of our 10 year journey.

2001 - Hubby and I + 2 kids (3 & 6) decide we want to move to Australia. I have no 'skills' hubby is very skilled but has a mishmash of qualifications and his experience came before his qualifications making the process difficult and not so much info/resources were available online then. Never the less we persevere.

2002 - Hubby approaches UK employer aniticipating help with assessment. Employer says they want to keep him - but they cannot offer him employment in their Oz branch but they can in NZ with a view to moving to Oz at a later date. We had never thought of NZ but the prospect of a sponsor and a job to go to (which will take us to OZ in the end anyway!) seemed to good to throw away and and awesome adventure so we agree.

Nov 2002 - Off we trot to NZ (Christchurch), dont know anyone, on a work to residency visa. At the time this means you had to stay with employer for 2 yrs earn over $42K yr and then you qualified for permanent residency, sweet.

Keen to settle we buy a house within 2 weeks of landing and enrol the kids in school etc. It soon transpires though that the Christchurch branch had been 'told' to make room for my hubby and they clearly did not want him. He was accused of being a spy from head office, subjected to awful workplace conditions and they refused to pay him the agreed wage, making us in breech of our visa conditions. When we highlighted this they couldnt care less.

2003 - Realising we were in a dodgy situation we decided to attempt a skills assesment (not needed on a work to residancy visa) so we could apply as skilled independants and cut our ties with the employer. After a long, painful and stressful process we got the visa and we told the company where they could stick their job.

2003-2006 - With the promise of Australia now gone, and jaded from our experience we decided to knuckle down and get on with life in NZ. I loved it and so did the kids however the limitations on their future prospects from living in South Island NZ became more obvious as they got older, especially when eldest son expresses and intrest in persuing a career in F1 motor sport. For my husband the original lure of Australia never really left and he could not settle in the NZ workplace. He changed jobs frequently and upskilled quickly meaning he was no longer on 'the tools' anymore, which was good, but still could not settle. The elephant in the room that was Australia was getting harder to ignore.

2007 - I decided I wanted a career and enroled on a pre-nursing course with the view to becoming an RN in NZ. My dad and stepmum decided to join us in NZ and completed the immigration process and moved in down the road. We gained our NZ citizenship. Yet the elephant in the room was now unavoidable. Hubby applied for jobs in Oz and was snapped up, only problem he now didnt really do the job he was qualified in making a skills assessment a nightmare he did not want to engage in. I said I was up for the move if I could do my nurse training there, I enroled got in so we decided to move to Brisbane on our kiwi passports (subclass 444) and take it from there. Needless to say my dad was a bit miffed.

2008 - We settled quickly (again), hubby felt much more at home in the workplace, we found an amazing school for the kids (now 9 & 12) and their future prospects seemed to really open up. I got on with my nursing degree and all seemed well.

2008-2012 - As the restrictions of being a kiwi in Oz became more apparent I felt more and more uneasy. Paying for my uni upfront was one thing but would we be able to afford the kids, no HECS and this moving countries lark is not cheap! We could not vote, everytime we looked eligibitilty for services seemed to be being stripped, it started to feel insecure. Then our daughter was very ill and for a short while noone knew what was wrong and a debilitating genetic condition was suspected. Fortunately this was not the case and the cause was found and after a small operation she was ok and has remained so for 2yrs. BUT if she had of had a long term condition I realised we would be pretty much on our own as far as goverment support was concerned, we would get hospital treatment but that would be it, no allied health etc it worried us a lot.

2012 - Hubby had changed jobs a few times and employer sponsorship is hard to get as a kiwi, after all its not like you will be kicked out of the country without it, so not much incentive for employers to lock horns with immigration, and as hubbys jobs progressed they matched his qualifications even less. I had qualified as a nurse but as I was over 40 and had little experience could not qualify. Then they changed the system to EOI, still didnt seem like I could do it. Then they announced the points passmark as 60!!!! Suddenly it was do-able, just needed to pass IELTS. On 12/9/12 I passed IELTS with flying colours, on 14/10/12 i submitted an EOI, on 3/12/12 I was invited to apply, applied on 4/12/12, Case officer on 12/1/13, medicals on 25/1/13..........189 VISA GRANTED 30/1/13!!!!!

Due to the fact we have been in Oz for 5yrs on a subclass 444 we can apply for citizenship in 1 yr. Not quite in time to get HECS for our sons 1st semester at uni (still wants to be a motor racing engineer) but we can pay for that.

Sooo pleased, its been a long time in the making, and has been both financially and emotionally expensive.......but so worth it, Australia is home.

Never give up folks.

Paula
Hi Paula thanks for a great story. \well done your an inspiration to me as I ponder the big move with my wife and four kids. Would you mind if i contacted you at some point?
Thanks
GB1234
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