Originally Posted by suebrennan

Hi all

I have been meaning to do this for a while and as sleep is completely eluding me now is as good a time as any.

Arrived at the end of July on a Skills 136 visa. Third time for me as I was here as a backpacker and have been smitten ever since. Came back a few years ago and still loved it so---. I flew with Singapore Airlines and had a couple of hours in Singapore only. I would do that again as I was bogged down with luggage and just wanted to get here. Leaving London was probably not as traumatic for me as it is for some people. I am Irish and have lived in London for years where I had fantastic friends and a great job. But I did all the good bye stuff a long time ago. It was still emotional but technology definitely softens the blow and with email, text and phone cards I am finding it very easy to keep in touch with everyone.

I used an agent - 1st Contact Migration who I have plugged a number of times on the forum. Found them excellent and I got my visa in 8 months start to finish. Seriously stressful process so for those thinking about this - you have been warned!

I did all the usual stuff when I arrived like bank account (ANZ visa debit), medicare, medical insurance (HCF), temp accommodation (YHA) which was a tip but was fine for a couple of weeks. All pretty straightforward.

Finding a place to live was a bit harder and I could not get my head around having a 10 min slot to commit to 6 months and to part with a lot of money. It is also more difficult to find a place for 1 person. I actually found a cool place to live via someone on the forum who made me aware of a new block in the city. Not cheap and the management suck but it is a fab location etc.

I paid 6 months rent up front but that was because I had MUG tattooed on my forehead - you don't have to do this but it depends on how desperate you are.

I also rushed out and bought the bare essentials like a fridge freezer, washing machine, bed etc. I paid way too much as I am mega impatient and again my advice would be take a step back and shop around a little.

Re jobs - made a meal of this. Because my job was on the skills list I assumed that it would be relatively easy to secure a similar position here. I also failed miserably to do my research properly. Yes I knew that I would earn a lot less here than in London but what I did not get my head around was how the cost of living here has soared and is comparable to London in many respects - especially food shopping. So again I would strongly recommend doing some serious homework on this front.

I have been temping on and off since I arrived - doing various crap and earning between 19-28$ an hour. Some of my work has been through personal contacts and I just started a contract (proper work) where I had 3 interviews (sept, oct, dec). The work cullture is different here also and I have put in a lot of unpaid hours no matter where I have worked and that is as a temp! I also made a few applications for "proper" government type job and I am now beginning to get interviews. The applications are a nightmare and after my first rejection I got help with the forms (check out Blaze Unlimited - Sean Reddell) and I also got my resume done for the Oz market with the same company.

My biggest error for those who don't have specific skills or have an unusual background like mine - is not registering with several agencies when I arrived. They have been given bad press on this forum and deservedly so as in general the experience has not been unpleasant. However, when I did get my act together in November and I found a couple of good agencies I was busy from that point onwards. So best to be prepared to do the rounds for a week or two!

Brisbane is fab - I love the place, the weather, have met some great people, and finally I am getting somewhere on the job front but I am not there yet. Like a lot of people I have spent a fortune getting PR, getting rid of all my possessions and starting all over again and although it has been extremely hard work I believe that it is and will be worth it.

Good luck to all those who have yet to make the move and to those already here.

Originally Posted by suebrennan

Hi all

I have been meaning to do this for a while and as sleep is completely eluding me now is as good a time as any.

Arrived at the end of July on a Skills 136 visa. Third time for me as I was here as a backpacker and have been smitten ever since. Came back a few years ago and still loved it so---. I flew with Singapore Airlines and had a couple of hours in Singapore only. I would do that again as I was bogged down with luggage and just wanted to get here. Leaving London was probably not as traumatic for me as it is for some people. I am Irish and have lived in London for years where I had fantastic friends and a great job. But I did all the good bye stuff a long time ago. It was still emotional but technology definitely softens the blow and with email, text and phone cards I am finding it very easy to keep in touch with everyone.

I used an agent - 1st Contact Migration who I have plugged a number of times on the forum. Found them excellent and I got my visa in 8 months start to finish. Seriously stressful process so for those thinking about this - you have been warned!

I did all the usual stuff when I arrived like bank account (ANZ visa debit), medicare, medical insurance (HCF), temp accommodation (YHA) which was a tip but was fine for a couple of weeks. All pretty straightforward.

Finding a place to live was a bit harder and I could not get my head around having a 10 min slot to commit to 6 months and to part with a lot of money. It is also more difficult to find a place for 1 person. I actually found a cool place to live via someone on the forum who made me aware of a new block in the city. Not cheap and the management suck but it is a fab location etc.

I paid 6 months rent up front but that was because I had MUG tattooed on my forehead - you don't have to do this but it depends on how desperate you are.

I also rushed out and bought the bare essentials like a fridge freezer, washing machine, bed etc. I paid way too much as I am mega impatient and again my advice would be take a step back and shop around a little.

Re jobs - made a meal of this. Because my job was on the skills list I assumed that it would be relatively easy to secure a similar position here. I also failed miserably to do my research properly. Yes I knew that I would earn a lot less here than in London but what I did not get my head around was how the cost of living here has soared and is comparable to London in many respects - especially food shopping. So again I would strongly recommend doing some serious homework on this front.

I have been temping on and off since I arrived - doing various crap and earning between 19-28$ an hour. Some of my work has been through personal contacts and I just started a contract (proper work) where I had 3 interviews (sept, oct, dec). The work cullture is different here also and I have put in a lot of unpaid hours no matter where I have worked and that is as a temp! I also made a few applications for "proper" government type job and I am now beginning to get interviews. The applications are a nightmare and after my first rejection I got help with the forms (check out Blaze Unlimited - Sean Reddell) and I also got my resume done for the Oz market with the same company.

My biggest error for those who don't have specific skills or have an unusual background like mine - is not registering with several agencies when I arrived. They have been given bad press on this forum and deservedly so as in general the experience has not been unpleasant. However, when I did get my act together in November and I found a couple of good agencies I was busy from that point onwards. So best to be prepared to do the rounds for a week or two!

Brisbane is fab - I love the place, the weather, have met some great people, and finally I am getting somewhere on the job front but I am not there yet. Like a lot of people I have spent a fortune getting PR, getting rid of all my possessions and starting all over again and although it has been extremely hard work I believe that it is and will be worth it.

Good luck to all those who have yet to make the move and to those already here.