Skilled migration - help!!

Skye · #1 (**permalink**) 30th December 2007, 07:59 PM

Hi

I have done numerous 'points checks' on websites and come up as around 110-115 points...not quite enough. I am a registered senior dietitian (aged 32...nearly!), but only have 21 months employed experience as have done some limited private work (although i did 6 years in the Army before i decided to go uni for 4 years to qualify as a dietitian).

I really want to move to Australia, and it is something that my husband and i have talked about for years. He is now ready to put his notice in and we are so dissapointed that we don't seem to have enough points. I have emailed the Dietetic Association of Australia to ask how much experience they expect to see....but not heard anything yet. I don't want to spend £280 to see if i am eligible to sit the Oz dietetic exam if i'm clearly not.

Any advice, feel very downhearted after my husband is finally ready to leave the military.

Skye
x
x

kaz101 · #2 (**permalink**) 30th December 2007, 08:35 PM

Hi Skye,

Welcome to the forum.

I used to work in High Wycombe too (as an analyst programmer many years ago) and although I didn't hate it but I didn't enjoy the drive there either!

Have you checked the different kinds of visas? It's been a while since we got our visa but there were regional visas. You may have been through all the visas before but if not see Visa Options – Professionals and other Skilled Migrants – Workers – Visas & Immigration

What does your husband do in the military? Is it a profession within the military? We managed to get in but switching the principle applicant (me in IT at that time) to my husband (maintenance gardener).

It may be worth doing some free interviews with migration agents since the first 2 migration agents we spoke to said we wouldn't be able to get in whereas the third one suggested the switch in applicants. In IT you are expected to have a degree, which I didn't have just loads of experience, but my husband just had to prove his work experience.

It still took us about 2 years to get through the visa process but it was worth it.

Regards,
Karen

Skye · #3 (**permalink**) 30th December 2007, 08:48 PM

Hi Karen

My husband is a Sgt Maj in the Intelligence Corps and so his background is in security (but he only has GCSE's). I have a first class honours degree, but it seems more experience is what they want from me....!!

You're right it will be worth it in the end, do you think that an agency is the way forward then?...can you provide a couple of reputable agencies?

Thank you so much for your advice. It is something we have considered for so long and had not thought that it would be such a struggle. We had accepted having to pay for our dogs and that it may take longer than the 12 months notice my hubby needs to give...but thought we would be alright!

How much are you enjoying it? Would love to hear your story
Skye
x

kaz101 · #4 (**permalink**) 31st December 2007, 02:22 AM

Hi Skye,

Do you want the long or short version?

This is the long version - you've been warned, but there is a tips section towards the bottom.

We went on holiday to Australia for the trip of a lifetime in 2002. We flew into Sydney, met up with some friends, flew to Adelaide, drove the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne, flew from there to Hobart and then drove around Tasmania.

Standing in Heathrow (London) in February when we got back I made the comment wouldn't it be nice to live in Australia. My husband said see how you feel about it in 6 months, but what I heard is you have 6 months to make up your mind

So I researched the visas, and investigated Australia. My husband overheard me talking to a friend that I only had another month to make up my mind and he had a chat with afterwards to sort out the misunderstanding. By that time I thought we could get in with me as principal applicant. We got the emigration paper and then went to a show at Sandown.
I picked 3 agents and rang them and explained the situation. The first two said we couldn't get in since we wouldn't have enough points (only 115 were needed for skilled independent visa back then). The third one (the Emigration Group) were doing free interviews and we went along. It was them who suggested that we put my husband as the principle applicant. So then it was getting references, filling in the trade forms so that Adrian could prove that he was a gardener and getting the official (deemed) start date that he became a gardener.

The entire visa process took about 2 years. We had the police checks, medicals etc. I remember when we got the letter saying that we had been approved I was actually jumping up and down in the hallway!

Although we were ecstatic, my parents were less than pleased since I'm an only child..... Lots of crying, anger etc. that I was deserting them, it was too far to travel ...

Anyway fast forward to this year 2007. House went on the market in January We went away to the USA with Success University and then on to Australia to decide where to live. Because of my business with Success University (it's online) and Adrian's a gardener we could move anywhere we wanted as long as I had access to the internet.

We didn't want anywhere too hot (as I'm writing this it's 39 degrees C here!), or too cold since my husband has circulation problems. We had already decided on South Australia so the decision was where.

We chose Mount Gambier since it has a population of 25,000, is South Australia's second largest city, is half way between Melbourne & Adelaide, has it's own airport, and has theatres, cinema etc.

In under a week we had an offer accepted on the house we live in now. It's split level and built into the hillside. The downstairs is cool and a little dark with a laundry, large garage, family room and office. Upstairs is the lounge / diner, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, bathroom and WC. The upstairs on a day like today is hot. The weather isn't usually this hot at this time of year. The documents were sorted out with a long settlement date (completion in UK terms) so that the house would be ours at the start of June.

Back in the UK the plan was to sell the house, move in with my parents for a while and then move out to Australia. The first buyer feel through, the second buyer's chain fell apart, and so it was the third buyer that actually went through. The completion went through in June so we were actually paying 2 mortgages for a while - one in the UK and one in Australia!

We didn't bring much with us to Australia since we hadn't bought anything for a while because what was the point? So we bought the bed bases, a few bits of furniture, kitchen stuff, clothes and a 1973 purple Mustang

So we had a 40 ft container because of the car!

Stayed in the UK until after my Mum's 70th birthday at the end of June and then couldn't get a flight to Australia, so ended up coming out here on 19th July. Before we left the UK I had arranged that the utilities would be connected including phone and broadband. Broadband was delayed by a week but everything else was up and running we got there. My husband had made some connections in shops when we were looking in February and they remembered us. We got discounts on everything we bought and essentials were delivered on the Saturday so that's when we moved in.

Our container stuff was delivered a few weeks later and then the car several weeks after that!

We calculated that we had been living out of a suitcase for over 2 months by the time the container stuff arrived.

We spent the first month sorting out the house a bit and getting to know Mount Gambier and the surrounds. It took my husband about 6 weeks to get a job and he was applying for everything. He's a trainee used car salesman now.
I still work online which was great since we had money coming in all the time to pay the mortgage even though we didn't have jobs.

I've joined the skilled migrants group, Home Based Business group, and Toastmasters, and will be joining Rotary in a few weeks. It's important to mix and get to know new people. Having Skype with a webcam is a blessing. I set up my parents (they're in their 70's) with a PC and webcam and showed them how to use it. We can talk and see each other for free for as long as we want with Skype. I talk more now to my parents than I ever did when I was in the UK. My parents came out here for November, and although Adrian was working I basically did the minimum with Success University so that I could take them out and about. I was hoping that they would be happier when they saw where we are, new friends etc. They loved it out here and are thinking about either moving out here, or spending more time out here. It's been harder for my parents to adjust being back in the UK with the darkness, rain and of course having a lot of time on their hands since they are retired.

Tips:
We had investment property in Australia before we moved out, but we knew our income would drop which was why we were told to buy a property before we moved out since we could prove income in the UK. If people have a job to come to or intend to rent that may not be necessary. If you buy as a non-resident of Australia you can only get up to 70% mortgages (when we bought), and this assumes you have a permanent visa.

The agent we used was the Emigration Group. Make sure that whoever you choose (if you go that way) is qualified. I think it's MARA and MIA that you need to look for. It does cost money but they gave us a lot of great advice and I don't think we would be here if we hadn't used them.

For the move we used Harrow Green and we didn't have any problems. There are lots of good movers out there but once again check that they are qualified to move goods internationally.

Decide on the lifestyle you want when you get here but be realistic. We moved to Mount Gambier since we'd have money in the bank so we can do the things we want. Major cities will be more expensive especially when it comes to property. Don't overstretch yourself financially since interest rates are expected to rise here.

The cost of living here is NOT cheap. Australia has high taxes, and there is stamp duty on cars as well as houses. The price you see on the car is before taxes and other charges so check if the price is the 'on the road' price or not.

Be prepared that it can be tough emotionally if you are leaving loved ones behind in the UK. For you as well as for them.

One final thing-
IT WAS ALL WORTH IT! The stress, the anxiety was all worth it now that we are here.

Good luck, and if you have any questions just ask.

Karen

jarjar · #5 (**permalink**) 31st December 2007, 11:37 PM

Do you have any children?
If you dont you can come on a working holiday Visa - entitles you stay 1 year & be in one job for upto 6 months.
When you get here & have a job you can then have them sponsor you on 4 year visa.

If you do have children, then the quickest way is to find a company to sponsor you by applying for jobs and asking them.