Hoping to come to Sydney soon!

#1 (**permalink**) 3rd June 2007, 06:35 PM

Hello! I've read quite a few of the messages and everybody seems very friendly and helpful, which is very encouraging!

My husband is an ITU nurse and we are hoping to come out for a year on a 457 Visa - with any luck during November. We don't plan to become PR - we're just hoping to use the chance to enrich our life experiences before Nic retires - he's 60 and I'm 57. We're just hoping that a hospital somewhere will consider him not too old!

With any luck, I'll be a lady of leisure! Actually, am I right in thinking that I can work too, if I want to?

I'm not sure why we're picked Sydney - the obvious place I suppose when it's just a short(ish) stay. What would be really helpful would be if anybody could tell us the areas to steer clear of! When I look on estate agents sites, I have no idea of which areas are good and which are not so good! And another, probably dumb question, never having been to Oz, is it possible to live in a countryside area around Sydney?

I'll leave it there before I bore evrybody to death - you're advice would be much appreciated - and then I'll probably have loads more questions!

Bye for now

Carol

ps we're coming from Epsom, Surrey where I have a small B&B

cas&stu · #2 (**permalink**) 3rd June 2007, 09:35 PM

Hi Carol

Welcome to EF!

Cas

tygwyn · #3 (**permalink**) 3rd June 2007, 09:38 PM

Hi Carol - welcome to Expat Forum

We came to Australia on a 457 Visa last year. Do you already have a sponsor as you say you're hoping that you find a hospital which doesnt consider your husband too old? I know with nurses though you can sometimes get a 457 visa through employment agencies?

We're in the suburbs of Sydney - as far away from Sydney as you can get really but being still classed as a Sydney Suburb.

Is your husband planning on working in the City?

Yes YOU can work wherever you want - finding someone who is happy to employ someone on a temporary visa though isnt always easy.

Chat soon

Rach

#4 (**permalink**) 5th June 2007, 04:41 PM

Apologies for the delay - but thank you all for your welcomes and especially for your reply Rach.
What seems to be happening is that the Nursing agency, Health Staff Recruitment based in Melbourne, having checked Nic's references for their own records is now putting his CV round on his behalf. It did cross my mind that we could just send it off directly to the Sydney area hospitals which I have found on the net, but having started with the agency, we'll stick with them at least for the time being. If anybody has any feed back on the Agency, we'd be grateful for it. We just felt that with Nic being older than the usual applicant, they might push a bit more on our behalf. After all, if they don't find him a job, they get no money! They seemed quite optimistic.

It would seem that we apply for the Visa when they have a job offer for him. I'm not even sure that I know what "sponsorship" really is! All we need is an offer of somewhere to work - well for him to work! Depending on his shifts, we won't really want to be tied down because I have to go to work. The idea is to explore Australia and really meet the people - mind you, there's probably more of them here!

Can I ask my question about where to steer clear of again. I don't want to end up in the Peckham of Sydney! I really like the sound of Hornsby Kuring-gai and Nepean - but only because they sound antipodean!

Look forward to hearing from anybody who feels like responding.

Bye for now.
Carol

tygwyn · #5 (**permalink**) 5th June 2007, 09:37 PM

Hi again Carol

If I could give you one piece of advice it would be to get sponsored directly. If you go through an agency then you will have very little control over where he works and what type of job he works in (I've heard some horror stories about Nurses ended up doing a completely different job - well below their qualifications). If you go directly to the hospitals then you will have control of it. With a 457 Visa you really need to be careful because Nic can ONLY work fot that employer while on the 457 Visa - if he loses his job (even if they decide they no longer need him) you would have 28 days to leave the country. Just be careful OK. We were lucky because we knew what job my husband was coming out to because we were sponsored directly by the Company (Qantas in his case) and we also had friends here who had done the same thing.

Areas - sorry theres not really a lot I can say about areas. Most suburbs have good and bad areas. We're in Richmond which is an hour West of Sydney and its pretty quiet here - but nice because its just a train ride into the City. The areas you've mentioned I havent heard anything bad about

To give you an idea of what sponsorship is - a 457 Visa is a Temporary Visa allowing skilled people from other countries entry into Australia for a certain period of time - ours was up to 4 years. The company who sponsors you basically has to prove that the skills are in shortage in Australia and that they cant find anyone suitable here. The Visa usually takes around 4-8 weeks to be accepted - assuming that there are no problems with medicals etc. Nic would then only be allowed to work for that company (this is where the problem may arise.......if its the agency who apply for the Visa then they could pretty much put him anywhere and theres nothing he could do about it.......if its the hospital then he'll know which department etc and his job description. A 457 Visa gives the partner of the 457 Holder full rights to work - like I said previously though it can prove difficult at times finding an employer who is willing to employ a temporary visa holder.

If you've got any more questions just ask. My advice though would be to speak to the Agency and see exactly what their procedure would be - would they sponsor Nic or would the Employer they find sponsor him......very important.

Chat soon

Rach

#6 (**permalink**) 6th June 2007, 04:34 PM

Hello Rach

It was nice to hear from you again. At the moment I’m spitting feathers – I did a long reply this morning and then somehow hit the wrong button and lost the lot! Doing this in Word and will copy over!

Thank you so much for opening our eyes about who sponsors the Visa. You’re quite right, we hadn’t realised the significance, and I have emailed the agency to ask them but, unfortunately, our contact is not well and won’t be back until Tuesday, which is a pain. I also hinted that we may start sending Nic’s CV directly to the hospitals – just to keep them on their toes and so that they know (thanks to you, but I haven’t mentioned that!) that we are not totally naive! So far they have been quite good and have been in touch with Kingston hospital to check his references, so that’s encouraging. We’ll give them another week and see what they come up with. To be fair, when I asked why they had put his CV forward to ONE hospital, they did say they do one at a time because they know where the vacancies are. (Also, I suspect, because they know which ones are most likely to pay for their services!)

I had picked up about having to leave within 28 days if the job falls through, but that would still give us a month touring – mind you – we’d have to keep travelling because we will let our house for a year! That would be no hardship – I have a lot of places on the list including India and possibly Africa again. Our plan is to have a year or so in Oz and then 3 months ish in NZ,where Nic has step cousins, before we came home. We have no plans or reason to emigrate.

Sponsorship is what I thought – I just wondered if there was more on offer as opposed to what we’re asking for – simply a job. We don’t need fares paying etc – although, of course, we won’t turn it down!

Anyway, enough about us. Tell me about you! If I may be so bold, how old are you (ish, will do!) Do you have children, if so, where are they? Are you happy out there? Is it what you expected/hoped? What do you do with yourself all day if you are not working? I could very easily become a lady what lunches after the gym in the morning and before the beach in the afternoon! I have a feeling that if we get there, I may well end up still running a non paying B&B with friends I didn’t even know we had!

Well, when you’ve got a mo I’d love to hear from you again if you feel inclined. Thank you so much for the advice so far, it really is appreciated.

Bye for now.
Carol
Ps What does tygwyn stand for?? It’s a bit like WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) but not quite. I’ve been trying to fit words to it!

tygwyn · #7 (**permalink**) 7th June 2007, 11:27 PM

Hi Carol

Nice to hear from you again.

Given your ages (dont mean to sound rude) I would think that your only chance of coming across here would be through sponsorship - after 45 it gets quite difficult as you lose so many points (immigration is all points based in Australia).

Tygwyn - well you can stop trying to figure it out - its Welsh

- It means White House.

In answer to your questions - Both me and Hubby are 35 and we have a 7 year old daughter (obviously shes with us

). I'm not working at the moment so I spend a lot of the day doing bits and bobs to be honest. Lots of internet work. I've set up a website Find UK Shops That Deliver Overseas at UK ShoppingWorldwide (feel free to check it out) which takes up quite a bit of my time. I also go to TAFE (college) one afternoon a week, do reading at school with my daughters class and volunteer as a driver for Meals on Wheels once a month. You can always keep yourself busy over here

Yep we're happy - its been stressful though as you can imagine - moving your entire life to the other side of the world isnt easy - new country, new house, new job, new school, new friends (which you have to work at getting constantly!), new groceries (sounds silly but its a biggy when you dont know what anything is!!). On top of that you're leaving behind friends and family.

I think that'll do for now!

Chat soon

Rach xxxx

#8 (**permalink**) 7th July 2007, 06:10 AM

Hi Rach
Been quite a while since I was last in touch - hope things are well with you. We're fine - I expect you've heard - our summer is like your winter this year. Dreadful floods in the Midlands and Hull.
We've progressed a little with our plans - the Concord Hospital in Sydney wants to interview Nic! Really excited! The Agency took all the time slots he would be around (not easy with the time difference and his shifts!) and then, typically, came back and suggested a slot that we had said he couldn't do! later today we're going away for a few days, so the interview has been set for Thursday between 10pm and midnight! Gives us lots of rehearsal time! As the Agency pointed out, the hospital wants to give him the job - so only the interview stands in his way (and in the way of their commission!)
Will let you know how things go!
Bye for now.
Carol

tygwyn · #9 (**permalink**) 8th July 2007, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carol

Hi Rach
Been quite a while since I was last in touch - hope things are well with you. We're fine - I expect you've heard - our summer is like your winter this year. Dreadful floods in the Midlands and Hull.
We've progressed a little with our plans - the Concord Hospital in Sydney wants to interview Nic! Really excited! The Agency took all the time slots he would be around (not easy with the time difference and his shifts!) and then, typically, came back and suggested a slot that we had said he couldn't do! later today we're going away for a few days, so the interview has been set for Thursday between 10pm and midnight! Gives us lots of rehearsal time! As the Agency pointed out, the hospital wants to give him the job - so only the interview stands in his way (and in the way of their commission!)
Will let you know how things go!
Bye for now.
Carol

Hi Carol

Sounds like great news! Good luck with the interview - let us know how he gets on!

Chat soon

Rach