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My story.....ideas for a happy ending welcome

4K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  topcat83 
#1 ·
Hi Guys,

before I start I just want to say that I only recently joined the forum and it is almost like my bible. Very helpful indeed :clap2:

I am 36 in March, married with 2 young girls (6 and 4). Although my wife and I have always dreamed about living abroad it has always seemed like a bit of a pipe dream, until recently that is.

About a year ago, my cousin from Perth made contact with me. I knew I had family from Australia but had never met them as my parents fell out of touch with them many years ago. Anyway, my cousin came over to the UK for 6 months and we became pretty close and now I am happy to say that my family and I have a good relationship with my Aunt, uncle and 2 cousins in WA. My cousin has now moved back home and is more than happy to keep letting me know about the 38deg temps out there :mad:

We are now seriously considering moving to Perth but definately dont want to rush into anything. The main problem I have is that I am from a customer service background and my wife is a PA so neither of our jobs are on the skills list. I am thinking of re-training to become a plumber/tiler but this would obviously cost a lot of money so i want to make sure that this is money well spent when it comes to getting a job over there (if I can get in).

My thoughts are that if I re-train and get a job in the UK for 2-3 years, then hopefully I will be in a better position to apply for a working visa. I am a bit worried that I will be cutting it a bit fine with my age though.

My uncle has an avionics business out there and says that he is more than happy to sponsor me although I think he means a family sponsor rather than a working sponsorship.

I have looked at the stickies and various websites but would like a bit of extra guidance please.

Has anybody got any thoughts or happy endings to my little story.

Thanks for listening

Tony
 
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#2 ·
I am going to sound like a party pooper but the critical skills list changes yearly I think. So by the time you finish retraining and get the experience it might have dropped off the list.

But I am all for changing careers as I am same age as you and now a poor student, but it will be worth it in six months when I graduate. So I hope you go ahead and change careers to something you love and hopefully it will be on the skills list by the time you finish and you can come to Australia (if you still want to by then....maybe just getting out of customer service might be enough for you?? I feel like a wife or mother saying that!)
 
#3 ·
Haha thanks for the sound advice April. I know what you mean about the skills list. I guess it changes with the enonomy. I definately want to get out of my current job and do something new but want to make sure that i pick something that is going to hold me in good stead to relocate. Typically, after checking on a job site for Perth, there are 49 adverts for PA's so my wife has a good chance of finding work but her job isnt on the skills list :confused:

Anyway, thanks for your reply and hopefully I will get some more.

Tony
 
#4 ·
Hi Tony..
Did you check if your skill falls in regional sponsored visa for any state. From what I remember, a friend was in customer support service too and he got through the regional sponsored visa and is now in Victoria.

Taking a course, then working would be very long process, plus you are 36 which makes it a tight spot..

Also, speak to an agent, first consultation is usually free, they will tell you what your chances of making it are and make sure the agent is MARA/MIA registered.

Another option can be for your wife to go on student visa and you accompany as spouse and work full time. She works part time (20 hours a week). Once her studies are done with, you apply for PR and live happily every after.

Have a look at the stickies, the helpful sites thread would have links to all states..

Alternatively, speak to your uncle and clarify what he meant by sponsoring you, work-wise or family sponsor..

If you need further assistance, ask away.. some or the other person will have a solution to your problem.

Wish you luck.
Anj
 
#5 ·
Thanks Anj,

I feel really old now :)

I know what you are saying though. Wish I had started the ball rolling years ago.

I had a quick look on the WA website for skill sets and it is pretty much the same as the national one. I think my first port of call is to definately check with my uncle but either way, due to family and other comittments (unless he offers me a job), I want to start the ball rolling in the next 2-3 years. I have made a plan to hopefully be living and working out there by the time I am 41. Is this is feasable?

Anyway, thanks again Anj. Very useful comments as always.

Tony
 
#9 ·
Thanks for all of your ideas guys. I will certainly keep looking into all the options including the ones given by you.

Although, the more I look into this and the more I want to do it, the further out of reach it seems to get due to a number of things (my age, re-training in a new career costs and time, trying to work around my current job, etc etc...)

I WILL NOT GIVE UP THOUGH!!!!!:)

Thanks again for your thoughts and I hope to speak again soon.

Tony
 
#13 ·
Although, the more I look into this and the more I want to do it, the further out of reach it seems to get due to a number of things (my age, re-training in a new career costs and time, trying to work around my current job, etc etc...)
Just to give you hope, I got a BSc degree with the Open University in my forties, then hubby and i emigrated to NZ at the age of 46 and 56 respectively. NZ has a slightly higher final acceptance age than Oz, (it's 55 over here) but that wasn't the main reason we chose NZ - it's a beautiful country, and the travelling distances aren't quite so great as in Oz.

Not without its problems though - read the NZ forum if you want to read more :)
 
#12 ·
Whatever trade you do in the UK, you have to re train here anyway. I know plumbers who have come over and done nothing else in the UK but here you need re training and certificates for everything,mainly because of the difference in standards.Even my friend, as a hairdresser came over as there was a shortage and still had to get another certificate to proove her skills from a Tafe institute (college). The pay was pretty poor too.
One word of advice, make sure you have pots of money behind you also. The pay is low compared to the UK which is what is sending me back this year. Recently separated I cannot afford to live here as a single woman and I'm a retail/project manager working two jobs to survive.
 
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