Moving to Australia?

[Len]

Good luck UC, hope it works out for you. I only have experience of getting a US visa so no help for you there unfortunately.

The missus and I wanted to move to New York and made a pact to really try and make it happen a year ago. After much work and hassle (mostly from the UCSIS) we finally managed it. She flew last wkend and I'm going once my current project finishes in a months time.

Can't bloody wait and so excited...

[Lyris]

Congrats, Len! Can I ask how you managed that? Employer transfer?

[Len]

Thanks m8!

I'm getting transferred to the NY office but not on an L-1 (intra-company transfer) visa but an H-1B (non-immigrant) visa for various reasons I won't bore you with. My wife was offered a new job/position out there after we went for 8 days of interviews, getting to know ppl and showing our faces (read annoying everyone and anyone who could help us and would listen...lol) in June. She's got an O-1 (individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement) visa. Both valid for 3 years.

It was touch and go at times and at one point looked like it wasn't gonna happen (we didn't really have a plan B!) at the end of Nov but both got our visa's finally approved in Dec, was the best Xmas ever.

If anyone wants any help, info or anything regards it I'd be more than happy to pass on my experience and/or details that may assist. I will say that it is bloody difficult though (and also not necessarily cheap) as they are notoriously buggers for letting you in to work 'officially'. Unofficially is another story...

p.s. Sorry for hijacking the thread UC!

[mekanor]

The fact I study Chinese and Kevin Rudd is my fekkin' idol might have something to do with it Also, Masterchef Australia is awesome, can't wait till it starts again somewhere in March/April

You do know he was stabbed in the back by a woman of little substance with potentially one of the most annoying voices ever.

Also, masterchef airs overseas?? It's bad enough over here...

[eastyy]

I was actually just talking about this with the missus last night. Not just Australia specifically but things are really bad here (Ireland) and it's going to very quickly go back to the mass emigration we had in years gone by. A mate of mine was made redundant yesterday and it put the wind up me. These are scary times.

my folks are moving back to england me and the gf are staying in ireland for moment

not sure what to do yet as dont remember much of england as its been years since i lived there

but i would imagine being on the dole better off in ireland then england (for the moment


in ireland for the job seekers allowance even after the cut my gf gets 186 euro a week with a 20 euro a week fuel allowance....now if i was on the dole and living with her would also qualifiy for a 40 euro a week rent allowance aswell

[Unwell Cat]

How about TV's, Xbox, PS3 etc. Are my UK models going to work in Australia and will games I buy in Oz work on my UK PS3, Xbox?

[Mr Ono]

Perth? Are you sure there are jobs out there? It's very sleepy I hear.

2 of my mates emigrated down there - one is a Zimb and the other a Saffer.

The whole place is full of southern African migrants

[mekanor]

How about TV's, Xbox, PS3 etc. Are my UK models going to work in Australia and will games I buy in Oz work on my UK PS3, Xbox?

Short answer: Yes

Australia uses the same voltage rating (or whatever it's called) as the UK but our plugs are a different shape. All you will need though is a couple of UK powerboards and some adapter thingies to plug them into the wall.

Any games you buy here will be fine too as Australia is also a PAL territory. Be prepared for a price hike though, games in Australia retail for stupid prices sometimes.

[Unwell Cat]

Sorry to bump the thread but we got our WA state sponsership approved today so that's the hard part over with. All we have to do know is lodge the visa with the department of immigration and wait somewhere between 12-18 months for it to come through.

Any tips from anyone else who has moved out there?

Thanks

[gunrock]

No advice to give, sorry, but what do you do that got you state sponsorship?

[djjimbob]

This thread is boring without pics of spiders hiding behind clocks or in shoes soooo......

[112]

FFS djjimbob that thing is HUOWGE! Damn, i'd **** my speedos seeing that in the same room as me! Even if the age old rule states that the smaller they are the more likely they are to be poisonous, that thing in your post would seriously give me a heart attack!

How do the Austrailians put up with such monsters?!?!

I know a few peeps who have moved out there in recent years and had no probs adjusting, no mention of said spiders though! Apparenltly the typical UK thing of going home after work and watchin TV etc, is replaced by having gatherings in gardens / yards and chillin out, as oppossed to hibernating inside our homes to avoid the rain...

112

[mekanor]

The spiders aren't that big (unless you live next to radioactive waste storage). Apparently we do get them substantially bigger than the rest of the world though, it just seems normal to me.

I hate spiders by the way and I'm surviving quite well.

[koopatroopa90]

How do the Austrailians put up with such monsters?!?!

My Aunt (who is married to an Ozzie and lives there) loves them as they eat the mozzies. Remember when we were there one time there was this huge one on the hallway wall for 2 days or so, she kept telling everyone to leave it be and not kill it until she accidently squished it by closing a door it was hanging on! First time I'd seen their blue blood, poor sod.

[Unwell Cat]

Right, another update. we now have our visa's and have accepted an offer on our house so we should be moving to Perth in approx 3-4 months. I have to give 3 months notice at work to my current employee so that accounts for most of the time.

Getting a little nervous now about the move etc but we have friends out there we can stay with until we get settled and I find a job.

I've just got a couple of 3DS's and am thinking about getting a Vita. I'm assuming Australia is the same as the UK for region coding for the 3DS and the Vita is region free (is that correct?). I'm not sure about the EShop on the 3Ds though?