Moving Advice

eightyfish

Hi,

I'm so sick of the gloomy cold windy weather in this country, it depresses me every day. So myself and my gf have finally decided to move to Australia if possible. I've done a couple of the on-line surveys and some say we're eligible, some not.

Basically, at the moment we have to decide whether to go for the year work/travel visa and try to find a company to sponsor us while we're there and convert to permanent work visa. From what I hear this is next to impossible.

The second option is to just apply for a work visa straight off.

Our circumstances are as follows: I'm 29 and will (hopefully) qualify with a honours (4-year) degree in Physics and Nanotechnology from DIT this year. I have worked as a research scientist for 6 months during the degree. My work experience before that was 2 years as a Sound Engineering lecturer, and several years as an IT technician. Also barman part time for a few years.

My gf is 27 and has a UCD degree in marketing. She is currently a buyer in head office for a major Irish supermarket. There are plenty of buyer-related jobs on the recruitment websites.

We own an apartment in Dublin which we intend to rent out initially, because obviously selling is out of the question.

So I guess I'm asking for advice. Has anyone done this? Is it best to look for a job and then a visa? Is it better to go for a year first?

We're desperate to get over there, so any help would be appreciated. As regards to the forum charter, I'm not looking for legal advice.

Diddler82

Firstly congrats on taking the plunge, it will be the best decision of your life regardless of how long you end up staying here.

So first off, I would recommend coming over on the WHV and then take it from there. I would not worry so much about trying to get work until you arrive over because unless you are in the country and have a high demand niche skillset you are not going to get work.

Secondly, accept you may not get something specific to your degree and may have to take a step back in relation to work initially as you are only on a WHV so the perfect job may not be the first (or second or third etc etc) you take but you should pick something up based on your experience in IT...not sure about your degree though...know nothing about that area.

But yes, WHV first off for both of you. With a combination of hard work and luck, one of your might get sponsored but there is no guarantee...but get out here and experience it anyway!

Doc

I would defiantly recommend you take the WHV route first and look for sponsorship while you are here. It is defiantly not impossible by any stretch of the imagination (I’m doing it now). Also remember that only one of you would have to find a job willing to sponsor you as the other could be covered on the same sponsorship as a defacto partner as long as you can prove that you have been in a relationship for a year or more. There are many reasons why I would recommend doing it this way but the main 3 are:

Speed

Cost

Commitment

The WHV’s when applying online are usually granted the day after you apply for them where as Skilled Migrant visas take months to be granted and are much more complicated and difficult to get.

The WHV’s cost only a fraction of the cost of the skilled migrant visas. The sponsored visa is also very cheap.

If you have never been to Australia then you might not even like it here. Everyone seams to think of Australia as the land of milk and honey at the moment but it’s just like anywhere else with its up sides and down sides. After a couple of months here you may hate the place or really miss home and family / friends. The money, time and effort involved in getting the skilled migrant visa would then be really wasted if you came home.

If I was you this is how I would go about it:

Both get WHV’s

Travel around the country seeing as much as you can for up to 3 months.

Work for 6 months (This is the limit you can work for 1 company on this visa)

At this point the companies you have been worked for may wish to sonser one of you to stay working for them.

If this happens you get a 457 visa and stay for another 3-4 years (can’t remember if its 3 or 4) but you most stay working for the company or find another willing to sponsor you immediately.

If it doesn’t happen you go do your 3 months regional work (requirement for 2nd VHV) and get a 2nd WHV. Find another job for 6 months and try for sponsorship again.

If you get it good if not try another company for the next 6 months and try again.

If all this fails in that time you can still apply for the skilled migrant visa.

Diddler82

Doc wrote: »

If you have never been to Australia then you might not even like it here. Everyone seams to think of Australia as the land of milk and honey at the moment but it’s just like anywhere else with its up sides and down sides.

Agree with you 100% on this. Granted all my friends over here are working as opposed to back home but they are up any time from 5am onwards which most of them would not dream of doing at home. Thats said they are all working and although it is mainly work they would also not want to be doing at home, they are just happy to be working away. I had a friend who didnt want to take a step back from Sys Admin in IT but after 3 months out of work he realised a Helpdesk job is all he could realistically get. Just need to realise you not everything will fall into place straight away and to give it time.

However I would say that although its not all fantastic you do find the majority of people do settle in and seem to enjoy the lifestyle after a while

eightyfish

Thanks very much for the replies. I'm very excited about this now, so much that it's difficult to concentrate on studying for my finals.

It sounds like the WHV is the way to go. We're actually going to India in September so we're going to see if we can tie the flights in from there. We have been before - visiting a friend for three weeks in Sydney. Loved the city and the weather. There's only so much more grey overcast skies I can handle!

I'm willing to take a job doing whatever I can. I've done everything from lecturer to barman in the past, so whatever I can get I'll take it.

Going to get some sleep now. I'll post progress here.

CiaranC

Its not sunny all year round here. Its cold and wet and gets dark very, very early in winter in the South. Summers can be unbearably wet and uncomfortably hot in the North.

Tigerandahalf

Ya I'm in Melbourne and the weather can be hit and miss. In Autumn here now but last few days have been v warm..27/28 degrees. The nights can be muggy too making it difficult to sleep. There are times when you'd love it to be a bit cooler, so there are ups and downs here with the weather. If you like the hot weather you'll have no problem. Does get dark here v early..do miss the long evenings at home. In summer around 8pm and around now its 6pm since the clocks went back. A lot depends too on what type of work you are doing and whether you are out under the sun or doing physical work.
Like the others said the WHV is your best bet. Come out and see if you like it. There is nothing at home at the moment.

Caroline B

I'm here in Queensland for the last month now, and I can definitely say that it was worth escaping for the better quality of life etc. It doesn't sunshine every day, but it's a hell of a lot warmer even when it rains (like today's torrential downpour!). You don't have the biting winds that chill you in Dublin, and the people are generally a lot more laid back and positive here.

If you choose the WHV route, it's quick and easy, you get to travel and work and play at your own pace. If nothing else, you can live here for a few years and hope that Ireland is better when/if you get back.

If you have already had a WHV, then you have to consider skilled or even study visa. I'm studying, but also working (20hrs per week) which is suiting me fine. I live in a nice house, transport is cheap enough here and I get student discount. I'm working towards a career and if I end up staying here that's great.

If you get a skilled or study visa then your partner can be tagged on if you've been together for more than a year, but if not, apply separately and attach one to the others visa once you hit the year mark. Immigration are very helpful here and if you can skype or call through here you will find them more helpful in Oz than in the UK in my opinion. Call is also cheaper, strangely enough.

As you both have very specific jobs/skills, you need to contact recruitment agencies to see what their take is on the market for you if you are to look for skilled. Again, if its student or WHV it wont matter whats here - you can just relax and accept that you may end up working a different job for a while.

Re: the early working hours - yes, a lot lof people work earlier here, but so would you if you could when it can hit 30 degrees at 9am! You do get to finish earlier too..
Re: the weather - you are NEVER getting -14 + windchill here..
Re: working environment - you are treated well and have more opportunities once you have a foot in the door and can prove that you're willing and able.

Good luck and ask away if you need a hand/chat etc..!!

eightyfish

Caroline, Tigerandahalf, Ciaran thanks for the further posts.

My main like of the weather is that it's brighter over there. Albeit with the shorter days. Sounds like early work would be more pleasurable! I hate the grey and gloomy days so much - never mind the constant gloom in the news every day.

Comparing the weather data between Dublin and Sydney, for example, reveals more rain but on average 10C higher temperatures and nearly twice as many sunlight hours, though I'm not sure how that's worked out. I think it takes into account cloud cover. Also, I understand that the rain is heavy and intermittent, rather than drizzly and continuous. Even when it rains, the rain isn't freezing cold. I just heard we had the coldest winter in X many years here.

A question for those who got sponsorship - if you are lucky enough to find a sponsor, do you have to come home before you go back at the end of your WHV, or can you stay on straight through?