Anyone moved to Australia with their Australian DH? Any advice or info would be appreciated

[FromKansasToOzMaybe]

Put this in Chat but now I've found this Living Overseas and think its probably better here, apologies for the double posting.

Looks like we are going to relocate to Perth at the end on 2015 or early 2016, back to DHs hometown.
I can't quite get my head around the logistics of it all, how does it all work?

I'm guessing it goes something like this?

Apply for my spousal visa
Put house on market, move into rented in UK
Once visa comes through, give notice on jobs here
Rent somewhere in Perth
Move to Perth

Can it be that easy? We don't really have anyone here to leave behind so won't be much of a wrench and I've lived abroad before so have some idea what its like to get used to a new lifestyle and culture.

[giggly]

When was your dh last in Perth and does he still have family here? Perth is a very different city from 10 years ago, very expensive and jobs not quite as readily available as many are lead to believe .
Your plan is pretty much it apart from your belongings if shipping stuff out.
I did'nt sell my house until the visa was through though, but then ours was'nt a spousal visa.
Good luck.

[whereisshe]

When we did the move in the opposite direction we waited for visas before we did anything else. And it was rented to rented so housing was easier. But I had a job offer before we left for the UK (contract not perm).

Friends who went back to Sydney recently from London went on a visitor visa (one Australian, one spouse of) and lived off savings until the visa came through.

Good luck, Western Australia is lovely! Expensive since the mining boom though...

[FromKansasToOzMaybe]

DH was last living in Perth 12 years ago, all his family are still there hence the move.

We know it is expensive but can't really change our destination city because of where the family are. We aren't expecting to be any better off at all, not moving for financial gain at all.

I'm a teacher and DH is in banking, we'd just have to cross our fingers for jobs!

[chloeb2002]

You also have the choice of on shore vs offshore applications. Being married ( not newly I presume) it should be just beurocratic.
Otherwise... Yes it is as simple as it sounds!

[GhettoPrincess001]

It's horrendously simple !

I'm married to a kiwi and we sold our house and emigrated/relocated to New Zealand in 2011.

The process of selling your house and packing up your stuff is as straightforward as any house move, IMO.

The extra expense and paperwork comes with visas, one way tickets, accommodation on arrival and plenty of etcs.

We turned up in NZ without jobs, eek ! I wouldn't advise anyone to do that but it's free country.

Perth has a larger economy than district of regional NZ where we live now on account of my husband's job.

[FromKansasToOzMaybe]

How do you get a job in Oz when still in the UK though? What happens about interviews etc?

[chloeb2002]

Just apply. Use seek.com etc. They will interview you over Skype etc. Depends on the type of position you are looking for. You may have to go over on a intermission too.

[CloudWallaby]

We moved to Melbourne a year ago for the same reason, and DH is also in banking. We originally planned to move over once he had secured a job, but he found it very difficult from the UK and persuaded me to move over anyway. Big mistake. Nearly a year later he is still unemployed, we are living in his parents' place (though not with them, thank goodness) and I can't go home as I can't take the children without his permission. It has been a huge, huge strain on our relationship. I wouldn't say don't go but I would really recommend getting a job first. Recruitment in banking doesn't seem buoyant and Sydney is the main focus anyway.

[PossumPoo]

Cloud I've read your previous thread, I'm sorry to hear your DH still hasn't found work. My DH is in banking also, and he occasionally goes on to seek.com.au and looks for his type of role in Melbourne and is never really surprised that it's not readily advertised.

What level is your DH? Could he take a step back or a jump up, would that help? Sydney is the financial centre I know but we've lived there previously and I've no interest in returning there. I did suggest Perth also (would lop a few good hours off the return flights) but DH pointed out that there's not much banking going on there (I thought being closer to Asia might help?)

Do you have a time-frame for when you have to make a decision of staying for good/going? Is it the economy in Australia or is it just the role your DH is looking for?

[ZootAlors]

FromKansas, I am in a very similar situation! My DH is from Brisbane and we're planning to move there next autumn (2015). We are currently living in the UK but have no family here (I'm Canadian), so it makes it slightly easier. I've been in the UK for 15 years, though, and had my two DCs here, so do consider it my home, and am sad to be leaving.

I am in the process of obtaining Aussie citizenship for my DCs, then will get them Aussie passports, then will apply for the spouse visa for me. Seems simplest that way. My DH works in IT, so although he won't be able to get the high-end work he's used to in London, he should be able to find something relatively easily. I work in a specific publishing niche that doesn't exist in Australia, and which I love, so I have no idea what I'm going to do . But I want to have family support, and want my DCs to know their grandparents, so it's good for us as a family, even if it's not my ideal.

I posted on another thread recently about how shocked I am at the high house prices in Brisbane. We have what I thought was a healthy budget, but we're not going to have the house I had hoped for in Brisbane!

[CloudWallaby]

Thank you so much possum poo. I'm not quite sure what the problem is - but part of it, I think, is that his banking job in London was quite specific and isn't directly transferable in terms of 'product' - though the skills required would be the same. I know others who have moved over and found a job with no problem so perhaps we are just unlucky. Ironically, I also had a very specific job in the UK (completely different sector) and had no hope at all of finding a role - but I got one very quickly, so that's something (doesn't help much in the short term as all my pay goes towards childcare so that DH can continue job hunting....!)
We originally agreed that if things didn't work out (specifically, if DH couldn't find a job) we would move back after 1 year. But he won't move back, partly because he always thinks the next 'opportunity' will work out.
Hope this isn't hijacking the thread and sorry for the doom and gloom - it seems to work out ok for most people but unfortunately it's gone horribly wrong for us.

[ZootAlors]

Cloud, has it been nice to be near your DHs family? It sounds like you left your own family back in the UK, though, so that would have been a real wrench. And is the weather a positive? I'm so sorry it isn't working out for you. I'm terrified that we'll be in a similar situation. My DH is really unhappy living in the UK and misses Australia terribly, but I'm worried that he's looking through rose-coloured glasses.

[CloudWallaby]

Hi Zoot, well I'm very close to my uk family and feel terribly guilty about leaving them - this was the main problem I had with leaving in the first place. But like you my DH was very unhappy on London (despite the good job) and desperate to go home. This became a kind of passive aggressive refusal to do anything to settle there - wouldn't make any effort to make friends, refused to buy a house, or even move to a bigger rented place (after we'd had 2 children!) because it would involve committing to a longer lease. So I got my head around leaving family, friends and job and gave it my best shot. And I actually really like Australia, love Melbourne, the people are really friendly etc. I'm lucky to have found a job. BUT...my husband is even more unhappy now because of the job situation and I'm pretty unhappy that our future is looking so shaky. I do feel very angry with him (perhaps illogically) for putting us through all this. I wish I had insisted that he found a job here first, even if it meant we never moved. I am pretty risk averse and we did discuss what we'd do if things didn't work out - but once you're here, with children, it is very very difficult to return if their father doesn't want you to take them.

[ZootAlors]

I totally understand. I wouldn't have anything to return to, though, as I have no family in the UK, and I would have given up my job. Or maybe that would make it easier, actually.

Based on your experience, I think I'll insist that my DH secures a job before we arrive. Although we'll arrive with some money, if neither of us finds work right away, we'll be chipping into our savings very quickly.

I don't think it's illogical to feel angry with your DH. You're the one who is building a life for you and your DCs, when it was your DH who initiated the move. I would find it hugely frustrating that the partner who was pushing the move was then the one who was unhappy. I don't want to make any suggestions as I'm sure they would come across as patronising (since I don't know the sector!), but I sincerely hope that your DH finds work soon .

[CloudWallaby]

Thanks so much. I really hope things work out well for you too - Australia is a great

[CloudWallaby]

Sorry posted too soon! Meant to say that it's a great place (just a very very l

[CloudWallaby]

long way from home (sorry again for dodgy posting) x

[glastocat]

We moved to Perth a year ago and found jobs fairly easily. We both are working in slightly different fields to before and are on pretty average salaries but enough to have a very nice life indeed, certainly better than Ireland or the UK where we have lived previously. We found it impossible to get jobs before we came out, most Aussie firms just weren't interested, but if you have a specialist role that you want to stick to it might be the best way to go. Good luck, we love it here!

[CornishMade]

Kansas, as you're a teacher, you should look into whether they'll accept your UK quals here or whether you'll need to do any 'top up' courses. This applies even if you have decades of teaching experience.
There is a rigid system here of each State having a list of approved teachers (they examine your uni subject lists). Then you specify where you're willing to work, then you go on the waiting list for a position. Schools that need a teacher get given the next appropriate one from the waiting list.
That's for state (public) schools; private is different I believe.
Also my info is a few years out of date but I understand that it is still the case.
Apparently there's about a 15 year waiting list for early years teacher jobs in urban nsw, but a shortage in rural areas. Not sure about secondary subject teachers.
Get in contact with the state's edu dept to clarify your position and hopefully all will be well!

[differentnameforthis]

Do not put house on market until you have your visas.

We went for a previous resident visa as dh used to live here (wasn't a citizen) and our agency advised never to sell until you have the OK!

They had dealt with people who had sold their house & were turned down for a visa. They didn't say what happened, but advised against it.

[differentnameforthis]

What happens about interviews etc?

Dh's company hire from abroad & they use an agency who specialises in this type of recruitment.

They email application form/CV. Email any extra questions after receiving CV etc. The skype or telephone interview.

[newbiefrugalgal]

You should start your teacher registration process
It takes a long time