Emigrating to Australia - Where Do We Start? Please Help!

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

Following the result of the vote last Thursday, our family have decided we will begin our plan to emigrate to Australia.

But where do we begin? Which visa? Which forms? What evidence do we need? How much will it cost? Do we need an immigration company to facilitate the move or is it easier on our own? How long will it take? Can anyone please point us in the right direction?

I am 38. A primary school teacher starting a fifth year teaching in Reception in September. I have an English Literature degree and a PGCE in Primary Education.

My husband is 42 and is a Department Manager in a university. He has a degree too.

We have three children aged 9, 6 and 1.

We have no immediate family in Australia and no real work experience there (WHV aside!). We are all native English speakers.

Thank you in advance for any help!

[MaitlandGirl]

First place to check is www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1

This will give you information on the type of visa you might qualify and give you ideas on the cost.

Be prepared for a long wait and to spend a lot of £. You'll need the application fee, medical costs, flights, shipping fees etc. You could easily be looking at $25-35K.

[SweetieBumMum]

I can't offer any advice but just wanted to say we felt very similar. My husbands been offered a job in Asia and all I want to do is take it and leave! Finger crossed we can get the numbers sorted to make it work. Good luck!

[HPandBaconSandwiches]

Hi Magical We're off to Australia early next year. Spend an evening looking at the Poms in Oz website. Really informative. There's everything you could need about visas and where to start.

You need to look at the job markets because cost of living is higher, then add on medical costs too and at least £20000 start up costs and leaving family behind and missing weddings/funerals/sick parents. If after all that you still want to go then great. One great piece of advice given to me was don't go to escape, only go if you really think you'll love the new place for itself, comparing will drive you crazy.

We're still going, but this has been planned for quite some time. You have less time to choose because your points will drop once you hit 40. Good luck.

[Heatherbell1978]

We're emigrating in 2018. Get a migration agent. We're using Go Matilda. They can tell you what kind of visa you could get but be aware your ages might make it tricky depending who is the most eligible to apply. We're going on DH skills (he's passed skills assessment and English test) but his age means he scrapes through on points (38). It's costly, I've calculate cost of getting to Perth ie visa, flights and shipping of stuff at around £10k and that doesn't include money to get started before we start working. I'm now pregnant with #2 so that's another visa to add to the cost too.

We have friends in Perth who are itching for us to emigrate. We'd already started the process but were 50/50. Now we're 100% following Brexit.

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

Thanks for this info everyone.

I lived in Brisbane for three years when I was younger and was very homesick but now I am confident Australia will be a brilliant place to bring up our children.

It would be my visa I think as I'm an early years teacher - though I need to get it clarified whether primary school teacher working in Reception counts for their skilled migration.

[ICJump]

Don't bother with a migration agent. The forms for the visa are very clear. You can look on the website to find out what visa you are eligible for and then start the process. The Aussie government recommends not using an agent and friends if mine who have used them have felt ripped off.

Have you worked out if your qualifications are valid in Australia?
Where are you thinking if living?

[botanically]

In Australia early years teachers do a specialised degree I think, and a UK PGCE wouldn't meet the requirements. And as far as I know Primary Teacher isn't on the Skilled Occupation List anymore.

The forums at //www.britishexpats.com are v. helpful.

[Heatherbell1978]

ICJump I think it's fine to go without an agent if your occupation is a 'straightforward' one like nurse, doctor etc where you know you're definitely on the list. Our reason for using one was that both of our professions are managerial and could have been classed as a few different things on the list. So the agent helped us pin-point which of us was best to apply and what to classify DH as. They also helped DH complete his skills assessment. So far they've been really helpful but yes I agree it's costly so if you're confident you can navigate the process without one then do that!

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

Yes I do need more information about whether my job / qualifications would even satisfy the visa requirements but how do I find out? The Australian embassy? I did ask on a couple of forums and people thought my qualifications were ok but I don't know how to find out for sure.

We don't really have 'early years teachers' in the UK (yet, they are just coming in). The equivalent as it stands would be qualified primary school teachers working in Reception or Nursery within a school.

I lived in Brisbane for three years in the 1990s and it was lovely but not sure if it's where we'd want to settle. I loved Sydney but Perth is probably the favourite.

[HPandBaconSandwiches]

You need to look on the SOL and the CSOL then follow the links to the assessing authority, which for you I think is [[http://www.aitsl.edu.au/assessment-for-migration AITSL]]

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

Thanks for that link HP. Makes it all look very simple!

My PGCE covered primary ages 3-11 so perhaps isn't relevant as it didn't start from birth? However, I've been teaching the EYFS curriculum to 4-5 year olds for the past five years so surely that's useful?!

When in Australia I studied for a two year Diploma in Childcare and Education and completed most modules as well as three placements in childcare centres but didn't finish as I returned to the UK a few months before the end of the course (doh!) because I was homesick. I still have the transcripts for the modules I completed but it was in 1997-1998 and didn't finish the course so probably irrelevant.

Does anyone know of anyone who has actually gone to Australia via the early years teacher option?

[HPandBaconSandwiches]

Ah now early years in Australia isn't the same as EYFS here. I'm not a teacher and only know this because I have DC and I've been looking at schools.

Early years in Oz means both childcare centres (birth-3) and kindergarten which is the same as our preschool nursery. Our reception year is their Prep year and I believe that comes under Primary school teaching.

There's a thread on Poms in Oz which is all about teaching.

[HPandBaconSandwiches]

So long as you get a positive skills assessment you should be fine. The 189 visa is nearly always the best option if you can score enough points. You'd get 25 for age, you could get 20 for your English ability (you have to take a test), 10 for skilled employment for more than 5 years, 15 for your degree, which gives you70 potential points. You need 60, but the more you get the quicker you get invited. 70 is brilliant.
You will lose 10 points as soon as you turn 40.
Good luck!

[AltheaorDonna]

If I were you I'd have a meeting with Go Matilda or another agent, they will be able to tell you if you are eligible. A friend of mine is a UK qualified early years teacher, she had to jump through a world of hoops to get her qualifications recognised here, they emigrated on her husband's skill points.. Good luck!