Moving to Perth, Australia from UK

[Moonlight34]

Hi everyone

My husband and myself have been thinking for a long time to move to Australia. We have two little girls and another one on the way. We are looking to move in October, a few months after the baby is born. Although both me and my husband are educated and in really good jobs , we don't qualify for any visa. My husbands mum and sister live in Melbourne but it still does not give my husband any rights. Unfortunately the only way to get there is for my husband to become an international student, luckily we have savings behind us to fund this but we really think this is the best move for us as a family. We understand that our right to work is 20 hours only , I won't be working as I will be on Mat pay.
I doubt we can buy a flat outright there for 100k (house sale) but does anyone know if an international mortgage is possible ?
Can anyone guide us what areas in Perth are suitable for a young family ? We would like to be near the beach / city / amenities but realise that this is most likely impossible.
If anyone can provide any information about Perth , we would very much appreciate it.

Many thanks

Ok, haven't rtft, but is it possible for you or your DH to retrain to something on the skills shortage list? You won't get a visa when he's finished studying unless he has a qualification that would qualify anyway. Surely it would be easier to study in the UK, where you have full rights to work, your DC get free schooling and you can claim benefits if you qualify.

Worst case if it doesn't work out one of you will be qualified as a nurse or an accountant or something.

@FurryAntiWaxer

Ok, haven't rtft, but is it possible for you or your DH to retrain to something on the skills shortage list? You won't get a visa when he's finished studying unless he has a qualification that would qualify anyway. Surely it would be easier to study in the UK, where you have full rights to work, your DC get free schooling and you can claim benefits if you qualify. Worst case if it doesn't work out one of you will be qualified as a nurse or an accountant or something.

All international students can get a 3 or 4 year visa to stay in Australia following their studies (temporary graduate visa). And international students in Perth get free state schooling for their kids. They will also be entitled to bulk billing (free) doctors appointments, and other medical stuff will be covered under student health insurance which is compulsory

@CakeyCakeyCakeCake

We moved from Surrey to Perth two years ago. Just before covid hit. It is the best thing we have ever done. Two children (9 and 4) which have both just climbed out of the pool and are now sitting on the loungers eating lunch! My 9 year old will often thank us for leaving the uk.

We ccame over being sponsored by my DH’s work. We got permanent residency. I didn’t work for the first year and he was on over $110000 a year. That paid for our house rent ($3900 a month- 4 bed, pool, garden) in a rather expensive area 10 minutes from the city but near the beach and all our living expenses. We did watch our money though. Lots to do that is free here. Beaches are beautiful and playgrounds are on every corner. It very geared towards families and children.
Eldest child went from a private school in Surrey to a state school here. We have since moved them both to private ($10000 a year for both) so ridiculously cheaper the Uk! I have now got a job and we are saving for a deposit for a house.

As with everything there are pros and cons. I choose to focus on the pros. It’s hard being away from family, but the lifestyle here cannot compare to the up. I loved Surrey and the beauty of it, but I wanted to live an outdoor lifestyle and now we do. No rain the summer!!!

The people are incredible. I have never met kinder, more helpful and welcoming people than the Aussies here. Of course there are exceptions, but we have been so welcomed and looked after.

We have private medical and are on Medicare. Doctors visits are about $30. Children are free.

I cannot comment on your situation as far as visas etc go. But I can tell you about the family love and areas etc. my friends just bought a 3 bedroom home in Clarkson (north) for $500 000. Far nicer than our house in Surrey which was £700 000!
We are renting until we can get a deposit of about $100 000. That can get you a lovely home here.
Cheaper up north obviously.

We love Perth, cannot imagine ever being back in the Uk, as much as I love it. Our family feels like we can BREATH for the first time in years.

All the best OP, keep researching and see what’s best for your family. It will be a struggle at first, lots of emotions and heart ache. But we took the plunge and it’s worked for us.

But how does this help the OP? Your situation is nothing like hers. It comes across as a little braggy.

@CakeyCakeyCakeCake

Oh grow up Sunshine. 😒

We came here with NOTHING money wise. We started from scratch. We were renting in Surrey unable to afford anything and living month to month (the house value was what I said, we didn’t own it!) Surrey is insanely expensive! My point was that even on one salary here we could survive. That’s encouraging to the OP. People are saying Perth is so expensive. Compared to what we experienced in the Uk, it is MUCH cheaper to live.
And her dream is not unobtainable just because you say it is.

Oh yeah, nothing except visa sponsorship, a salary of nearly £60,000/year and a reasonable amount of disposable income if you were paying for a uk private school

Apart from those minor details your situation is almost identical.

Rather than telling us about your life, do you actually have any practical advice about what the OP could do based on your experiences to get to where you are?

Please don't assume the ghastly climate denying australian Federal government reflects the values of Australians.

The OP asked for living areas and the cost of things. Rereading my post it does come across like that.. and yet in my mind I typed it from the point of view that we struggled financially and had almost nothing in the uk, to actually being able to buy a house here after two years. That was kind of the point of my badly worded post!

Absolute garbage re climate change, there is huge anger at moment with the current federal government and their actions at cop26. The green party has the 3rd biggest party by vote, there is minimal climate denial with the exception of the right wing, Murdoch press.

Western australia in particular has rejected the Liberal party, they were decimated at the last election. Not everyone may agree with mcgowan on his covid stance, and it's going to be difficult to balance alongside resourcing industries, but the state government is investing heavily in green energies, and we will be building the world's longest electric vehicle charging network.

The train system in Perth makes commuting so easy, I live 30km out of the cbd, but train is 30 mins, can park all day for $2 and parking is always plentiful, trains leave every 5 minutes at peak commuting times, so there's no need to be super close to city. My house is 2 mins from national Park, and 4k from beach, house is approx $500k, so definitely affordable on perth wages.

We've been here since 2013 and even since then it's changed considerably, Elizabeth quay, optus stadium and an abundance of rooftop bars and top restaurants have opened, it's a great place. I have family who've just relocated from Randwick, they're loving the easier life, but have been amazed at the quality of restaurants here now.

Perth also has the most residents who were born overseas of any australian city, it's becoming more and more multi cultural, its not the bogan backwater the rest of aus like to make out. We did arrive with 2 kids and no jobs, but did have PR. If you can get a visa, jobs are plentiful right now. As for weather, you might get a handful of days where it's 40, but even on those day, the sea breeze on beach makes it more bearable.

@CakeyCakeyCakeCake

The OP asked for living areas and the cost of things. Rereading my post it does come across like that.. and yet in my mind I typed it from the point of view that we struggled financially and had almost nothing in the uk, to actually being able to buy a house here after two years. That was kind of the point of my badly worded post!

You probably did struggle, even with your visa sponsorship and reasonable income.

And that information is useful as it will be even more difficult for the OP who doesn't have the support and resources that you did.

The lovely 'living the dream' 'kids in the pool' vision is less helpful, considering the above.

I live in Perth - parts of Perth are very cheap but they aren't on the beach/coast.
100k would still only cover less than half of a house in a cheap suburb. There are houses in Kelmscott, Camillo and Armadale that would be affordable with a 100k deposit. Your mortgate would then be $600-800. Those suburbs are also on the trainline and as they are low socio-economic there is reasonable community support. They also have high numbers of visa workers.

Currently though our borders are closed. Students are not allowed in. Not even citizens can get back in. However, we really need trained staff - Nurses, Police, Farmers, Doctors and Teachers so if you do your research you might be able to find an easier way in. When we finally do open our borders.

**clarification your mortgage would be $600-$ 800 per month

@CakeyCakeyCakeCake

The OP asked for living areas and the cost of things. Rereading my post it does come across like that.. and yet in my mind I typed it from the point of view that we struggled financially and had almost nothing in the uk, to actually being able to buy a house here after two years. That was kind of the point of my badly worded post!

I think that the main difference is that your husband went for a high paying job. He wasn't a student trainee bricklayer.

@b1uemoon

That’s interesting, from what I read on MN and my experiences with my English relatives and friends, they almost all moved to another town to go to University. I confess I haven’t looked at the stats. Since in Australia most of us live in a city with universities, and we don’t get grants that cover accomodation, we tend to stay at home and commute (first year at least, but even if you move out to a flat share later, you’re still in your home town). It’s a shame, I was quite jealous of my English cousins’ uni experiences.

@Coleswoolies

Yep, £7000. Kids pre teens. But my husband got a job after 3 1/2 weeks. It was tight for a while but definitely the best decision we’ve ever made. We have 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, pool, lovely alfresco area, theatre room. Our house cost $370,000. Couldn’t get the same in England for that price. Wish we’d made the move years before we actually did!! We don’t find it expensive living here. It depends where you shop I suppose.

Wow, that’s an amazing price! Sounds lovely. Bloody Sydney prices, you could go halves on a one bed flat for that amount.

I moved to Perth 20 years ago. The cost of living has risen (hasn't everywhere?) but it's not crazy!

Mark McGowan is wonderful and doing a really good job here. It's super hot for many months of the year, too many flies, but the upside is that winter is not freezing cold.

Good luck!

I don't know what it is about Australia that does this to people. Perhaps it's an unconscious whim to get as far away from the UK as possible?

A couple I knew made the same choice: invested everything in a move to Queensland without having so much as set foot in the country before. The reality needless to say hasn't surpassed their expectations (pipe dream). The cost of living is high and they are apparently feeling very isolated. It defies belief that someone could have made such a life changing decision - on behalf of their children too - and then be surprised at this outcome.

Perth is an oddity. It's one of the most isolated cities in the world. Beautiful scenery and beaches. But with a population of only 2m it shouldn't be surprising that despite its superficial friendless it can be very parochial and insular. Society there can still be quite sexist. Customer service is patchy and the cost of living and housing are expensive, even for Australia. If surfing is a draw, think again: the surrounding waters can be dangerous. The nearest city is about a 4.5h flight away. That's equivalent to flying between London Heathrow and the Canary Islands.

I can't even imagine why people would consider doing this without a job offer they can't refuse, or without having spent significant time in the place beforehand. The Florida keys look great on paper, and are lovely to spend holidays in, but my ex lived there, and making somewhere your permanent home is an entirely different proposition.

Do your research carefully.

Do it. You only live once. We moved here (2 adults, 3 children) with £6000, a backpack each and a holiday apartment booked for a week. No jobs to come to. Within a week we had found a house to rent, I got a job as an immigration solicitor and my husband got a job which he’s still at, enrolled the children at school, bought a banger of a car and tonnes of furniture. BEST week of my life!
Within a year we’d purchased two brand new cars outright and started building our own home. Everyone in England said we’d be back within 3 months because Australia is expensive and we wouldn’t survive!!

In 2019, we took an entire year off work and travelled a lap around straya in a caravan with the kids. Their school supported us with the ability to do remote learning and we saw as much of this gorgeous country as we could. Absolutely in awe and mesmerised with the beauty. And Perth is a gem.

I know people bang on about the high cost of living here but we have heaps more disposable income on just one income (I just finished maternity leave and have decided to be a SAHM for a year) in Australia compared to the uk where we both worked to just make ends meet.
Our house here is at least four times the size of our house in the uk and our mortgage repayments are pretty equal cost wise. We have much nicer things here (cars, weekend toys etc) and the biggest thing is that our children have so many more opportunities here compared to what they would have had in England. Also, compared to their peers from the UK, children here seem to be children for longer.

I wouldn’t and couldn’t ever live in England again. There is absolutely nothing that would make me want to live there again. Our only regret was that we didn’t do this sooner. My husband bless him looks at least ten years younger since we lived over here due to the relaxed lifestyle and vit d.

Good luck. Yolo!!

Wow, AussieGirl - that was some week! It does contradict what a lot of people have been saying on here, though.
So you can just turn up with three kids and a backpack and within a week have a home, job and schooling.
Go for it, OP!

@Maireas

Wow, AussieGirl - that was some week! It does contradict what a lot of people have been saying on here, though. So you can just turn up with three kids and a backpack and within a week have a home, job and schooling. Go for it, OP!

Well yes except AussieGirl must have already been a qualified solicitor to have found a job doing that within a week, an occupation that presumably is on the skills shortages list, and so qualifies for an employment visa. Op says in her first post that neither of them are qualified for these visas so I doubt she could just rock up and job-hunt the way people that already have their qualifications and experience in the shortage occupation field could.

OP it does sound from what experienced people are saying as though if you are determined the best route would be the student visa as you originally planned and for your DH to pick up work around university and in holidays etc., can he study to do something that would then qualify him for a longer term visa, ie a shortage occupation? Or in the alternative it might be cheaper to study in the UK and move out to Australia in 3-5 years time when he can get a visa. Agree that bricklaying seems an odd choice for a well-educated and in a 'good job' person, no insult to bricklayers, its very skilled work but gives the distinct impression of being a young man's game, extremely hard physical work esp in Australian level heat and not particularly well paid?

@Aussiegirl123456

Do it. You only live once. We moved here (2 adults, 3 children) with £6000, a backpack each and a holiday apartment booked for a week. No jobs to come to. Within a week we had found a house to rent, I got a job as an immigration solicitor and my husband got a job which he’s still at, enrolled the children at school, bought a banger of a car and tonnes of furniture. BEST week of my life! Within a year we’d purchased two brand new cars outright and started building our own home. Everyone in England said we’d be back within 3 months because Australia is expensive and we wouldn’t survive!!

In 2019, we took an entire year off work and travelled a lap around straya in a caravan with the kids. Their school supported us with the ability to do remote learning and we saw as much of this gorgeous country as we could. Absolutely in awe and mesmerised with the beauty. And Perth is a gem.

I know people bang on about the high cost of living here but we have heaps more disposable income on just one income (I just finished maternity leave and have decided to be a SAHM for a year) in Australia compared to the uk where we both worked to just make ends meet.
Our house here is at least four times the size of our house in the uk and our mortgage repayments are pretty equal cost wise. We have much nicer things here (cars, weekend toys etc) and the biggest thing is that our children have so many more opportunities here compared to what they would have had in England. Also, compared to their peers from the UK, children here seem to be children for longer.

I wouldn’t and couldn’t ever live in England again. There is absolutely nothing that would make me want to live there again. Our only regret was that we didn’t do this sooner. My husband bless him looks at least ten years younger since we lived over here due to the relaxed lifestyle and vit d.

Good luck. Yolo!!

How do you propose the op gets a job as an Australian immigration solicitor?

A week to settle a family with three kids into education, get a home and a good job is pretty impressive, though.

Where exactly in my post did I tell the OP to get a job as an immi lawyer?! Did you even read or did you just see the words immigration and solicitor and job and come to that conclusion?

@Aussiegirl123456

Where exactly in my post did I tell the OP to get a job as an immi lawyer?! Did you even read or did you just see the words immigration and solicitor and job and come to that conclusion?

Tbf that was the key factor in your post…

@Aussiegirl123456

Where exactly in my post did I tell the OP to get a job as an immi lawyer?! Did you even read or did you just see the words immigration and solicitor and job and come to that conclusion?

Well I assumed you were giving advice relevant to the OP's circumstances. But I'm unclear on exactly what your advice is?

I'm just wondering how you advise her to achieve a house 4X the size of one in the uk and all of the other things you've talked about considering the circumstances she's described in the OP?

Are you trying to give constructive advice?
Or just bragging about a lifestyle you have that she can't achieve?

@Maireas

A week to settle a family with three kids into education, get a home and a good job is pretty impressive, though.

Oh it is. I'm just not sure if folks are posting to brag about just how 'impressive' they are. Or to actually give the OP practical advice...

Is this the kind of course? search.studyperth.com.au/institutions/tafe-international-western-australia/courses/certificate-iii-in-bricklaying-blocklaying