Help - Visa nearly granted and panic setting in! Any advice on IT Jobs / cost of living in Perth

[trappedInYorkshire]

Hi,

Am hoping someone can help set my other half's mind at rest, or else confirm that we need to re-think our timescales. We're at point of just needing to do our police checks / health checks for our permanent residency visa. It's all come around a bit quicker than we were expecting so we'll either need to be out there by next June or have gone over for a visit.

I'd like to think we can get out for good by June but other half thinks we can't afford it. We should by then have around £20,000 in savings, and approx £70,000 in equity from the house as an emergency back up, but he doesn't want to think about using any of the equity money. In terms of jobs, we both work in IT, I'm a project manager with 10 years experience, other half is a business analyst with 10 years IT experience, 6 years as a BA. From looking on Seek, wages seem to be around $100k mark for these roles, can you support a family of 4 on one salary if only one of us got a job straight away? Does anyone know what the job market is like in Perth for these jobs, looking on Seek there always seems plenty around.

Anyone any advice, would it be more sensible to go for a visit and try and save more for permanent move, although this would probably put back the move by 2 year or so, my kids are 4 and 6 and I'd ideally like to get them out as soon as possible?

Sorry for long post, any advice / thoughts would be greatly appreciated (preferably those agreeing with me though!).

Can't offer any advice, but a guy (together with his family) who we worked with left yesterday to live in Perth.

Very brave but so exciting too. They have limited family over there, who have settled and absolutely love it. Cost of living is supposed to be high, but the lifestyle is amazing.

Good luck with your plans!

We were told you need $150,000 to support a family of 4 in Perth, I am having a wobble about going to Australia on $200,0000

If it was me I would go out there now but think about working yourself to maintain living standards.
I know 2 surgeons who've said they are struggling to maintain the lifestyle they had in the Uk, which is far from average but just gives an indication I think.

We are in Perth and other half is in IT. I think the area you are looking at you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a job. You will have no problem on $100,000 as long as you are realistic about your rent and things. You might have more issues getting the kids into good daycares.

That's interesting shelly, are there not many around or is it the quality that's a problem ?

shellybr, thanks for coming back to me, was on PomsInOz, and someone was saying that getting a job in IT can be tricky cos it's who you know, not what you know, did your OH find that? I am still hoping to get a transfer, company I work for does have an office in CBD but it is quite small so timings might not work out. If we both working then we'd be on 150,000 to 200,000 I think, but it's the interim period in getting us both working that worries me (well OH more than me).

Could you give me more info re childcare though? My kids will both be school age by time we get out there, but was worried about sorting after school care, are there many options around that? At moment I have flexible working and work at home at least 2 days a week so quite lucky there.

The areas we'd been looking at were around Joondalup, maybe Connolly / Kinross but little worried that's going to be too far out if we both work in CBD and having to commute, would make long day for kids.

Mosman, are you thinking of heading to Perth too? To be fair, I've only been back full time for a year, so our lifestyle's nothing special anyway in Uk. I've wanted to move for years though and it's really me that's driven this move, so much more positive than dp.

I have a job offer in Perth and one in Sydney, both the same salary.
DH has nothing in either but Sydney seems to be where his industry is based unfortunately because I think I would enjoy Perth.
However given that we are only going to find work for DH i feel we should maximise his chances. On the other had i am giving up my dream job to go i also feel entitled to some job satisfaction too.
It's very hard.

My role is actually IT in Sydney and I've been advised to take the Perth one in Oil and Gas as it'll be more financially rewarding.

Quite a decision for you. I loved Sydney, my brother and wife live there, but felt with young kids Perth better fit. Anything we could afford in sydney would be far out and need massive commute, I also like the sound of Perth weather better.

Do you have long to
make your decision? Were you head hunted or actively looking for a job from here, just wondering what are chances of landing a job from UK before we land? Good luck wherever you end up, hope it works for you.

I was looking for a job and it took 2 weeks from interview to offer but the Sydney job is not one that many would want if I'm honest.
It's horrible heart says perth head says Sydney

My husband was recruited from overseas and we are on a 457 visa. I think it depends what area of IT you are in. There is a shortage of highly skilled IT here pretty much everyone he works with is from overseas.
We had the choice of Sydney Melbourne or Perth and chose Perth for the lifestyle it gives us with our 2 small boys plus we have had a much better summer then the east coast. My brother is in Sydney too, but he lives in Bronte and we would have had to live way out to be able to afford a house so there didn't seem much point.
I would find Joondalup and Butler too far out to commute but then it is a personal thing and what you are used to. I don't really know the costs of before/after school care but if you google it you should get an idea. The schools will dictate more where you live especially if you want to use the state schools.