Am I too old to move to Australia? What Visa do we need?

[moana86]

I’m 34 and DH is 37. DC is 6 & 7.

He would get a job offer first. And then we’d follow.

Hoping to stay with family until we find a place to live. Near Melbourne

If anyone has made the move - how much did it cost? Also, I’m relatively scared of spiders. 😆

Obviously this won’t be for a few years because of Coronavirus (so we’ll be even older when we might move)

Cheers

I don't know the specifics but if Aus is anything like NZ you will be assessed on a point basis based on: qualifications, specialist nature of your DH's job, years of experience as well as age (less points the older you get with an upper cut off by around 50 is think). You might need lower points or none at all if it's a job in an area where they need skills or in specific rural locations.

My employer did all my visa stuff but applications were around £4000 for two of us including v expensive medicals. Sending contents of a one bed flat to Auckland cost is £6000 and then flight tickets at around£1000 each one way so £12,000 for two to move. Then there's expensive temporary accommodation etc while you look for a rental. House prices are crazy in Sydney by the way.

I lived in Sydney for a year and never saw a spider!

Also unless your DH is very specialist role his skills very in demand you might find it very difficult to find a job from the UK. Aussies are very keen to employ Aussies particularly now with the economic impact of Covid.

Everyone I know who has made an Antipodean move has either picked up a role as part of a working holiday visa when younger or like me had a transfer within a global company. The latter means the costs are picked up by the employer too which won't be covered otherwise unless your DH negotiates a relo package.

Start here to see if there's a visa that covers your situation and work from there. Probably a good idea to get an immigration advisor too as it gets very complicated very quickly!

immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia

Thanks for replying! Luckily DH keeps getting headhunted for roles in Australia at a decent wage - although his role isn’t on “the list” & they offer to pay for his visa too. This is the bit that confuses me.

I think it’s scary but my Australian cousin thinks it’s hilarious. She’s always flying between the Uk and Australia (pre covid) so she’s very much like “what’s the big deal? Just do it”

And the expense! We have a 3 bed house worth of stuff.

Okay well you are in a good place then! Sounds like you would be on a sponsored type visa but there are loads of types with different requirements! Browse the eligibility requirements on Immi for Skilled Migrant visas and see if they seem to stack up. You could ask the question on a Aus immigration message board. They are usually populated by ex immigration advisers who could help but consider an immigration adviser

Yes emigrating costs a lot but now you are aware your DH will need to negotiate a relo package! Some friends have managed to get all costs covered. I got all visa charges paid for direct by my employer and they reimbursed flights, paid for two weeks temp accommodation and gave me $4k to shipping costs so about 80%.

Having said that there are sooo many unknown additional costs that stack up. New cars was one we didn't account for! Extending temp accommodation, paying more in rent. Replacing furniture we didn't bring (as it was knackered!) and remember shipping containers can take months to arrive. We were without any furniture for nearly 4 months so had to buy essentials like crockery, basic furniture (we moved our outdoor seating and tables in and out the house according to weather and time of day as it was all we had). Beds we couldn't wait for and had to buy new, plus furniture in Aus and NZ is excruciating (plus no IKEA in NZ!)

I've travelled between Aus/NZ and Uk so many times now it's like taking a train ride for us! There are NO redeeming features to a flight that long in economy though. You learn coping mechanisms! It's bloody expensive though and not worth it unless you are going back to the UK for at least three weeks. Same goes for any visitors to you so don't leave with the expectation you'll have lots of reunions!

Despite the logistical nightmare and upheaval though it's the best thing I've ever done and all my friends around the globe who've made the move agree. There's always always the ability to go back if you hate it but you'll kick yourself if you don't take up an opportunity!

Definitely not too old and your kids are at such an age that they can easily adapt.

Just to make sure you do your research and go with Plan A, Plan B...

Not too old, but be aware that even when headhunted if the job isn't on the required skills list then you will likely end up with a temporary visa and will pay for education with no access to Medicare.

If you go on the border force website you should be able to find out what you need but be aware of additional costs like health insurance and schooling which you might not pay currently in the U.K.

Also, as a word of warning, don’t move somewhere ‘near’ a city (unless it’s basically a suburb that once wasn’t part of the city but now has been engulfed by it like Hampstead is to London). Australia isn’t like Britain, if you want reasonable access to anything you need to live in a city. I know that people live in towns here but it’s nothing like living in towns in Britain, it’s not for the faint hearted.

@ispepsiokay all British people can enroll in Medicare regardless of what visa they hold because there is a reciprocal healthcare agreement between Australia and the U.K. for OPs benefit though:Medicare is not comprehensive, you’ll still have to insure yourselves.

Never like now have I felt so stuck in Australia. We take our ability to travel for granted and it is when it is taken away that you realise you are a prisoner on an island. Because of covid, borders are closed, flight are getting less and less every week I can't wait for the travel ban to be lifted , I feel so far from my family in France. we can't go anywhere. In Europe, we would have options, the car, a ferry , a train, but here without flights you go nowhere.
When International travel will be allowed again, prices are likely to be very high and it wasn't cheap before.
This awareness is a very strange feeling and it strengthen my desire to move back to Europe once all the kids have finished school.

I have always felt the isolation of Australia,. Yes we can and we do go to New Caledonia and other parts of the Pacific region, and we do (well not this year) go back to Europe at least once a year. But when we go back it is to visit both sets of grandparents who miss us dearly, and I don't do with them what I would really like to do like showing the kids Greece, visit Capitals , Sicily, Switzerland. We try to squeeze a 3 day visit somewhere but because our "long" (very short) summer holiday are mainly January when family is either at work or school, the weather is beurck, it is cold and dark we go in July during the 2 weeks term holiday, but it is very short.

Summer in Europe is so beautiful.

Well I guess I just feel very homesick this morning. So to bring something I will add that life is very sweet for the kids here. They stay kids for longer