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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

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Original poster

Studying in Australia with two kids...

17 replies

maamajullah · 06/05/2009 08:42

Hello,
I'm planning to study for a degree in Australia and i'm planning of course to go with my two small children . Please tell me about Sydney, and any useful information regarding my situation.Visas too.thanx

OP posts:

Original poster

maamajullah · 06/05/2009 14:55

bump

OP posts:

inscotland · 07/05/2009 06:49

Can't help with Sydney as we've only visited but we are heading to Perth on student visas. You can only apply for visas 4 months prior your course starting. You need to have been accepted onto your course and paid at least your first term's fees and health cover before you can apply for your visa. You then need to get medicals and police checks.

Once your visa has been granted you can only enter australia 1 month prior to the course starting. There are restrictions on the hours you can work which is 20 per week although unlimited outwith course term time.

If you have a partner going with you they too can only work 20 hours per week however, I think there are different rules for a degree so those hours may be full time but you would need to check that.

How old are your children? You may need to pay for school fees if they are at primary level which is very expensive as you won't get any help.

Good luck!

Original poster

maamajullah · 07/05/2009 20:07

Thanks alot inscotland. I've never been to Australia myself. I have an almost two year old and a Seven month old. So please from what you've seen of Sydney do you think it's a nice place to study and raise kids as well? Why did you choose Perth?

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sunnydelight · 08/05/2009 00:09

We're in Sydney and it's an amazing place to live, but unless you already have enough money to support yourself and your kids while you study I suggest you really do your homework as it is expensive. Have a look on the British Expats website as you will get more of the specific information you will need there. Also look at the Australian immigration dept. website for the specifics of a student visa. For an idea of housing costs look on domain.com.au or realestate.com.au.

Who is going to look after the kids while you study? Childcare for little ones can be difficult to find and it is much more expensive than the UK. On a student visa you won't be entitled to any kind of financial help (there's no child benefit as such here anyway). My kids were older when we arrived so I don't know about long daycare fees, but for preschool (usually from 3) it's anything from $50 a day up (9am-3pm). I know a lot of expats here looking for work at the moment who are struggling to find anything (and they have no work restrictions), so even if you are allowed to work 20 hours a week it may not be that easy to find something.

I don't mean to be all doom and gloom. Sydney is a fantastic place to live and I think it is a brilliant place to raise kids. There is lots of free and outdoors stuff to do, the weather is better than the UK (but don't think it's endless sunshine, we've been surprised at how many rainy days you get, though thankfully not usually too cold), and Australians are a pretty friendly bunch. Obviously I have no idea what your life is like in the UK, but I guess you need to think about what you are hoping to get out of the experience of living and studying here and then working out if that will be possible. Good luck

Original poster

maamajullah · 08/05/2009 01:23

Thanks sunnydelight. Someone suggested Canberra and i just checked it out online. They make everything sound so easy. And yes i intend to use daycare for the kids. I just came out of a very exhausting marriage and now i'm on my own with my kids. Fortunately we will be supported by my family financially. I just want a nice, different environment to concentrate on my studies and kids. Did you have to visit Australia before deciding to relocate? Is life in Canberra easier than in Sydney do you know?

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savoycabbage · 08/05/2009 01:50

Hi, I have just moved to Melbourne. There is no problems with getting childcare here at all. I have read on other threads that it is a problem in Sydney though. I had never been to Melbourne before we moved here although we had lived in Sydney before, far in our childless past! I have never been to Canberra. I don't think that there is much there.

If your family is going to help you out financially then I wouldn't panic. You do have to pay for a lot of things here that we take for granted at home. Everything medical, childcare, school books. But that is no reason not to come.

Original poster

maamajullah · 08/05/2009 02:11

Hi,savoycabbage. What's the weather like over there? Are you studying or working?

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Original poster

maamajullah · 08/05/2009 02:32

And please what Universities will you recommend in both Sydney and Melbourne?

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savoycabbage · 08/05/2009 03:46

I'm neither. I am a SAHM. I don't know about the universities. I drove past one last night on the way to the shopping centre and it looked like a cheese grater but that's not the sort of information you need! What course do you want to do?

It's getting a bit chilly here now. Melbourne but not as cold as at home of course.

inscotland · 08/05/2009 08:17

Hiya

We're going to Perth because our family is already out there. I loved Sydney but Perth is our prefered city. Some find it a bit isolated though. I second using the british expats forum. Very informative. What course are you planning on doing? It also needs to be CRICOS registered. Just google CRICOS and it will come up. You will then be able check that your course meets all of the requirements. That may well also dictate what city you go to if the course is run there.

Although you need to pay for daycare for your children at least it is not school level as that is very expensive to the tune of around £8,000 which needs to be paid upfront.

If you have the finacial backing then I'd say go for it. It is such a fantastic opportunity for you and the children. Having our little boy and him being tiny over the winter months and us not being able to go anywhere finally made my husband decide on the course he is doing. Give me a shout if you need anymore help. I've been researching this for a few months now so I think I have a good grasp on how things are going to work.

inscotland · 08/05/2009 08:19

here is the CRICOS site

cricos.deewr.gov.au/?Redirect=Y

and the expats site

britishexpats.com/forum/

inscotland · 08/05/2009 08:19

oooh and your course must be for a minimum of 2 years or 94 weeks to qualify.

smugaboo · 08/05/2009 10:55

what do you want to study maamajullah?

Original poster

maamajullah · 08/05/2009 13:51

i want to study for a Bachelor of Education(Early childhood/primary)

OP posts:

inscotland · 08/05/2009 15:40

I think you will have your choice of states then. Good luck!

Original poster

maamajullah · 08/05/2009 21:08

Yes indeed. But right now i'm more inclined to Melbourne. Especially after hearing there are no problems with childcare there.
Thanks alot all of you. I'm getting so excited about the whole thing.

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chloeb2002 · 18/05/2009 21:26

Hi brisbane has some good unis and even with abc goung under childcare isnt too bad.. have you considered an au pair? chea[er than childcare and if you can find n elike our current one they are awesome... good company if you are on your own with dc's and will enjoy the adventure with you!Brisbane has three main unis.. QUT, UQ and sunshine coast uni. all have a good reputation. I work with nusring students from all of them..

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