Anyone Migrating to Australia?

[nnchander]

hi Gingerale,
Aiya... if i'd known earlier that was you, would have stayed awhile longer to chat... yup we were there... we took a cab back just after you and your hubby arrived

What a small world! So, when are you going over? Hubby out with Dan and Alex today lor... to catch the Sing-Info soccer game at the stadium...

Hi Mrfish,
Grapevine's steaks are good...should try it

BTW, where are you teaching now? I'm also an EL and Lit teacher... though I prefer EL to lit

Was a Linguistics major lah... been trying to psyche the management to let me teach EL only... but no luck

Teaching is getting to be really stressful now.... so looking forward to gg to Aus ....

 

[septembre]

mr fish ok. Yar it's a difficult decision to make when it comes to bread and butter. But just sick of Singapore. I've always don't like Singapore, so it's easier for me to make the decision to go over.

Andrea, by end of next year hve to go already. But we are thinking of going earlier if job offers come earlier. You going to look for job or find from singapore?

Haha yar. Are you are soccer fan as well? I'm not a fan. haha. Cos I feel restless sitting down to watch them chase after a ball. haha.

Yes my hubby keep harping about the steak at Grapevine and wanting me to go try. I hven't tried it. Seldom join them cos they stay until so late. I like the place cos it's so cosy and it's out of the buzz of the city right.

Mr Bikki! yes we can go shopping with your wifey. ;D I like to go Kmart to just see see and look look too. haha.

 

[mrfishisacat]

hey hey

andrea> i teach in a crummy neighbourhood sch in woodlands area. but why do u want to teach EL that much??? so much marking! i'm always knee deep in marking, it sickens me... yeah, its getting really stressful to teach here in SG. which was why i was so ready to drop everything here to fly to aus to slow down my pace of life. when i was in perth, we were playing mini golf at joondalup and we saw this bunch of primary kids with their parents on a sch field trip, playing mini golf on a weekday! so nice! bet that won't happen here... schools here only know how to force them to study.

maybe can go visit u guys there when i go for a holiday. hehe. how long did your PR get processed?

 

[bikki]

Hi gingerale, mr fish & Andrea

Just to share that there's this new forum where there are some S'porean women who migrated to Australia are in there. They share about cooking and home. My wife's in it too! Maybe you can network there as well!

http://recipe.proboards27.com/index.cgi?action=logout

gingerale, my wife will be so happy for you to go shopping with her! Like you, she also likes to see see & look look!!

 

[fern]

Hi guys and gals, I'm back! Had a really long break over the christmas/ New year period and used that time to move house. Me and hubby now rent an apartment near the city.
Anyone here in Queensland or the city of Brisbane?! I'm bored and homesick! Especially during the festive seasons, i miss my family so much!

Before coming over, I was really looking forward to it, and feeling so sick of Singapore---of all the human traffic, work pressures, crowded public transport, etc etc.
But now I'm homesick, I miss the good and cheap local foods we had, the cheap clothes and shoes everywhere...
But on the brighter side, me and hubby are planning for a visit back to Singapore this year and I can't wait! Funny isn't it...

There must be an atmosphere of CNY in Singapore right now...with CNY music blaring in shops and red clothings up for sale! There is no such thing here...and i'll be working when you guys are celebrating CNY!

Hey bikki, thanks a lot for that forum, i'll go take a look!

 

[bikki]

Hi Fern
I am bikki's wife. After i read your post, i know i want to write to you. I can empathise with you. I have been through that stage. I was a student in Brisbane for 4 years. Then i was very homesick, maybe becos i was younger and alone there with no kin.

The 1st year here in Perth (where i am now), i was missing alot of the things in SG as mentioned by you. Now i am more settled here. Last year when i went back to SG, i was surprised that i no longer like life there as much as i thought. Yes, CNY is no big celebration here, but what's important is celebrating with our loved ones. To us, we still have reunion dinner here as in SG, but not necessary it has to be on CNY's eve as most are working. So we cater to all by finding a time closer to CNY to have the reunion.

Now i make new friends via the net with people who have migrated or with similar interests. We chat and give support to one another.

Fern, can i link you up? You can go to that forum as stated & send me a PM. My user name there is min.

Cheer up, Fern! Better and brighter days are ahead of you.

Take Care

 

[damsel]

Hi bikki,
can I join the forum as well, will be leaving for Aust in Mar and as you mention I'll need all the support I can get as I leave my family and frens behind and cope with being homesick.

 

[septembre]

Hi Fern

Cheer up ok. Actually sometimes I do feel a little homesick thinking of what my friends are doing back home. Always feel very happy when friends are visiting. Give yourself sometime to assimilate into the environment and culture.

Mr Bikki thanks for link! Hi Mrs Bikki! Nice to see you here.

 

[bikki]

Hi damsel
Pls join the forum. The more the merrier!

To all, remember when you are homesick wherever you are, there's always us on the net giving you the support.

 

[snoozy]

Hi everyone..

Thanx Fern for pointing out this thread to me. I didnt realise there is such thread when i first post here, cos the forum seen to be abit messy.

Anyway.. now back to the topic.. i need some advise here. Thing goes like that :
Currently i m living wif my finace in melbourne. He decide to apply PR for me but the problem is how abt going to do this. I have been travelling from singapore to australia few times
November 2004 when i came over to australia , i got question by the immigration officer asking me why i keep on going to australia. So i told him, i was with my finace and this time back, we going to apply for PR. The officer told me if you apply in singapore, it takes few mths and if you apply in australia, it can take up to 3 years. Is that true? So now my question is the processing of PR will be faster if we apply after we get married or Can we apply it and get married within the next 9 mths. Yesterday, we went to the immigration office. After asking few questions, we still dont know where to start >.<

Anyone here got this problem before? YOurs help is much appreciated..

 

[clodie]

Hi all,

Was toying with the idea of getting an Aust PR, but heard abt their tough selection and procedures. Is it true? How shd I go abt doing it?

 

[fern]

Hey gals, you should go to this website to see how you can apply for migration:
http://www.immi.gov.au/

Snoozy, you can apply under de-facto spouse visa category. You don't get your PR status immediately i believe.

I applied under the spouse category, and got my visa in 6weeks. I applied in Singapore, and I had to be in Singapore when the visa was granted. That means if I were in Australia when the visa was granted, i had to fly back to Singapore and show a re-entry date on my passport after i got the visa.

I will be eligible for PR status after 2years of holding spouse visa. they are different.
The spouse visa allows me to work in OZ, but have to pay taxes!

Hopes this helps.

 

[snoozy]

thanx fern.. but seen like the procedure for applying is getting more and more complicated, more and more tough

 

[fern]

Hi Mrs Bikki,
thanks for your words of kindness and encouragement. I have been to the forum today.
Hope to see you there soon!

 

[septembre]

Hi Snoozy

You are here. So you didn't find out anything concrete huh.

Fern have you heard anything about what Snooze said? Faster to apply in Spore than in Oz. You aware of it?

 

[snoozy]

Hi gingerale..

yeah.. i m here.. fern mention about this thread.. so i came over here.

Well... i dont seen to find anything useful after i went to immigration office, when we reach there, we somehow forget what we want to ask , so end up still back to square 1 . Veri disappointed... my finace is quite depressed now. Btw as what you mention i said abt getting pr faster if you apply in singapore, this no guarantee... it the officer who told me this. Ggggggrrrrrrrrr.... >.< i reali dont know what to do now...

 

[mspiggy]

hello everyone,
i'm back

after my trip (melb), i have been busy with work

my trip is quite fruitful, 2 job agencies called me up. but so sad, i can't stay longer for the interview. seems like it's quite easy to secure an interview in melb.

gingerale, i stayed in bentley during my 1st yr then moved to vic park! maybe we were neighbours!!! hehehehe i stayed at Leonard St.

 

[bikki]

Hi Fern
My pleasure.

Yup, hope to see u in the forum one day.

Cheers
"mrs bikki"

 

[fern]

Snoozy, dun be intimidated by the procedures. Just determine what category you are eligible to apply under and go slowly from there.
I first found out that I was able to apply for spouse visa since my hubby is Aussie, and then collected all the documents they needed and submitted.

Did you talk to the immigrations in Australia or the one in Singapore? The ones in Singapore are actually quite helpful leh...

I can understand the frustrations of applying for the visa, but don't worry, it takes some time but should be ok.

 

[clodie]

Fern, i heard that its always more clear cut and better to apply via an agent, but it costs abt 3k in total. Is that true? Its better than applying myself direct and make some mistakes along the way that get my application rejected. Applying 2nd time is not good I know... (Ive seen the handbook and its really quite tedious.)

mspiggy, how did u apply for jobs there? are u a PR already? are they open to non PRs?

Thks

 

[fern]

Clodie, I did mine myself. It looks tedious, but i follwed all the instructions it was fine. If you made a mistake, eg left out something, the embassy will contact you and you just send it in!

I am holding a wife visa and not PR status, and it allows me to work here. Just apply for jobs as you normally would in singapore.

 

[septembre]

Hi msspiggy

Vic Park notorious area hor. I can't remember which street I live in already. haha. But I know it's near this cafe and a new apartment.

Today I wake up and suddenly thought why not apply jobs in Mel instead which I haven't really think about it. Keep thinking of Perth. It seems easier to get a job.

 

[nnchander]

Hi Gingerale,
how's the job search? I haven't had time to look at online searches, coz bn bz at work... think really ought to sacrifice some time for that, otherwise no job over there!

think opportunities in other states would be better, but sigh... still have our sights set on Perth, coz so familiar with it... will probably have to be prepared to make changes...

 

[mrfishisacat]

hihi...

i guess perth &amp; melbourne are very different isn't it? i found melbourne more cosmo compared to perth. and of course mel has more asians?

what draws u pple to perth? i really would like your take on this. cos i kind of prefer mel but my FH is in love with perth... sigh. =(

 

[nnchander]

Hmmm... I guess it's the overall experience when we were living there... just as students in Brisbance or Melbourne or even Tasmania would attest to having fallen in love with that particular state.

I do like Melbourne a lot too... i particularly enjoy shopping there

HAHA... but Perth is quieter, and slower-paced... Of course, it would be good to have Asian friends, but migrating to another country also means socialising with the people of that country. And if we go to Perth, we have a good mix of Asian and Aussie friends there

Another thing about Perth, is that it does have a lower cost of living compared to the other states...

But having said all that, we will go and settle wherever the jobs are...

 

[mspiggy]

hi gingerale, looking for a job in OZ from singapore is kinda tough. even the job agents told me that. i've tried many times but no reply.... maybe you will have better luck than me.

hi mr fish, i agree with Andrea. i also prefer perth to melb, might be due to my experience while we are there. very comfy with everything in perth now, driving ard, finding places to eat, to relax etc. i find that melb city is too crowded and quite 'messy' in a way.

 

[septembre]

Andrea haven't post in job search yet. I hven't even ask about the spouse PR.

mr fish, Andrea is right. we studied in Perth, so its the experience of living there. Never live in Mel, it is 2nd choice.

mspiggy what line are you in? I don't think my graphic skills can get me any jobs online. Not a single post! haha. Unless I go back to school for ask for jobs from tutors. But I'm thinking of switching to sales and marketing.

 

[snoozy]

Hi fern, thanx for the advise. This few days i was feeling very stress and unhappy about the rules and documents they need from us to apply for pr.. i kinda feel like giving up

 

[mspiggy]

gingerale, i'm in accounting &amp; finance. there's lots of posts but none called me up

 

[zheng]

Hi, really surprised to find this thread...I've got my PR.Can someone pls advise me how to get a job (draftman, construction designing or web designing) in perth?

 

[mrfishisacat]

hihi!

good luck to all of u who're looking for jobs!

i'm stuck in SG for now. so... bleah. =(

 

[septembre]

mispiggy you mean the agency in Perth didn't call you up right. But there are offers in Mel right?

Hi Zheng, welcome to this thread.
Do you have any experience?

 

[septembre]

mr fish, we post about the same time. haha.
Nevermind, maybe after a few years of working in Singapore, you guys might change your mind again.

 

[tulipblue]

Hi everyone,

just gotten my Aussie PR just a few days ago..actually applied under spouse category coz my hubby qualify for the points so used him as the main applicant...am planning to migrate to Melbourne eventually..not now coz customary will only be done later this year..thought maybe can join in this thread and know more people..

 

[septembre]

Hi Tulipblue welcome!

So happy to see someone who is migrating to Mel. I'm thinking of taking a trip to Mel. Why did you choose Mel over the other states?

 

[tulipblue]

hi gingerale..

heheh..when you taking a trip down to Melbourne? Hubby and i will probably go down this March coz he wants to see the airshow there...might as well so that we can kick start the PR!

Why Mel? coz me and hubby both studied there and we really love the cosmopolitan feel of Melbourne..been to Sydney and Brisbane but din really like it..how about u?

 

[septembre]

Tulipblue, i'm migrating to Perth. But recently I thought of going to Mel instead. So gonna gather as much info as possible about that place.

I'm not sure when I'm going down yet. Probably from next quarter of the year.

 

[yunme]

Hi ,

I am thinking of going to Australia too. However, it seems very diffcult to get jobs from here in Singapore. Any tips? I am in I.T.

 

[tulipblue]

Gingerale...how come the sudden thought of going to Melbourne? seems from this thread like a lot of people migrating/migrated to Perth...but i guess it all comes down to personal preferences..for my and hubby we like the lifestyle there..not too chaotic or too quiet..looks like you will be going down earlier than me..but if theres anything you need to know about Melbourne feel free to ask me coz i have been there for 2 years and hubby 4 years..

hi y u n me?
do you have aussie PR? if you dun then i think its rather difficult to get a job there...their umeployment rate is even higher than ours (but of coz due to their land size too) i think the hot jobs in demand there could be medical/accounts (im not sure if they have changed that)..i dun think there is much demand for IT personnel in Melbourne but perhaps you can try other states and find out more...

 

[mspiggy]

gingerale, yap no one called me from perth.

 

[septembre]

tulipblue, I dunno what came over me also. ;D Just that cos we studied in Perth, so natually it is our first choice and we didn't really look elsewhere. Also, we prefer a place that is more peaceful than chaotic. Then recently I've been talking to someone from Mel, and it just hit me why not consider Mel. Since it not too chaotic or quiet like you put it. I can live with that. haha.It's bigger than Perth so, the job market should be bigger too.

mspiggy, oh dear. But the 2 jobs was offered to you cos you applied when you are in Mel right. Perhaps we really need to go down to Perth to secure a job.

 

[icegoffy]

Hey all,

My expiry date for the aust pr is around 2007 so probably waiting till near expired then go over. in the meantime save more money and brainstorm on what biz' to setup there.

About mel , the rent is defnly much higher than perth, but probably its more fun cos u can go on a short trip to sydney or brisbane whereas perth is quite isolated, the most is drive up north Monkey Mia or down south to Augusta.

Anybody having the same pr expiry around 2007?

 

[septembre]

For those in the teaching profession.
http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/teaching/

 

[clodie]

Hey, was wondering what if I want to apply for jobs in Melb but I hv yet to get my PR? Is that possible?

And how long do I hv to wait before PR is approved? and Ive to stay 2 yrs out of 5 after I got the PR rite?

Thks

 

[nnchander]

Hi icegoffy,
My pr expiry is also 2007 (Oct, I think). We are akready pushing it quite to the limit, so planning to go over soon

 

[septembre]

Something to read
https://secure.migrationexpert.com/8-83.htm

Hi Clodie, chances of you securing a job in Oz w/o a PR is slim. Most would only hire PR. There maybe companies willing to hire non-PRs, you could be the lucky one.

 

[septembre]

Andrea when did you get yours? From what I know, the 2 years that we are supposed to clock doesn't have to be within the 5 years.

 

[tulipblue]

hi gingerale,

oic..well now that you are considering Melb, prob just drop by Melb and see whether you like the life there..heehee..i guess as students who studied in other states, when applying for PR normally will go back to where they hav studied..for me and hubby best is we can work and live in Melb but if there are other job opportunities in other states, that can be considered too..think about it yeah..

 

[snoozy]

Hi everyone, how life? reali envy that most of you got your pr or spouse visa already . I guess i will have a very difficult time apply for the visa, kinda giving up now.. How i wish that i can apply the visa without any problem.

 

[nnchander]

Hi Gingerale,
I think you are right too... but still we have to find a job before we get there, and clock the two years... but I just checked with my agent in Aus, and she sez that the immigrations are very strict about the 2 out of 5 years ruling...

If we go later, it just means that we have less opportunity to travel back and forth... but i suppose if we have a job there already, it won't pose too much of a prob