advice needed please

[dad2girls]

Hi Im Joanne and im posting this on behalf of my husband DavidMy hubby and i have applied for a visa and are not sure where to move to. Its between perth or brisbane. We originally wanted to go to perth but a friend has told us that it is so expensive and that brisbane is just like perth only cheaper. Does any one know if this is true? And how much on average does a carpenter/joiner get wage wise?

We also have another issue, We have just found out that our 2 yr old daughter may have Williams Syndrome which means she may be slightly mentally handicapped, I.E will excell in some things like walking/talking,but may need help in others like reading or painting. There may be a risk of her getting diabetes when she is in her late teens too. Will this affect our visa?

I have so many other questions and would be really grateful if anyone couls advise us.

Thanks

Jo

[harrison family]

Hi JO

I have only just joined perth poms but i have so many q too. I think Perth is not as humid as brisbane, i have family in sydney, adelaide and perth and they all say that brisbane is too humid even in winter !

The other issue you have with your daughter. Our daughter who is 12 has Cerebral Palsy which means she is in a wheelchair, we were advised to get as many documents from Doctors and therapists who are treating her so that we have it for our medical evidence. I think the more your prepared the easier it will be (so we have been told). I hope that helps a little bit.

kind Regards

Sallie (mum) Lee (brickie) Frankie (teen) Kirsty (teen)

[ali]

Hi, we found that Perth is quieter than Brisbane and certainly less humid. We actually visited QLD and chose Perth to migrate too. We haven't been disappointed with our choice.

Ali

[dad2girls]

Hi thanks for that.
Harrison family, what are you doing about school when you get over there? i read that the government assess how much it will cost them for any medical treatments needed or special schools and if it is over a certain amount then the visa will be declined.
David is a joiner and has noticed that Lee is a brickie. has he got any work lined up? What do you do sally?

[dad2girls]

Ali what made you choose Perth?

[ali]

climate, the fact that it's less populated than the other states. My daughter thought that because it's described as 'isolated' we wouldn't see anyone.

[harrison family]

Hi Jo,
We had friends who went to perth in October 2007, and they knew another british family that migrated 1yr before them with a child with dissabilities and they advised me that as long as I gather as much info on Kirsty and her future expected needs from her doctors and therapists ( Ask them to be as positive as possible). I have also contacted the Princess Margerat Hospital in perth and have got a Consultant who is happy to take over Kirsty's care if and when we get to Perth. Kirsty attends a mainstream school here and fortunatley is on a par with her peers academically.
If you gon on to the wa education wbsite it gives you a bit of information on special education needs.
It is just such a nerve racking time anyway never mind with a child that has special needs !

One bit of advice i was given was once Lee had got his trade acepted (nearly there) then go for our medicals first as they are cheaper than the actual visa's. But i think if we are that keen then we will appeal.

I help Lee with running our own Building Business here at home I do it for love !!! and the odd treat (so he tells me).
We have heard that apparently Brickies can earn up to $1800.00 a week that would be great. and we wouldn't have any of the paperwork.

I am just trying to be optimistic about the whole thing and just keep our fingers crossed.

hopefully speak to you soon.

Sally

[pizda63]

Hi all,

My name is Peter Vinci Born and Raised in Fremantle Western Australia. I have met many Poms looking for property either to Rent or Buy within the area. The question asked by many is information about the market prior too migrating to Australia.

I am offering my knowledge to all on any aspects of Renting or Buying within this large state of Western Australia.

All questions will be answered

Post your question or send me an Email.

peter@pfrofessionalsfremantle.com.au

Real Estate Western Australia - Property - Professionals Fremantle - Fremantle - Professionals WA (http://www.professionalsfremantle.com.au/)

[peachy]

Hi

You will still have paperwork I'm afraid. Your husband will need to be GST registered (VAT) and make quartely payments. It's much the same as being a subby in the UK. Pain in the .....!

My Husband is a Carpenter/joiner and we also used to run a building company in he UK, so if you need any further advice on issue like the blue card etc.. please let me know.

Gina

[harrison family]

Hi Gina,

Thanks for that info on being a subby ! We thought he would be employed by a builder perhaps on there books does it not work like that ? any info you have on getting started would be great, we would really appreciate it.

Kind regards

Sallie

[dad2girls]

Hi any info you can give will be great, like how easy is it to get a job as a joiner/carpenter? whats the wages like? how do you get a blue card, and anything else that can help
cheers
Jo

[peachy]

Hi Sallie and Jo

Sallie - Nice to hear from someone in Bucks! I grew up in MK.

Blue card - Everyone that works on site in Oz needs a Blue card. You attend a half days lesson on site saftey and then sit a fairly simple test. There are lots of places you can take the test and they are generally advertised in the local papers.

Wages - If you choose to become employed you have two options. Either work for a large company like Mirvac or Doric. These pay a low wage and are run by the unions. Think 1970's UK. Or work for an agency, again low wages, around $30ph. If you work as a subby you can expect to start on about $35ph whilst you learn 'the Aussie way' and can set your sights on as much as $55ph.

As in the UK, you will be expected to have indemnity insurance, about $50pm and sometimes illness/disability cover, about $200pm for $52000.00 cover.

Carpentry - It's differnet from the UK. One person does one job. For instance, you could be the man that hangs doors! Carpenters do not do all of first and second fix. Also, there are no skirtings or window boards and the door linings and architrave are made of metal!
It can be a little difficult for an old school carpenter to come to terms with!

Site supervisor - You won't be able to do this unless you study in Australia for thier qualification in supervising.

There are a lot of jobs availible, it's just a little hard to find something that you enjoy.
Best wishes
Gina:p

[harrison family]

Hi gina,

Thanks for that info it sounds better to be a subby ! we wondering is there a lot of work for Brickies ?

We are also wondering what is the best area to look at moving too. We have friends that have recently moved to Mindarie in the North West and they love it ! but they have a 2year old. We have 16yr old and 12 year old girls and they need there social life !!! a bit like Lee and I (obviousley we would like to be in a good school catchment area as well).
Francesca (16yr old) goes to school in Milton Keynes at moment she loves it where abouts did you live in MK ?

Thanks again for your help.

kind regards

sallie

[peachy]

Hi Sallie

I lived in Great Linford until I was 21, then moved to Witney, Oxon.
Work for Brickies is excellent. Most of the houses only have one lift and all of the internal walls are solid and not stud work. This time of year the heat is a bit intense, to say the least, but most trades start really early and finish by 2.00pm.

I know more about south of the river than north, but the suburbs directly north of Perth feel just like MK (without the good shops!) Estate after estate of new homes. Woodvale has a very good school. It scores higher than most of the private schools. There are some nice new estates just east of Fremantle, not coastal, but worth a look as they link brilliantly to both Fremantle and Perth. They also have a lot of building work in progress so probably good for your husband.

Moving south, you have an area called Kwinana. Has lots of social housing, Think of the Lakes Estate, Bletchley. Then there is Warnbro and Rockingham, think Bletchley. Although of course much prettier and with a lovely foreshore.

Further south you have Secret harbour, Golden Bay, Singleton, Silver Sands and Madora Bay. Very nice, no social housing and coastal. If you like things to feel towny it's a very good location, although not so good for night life!

Finally there's Mandurah, very nice to visit, but again, lots of social housing.

If money was no object, I would live in Fremantle, wonderful place, or Scarborough Beach. But of course the most desirable places are always the most expensive.
The best rule of thumb to go by is to avoid the cheaper area's, as in the UK the more expensive, the better the area.
Best Wishes
Gina

[dad2girls]

Hi Peachy
thanks for the info. Did your hubby go straight for subbying? How easy is it to get a job as a subby? What about the work is there a lot of work about? Its so good to talk to someone who has done it

Jo

[harrison family]

hi gina,

Thanks for the housing info it is great of you. You wouldn't recognise MK now the actual shopping centre has trebled in size.

I will speak to you soon.

Best wishes

Sallie