lulu2014

Thanks for the comments, always great to get some opinions [emoji4] I am struggling to find out if our car seats have the Australian standard approval but I’m guessing if they don’t have a sticker or something on them then they most likely don’t have it! Can anyone explain what the anchor strap is? Is this something that is on the car seat for securing it into the car or is it in all cars in Australia? I guess it is still handy to take them for the initial journey and then for trips back home (unless we can use Australian seats in Uk - I don’t fully understand the anchor strap) rather than hiring each time but probably going to have to buy seats after we arrive too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for that [emoji4] so if police didn’t say anything who was it told you they were illegal? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Everyone Just looking for a bit of advice on car seats, I’ve seen posts saying that Uk car seats are illegal in Australia so it seems we have to buy car seats when we get there. (We have a 2 and 3 year old.) Just wondered did anyone take Uk car seats with them? I’m thinking it would be handy to get us from the airport to our accommodation on arrival and use them short term until we get car seats bought. Also we plan a few trips back to the uk and it would be useful to have them to take back and use in a hire car when we would be back. We are happy with the car seats we have and feel they are safe so it’s not that we are planning to risk safety, we are thinking of talking them just to get us from the airport really, I know that if we hire a car we can hire the carseats too but we have done that before and we were not happy with the quality of the car seats provided. The seats we have can be secured using a seatbelt so no iso fix or anything like that. Just wondered what others have done and if the majority opinion is to just leave there behind or did anyone take them and find they were useful, obviously we don’t want to break the law but I’d imagine the implications are more from an insurance point of view. Thanks [emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Thanks for the reply :) When you say long waiting lists do you have an estimate of how long? Should we be getting in touch with daycare centres before we arrive? Sounds like you are very happy in Duncraig so I will definately be looking up Jelly Beans & Marmion :) is there any reason you use 2 different daycare centres?

Sorry I've misunderstood I thought it would be a short term lease, I think we will aim to do something similar to what you did & get a rental for a few weeks & hopefully find a lease fairly quickly on arrival, I would say most likely your place will be gone before we get there! It is difficult to decide on an area, we are wanting to go for somewhere that has good daycare facilities for a 2 & 3 year old, perhaps there are good facilities in all suburbs but we don't really know so we haven't got very far on this decision!! We would ideally like to be close to the train line too so I suppose that's why we don't really want signing a year lease but 6 months is probably the shortest we will get, if that is even an option! We have been to Perth before & lived in Bateman for a while which is quite close to where you are (I think?!) so that is why I was interested, it seems like a lovely area :) Thanks for the good wishes :) still lots to do but excited to be finally making the move!!

Hi Jen I was delighted to read your post as we plan to move out in October & although we believe it is the best thing for us, (family of 4) we are nervous about making such a big move but reading your post has made me feel a lot more contented so thanks for sharing! I am so glad it has worked out for your family ? Re the rental is there much time left on the lease? We are thinking of an air bnb in the short term but if we could get a short term rental sorted easily before we arrive then that would be fab! I'm not sure that it's even possible to organise a rental without physically being there, we had thought it would be very difficult & that air bnb might be our best option, what did you do on arrival?

Hi Everyone I am looking for some recommendations for daycare for a 2 year old & 3 year old. Myself, husband & 2 kids plan to relocate to Perth (from Ireland) in October this year, we have not decided on a suburb as yet so I know that leaves the range very broad but we are wanting to move to an area with good childcare facilities & schools so all comments & advise is appreciated to help us trying to narrow it down. We want a nice family suburb, close to train line for access to the city but we have no idea about daycare centres & ultimately we want to ensure the kids are happy & settled into a good place so getting them sorted is key for us. Look forward to your replies ?

Hi Dan Sorry I can’t offer any advice, I hope that you’ve been able to find something suitable! I am writing to ask if you were able to get work? I’m asking because we (myself, husband and 2 kids) hope to come to Perth later this year and hubby is a plumber so we are keen to know what the job market is like for plumbers at the minute, if you can offer any advise we would appreciate it [emoji4] Best of luck with getting the plumbing license! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Chay1123 I thought we only needed police clearance if we lived in a country for 12 months or more, we were only in Oz for 11 months so I think we are ok on this one but I will double check that, thanks!

Hi Chay1123 You had a really fast turnaround on your application, that was great! As far as I know Accountants are now on Schedule 2 on the WASMOL so I am not eligible for WA state sponsorship without a job offer which I don't have :ssign8:I think this will leave the processing of my application much slower unfortunately! I would love to get sponsorship as this would mean that the application would get priority and we have already decided that we want to go to Perth. Having spent time there we are sure that Perth is where we want to settle. Have you been to Perth before? I am sure now that your travel date is getting close it is getting more exciting as well as a bit daunting, try not to worry too much about getting work, it can be hard not to but worrying won't change the job prospects so enjoy the experience Have you looked into the job market? Try http://www.seek.com.au - it would give you an idea of the jobs currently available. I think I will make a start on the From 80 and PCC so that we have it ready when requested, we are hoping that we could have a visa grant this year but with the current time frames for processing I don't know if that is realistic. This is probably a silly question but is the form 80 to be submitted for all persons on the visa or just the main applicant? It is just me and my husband going but I am not sure if the form 80 is required for both of us - I assume so! I will get going on the list of travel for the last 10 years, I would be lost on this one without emails!!

Hi Chay1123 Congratulations on your new arrivals! I don't know if it will be of any benefit to transfer my qualifications. I was in Perth last year and I worked as an accountant for two different companies, these were short term contract roles and not permanent but from my experience UK & Irish Accountancy qualifications are well regarded in Perth and transferring qualifications is an extra cost with little benefit in my opinion. Is there any reason that you only sent the skills assessment letter with your visa application and not the work experience assessment? I have both so was going to submit both (assuming I get invited to apply!). How far in the process did you go yourself before engaging an agent? I am still going it alone but I do get nervous when I read other posts about applications being rejected for reasons that could have been avoided. I am confident with my EOI but I worry that the actual application is going to be very complex and I don't want my application to be rejected for any reason. Lucky you heading off in October! I wish we were further along in the process, how long did it take you to get an invite after EOI was submit and have you any advise that might help speed up the process for me? I see a lot of conversations about Form 80, did you have to complete this? I think I might start to complete it so that if it is needed there are no delays. Myself & hubby were in Perth last year so if I can give you any info that will help with the move let me know

Hi Chay1123 I have submitted my references to CPA as they will provide an assessment of work experience as well as skills assessment and there is no extra charge for this. When did you make the move? I hope you have settled in well. How do you find the job market in Perth? I had considered the 190 visa but because Accountants are now on schedule 2 a job offer is needed, as far as I know all schedule 2 occupations need a job offer now for WA state sponsorship which is unfortunate for us! Did you complete the visa application yourself or did you use an agent?

Hi Laura I would appreciate that, thanks! I think it is probably fine to submit as it is, I can't see why I would be asked for backup to work experience which is not relevant but reading some forums I do start to worry about the consequences of just assuming and I wouldn't want to miss out on getting a visa over something like that!! I hope you get your skills assessment soon, I am hoping to have the EOI in for the next round of invitations but that will depend on when I get the skills assessment letter. Let me know how you are getting on & feel free to message me if I can help with anything. Lou

Hi Laura I just wondered how you are getting on with the visa process? It took me longer than expected to get all certificates, references etc but I eventually got everything and I have submitted my application for skills assessment. I expect to have the result in the next week or so and hopefully I can then submit the EOI. Have you completed the EOI? I have it completed online but not submitted so as soon as I get the skills assessment I am ready to go! I am a bit unsure about the employment section, did you input all employment for the last 10 years or only employment which you are claiming points for? I have completed it for everything however it is not all relevant as in there is 8 months work experience in Oz which I won't get points for & I am wondering if perhaps I should omit the positions which are not relevant because I don't have much backup for these positions. I assumed backup wouldn't be requested from DIAC as I don't actually get points for it but perhaps it is better to leave out than have an issue -any opinions on this? Hope all is going well for you!

Hi Lauranewman I had a look on the immi website and it does look like accountants are all grouped together so maybe there aren't individual ceilings, if there are I know I can't find them! Looking at the skills assessment criteria for management & general are pretty similar, the general descriptions vary but the bullet point criteria are the same. I should just pick a category and get on with it, I am probably reading too much into it!!! The IELTS was surprising for sure!!! I assumed it would be a breeze but its harder than you would expect! I got an average of 8.5 but only got 7 in writing, it is enough for the skills assessment but if I had got an 8 I would get 20 points instead of 10 so that's a pity! I don't think I will do it again though, I have 30 points for age, 10 for IELTS, 15 for qualification & 15 for experience (hopefully) so I have enough to get me through. I will have to get my reference letter sorted next week & I can complete my online application and hopefully have my skills assessment in a few weeks! It will be good to have the EOI submitted and hopefully get an invitation fairly soon...

Hi SusanFrako I didn't realise the assessment was free of charge if I became a member, thats good to know! I must just ask them about that. I would agree with you about the abundance compared to the UK, I am actually in Northern Ireland but there are so few jobs around I feel I have no choice only stay where I am currently, which is a place I really am not happy! Hopefully things will be good when we get to Perth.... Good luck with the interviews next week

Hi Lauranewman Glad to find someone at the same stage as us! Hopefully we can help each other along the way.... That is great you can get the references etc without anyone really knowing, I can't really do that unfortunately but I suppose I could say its for updating my CPA status, good idea! Have you completed the online application? I was in the process but I am not sure which code to select. It seems that the assessment is very specific and I don't want to be declined over choosing the wrong code. Is your background management accounting or do you have a mixture? I had spoke to a few agents & their fees are crazy, more than the cost of the actual visas! I know it would be worth it to get the visa but if it is not necessary then I would rather use the money towards flights etc. How did you find IELTS? Lou

Thanks for your reply. I can become a member of CPA Australia through a mutual recognition agreement - maybe this is something you could do with CPA instead of having to sit 4 exams? I am not sure what accountancy bodies they have the MRA's with but it is something you might want to look into. For the visa application I still need to have my skills assessed as far as I understand so becoming a member is something I would do when in Australia although I found from being in Perth last year that my qualification wasn't really questioned much, nobody seemed interested in it as long as I was qualified and had the relevant experience. I was in Perth for about 10 months & only had contract roles so I know it is very different from looking for a permanent role. How are you finding the job market in Perth at the moment?

Hi I have just joined, I am a CPA just starting out on the 189 visa process & I wondered if any of you have arrived in Perth on this visa & if so did you apply as a general accountant or a management accountant or something else? I have just posted on another thread & I don't want to be confusing anybody asking the same questions again but if there is anybody who can give me some advise on the visa process I would really appreciate it. I have lots of questions!!! I was in Perth in 2013 for about 10 months (on a WHV) and I secured two contract management accountant roles in that time. I was able to get both roles relatively easy, both through agencies but I very much felt that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time as on both occasions the employer needed somebody immediately & I was available at the time. I hope that when we return I will be able to find work as easily! From talking to agencies it seems that the job market is very competitive and it can be difficult to get a permanent role but they did say that this time of year is generally quiet and September is usually when things pick up, I didn't get any reason as to why things pick up in September though! Thanks

Hi I'm new, hope you don't mind me joining in I am an accountant and I have just started the 189 visa process for myself and my hubby & I wondered if you could give me some advise? We decided that I would be the main applicant because my hubby is a plumber and the skills assessment for an accountant seems much more straight forward and is also a lot quicker to process. I have just completed the IELTS and I am preparing references etc for my skills assessment with CPA Australia. I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind helping me out: I have been in touch with CPA Australia about assessing my experience as well as my qualification and they can do both. My question is do I need a reference from my current employer to have this done or can I provide my CV, job description & that type of thing? I want to get the correct documents to CPA so that the assessment is not delayed however I don't want to notify my current employer that I am leaving until I get an invitation to apply. Most of my experience is with my current employer (5+ years) so CPA may not accept documents other than a reference - I did contact CPA but they didn't really answer my question they just referred me to the website. I am not sure if I should have my skills assessed as a general accountant or a management accountant - I would say I fall somewhere between the two (probably more management accountant though). I trained in practice and then moved into industry which is a mixture of management and general accounting so I have experience in both areas. I am not sure how much detail is gone into in the skills assessment but I don't want to be declined for selecting the wrong category. I had initially thought I would select management account but I heard that the number of accountants being invited to apply is limited and I wondered if there is any way to confirm if either general accountants or management accounts are more restricted for invitations before I make a decision. Also can you tell me how you found the visa process? We are planning to do everything ourselves without an agent and I have spent a lot of time researching it and think I should be ok to do it myself but I have not done anything like this before and all feedback is welcome Any information you can provide would be a great help. Thanks