PerthAtHeart

Visa issues aside, the first thing to worry is getting Oz certification of your teaching credentials from the UK. I'm not a teacher myself but seen enough posts here on this issue that affects trades, nursing and many other professions. That's Oz style protectionism for you. ?

Hi Monks, are you getting on better? I could post your contact info on an immigrant FB group. They don't usually have tradies in their community and I often see posts asking for tradie recommends. They speak English alright. Pls PM me.

Since I am always dreaming about being able to take my flight to Perth (any flight will do! just need a visa) , I tend to run into such hilarious news: http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/06/04/qantas-passenger-doesnt-leave-seat-for-17-hour-flight.html

I was looking at business/investors visas at one point but backed out because it was impossible for me to show them a business track record. I suppose you are already better off becoz you got your visas, and now just need to invest. I know of a successful food court operator who would stake out a location for weeks and look at human traffic flows during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then he makes his bid and gets another cash cow under his belt. So I suppose there is no getting around the ground research.

@mike87 i've been lurking here for years n never come across your thread about something i loved doing when i was younger but had to give it up for practical reasons.- work, family, etc. though i suspect my non dancing partner may have something to do with it ? for those not in the know, swing/lindy is quietly thriving in most major cities around the world. (i know there are groups in SYD and MEL but not Perth, so i am really glad for you post!) It used to be quite big in the late 90s in the U.S. and was a counter culture to the then prevailing pessimistic 'alternative' music scene. There are many aspects of swing/lindy dancing, but i think the most important one is it helps keep your body fit and your mind sharp if you dislike monotonous forms of exercise. Jean Veloz, who performed during WW2, is 93. Here is she recreating her routine in 2017: Blighty has quite a following of dancers and some really fine swing dance bands. I think this band captured the essence of those heady 90s days heady in this tune. And yea, the band is Pommie. Enjoy!

We found and used a lot of online resources when we went with the British Council for our IELTS, mock tests, listening samples and the like. I feel there is only so much you can do to prep for an IELTS test, the dreaded portions being Writing and Speaking, because these are so so subjective. And Speaking is so...well...you can never be sure if the tester heard you correctly, or decides to, especially after a long day of testing when human fatigue sets in, and they arbitrarily mark you as a 6.5 when it could have been 7.0! There is a questionnaire you fill in to apply for your IELTS exam, that asks about your purpose on taking it. NEVER choose the Migration option. I always choose Academic Studies. I have this conspiracy theory that some IELTS testers are undercover DIBP agents, or self proclaimed Australia First adherents determined to keep immigrants out and IELTS is the frontline border fence.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-43530332 So it finally took off. How many of you fancy 17 hrs in a tin can?

Thank you very much folks, it is all good advice and personally I would not put myself in a situation that could warrant prosecution and subsequent deportation. There's a ton of things to handle in any relocation and visa complications are not needed. Perhaps I need to defer this till I'm 60 to be in the clear, if this visa is still around

Looks like they have lowered the annual income threshold for this visa. But i am troubled by the condition "have no dependents." Do they mean having no dependents who will come live with you in Oz? So if all my kids are of legal age and no longer legally dependent on me but they live outside Oz, does that meet the condition? Even if I have kids who are somewhat dependent on me (e.g. alimony) but they are overseas and I do not declare them in my application, do they bother to check? I am just trying to clarify the legal language of this visa and find a pathway, given that I am not under 45 and all skilled pathways are closed to me. It used to be that you could apply for a 189/190 up to 50 y.o., with zero points for age but it is now "under 45 years of age at time of invitation" only. Investor Retirement visa (subclass 405) Features - This temporary visa is for self-funded retirees who have no dependents and want to live in Australia during their retirement years. Eligibility You must: be 55 years or older have no dependents (other than a partner) have an income of AUD 65 000 per year (or AUD 50 000 if you wish to live in a regional area) have a designated investment of AUD 750 000 in Australia (or AUD 500 000 if you wish to live in a regional area). This is the only retirement visa. If you are not eligible for this visa, you might be eligible for a parent visa. Length of stay - Four years Cost - From AUD 330 https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/405-

Be very, very prepared and good luck. Vetassess did not offer me or my wife an interview, at which we would have been able to showcase our expertise in our profession. After they rejected our assessments on paper, we even offered to fly over and meet up but they did not give a hoot. So we will never make it to Perth and we hatessss Vetassesssss foreversss!!!!

Perth is an isolated city but it is also an oasis to get away from it all. Kings Park is absolutely beautiful and I think SYD or MEL struggles to provide a city park that is as pristine, unhurried and not commercialized. Cottesloe Beach gets my vote for the golden sunset views over the hip vibes of overcrowded Bondi Beach. Subiaco Markets over touristy Victoria Markets for me. There is not a lot going on but I make it a point to plan ahead and actually attend the few key acts or events that get into town, and I find it is enough for me as a busy parent. Realistically, your friends are going to be fellow parents with kids in the same school or suburb. Singles or non-parents are less likely to understand. Any parents with whom you can get sufficient contact time are more likely to be the mates you seek than the 'touch and go' set. I'm thinking parent volunteer groups and play groups around coffee before the kids get off school. Try the 'expat with kids' circles Else, interest groups - yoga, boxercise, or whatever you fancy that meet during school hours. Meetup.com and perhaps InterNations.org helps. There is no substitute for getting out there and making the first move, and it does take effort making friends in a spread out place like Perth. Once you get a small circle of friends going it will start to be better. Give it a shot and good luck.

We are guilty ourselves but I think a great way to meet people could be on Meetup.com and go to the group events. There's quite a number of groups in Perth on every imaginable topic.

My understanding of the 'hoops' of the Business/Investor visa is DIBP is actually looking at the whole picture, so you must have been involved in owning and running your own business for some time, achieving a certain turnover level, or have managed some investment portfolio professionally to establish your case. I.e. they are looking for some track record, so if you are a business person all along I suppose that is great. But if you have been employees all the time like we have, and want to buy a business or get into it for the purpose of a visa, I feel myself standing on very shaky ground and having our application thrown out. Wish I had AUD 5m to spare! (Significant Investor Visa)

If I were the OP, I would subscribe to JazzRadio.com and crank up the jazz. I hope they don't ask me if it's Kenny G.

I read somewhere that the Malaysian government made it the law that all food sellers, cooks or preparers of ethnic Malaysian food must be Malaysians, although they could hire foreign labour as waitresses or cleaners. Hence, I think the food in Malaysia remains true and authentic as compared to Singapore's, where 'local' foods kiosks tend to be run by recent immigrants (something lost in translation).