verystormy

You will need 100 points of ID. So, it is important as soon as you arrive to register for medicare as a medicare card carries a lot of points. You will need proof that you can pay the rent either as cash in the bank with a bank statement showing funds or a contract of employment.

Catch 22 though, as at the moment, the OP may never get an invite for a 189

I have read recently that pretty much no occupations are getting invited with less than 60 points. So, actually, a 489 might be a good option. It does limit work options, but Mandurah is still a very nice place to live - we are citizens and lived there for 8 years. A lot of the forum members chose to live in the Mandurah area as it gives the option of a beach lifestyle without paying millions which you would in Perth. Also, Perth is only 50 minutes on the train

On a 489 there is a legal requirement to live in a regional area for 2 years and work in a regional area for 1 year. The closest regional area to Perth is Mandurah. You family would also need to be living in a regional area The family stream 489 also has one of the longest processing times

If he needs to be licensed as an electrician then I imagine he will need to redo it all as each state has different rules for licensing. One of the things to consider is the economic downturn in WA at the moment which is making jobs much harder to find. Couple that with in order to gain a WA electrical license he will need to work as a trade assistant for 12 months - a bit like an apprentice. When were your visas granted and when did you leave Australia?

I believe processing is currently between 30 and 36 months, so at least another year

Hi and welcome to the forum. I am guessing you already have your visas? The Mandurah area is wonderful and we lived in Dawesville for eight years and really liked it. Work though is the issue. Are you aware that WA is in a major economic slowdown and work can be hard to find.

I don't think we have had anyone for a fair few years who is a vet. Where will you be practicing?

The department are saying it is 75% within 7 months and 95% within 11 months from the date of application. So, the wait for an invite is not counted. You might of course get lucky and get it earlier, but I wouldn't bank on it. Yes, sorry meant Secret Harbour.

As soon as you arrive you can register with medicare. You will get a temporary number on the day which you can use for everything until your cards arrive in the post. Then, you need to look at if you need private health insurance on top. This depends on income and personal prefence. The income side is important because you can be charged for not having it. On the preference, it is very useful as dentists are not covered on medicare and can be very expensive and likewise ambulances which can result in massive bills

You might be lucky, but given the current processing times, that is looking very tight - at the moment they are saying 70% of applications processed within 7 months and 95% in 11 months. As for Safety Bay, it is a funny one that some love and some hate. Before we moved to WA, we were pretty certain that is where we would go. Then we went to visit on arrival and of all the places we looked, that was the one we liked the least. I cant say why, it just felt wrong. Though have learnt it does have a rough side as well. There is a huge choice of suburbs now around Mandurah - we lived in Dawesville, which is south of Mandurah for eight years and my advice is to not get too drawn into a suburb until you are there and can visit. You might also want to have a look at our sister forum https://www.perthpoms.com/ and we have a number of members who live in Mandurah.

Camilla from http://newlifedownunder.com.au/ is a regular member of the forum and is a very highly regarded agent. Cant remember if she is north or south, but that is irrelevant as normally agents only correspond by email / telephone. In fact, when I was in the UK, my agent was in Oz. When I changed visas, I used an agent on the other side of Oz. It doesn't matter.

Keep smiling. I know it's hard.

Hi and welcome. First thing is that employer sponsored visas are not the best option by any stretch. In fact i recomend against it completely for families. By far the best option are skilled permanent visas with the gold standard being a 189 independent visa. The good news is that your occupation of joiner is on the list available for a 189 - medium and long term list. The fist thing to do is go through the initial criteria and lots of reading of border.gov.au The initial criteria to check are age, health and if any of the family have any health issues and then points. You need to calculate how many points you qualify for and 60 is a minimum. Many people at this point find they are short of points and the most common way of topping them up is by claiming points for English. This would mean taking a test to prove it such as ilets. Once you are satisfied you tick all the boxes, you need to obtain a positive skills assessment. This will be a mix of submitting a lot of documents to the assessing authority for your occupation to prove experience and qualifications. Then possibly taking practical and theory tests. Pat the same time, taking an English exam if you need the points. Once all that is completed, you can lodge an expression of interest (eoi) and wait to be invited to apply. You then apply and wait to be asked for medicals and police checks, which are submitted and then wait for grant of visas.

It is an impossible question really, some will move, go through the training and get a decent job. Others will find they can't get one. Do not underestimate though the economic downturn in WA at the moment. The reason I am typing this from Scotland after 8 years in WA is because we suddenly found we couldn't get work. Even jobs at Macdonalds were getting a couple of hundred applicants. As for retraining, it depends. There is no quick way. Anything that pays well, does so because people have to spend significant time getting qualified either by education or an apprenticeship.