The Cost of Emigrating - Skilled Migration

[Guest SueRich]

Hi All,

 

Thought it might be useful to start a thread about the costs associated with emigrating. We are just starting the process and attended one of the Down Under Live Expo's today. We gathered lots of information regarding what is involved in the emigration process and also some approximate costs. Here is some of the info we found out at the expo and also what we have been told by other members of this forum. (These are all approximate costs).

 

Agent Fees - £1200 (not compulsary to use an agent)

Medicals- £295 per adult (child prices are less and you may be able to get a discounted family offer)

Police Checks - £45

Removals & Storage - £4000 (this is for a 20ft container which would be enough to move the contents of a 3 bed house) or £2800 to share a container + $500 customs inspection fee in Oz.

Car Shipping - £2500 (not sure if this is accurate as I have also heard that Oz charge 15% of the value of the car)

Pet Shipping - £1800 for a cat. £2500 for a dog (Price for a dog will depend on the size of the animal - This is for Labrador).

ILETS - £150 (not compulsary but useful in order to get extra points)

State Sponsorship Application - $300 (this is for WA)

Visa Cost - $7000 (for a subclass 475)

Skills Assessment - $300 (This is for TRA)

Flights to Oz - £900 per person

 

We were quite shocked today at the costs involved and I hope this thread will be useful to those people who have just started thinking about moving to Oz because obviously there is alot to consider. Costs will differ depending on your circumstances - For example if you are being sponsored by an employer they may pay your visa costs, medicals and police checks and also pay for your flights.

 

All of the above are approximate costs and I know that people will have paid differing amounts - Please add a post and let everyone know how much your move cost and was it worth it? Someone once told me they spent about £18,000 altogether!

 

Sue

[StudentInDebt]

Not sure where you got your visa costings from, WA sponsorship fee is $200 and a 475 visa should only cost you $2960 unless you have dependents over 18 who don't have functional English. You can shop around for the IELTS, I did mine at University of Surrey for £112. Haven't got that far yet but I believe that for medicals the Bridge Clinic is currently quoting £200 for adults and as little as £85 for children all-in.

 

On the other hand I got quoted $3800+GST for agent fees on a 176 application, as a result I'm going through the process independently

 

Haven't got as far as working out in detail the shipping costs although some brief research revealed that Singapore will charge SGD50 per KG for dogs in an approved transport container and they have a long list of breeds that they won't carry. There is a good guide to car shipping here. I've budgeted £8000 for it.

[leedslass123]

Hi

 

We moved to Perth in 2009 on a skilled 175 visa with my partners as the main applicant, we don't have children. We managed to get our visa put in before all the costs etc changed so might be a little out of touch for people going through the process now.....

 

Agent Fees - £1500

Medicals- £220 per adult (child prices are less and you may be able to get a discounted family offer)

Police Checks - £45

Removals & Storage - £300 in UK and $350 here to clear customs (we only brought a pallet with my OH tool box on and around 5 teas chest upright boxes of clothes, house stuff, photo's etc etc)

Car Shipping - £0 We bought car here

Pet Shipping - £0

TRA - £150 getting OH mechanic qualification recognised in WA, which he has never been asked to show whilst here at all

Visa Cost -£1500 (for a subclass 175)

Goverment Fee - $900 (For lodging the application etc)

Flights to Oz - £620 per person one way

 

So all up we spent around £3600 and I can honestly say it was worth every penny. We chose to use a visa agent (and were very lucky to find an excellent one) Our reason was that we have been in a relationship for 13 years but have never married. We had to collect all kinds of info from old invites to weddings to old pics of us on holidays to showing proof of going on holiday tickets with both our names on etc, we also got sworn statements done at a solicitors from family to say we were in a genuine relationship and not just together for the visa. At the time it all seemed a bit silly but the agent was very thorough and we sailed through the aplication. I personally preferred having the peace of mind of the agent to tell us what info exactly etc we needed.

 

I know that fees etc have changed and there is no denying that its not a cheap or easy option to get a visa but we have never looked back and once you get the call to say you have it, all the stress and sleepless nights seem a distant memory

[Regan]

Hi suerich

I feel that you need to shop around a little more. I have approx the same house size as yourself and a family consisting of me, the wife and two young children. We have gone through an agent which has cost us £1500 for ease of application and gone for a 175 skilled visa.

I agree with the costing of the other entries. I felt I needed to add to your post as if I was just starting out with this adventure, it would scare me to death.

All the Aussie costs are printed clearly on there websites so you know exactly where you stand and if you can't find them, they are very helpful if you ring them.

Regards

Regan

[Guest SueRich]

Hi All,

 

Thanks for the responses.

 

We wouldn't be paying the £4000+ for removals & storage as although we have a 3 bed house we don't actually have alot in it! lol. We wouldn't need to take wardrobes etc as from what I understand most aussie properties have these built in so we would proably only be taking a little bit more that what Leedslass123 did. I just thought i'd give an estimated costing for those people who would have alot to take but I assume that many people would sell a lot of their stuff before they leave the UK and maybe buy new in Oz.

 

We wouldn't take a car either and were advised at the expo that it would be less expensive to buy a used car in Oz than to pay for the cost of shipping so that's something for people to bear in mind.

 

I couldn't get on the WA website last night re: sponsorship fees but knew it was in the region of $200 - $300 so thanks for confirming that StudentInDebt. I got the visa costings from http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i/professionals-outside-australia.htm and have just had a look again and realised the 2nd installment is for the over 18 dependants just like you said. So the actual cost of a 475 is only $2960 - That makes me feel loads better!

 

With regards to flights - I forgot that we would only be going one way so yes these would be cheaper than what I said.

 

Sorry for scaring everyone - I scared myself! Couldn't sleep last night after the expo thinking about how much everything was gonna cost. I would agree that people need to shop around to get the best deal. A guy at the expo said that it will cost money and it will take time but if you're determined enough you will get there - I agree!

 

Thanks, Sue

[StudentInDebt]

Glad to help put your mind at ease Sue, this forum and pomsinoz has done a lot to clear various things up for me. I know how daunting the costs look only too well but fore-warned is fore-armed and during the WA sponsorship application they will ask you to estimate your living costs and the costs to move so you've saved yourself a load of time already on that.

 

On the merits of shipping your car I think it depends on what sort of car you have as used car prices in Australia are relatively high compared to the UK, if you have a decent make/model/age car here it might be worth investigating further. My wife's aunt bought a nearly-new A-Class Mercedes for $38000 in Perth, you can buy one new here in the UK for $30000 and a 10 year-old Golf won't give you much change from $10000:swoon: