Quoll

It sounds to me like you need to be free of your abusive sons! I’m really sorry that you have had to put up with so much cr*p from them. Look after yourself, number one! I think the hotline number Toots suggested is an excellent idea. Choose the area you live in and you’ll never look back and your sons can stew in their own juice! Personally I’ve found U.K. very welcoming, the cost of living generally less than Australia (food etc) and much more to do for we wrinklies (I’m a bit older than you!).

Well, that will be a waste of your time, money and tax payers money. If you haven’t met the criteria, tough. Just apply for the new visa and be done with it. You can’t expect them to bend the rules just because you don’t like them.

Dunno, seemed like remarkably common sense to me. She isn’t saying that no one would ever do it, just that it often takes time to crack the first job especially in a specific career field where your skill set is nothing out of the box. Australia is as guilty as anywhere of using the old boy network especially in a fairly limited field. A new kid off the boat, unless they are very special, isn’t automatically going to beat a load of home grown applicants with local connections and knowledge. If you want a job as a barista, no worries, anywhere in town but if you have a particular skill set and no known associates or a familiar alma mater then budget 6 months before you get your foot in the door. If you can do it for less then that’s a bonus. Id tend to think that with so many young Aussies looking for apprenticeships there wouldn’t be much attraction for a new older person just off the boat. What would be rubbish is to suggest to a new arrival that they’ll be cushy in their career role by the end of the week!

Keep him with his age peers. Reports from returnees suggest that U.K. schools are very good at helping kids catch up - the Aus system at that age is well behind anyway. If he’s reading well, then encourage that and once he’s fluent the amount of “learning” is minimal. Encourage writing, getting him to write a journal, emails back to his mates etc. The biggest “gaps” will probably be with number skills and concepts. You could try getting some U.K. level maths books and working through them with him in a non stressed way so that he’s got a few more skills under his belt. Bottom line though, I wouldn’t stress it but share with his U.K. school that there may be gaps and they’ll support him. It’s not that he’s “missed a year of education” because education is broad and Aussie education is not U.K. education. He’s been educated for that year, but differently. As long as he understands that foreign countries label their school years differently and that he’s leaned different things regardless of the year level, he will be just fine.

PGCE not usually for people with qts. If you’re looking at your cv and hope to teach in Australia, a Masters would look better, especially if you can specialise in autism. Remember that Australia is a foreign country so the regulations and procedures you might spend time learning as a SENCO might not be relevant. It needs to be one year full time under the auspices of a University with appropriate supervised practice, if you can find a diploma that does that then it’d be ok. Didnt think NSW was wanting primary teachers these days though unless you have a visa by other means in which case I still wouldn’t be holding my breath for a permanent position.

A year’s Masters in Special Ed with the supervised practice requirement should do it.

Sorrry to hear that, I hope your mum picks up because feeling trapped is the pits! Your daughter really has to own her own actions, she’s old enough that she can make those choices for herself but she can’t make them for you. Independence is a wonderful thing and maybe she needs to try it out before you go so that she knows she can do it when the time comes. Fingers crossed for your mum though, hope it’s the best case scenario!

A better option might be for you to train and get experience in a skill which is likely to be required by Australia and get yourself PR. I can’t imagine that living in limbo with your kids, forking out at least $20,000 pa for their education plus any medical costs until the visa is granted (or removed, in which case you’d all have to leave) - by which time they’re likely to be grandparents - is going to be an attractive proposition. Longer term planning for a more secure future might be a more sensible option. Moreover, if you rock up on a holiday visa and Immigration believe that you’re not going to leave, you run the risk of being put on the next plane home and banned for 3 years anyway. Lying to Immigration is never a good idea.

Nope. Back in U.K. but it’s well known which states charged for 457 visas and the 482 is the new equivalent. Victoria might well decide to charge at some point. If they did, how much they’d charge and whether there’d be a cap is very much up to them. Education is a state issue. If you budgeted around $5k per kid you’d probably be in the ball park. As it is though, if you budgeted around $10 per week for school stuff (which everyone pays - visits, special teachers, additional programs, performances, voluntary contributions, stationery packs etc excluding lunches and uniforms) - say $400 pa you’d probably end up about even.

School fees range from $4kpa to $10kpa depending on the state but I’ve not seen any indication that Victoria will be starting to charge for temporary visa holders. International students and their dependents do pay, of course.

The Canberra Hospital largely services that area though there are smaller cottage hospitals in the smaller towns, not sure how much scope there is for nurses in those hospitals though. The big stuff goes on in Canberra and I don’t think that’s included in Southern Inland. Canberra isn’t bad, the others are just quite small country towns, quite parochial. Subject to drought, hot and dry in summer, bloody cold in winter. I guess it all depends what you want out of it. I have a friend in Yass, she’s forever trekking to Canberra for gym, entertainment, dining etc. I have another in Goulburn who actually works in Canberra. Queanbeyan has a reputation of being a bit “bogan” and Canberrans tend to look down their noses at the Qbn natives. Coma is more touristy, being en route to the snow fields in winter. If you like NSW country town living, they’d be ideal.

What Tea4too said. I think you are quite correct, knowing that you are not Robinson Crusoe with not loving Australia is very liberating - I thought I was bonkers until I found this and other boards and it was very empowering in its way. A trip back will either kill you or cure you as they say. It really is 50/50 whether you get off the plane, kiss the ground and cry buckets when you have to leave or whether you are at the airport to leave 3 days before your flight goes. Remember that you can never go back to what you had (in general, one or two have struck it lucky and slipped right back in) and any move from here on will be a move forward. If you decide that, yes, Australia is where you want to grow old and die, then you've got it made. If, OTOH you decide that the thought of staying there forever is going to drive you crazy then move on. Your kids are going to be privileged in either country. They're not going to be disadvantaged by living in Australia but they aren't necessarily going to be advantaged by it either. Lots of good things going on for kids in UK. Get your citizenship, if you havent already, and the world is your oyster.

That’s a start! Put a date on it though otherwise it will slip and slip past the point of no return!

Nice idea but it makes no difference as long as he is resident in Australia, he can demand them back any time. Hard to see where there could be any compromise here.

My brother in law did it every day for 6 months in the Golden Triangle. He was good and thorough but, apart from a thumb sized nugget, not lucky. Finding a nugget is the exception rather than the rule but get yourself a license and have a go. Plenty of worse ways to waste your time.

I was wondering how things were going for you and so glad to hear that you’ve hit the ground running! Long may the good times continue!

From People posting their progress on boards like this. The assumption being that you will be applying in London. Also be aware that tourist visas are just that and lying to Immigration about your intent on entering the country is frowned upon. You run the risk, if they think you are not a genuine tourist, of being turned around at the border and sent home. Just do it the right way, much easier. If your partner doesn’t have their UK citizenship, it’d be a smart move for them to get that before you go too.

Oh dear I am so very sorry that it’s turned out this way for you. I remember your initial move very well (wow, 3 years ago, time flies). You’re right though, every family (and we do try on here!) must be aware of The Hague Convention before they move. It’s trapped many unwary parents who might not want to remain in Australia in particular because if one parent says no, Aus won’t let them go except under very exceptional circumstances and (as you are no doubt discovering) at huge cost. I really hope you get the resolution you want, especially as you are pregnant.

No, I don’t know how I coped either - hmm, yes I do, I sat inside on my bum in front of a computer screen with curtains and windows shut against the heat, 50kg heavier and much less fit. Today at least it wasn’t quite as hot early on as I walked 6 miles to my sports massage session. The air con in the train home was real bliss but our house isn’t too bad, as long as dad leaves the doors open for the breeze to blow through. At least I don’t foresee a 2am cold shower just to be able to sleep tonight!

Yeah, saw that. I’m keeping far away, they scare the pants off me.

Too bloody hot! If I wanted it to be this hot I’d live in Australia LOL

Victoria don’t currently charge school fees for temporary visa holders so I doubt they will suddenly start without some hullabaloo going on.

Possibly but no one can really tell you. It very much depends on how much any support he may require is going to cost the Aussie tax payer. The best people to ask are any of the agents who specialise in medical conditions. George Lombard, Peter Bollard and Richard Gregan are the ones most mentioned in this regard.

Yes. Give it a couple of years. Fear of an uncertain future always makes one look back at the good of the then (remember it was bad enough for you to want to leave). Get yourself an independent place, get a job and then see how it feels.

You mean the day after tomorrow? Only 2 more sleeps including the one you’re enjoying? Wow! Sleep well to prepare!!?