Marisawright

Yes, impossible to get sponsored without some experience

The other thing to do is to assess your chances of getting a visa. Nursing is very competitive in Australia now and there’s even talk of it being taken off the skilled list

You need to meet the residency requirement and it sounds like your residency didn’t start till September

Why would a WHV be limiting? I know plenty of people who come on a WHV and do their usual occupation. The only limitation is that you can’t work for one employer for more than six months. It would give you a chance to network and prove your worthwith employers and if you have the appropriate qualifications, possibly get sponsored

If you hope to move in the next 2 years then get the ball rolling now. The visa process itself takes about a year and the court process could take a year before that

There’s a site called homely.com.au, look for Suburb Reviews

If you’re under 30 you can get a WHV which will give you a year of adventure in Australia and that may be all you need. Easy and quick. Then you can decide if it’s worth jumping through the hoops to get a permanent visa

I don’t think a migration agent is the right person to ask. I’d say you need a lawyer who is experienced in international laws regarding guardianship, and that would mean big dollars. I cant see any way that your sister-in-law would get a PR visa to Australia to look after your kids, when your kids could so easily move to the UK. If she died, Australia would not allow her children to enter the country without the written permission of their father. And, judging by posts I’ve seen from parents trying to bring over an adopted child, it would not be an easy process

It’s a large city now so there are good and bad schools and good and bad areas. You won’t be able to secure a rental before you arrive anyway, so the best bet is to book a holiday let for three or four weeks when you first arrive and have a drive around the suburbs. I know two managers at my old workplace who lived in Newcastle. They got promoted to the Sydney office but they refused to move their families from Newcastle, because they felt it was such a great place to bring up kids. Says it all really

For the better. Used to be a grimy old town. Bits of the centre still look tired, but otherwise it’s transformed. Great beach right in the city, on the doorstep of the wine country, family friendly

The difference is that for those 3 months, I can cope with an air conditioner when I'm indoors, but what do I do when I want to go outdoors? Nothing, because there's only so much clothing I can strip off - so I'm trapped. Whereas in Melbourne, I'm comfortable indoors most of the winter - I don't own a heater, but I do switch on the reverse cycle air conditioner occasionally - and I can rug up if it's cool outside. Melbourne does have a few stinking hot days in summer, but even on those days, it's always fresh and cool in the morning till about 10, so I can still get out and enjoy the day. Total freedom. It all comes down to the fact that different people react differently to heat and humidity.

The trouble with Australia is that there's a long distance between towns and cities. In Britain, you can live in a village and commute into a nearby city. In Australia, once you leave the outskirts of Adelaide or Melbourne, it's a fairly long drive to get to the first town. Especially Melbourne - drive an hour from the centre of Melbourne and you're still in the middle of the suburbs. There's a site called Homely.com.au which has reviews of suburbs and towns: https://www.homely.com.au/find-places

It was odd to come back to this thread and read our comments this time last year. Up until the pandemic, house prices were still going up (against the gloomy predictions) but the pandemic has changed all that. The whole world economy is going to be in a horrible mess by the time this is over, and will take many years to recover. Some economists are saying we're headed for another Great Depression. It won't just be Australia, though, it's everywhere.

Temperature may not be much different but humidity is very different indeed

3 months is a quarter of the year, and if you can’t cope with humidity, it’s a long time to be miserable.

No, I've never tried it, but have read so many complaints on here about it, from people who are obviously articulate and fluent.

If the ferry is still running, you have the perfect solution: buy a car in Melbourne and then drive it on to the ferry. I believe a lot of Tasmanians come to Melbourne to buy cars because there's a better choice and more competitive prices ((I hate to say it, but my nephew makes a nice profit by sourcing cars on the mainland, driving them over to Tassie and selling them at inflated prices there). Of course, you'd have to factor in a few days in Melbourne to get the car before you get on the ferry. To make life easier, it might be worth considering a service like this: https://www.privatefleet.com.au/ One of my friends used them and was very happy with the result.

I'm a bit surprised at anyone who thinks new PR's shouldn't be allowed in. Most people here were migrants at one time and know what that transition is like, and it would be a nightmare to suddenly get stranded halfway, stuck in limbo. Of course you should be allowed to move. It looks as though they're not awarding many new PR visas (and no temporary ones) currently, so the trickle of new PR's should dwindle even further.

Yes, with 80 points, you don't stand any chance of being invited, and an application for a 189 would be a complete waste of money. Your best bet is state sponsorship, which (depending on which states are sponsoring) might mean living in another state from your mum for several years, but at least you'll be in Australia. Considering the visa requirements are getting harder and harder every year, I'd say it's your only hope. It would be foolhardy to delay in hopes of getting more experience to earn more points, because you might find your occupation wasn't even on the list by that time and the door would be firmly shut. As Paul says, most people do take the English test to gain more points. The surprising thing is that many native speakers (including teachers of English!) score poorly on it, so don't assume you'd get 20 points.

Why would you think that? It takes several months for a partner visa to be processed, even when things are normal. I'd say your chances of being approved by September are zero.

I'm afraid it will have to stay a pipe dream. As Jon the Hat says, Australia is very fussy about who it accepts. There is a short list of occupations they want. If you work in one of those occupations, then you might get a visa, IF you have the right qualifications and experience and IF you can score enough points. Otherwise, you have absolutely zero chance. The thing is, even if you could get the visa, you probably couldn't have the lifestyle you're dreaming of in Australia. Most Australians can't afford to live by the beach. Those youngsters on Home & Away couldn't actually afford to live there - where the series is filmed, the houses cost millions of dollars. It's understandable that you feel the need for a fresh start, but maybe a new part of the UK would be easier to achieve?

That's a good point. People often assume it will be easy to get a job as a nurse in Australia, but actually it's very competitive. You might be better to do your whole work experience in the UK where you'll have more chance to progress.

Thanks for clarifying

The Australian government has said that international travel restrictions will be the last thing to be lifted. Originally they said they'd be in place till at least September, but now most experts are saying they will have to continue well into next year. So yes, I'd assume you'll have to apply for an exemption to bring your husband in. You don't need permission. I have no idea whether either of you will need permission to leave the UK, sorry. Borders are still closed and I suspect they'll remain so for some time. WA has the virus under control but some other states haven't, so in their shoes I wouldn't want to import the problem

I seem to recall your husband was less eager to return than you. In those circumstances, I would be very cautious. You don't want to arrive and find that he struggles to get a job, because that can so easily turn into a "why did I let you drag me back" scenario. We have 600,000 out of work and rising due to the coronavirus and it's going to be several months before that improves.