Marisawright

Yes there is, but I'm not sure if it's sold in the UK. I do know that a lot of people found the body oil/bath oil works , though.

If you declare you are intending to work full-time on your application and then you do not work full-time, then you are lying and you have obtained your visa fraudulently, which is illegal. It sounds as though you did intend to work full-time when you applied, but now things have changed and it is not your fault. I think that should be fine, HOWEVER you must be able to prove that it is not your fault. That means you need to see the eye specialist again. Let the specialist know that your work is making the condition worse, and ask them for their advice. If he says you are unable to work full-time, then get him to write a medical certificate stating that. Take that to your employer and ask them to give you their approval in writing.

@mppc, if you're getting bitten in the living room, then you need to take action to keep the mosquitoes out of the house. Fly screens on every window that opens, and every door are absolutely essential if you live where mosquitoes are prevalent. Check all the fly screens for tiny holes and fix them. These plugins are good for killing any that do get in: https://www.woolworths.com.au/Shop/ProductDetails/900304/mortein-peaceful-nights-automatic-plug-in Buy yourself some light floaty pants and tops which you can wear at home in the evenings, then you've only got to worry about your hands, feet and face. Please persuade your oh to take this very seriously. It's not just the discomfort of the bite - mosquitoes carry some nasty diseases which you don't want to catch, trust me. Your husband may be getting bitten too but he's not reacting so he's not aware. Mosquitoes breed where there's stagnant water. Clearing away trees and shrubs will do nothing, but finding and emptying every puddle will. You will NEVER build resistance to mosquito bites - but like I said, even if you could, the bigger risk is getting ill as a result

In that case, forget about the North Shore - the commute would be horrendous. The St George area or The Shire would be ideal, nice easy commute

Me too

Yes, tidying the garden will do nothing at all to reduce mozzies.

If he’s in Scotland a notary public can certify it

Someone recently posted that the Victorian police are looking for recruits

I’m the same as you and it has been a relief to move to Melbourne where mozzies are less common. The B1 definitely helped me. Never wear perfume, it attracts them. Get an outdoor mozzie zapper. Check the garden for ANY standing water, even tiny puddles. That’s where they breed

Take Vitamin B1 tablets. They don't help everyone, but they're well worth trying as they won't do any harm. Don't let the chemist fob you off with a Vitamin B supplement - they have to be just B1 and nothing else. https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/20887/Nature-s-Own-High-Strength-Vitamin-B1-250mg-75-Tablets Next time you're in the UK, buy yourself some Boots antihistamine cream. That's much more effective than steroid creams or any other creams. Unfortunately they won't sell antihistamine cream in Australia, I'm told it's because it reacts with sunlight to cause severe burns (so only use it on skin that won't be exposed to the sun). Avon went bust in Australia so you can't buy Avon here - but even when they were in operation, they didn't sell Skin So Soft for some reason.

Everyone is so individual, it's hard to give you a definite answer. As a Sydneysider for 30 years, I always found the northern suburbs snobbish and too concerned with "keeping up with the Jones's". I don't know much about the Northern Beaches area, though - as an inner city chick, they were too inconvenient to get to. The Shire used to be more old-fashioned, and (apart from Cronulla), not a place for young people. With the dramatic rise in house prices in recent years, that's all changing as people are forced to look further south to find something affordable. Cronulla is a lively beachside suburb but in summer, it can get horribly congested, and the commute to the city is tedious. Miranda has a huge shopping centre but is otherwise pretty bland. In your shoes, I'd look at some of the other stations along the Illawarra line, closer to the city. Gymea is a lovely little suburb. My MIL used to live there and the numerous cafés were always full of mums with prams and toddlers. It's only 20 minutes on the train to Cronulla Beach, or less than 15 minutes by car. Oatley is a great choice, only 40 minutes to the city by train and 20 minutes car ride to the nearest beaches. The primary school there is very sought-after, so lots of young families in the area. There's a huge park, and if you're into cycling, there's a safe bike ride across the Como pedestrian bridge to the local outdoor swimming pool on the edge of the river.

As Raul said, their only option is the 870 visa. Not much point in applying for a permanent parent visa anyway, since the waiting time is now several years.

Judging by your post, your English is not good enough and I would advise you to attend some classes and do some intensive study if you want to score well in the English tests.

If your ex is willing to agree to let the children go, then you don't need to go to court - he just needs to fill out a form for you. You need to submit that with your application. If he's not willing to agree, then you will need to go to court and that can take a very long time. You may already know this, but migrating to Australia is not possible for everyone. You must have an occupation that's on the skilled list, AND you must have all the qualifications and experience specified. Then you also need to be able to score enough points on the point system (65 is the minimum, but in reality, you need a lot more points to even be considered - it's a competition and they only pick the people with the highest points). There are a few good agents on these forums who will give you an initial consultation free of charge. They will tell you if you're eligible to apply for a visa, and what your chances are of success, before you start spending money on the whole process.

I second what Quoll said. Best plan is to either arrive in time for her to start Year 11, or let her stay in the UK until she's completed A levels. GCSE's aren't regarded as of any value here.

I've lived in Australia for over 30 years. When I migrated, moving to Australia was a no-brainer - I arrived and got offered three jobs within a week, all of them at a higher level than my old job in the UK. Housing was cheaper, too, even though I'd settled in the most expensive city in Australia. I loved the open-mindedness of Sydney compared to the "keeping up appearances" mindset of my old home town. And it was sunny! Now, it's different. Unemployment is about the same as in the UK. House prices are astronomical in the major cities, to the point where it's becoming normal for thirty-year-olds to still be living at home. The average Australian lives a long way from a beach - seaside living in strictly for multi-millionaires. You can find cheaper housing, but it's a supply and demand thing - if you see a town with reasonably priced housing, it's probably because there's no work. Personally, I still prefer life in Australia - in fact we tried moving back to the UK for our retirement (because we could buy a home far more cheaply there, so it would free up funds for our retirement), but I I couldn't settle and we've returned. But that's just a personal preference. Take a browse around these forums and you'll soon discover that some people take to Oz like a duck to water, while others never settle. Another thing to consider is that different parts of Australia are different. The people of Perth and Sydney are as different as the people of Glasgow and London. I loved living in Sydney (can't afford it now) but I wouldn't live in Perth if you paid me - yet I know people who think exactly the opposite. If you migrate, you'll be moving to a foreign country which happens to speak English. The culture is different and it will take time to adjust.

Double post

Once you get your visa and have arrived in Australia, you can do any work you like. However you can't get a visa unless your occupation is on the list AND you possess all the qualifications and experience specified. So your first step should be to have a free initial consultation with a good agent like Go Matilda, to find out if you're even eligible to apply. If you are eligible to apply, then get your application in as soon as possible, because the lists are being cut all the time - just because your job is on the list now, doesn't mean it'll still be there in a year's time. Once you get the visa - which will take a year or so - then you'll have a short window of time during which you must migrate to Australia. However if you're not ready to make the full move, you can make a short "activation visit", and then you'll have up to five years to make the permanent move. So you see, there's nothing to stop you applying now because you'll have plenty of time to get organised and save for the move. There's no point thinking about getting jobs at this point. Employers are not going to consider an overseas applicant if you're in an occupation where there are plenty of local candidates. The majority of migrants take the plunge and arrive with no job, then budget to survive until they get one. Good luck.

This is almost correct, except I'm pretty sure you must do so within five years of the visa being granted, not activated (i.e. your deadline is the same date that's on your passport - you must enter before 08 May 2023).

If your employer has an agent already, check that they are MARA registered. Do not use them if they are not MARA registered and do not use a lawyer. If your employer doesn't have an agent already, make sure he hires one. It is too complicated for him to do on his own. Raul Senise, who posted above, has done many applications for your profession. You may wish to engage an agent too.

It sounds like you're loving Australia, I'm glad for you. But the reality is that many, many people DO regret taking the chance - they come to Australia, thinking golden beaches and sun are more important than family and friends, and soon discover they're wrong. Everyone is different. I'm an independent type and never felt homesick from the day I arrived in Australia. I've never been bothered by being thousands of miles from my family. But having spent a few years on these forums, I think I'm actually in the minority. Being brave is good advice for those who are single or couples with no kids. But for a family, it's a very expensive exercise. If it doesn't work out, they'll end up back in the UK tens of thousands of pounds poorer. That's a lot of money to spend on an adventure! Not saying people shouldn't do it. Just that it's not as simple as all that.

Yes

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/30/thousands-of-public-servants-want-to-quit-peter-duttons-home-affairs-department

We had the same experience with Westpac when we migrated, it took several weeks to sort out. You should never, ever close your UK bank accounts anyway

Where are they saying that?