Marisawright

Don't worry, like I said the whole thing is extremely confusing at the best of times. A lot of people would've given up by now, you're trying to emigrate via a fairly convoluted route with no guarantees so of course it's going to be tough. I do think you're entitled to ask him to summarise WHY he's recommending the NT as opposed to South Australia and Tasmania, both of which appear to offer 489/190 as a backup, very similar to the NT. I once had a very good accountant and he was great at answering my questions, but he had a bad habit of doing just that - answering my questions, but never putting it altogether in a nice, easy to understand table so I could get my head around it. Sometimes these knowledgeable people know too much and expect you to just "get" it!

If he gets a 186 it negates the need for funds anywhere, and a 186 is not tied to any state, he could get it anywhere he can find an employer who'd sponsor him. So I'd say he is basing it on the state that would have the best demand for his skills. Which takes us back to your original question! He may also be thinking that if the 186 fails, at least in the NT there is the chance to apply for a 489 or 190. But that applies in South Australia too I think.

Not your fault at all, it's all very bewildering isn't it? I'm not at all familiar with the 186 visa, but looking at the immi site, I can't see anything that says it's only available in certain states: http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/186- So presumably it's just that the agent feels his best chance of finding an employer would be in the NT.

At the very least, I'd be going back and asking him to explain again, HOW the pathway to PR would work if your OH goes to the Northern Territory, i.e. 1. Would he be able to qualify for a 489 or 190 straight from the WHV, or would he have to get a 457 (employer sponsored) visa for a few years first? If he had to get a 457, what entitlements would you be able to get as a family and what extra costs would you be up for? 2. If he could only get a 489, what areas of the NT would you be allowed to live in exactly (so you can look them up and see whether they'd be practical for your family to live there) Agents know it's complicated, having narrowed it down to the NT it's not unreasonable for you to ask him to summarise the situation for you, just to make sure you've got it all right.

I'm just worried about what you're setting yourself up for. He's going on a WHV - that's a year. Then if I'm wrong about South Australia (or if he can't get six months' work in regional SA), he will have to find an employer to sponsor him for a 457. A 457 is just a temp job - it will be a fixed term contract, and in some states that means you'll get no family benefits, you'll have to pay school fees and you'll only get limited medical benefits. On top of that, if his employer suddenly has a restructure (and government depts have cutbacks in Oz too, just like the UK!), if he loses his job then you have a limited time to leave the country or find another 457 sponsor. So you'd still be living with uncertainty and extra costs for a year or two, until the employer will sponsor him for PR. That seems like a lot to put a family through - especially if it will all be in a remote place, which is possible in the Northern Territory if your only avenue to PR is a Regional visa. The outback has a raw beauty but it is a tough life, desert and snakes and spiders!

It's true that if he can get a 457 visa, then his employer can sponsor him for PR in due course without needing to do skills assessment etc - BUT the occupation still has to be on the list and he still has to fulfil the state's criteria, as far as I know. I think it would be a good idea to post a question under "Migration Issues", asking what visa your oh could apply for and what states would sponsor him for a 190 visa IF he could get a job under a WHV. That way, it's more likely one of the MARA registered agents on these forums will give you expert advice.

Do you mean the first link I gave you or the second? The first link, the search is already done - just scroll down the page. The second link (South Australia) - click on the "Supplementary Skilled List" tab. Then scroll down to 41 - Health & Welfare Support Workers and click on it, it will open up and you'll see Youth Worker is listed, which means it's eligible if he can meet this criteria: http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/skilled-migrants/nomination-process/skilled-nomination-requirements/currently-working-in-south-australia I'm not an expert so I may be missing something, but that looks like it would be reasonably achievable. Even if he couldn't get approved based on work during the WHV, he could get employer sponsored and then apply for PR after 6 or 12 months. Bottom line, there is simply no point in him going to NSW, Queensland, Western Australia or the ACT because even if he could find employer sponsorship, there is NO pathway for that to lead to permanent residency on those states. Unless I'm reading it wrong, I think NT would be off the list too - because unless you're prepared to work in the outback for two years (which is very tough for a family), you can't get PR there either.

I just checked and Youth Worker is on the CSOL. Here is the breakdown of which states he could go for, not much choice by the looks: https://www.anzscosearch.com/411711 Perhaps South Australia would be a good option. Youth Worker isn't on the main list, but it is IF you've worked for 6 months in a regional area - which he could do on a WHV: http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/skilled-migrants/state-nominated-occupation-lists Seems to me SA has more populated areas so more places he could find work than either NT or Tasmania.

So, is his job on the list for sponsorship everywhere?

You're looking at someone unskilled struggling to get a job, and that would be the case anywhere. Your husband is skilled and therefore her situation isn't relevant. I assume you've checked on seek.com.au to see what vacancies are around (or on whatever sites specialise in your oh's area)? It's a good point that obviously, there will always be more work in the bigger city than in a small one. For instance, if an Australian asked you, where would you say there's more chance of finding work - Birmingham or Grimsby? Other Australian capital cities have well over 1 million population each, whereas Darwin has only 120,000 and Alice Springs only 25,000. There's obviously going to be more demand for employees in a big city - but in small places like Darwin or Alice, when there IS a vacancy for a skilled worker there's unlikely to be someone local available. The bigger question for you, surely, is where your oh can get sponsored? Does every state in Australia sponsor his occupation? If not, then he needs to do his WHV in a state that does sponsor, because it's more difficult (and expensive) to get work in one state when you're working in another.

I don't know a lot about Darwin but I do know the rentals are quite expensive. I used to own an investment property in Palmerston, which is just outside Darwin, and I do know that a lot of young families used to live there and commute to Darwin for work, because it's cheaper, there's a decent school and a major shopping centre.

Best of luck with it!

I know of plenty of people on a WHV who have worked for more than 6 months with one employer - but never legally, I'm afraid!

@mwotherspoon - try reading the previous posts in this thread so you start to get an idea of what's involved. To get a straightforward (189) skilled visa, your occupation must be on the SOL (Skilled Occupation List) - which hairdressing isn't, so that is definitely not an option for you. It is on the CSOL, but only for the Northern Territory and Tasmania - and that means you have to be sponsored. Obviously you don't want to live in either of those states long-term, but if it's your only way of gaining the right to live in Australia permanently, it might be worth considering a year or two in another state, where at least you can fly home for regular holidays.

Surely you have realised by now, we do not have any members of this forum living in that area, so there is no one here who can tell you that. Bowral is almost a suburb of Sydney now. Wealthy Sydney people retire there, and some younger people commute to Sydney too, so it is very expensive (unlike most of the rest of the area you mention). Queanbeyan is also quite expensive because it is almost a suburb of Canberra. Elsewhere will be cheaper, but rentals in country areas are always expensive. Look on domain.com.au, realestate.com.au and allhomes.com.au to get an idea of rentals.

We are not experts! We are other people like you. Some of us have lived in Australia for a long time, but we are just ordinary people and we can only offer advice from our own experience. I don't think we have any members who actually live in that area. I don't know which country you are from, but if I asked you about job prospects in a rural area far from where you live, could you answer me accurately?

They are not suburbs, they are small cities and towns. You can find statistics for their population here: http://www.bobinoz.com/australias-states/new-south-wales/ You really need to learn how to use Google! As others have already told you - because that region is mainly farming country, job opportunities are not frequent. When a vacancy does arise, it is often difficult for them to find staff because most Australians do not wish to live in small country towns, so you would have a good chance of being hired - but you may have to arrive in the region, find work doing something else and then wait until something more suitable arises.

Centrelink will take your UK pension into account when working out how much Aussie pension to pay - so some people say it's not worth boosting the UK pension because all it will do is reduce your Aussie one! However, you also have to remember that the Aussie pension is means-tested, so it could still be worth boosting your UK pension. For me, it's definitely worth it because I won't get the full Aussie pension for several years after retirement due to my assets - whereas I will get my UK pension straight away. You can see how it would affect your Australian pension by using this calculator: http://yourpension.com.au/APCalc/index.html ...and do notice that your superannuation is also an asset, a lot of people assume it's not.

I thought you said you had a 489 visa. I have not heard of such a fund but I am not an expert.

Yes, I should've been more specific. The facility does exist, what I was trying to say is don't rely on it - employers don't use it much unless they are really stuck for candidates.

Manu, what people are trying to tell you is that employers will not contact you through Seek. You must find the jobs on the site and contact them. Jobs in the Southern Inland area are not plentiful, so it is not surprising if you cannot find any jobs right now, you just need to keep looking. You could also try ringing agencies who specialise in engineering vacancies. Google "engineering recruitment agencies Australia" to find suitable agencies. Most of the work in Australia is in the big cities or in the big mining centres. Southern Inland region has no big cities. There is mining but I can't help you with information on where.

It depends - what kind of work are you looking for? I don't know what you mean by "safe". Australia is generally a safe country. There was some bad publicity about Indians being robbed in Melbourne and Sydney, but they were not racist attacks, simply thieves mugging students for their tablets/phones/money, and that happens in any big city - I suspect it happens just as often in Indian cities.

My former MIL had gout and she swore by apple cider vinegar and honey, mixed with hot water. She drank it three times a day religiously! It's mentioned in this article, which also mentions baking soda - but note it says people with high blood pressure shouldn't take baking soda: http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-gout.html This is an interesting article: http://www.webmd.boots.com/arthritis/news/20091021/fighting-gout-with-skimmed-milk-and-water

It's only a problem for big appliances. I'm not an electrician but it was explained to me that although the circuit is 13A like the UK, each individual plug socket is only 10A. In the UK, big appliances like a tumble dryer or dishwasher are rated at 13A so that's why they cause a meltdown.

If you're worried about that now, then I'd expect your feelings will only get worse once you've had a baby. Just browse around these forums and notice how many women are leaving - or are tempted to leave - their husbands to go back to the UK with their new baby. Not to say that would happen to you, but if you're thinking of starting a family, I think it would be best to delay emigration until after your first baby - you'll have a better idea of your feelings.