Tell us a bit about yourself
I'm British, 36 and living South Australia. I'm a registered nurse and specialise in Intensive care and High dependency nursing. I have a brother and parents back in the UK and I keep in touch on Skype, with all friends and family. I have made some lovely friends out here. I also have family here who helped me settle in to Aussie life.
When did you first move to Australia?
I moved to Australia in May 2008 and have never looked back!
Why did you decide to stay?
There are lots of reasons!! The lifestyle, quality of life, spaciousness of housing, warm weather, safety - and the people are friendly and welcoming. I visited before and just knew I would come and live here, it's an amazing life.
Tell us about your visa process.
I chose True Blue Migration, after I researched all about Australia. I read the testimonials people gave them and although I read about other agencies, True Blue stood out. I was assigned an agent, Maryanne, who was beyond fabulous, any questions no matter how small they seemed were answered on the day, communication and updates were frequent and nothing was too much trouble. The whole process was made simple and stress free. The whole process took just under 8 months from signing up to getting the golden call to say "Congratulations, you got residency!" I'll never forget it.
Any tips for other Brits thinking about migrating to Australia?
Don't hesitate to call True Blue. Seriously, I am not one for advertising but these guys went beyond 100%, they made the process seem effortless and stress free. I would highly recommend them I've had friends who did the on their own to save cash, and it took twice as long due to paper work not being completed incorrectly, and caused so much anxiety. True Blue Migration make sure everything is right the first time. It is more than well worth the money to achieve your dream.
CASE STUDY 3
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am 31yrs old and I am a sports massage therapist. Prior to moving to Oz, I worked in different countries around Europe, culminating in working as a massed therapist in Morzine, France.
Why did you decide to migrate to Australia?
My sister emigrated to Perth two years ago, with her husband and two children. She asked me if I would be able to come out for a couple of months to help out. I knew at some point I would like to go to Australia, so I took this as an opportunity to go on my Working Holiday visa. As I was enjoying life here, I did my three month rural work in a fruit orchard to get my 2nd Working Holiday Visa. I moved to Mandurah (WA), met my current partner and got a job in a massage clinic.
Tell us about your visa process. What were the challenges and the positive elements?
Once I had been living with my partner for a year we were able to apply for defacto visa. This was a stressful period as I only had a few weeks left on my second WHMV and there is so much information needed for the defacto visa. Applying for a visa is time consuming but True Blue Migration (Murray was my agent) made sure all the "i's were dotted and the t's were crossed and within six weeks I had my visa through. What a great moment!!
I would definitely advise using a migration agent as there is so much red tape and unless you have an insight, it would be extremely difficult to prepare and have everything that is needed to pass. For example, it was not possible for me to be listed on all the bills to our house, due to shared ownership of the house, but True Blue Migration was able to help us build our case through other information from friends, photos, statements, etc.
What is life like for you in Australia?
I love being in Australia. I have a great outdoors lifestyle that is what I want. For my massage profession the career opportunities out here are fantastic. I can work as a sports trainer for sports teams, in a physio or chiropractic clinic or work for individuals. It is great to be able to plan a BBQ weeks in advance knowing full well that you are not going to have to end up cooking in the garage undercover and all heading for cover under the nearest tree due to the rain!
Do you have any tips for others thinking about migrating to Australia?
Use a migration agent when applying as they really know what they are doing. Make sure you have a realistic dream - you will get to do the things you imagine – eg surfing, taking walks along the beach, spending more time with friends and family etc – but you are also starting a life in a different country so you need to think about jobs, getting kids in school, etc. However, you can certainly look forward to the weekends or time off here as this is when you do get to do the things you envisioned as the weather and lifestyle is perfect for it. As the evenings are longer you are able to spend a few hours down the beach with the children or be out in the garden when you get home from work.