JackoFam Posted August 26, 2017 Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 Congrats @Darran Such a great feeling to have the visa in hand 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhatMyles Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 On 8/23/2017 at 5:11 PM, Darran said: Wow! I can't believe that I am finally at the point that I can say we have our visas!! They were granted on the 11 August and we have been in a daze since then. The journey, on paper, has been a long one but it feels like only yesterday that we were filling in the Skills Assessment application! We managed to get a Direct Grant without using an agent, and this would not have been possible without this forum. There are also specific people I'd like to thank who have given us (whether they knew it or not ) advice and encouragement during this process (in no particular order): @RedPanda, @Mara, @Deezo, @ChrisH, @PhatMyles, @mistermoose, @CazK, @MichKen, @DXB2OZ, @SurferMan, @HadEnoughofJuju, @Husky, @Jordy, @rikamarie, @RYLC, @AFreshStart, @SD_MOA, @TeeTMI, @FingersCrossed, @SimpleSimon You guys are AWESOME! Thank you for so freely sharing and helping others, it seems to be a rare trait in today's world?! Our plan is to move over in January 2018, to settle in Bunbury, WA. A complete melting pot of emotions over this statement! We have family in Bunbury who will hopefully be able to open some doors of opportunity for us, or at the very least make it a softer landing! It is such a relief to know that we have an exit strategy in place and can leave tomorrow if things locally get completely out of hand! So now we're onto container quotes and (gulp) de-cluttering our lives! You are welcome @Darran. I am glad that my experiences, which were also helped by this forum were some help to someone. I also got a direct grant without an agent, all because of this forum. I am really thankful to have it in my life. Good luck with your move, and the de-cluttering. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 It is always wonderful to see messages where forum members and hosts are thanked for providing the information on this forum... we have certainly come a long way... and as hosts... it makes the journey we have been on, for so long, completely worthwhile! Thank you again! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted September 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 (edited) Just finished booking our flights. We found the cheapest flights were with Emirates. I tried IOM but they were R11,000 more expensive! Total for 2 adults, 2 children and 1 infant came to R27,500. We'll be flying out on evening of the 14/01/18 and landing in Perth at 00:05 on the 16/01/18. Very exciting times ahead! Edited September 3, 2017 by Darran 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FingersCrossed Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 That is awesome Darran. I cannot wait till we have a final date and can book our one way tickets to Australia. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackoFam Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 That is an exceptionally good price for tickets. We are going back to SA for christmas (crazy crazy I know) and the price of return tickets was criminal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted September 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2017 We're onto the next important step in our process - registering with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA). Oh my word...its the skills assessment all over again! We need to certify and courier all the exact same documents as the AITSL Skills Assessment! On the bright side, we now have everything at our fingertips, so instead of running around like headless chickens (for two months) we can simply head off for the day to our local Post Office and certify the multitude of documents...5 at a time...then join the back of the queue again...#gottaloveruralsouthafrica 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 At least you've already spotted the bright side. You gonna love Australia, the admin runs much easier. Sufficient red tape to stock you up for two Christmases, but the offices/services are efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted September 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 So after a little bit of research into certifying the documents for the TRBWA registration, we have discovered the following: "A document can only be certified by an authorised witness. An authorised witness is a person that appears on the list of people who can certify documents and is currently employed as, registered and/or licensed to practise in Australia. For example, a doctor who is registered to practise medicine in Australia can certify your documentation, but a doctor who is not registered in Australia cannot. If you are currently outside of Australia, you may be able to find an authorised witness at your nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. Contact details are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website dfat.gov.au. Please note that engaging an authorised witness overseas may attract a fee under the Consular Fees Act 1955. " Bugger... The Australian High Commision is 633km away. What is it they say, "resilience is the breakfast of champions!"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucian Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 6 hours ago, Darran said: So after a little bit of research into certifying the documents for the TRBWA registration, we have discovered the following: "A document can only be certified by an authorised witness. An authorised witness is a person that appears on the list of people who can certify documents and is currently employed as, registered and/or licensed to practise in Australia. For example, a doctor who is registered to practise medicine in Australia can certify your documentation, but a doctor who is not registered in Australia cannot. If you are currently outside of Australia, you may be able to find an authorised witness at your nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. Contact details are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website dfat.gov.au. Please note that engaging an authorised witness overseas may attract a fee under the Consular Fees Act 1955. " Bugger... The Australian High Commision is 633km away. What is it they say, "resilience is the breakfast of champions!"? Plus it costs R700 a page to certify with them, plus you need to make an appointment with them in advance to do the certification, plus their hours of work are simply put WEIRD. I ended up arranging with an aunt of mine who's a nurse in WA to certify the docs for me, coz I'm also a teacher. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 2 hours ago, Lucian said: Plus it costs R700 a page to certify with them, plus you need to make an appointment with them in advance to do the certification, plus their hours of work are simply put WEIRD. I ended up arranging with an aunt of mine who's a nurse in WA to certify the docs for me, coz I'm also a teacher. That's just crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted September 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Wow, thanks @Lucian! You just saved me taking two days off work and flying up to Gauteng + another R10,000+ for the certifications!! I have an uncle who should be able to do the certifications for me, going to get in touch with him today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucian Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 @RedPanda it is aint it! I'm glad to be of assistance @Darran. If I'm not mistaken they only carry out notarial services (certifying etc) from 13:30 to 16:00 hours, Monday to Friday. (more info on their site http://southafrica.embassy.gov.au/pret/ConsularNotarial.html) It's always best to call before paying them a visit too coz they will be closed if it's an Aussie public holiday (Office: + 27 12 423 6200).... Here's the email they sent me after I had inquired about certifying just 5 documents (one of which was a passport sized photo.lol) "Lucian, Thank you for your email. I have booked an appointment for 1500 on 24/03/2017. Please note the cost will be R3500 for the documents you have quoted below. Please note that it is your responsibility to provide the High Commission with documents that are in the correct form and with the correct instructions. If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to the notarial service, including witnessing signatures on a particular document, you should seek independent legal advice. By witnessing a signature on a document neither the Australian Government nor the Australian mission overseas guarantees the legal effectiveness of the document or the accuracy of its contents. Neither the Australian Government nor the High Commission accept liability for any loss, damage or injury arising out of the use of, or reliance on, the document or its contents. Nicole Lovelock Kolver Consular Officer Office: + 27 12 423 6200 Fax: + 27 12 342 8442 www.southafrica.embassy.gov.auFollow us on Twitter @AuHCSouthAfrica Like us on Facebook @AustralianHighCommissionSouthAfrica" Quote Quote 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted September 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 @Lucian Which documents did you submit to get the 100 points required for the National Police Check? I seem to be getting stuck at 95. Thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucian Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 13 hours ago, Darran said: @Lucian Which documents did you submit to get the 100 points required for the National Police Check? I seem to be getting stuck at 95. Thanks!!! I'm guessing @Darran you're referring to the INFORMED CONSENT FORM for the NATIONAL POLICE CHECKING SERVICE? Seeing as they require at least one document fro either Category A or B, but not necessarily from both, I've used my Birth Certificate and my Passport, each of which is worth 70 points so that puts me at 140 points. Hope I've answered the correct thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Awesome, thanks @Lucian, that's exactly what I was as referring to 😊. I must have been mis-reading it because I thought you could only submit one document from A or B and then had to make up the balance of the points from the other categories. Thanks again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMPhysio Posted September 20, 2017 Report Share Posted September 20, 2017 Well done @Darran. I read through your post and happy yoyou have your visa. All the best with your trip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted October 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2017 After getting multiple quotes for our 20’ container we have decided to go with Crown Removals. It came down to a (more difficult than anticipated) decision between Crown and CargoPak. Both reps gave outstanding service, particularly Dave from CargoPak who made it seem very personal, but the kicker came with being able to pay everything upfront with Crown as well as Crown having their own offices etc. in Perth. We are set to have our container loaded in +-5 Weeks, so we have been de-cluttering at every opportunity! T-minus 82 days till lift-off! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezo Posted November 5, 2017 Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 Congratulations @Darran Apologies for the delayed reply but since we arrived life has been rather manic! In a good way though Its only a pleasure! I know how much this forum helped me so I am more than happy to share my experiences and knowledge with those who need it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikamarie Posted November 5, 2017 Report Share Posted November 5, 2017 On 23/08/2017 at 11:11 PM, Darran said: Wow! I can't believe that I am finally at the point that I can say we have our visas!! They were granted on the 11 August and we have been in a daze since then. The journey, on paper, has been a long one but it feels like only yesterday that we were filling in the Skills Assessment application! We managed to get a Direct Grant without using an agent, and this would not have been possible without this forum. There are also specific people I'd like to thank who have given us (whether they knew it or not ) advice and encouragement during this process (in no particular order): @RedPanda, @Mara, @Deezo, @ChrisH, @PhatMyles, @mistermoose, @CazK, @MichKen, @DXB2OZ, @SurferMan, @HadEnoughofJuju, @Husky, @Jordy, @rikamarie, @RYLC, @AFreshStart, @SD_MOA, @TeeTMI, @FingersCrossed, @SimpleSimon You guys are AWESOME! Thank you for so freely sharing and helping others, it seems to be a rare trait in today's world?! Our plan is to move over in January 2018, to settle in Bunbury, WA. A complete melting pot of emotions over this statement! We have family in Bunbury who will hopefully be able to open some doors of opportunity for us, or at the very least make it a softer landing! It is such a relief to know that we have an exit strategy in place and can leave tomorrow if things locally get completely out of hand! So now we're onto container quotes and (gulp) de-cluttering our lives! Hey Congrats and it's my pleasure. We are in Bunbury too. Let me know if you need anything when down here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted November 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 The packing crew arrives in 2 days! We have been frantically de-cluttering and cleaning everything in sight! I spent the weekend behind a high-pressure cleaner (thank goodness for Karcher, would have been a nightmare otherwise) disbelieving of how quickly grime accumulates right under our noses! We decided to take out insurance for our container, however we have gone with the “itemized” approach as opposed to the general cover. I found a great app that was a huge help in this regard, “Home Contents”, that helped us quickly categorize each of the items in our house. You take a photo of each item, input all relevant info including replacement cost, and at the end it generates a pdf report with sub-totals of all the replacement values (by location in your house) as well as a Grand Total. We then forwarded this pdf to Crown. Magic! I’m not sure everything has quite sunk in yet, but we are getting more excited with each passing day for our new adventure! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ta2Bryan Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 Good luck with the move! What is so great about this forum is the "me too!" moments when reading through a post. I see so many parallels in your story and it just keeps the spirits up. Hope it's all smooth sailing from here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted December 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Our container has left! Such an incredible feeling to see the truck drive away with all our worldly possessions, knowing that we will soon be starting our new lives! The packing went well and we managed to fit in everything that we had hoped to (we only had enough space left for perhaps 3 more boxes). I must say, when we reached the 60% full mark I was starting to get seriously nervous whether we would fit everything in, but hats off to Sanele and his packing crew - they must be master “Tetris” players! 49 days to go!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darran Posted December 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2017 (edited) All the pieces of our puzzle are falling into place! My wife has received confirmation of registration with the Teachers Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA). Such a relief! We applied 2.5 months ago and there was a slight hiccup in the application. We had used the same Police Clearance Certificate for the TRBWA registration as for our Visa application. Unfortunately the TRBWA didn't accept it because the registration application date was after the issue date of the PCC (they therefore said that the PCC didn't cover our entire time in SA), so we had to re-apply for a new PCC and send it off. The stressful part was that we only had 3 weeks to get it done (apply for the PCC, collect the PCC, get it certified by an Australian Professional and POST it, they said not to courier it) because as of the 20 November 2017 they are no longer allowing applicants to do the PCC independently, but instead have to do it through their nominated agency! Anyway, we made the deadline by 3 days (thanks most-in-part once again to the awesome service of the Pretoria PostNet getting our PCC back to us so quickly). The TRBWA committee were obviously satisfied because my wife is now registered! Phew! For those interested in the TRBWA registration while still in SA: you need to register as a Non-Practicing Teacher. Then when you start teaching in WA you need to send a "Notification of Teaching" form within 14 days. You then need to teach for 100 days before you can apply for Full Registration, and within 2 years of starting to teach. And make sure your PCC date stamp for the TRBWA application is after your application date . Edited December 7, 2017 by Darran 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidjet Posted December 7, 2017 Report Share Posted December 7, 2017 SHoe that is cutting it close, glad you got it all sorted and that she is now registered. Good luck with the next bit of the puzzle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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