Nickyvd Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 So time to start a journal to relay our experiences thus far and hopefully help others with their journey... Before I jump in, I just want to say thank you to the generous people on this forum who contribute so much. Speaking about ones experience is so valuable to others going through the same journey and we have learnt so much. A special thanks to those who have been in Aus for a number of years but still take the time to post on this forum. Thank you for not forgetting us newbies and the stress that is involved in applying for a visa. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickyvd Posted November 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 Phase 1 - The Decision My husband and I spoke about moving to Australia in 2014. To be honest, I was not that thrilled. I have family member who has lived in Aus for 27 years and he has really struggled. The ENTIRE time. My husband has family members who have lived in Australia for 15 plus years and they have THRIVED. The ENTIRE time. So I had a lot of mixed emotions about moving. In ernest I asked the Lord to show me His will and He did. God has a way of making things clear to you and through a series of events and confirmations, my heart has changed in the matter and I am now so excited. (To all those with mixed emotions regarding the move... Ask God, He cares for you and will show you what is right for your family.) So we made the decision and early in 2015 we appointed Migrate2Oz as our agents. My husband is a plumber and so we decided to try for the 189 PR visa. And so the paperwork began... soooo much paperwork.... (Due to time and work constraints our story is going to be split into a couple of posts which I will write as and when I can) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batigol Posted November 16, 2016 Report Share Posted November 16, 2016 6 hours ago, Nickyvd said: Ask God, He cares for you and will show you what is right for your family.) Amen @Nickyvd. You are surely right about that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickyvd Posted November 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Phase 2 - English Test For everyone starting on their journey, I am going to try and provide you what we did step by step (albeit we did go through an agent) so that it will hopefully help you in knowing what to expect. We were advised to book our English test as soon as possible. We went with IELTS as my husband only needed to complete the general test and not the academic test. From what we researched the other tests (Pearson and TOEFL) don't really have this option between general and academic and can be more difficult as a result. My brother-in-law completed both IELTS and one of the other tests (not sure which one) and definitely found the IELTS easier. I do feel that this may be dependant on the person completing the test. To book your test: http://britishcouncil.org.za/exam/ielts Once booked you will have received a confirmation email from the British Council confirming your booking for your English IELTS test and then another confirmation email from them confirming your payment (this email will also include a transaction reference number). Please find below links for you to go onto to obtain practice material and complete online practice tests as well as learning about how they test you. I am sure that there will also be some resources available on Youtube. http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information.aspx http://www.dcielts.com http://www.goodluckielts.com http://www.ieltsbuddy.com http://www.ieltstestprepcast.com https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ielts-test-prepcast-ielts/id810476889?mt=2 http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ielts-test-prepcast https://vimeo.com/84382618 http://www.roadtoielts.com/testdrive/ http://www.ielts-exam.net/practice_tests/ http://www.ieltspractice.com/ielts-tips/ http://www.ihjohannesburg.co.za/ielts.htm As I am not the main applicant I did not need to complete the test. I contacted my high school for a letter confirming that I had been taught in English First Language. Until next post.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickyvd Posted November 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Today has been a tough day... I, unfortunately, had to deal with a common unpleasant South African situation... Makes me grateful for the opportunity to leave... Then earlier on today someone in my family said to me "you don't have to worry about this country and living in it as it gets worse and worse. You are leaving. Its us left behind who can't go anywhere that have to worry and deal with it." This made me sad... As if I should feel guilty for leaving and letting them suffer through it alone. They don't understand how difficult it is to actually move... or how difficult it is to leave behind people we love. How we would love to take them with us.. There is a lot of resentment in my family over immigration as one of my family members immigrated and it cost him everything. But at the end of the day, my husband and I have to make the decisions we feel are best for our immediate family - him, myself and our future children. We have to make the most of the opportunity God has given us and obey Him - I can't live my life to please people anymore. Sorry for the rant, needed to offload. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickyvd Posted November 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 Sorry for the moan guys, it was unnecessary. Passports, Marriage, Birth and First Aid We already had valid passports, but if you don't it is necessary to get these soon. We next applied for our unabridged marriage and birth certificates. We live in JHB so we did this at the Centurion Home Affairs and received them pretty quickly. They are our go-to home affairs centre. However we did stand in a looonnnggg queue outside the building as it was too full inside. I took a pic of the queue to remind me when I am in Australia and missing home. We stood outside for about 2 hours, before even getting inside. We went with my brother-in-law and unfortunately for him, he was right behind us and as he got to the cashier to pay... *black out* ... "Sorry for you, you have to come back to pay when we have power"... even home affairs gets effected by load shedding... As my husband is a Plumber he has to validate his qualification through Vetassess. As a plumber, Vetassess require him to have a valid First Aid Level one and Level two certificate (this also applies to cooks). He completed this through www.FirstAidCounts.co.za and they were great. Disclaimer: Please note that I am not an agent or anything, just sharing our experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted November 18, 2016 Report Share Posted November 18, 2016 This is a safe place to vent @Nickyvd Great that you are sharing the practical side of the process. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickyvd Posted November 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2016 Thanks @Husky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 Yup, you can share it all here, most of us have either gone through the experience ourselves, or have heard enough about it to be understanding and sympathetic. You are not alone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickyvd Posted November 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 Thanks so much @RedPanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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