“We know, we know, that we will have to pay
And get squashed, and the struggle is long and hard
And through each part, the price is high but the end is near.”
Hear Me O My People, 1990
Moving to Australia can be hard. If you don’t have family connections or a firm to sponsor you, it involves a lot of time and effort. It was 703 days from Bruce and Fran’s first contact with a migration agent to their Jetstar flight touching down at Tullamarine. Many of those days were spent filling in endless forms, jumping through hoops (sometimes mistiming their jumps), handing over cheque after cheque – and the whole process could still have been scuppered if Fran had turned one year older before their final application was lodged.
They made it and it has been well worth it, but now they’re in Melbourne enjoying the change of scenery there is a whole new set of hoops to negotiate, from finding somewhere to live, gaining employment, adjusting to a difference pace of life and making new friends. Through this blog and particularly through the information accessed through this page, they hope to help other potential migrants or current expats find the information they need to succeed.
Bruce and Fran hope the main part of the blog documenting their adventures offers some insights into life Down Under, a few cautionary tales and occasional chuckles, but also realise that anyone moving to a new country needs good, hard facts.
Below is an ever-growing list of links to useful information and other essential sites. Any recommendations for new links will be gratefully accepted. You can also find links to other sites (some useful, some humorous) by clicking on highlighted words and pictures in our blog posts.
Thanks
Bruce and Fran
This page has the following sub pages.
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