@blues_21 said:
- Is dreaming about owning a home there too impossible? Seemed like a stretch here in the PH, even moreso in AUS. We hear it's very expensive even for an Australian salary.
Owning a home highly depends on your location. Buying a place in a regional area is considerably more affordable than in the city. But you will have to see if you will be happy living in a regional area more than the city. There's no point buying a home in a regional area if there's no job for you there. If you want to get an idea of how much houses cost in Australia, check out domain.com.au or realestate.com.au
@blues_21 said:
- Likewise, is dreaming to bring our respective immediately family members with us eventually too tall of an order?
This depends on your situation, as parent/family visas cost a lot more money and takes longer to process than a skilled visa. You need to be financially stable as well before you can get your family to move to Australia permanently, especially if they are of retiring age and cannot work to support their living expenses in Australia. If they are coming to visit temporarily, they can simply get a tourist visa. You seem to have done some initial research on skilled migration, but I suggest you do a bit more on the parent/family visa. All the information are on the Home Affairs website.
@blues_21 said:
- How was your experience sorting out all of the "adulting" responsibilities when settling in? Things like bank accounts, insurance policies, investments, credit cards, drivers licenses, phone plans, internet, and similar. We imagine it will be a restart over in AUS.
I am not a PR yet, but yes, essentially you will be restarting everything here. Opening bank accounts and getting phone plans are easy and painless, as long as you've got adequate documents. The driver's license is not automatically recognized in Australia, so once you become a PR you will have to convert to an Australian one (in the first few months here, you can drive on your international license). Aussies drive on the other side of the road, so you will have to study the road rules and take a practical driving exam to get a full license. For credit cards, as there is no credit rating report system in the PH, it might take time for you to get one. But using debit cards are pretty common here, so I think credit cards aren't really as necessary in the beginning.
@blues_21 said:
- On the same note, did you keep any of your "adulting" things active in the PH? Ex. Bank accounts, investments, insurance policies, cards, postpaid plans, etc.
If you are moving permanently to Australia, you probably would not need to keep your postpaid plans if you're not using the services. As for the other stuff, it really depends on you.
@blues_21 said:
- When would you suggest scouting for AUS jobs? Before application, after Visa is granted, when you arrive in AUS? (or other)
As an onshore temporary visa holder, it's difficult to find a job within my occupation due to my limited work rights. Since you are offshore, the chance of finding visa sponsorship for full-time work is quite slim, as Australian employers prefer to hire Aussie citizens/PR. To answer your question, I suggest you browse through available jobs while your visa is processing, but apply only when you get the visa grant. But then again, some companies prefer onshore applicants, so you'd have to consider offers from companies that are willing to wait till you arrive in Australia. Just so you know, there's a huge hidden job market in Australia. People find jobs based on their network (friends, family, colleague, schoolmate). That's another thing that you will start from scratch once you move to Australia. Job postings on websites are well and good, but more opportunities are available/open to you if you can build a good network.
If you decide to apply after arriving in Australia, one thing you should know is that overseas experience do not really count for anything here. Once you first arrive in Australia, most employers will keep looking for "local work experience," which you clearly do not. This is the catch-22 issue---can't get work because no experience, can't get experience because no work. You need to be ready emotionally, mentally, and financially to face this reality. Some people get lucky and find work immediately, but they are the exception.
P.S. Some people build their network by adding strangers on LinkedIn, but I suggest you don't do that. Most Aussies won't bother connecting with you if they've never met you in person before. Focus on building a good quality network on LinkedIn; don't focus on the quantity.
@blues_21 said:
- Can Permanent Residents stay as non-Australian citizens indefinitely? Or are PRs required to apply for Australian citizenship after x years?
You can, but PR visas are valid for 5 years. Applying for citizenship is optional, but being a citizen is infinitely better than just keeping the PR status. Under the current rules, you would be eligible for citizenship if you've lived in Australia for at least 4 consecutive years, and in the 12 months prior to citizenship application, you have been on a PR visa. If your PR visa expires while you're overseas, you can apply for RRV as long as you've lived in Australia for at least 2 years out of the 5-year validity of your previous/current visa.
@blues_21 said:
- Our current occupations are very close to both 'Corporate Services Manager' (190) and 'Management Consultant' (189). Is it too risky to choose the latter, despite the responsibilities being very close; but not having had an official "Consultant" job title?
As far as I know (I'm not a migration agent, so this response is based on my own research), the assessing authority (whichever will do the skills assessment for your nominated occupation) will look at the job description/tasks/responsibilities more than the job title. So if your job description matches the Corporate Services Manager more than the Management Consultant, nominate the Corporate Services Manager.
Some additional comments:
If you are eligible for skilled migration, then apply as early as possible (of course, you have to do your skills assessment first, then English exam). But with the background you've provided, your profile may not get as many points for the 189 visa, as invitation rounds in 2020 showed that profiles with 95+ points were getting invitations. The only possible way you can get that many points is having >5 years of work experience, superior English, optimal age, Australian study, Australian work experience, points for CCL, Professional Year, study in regional area.
The odds are quite against you if you are applying for 189 offshore, because onshore applicants can prove that they have adapted to Australian work culture. For the 190, there's no trend about which profiles are getting invited as they are not disclosing that to the public. I'm not saying migration is impossible, but rules surrounding migration changes constantly that's why it's difficult to tell the likelihood of getting invited to migrate.