Taking Stock

As part of the move, the shipping company requires a detailed inventory of all items being "uplifted" to Australia for me. So begins the latest paper task. They have headings such as linens, crockery & cutlery, glassware, electronics, recreational, clothes, etc. They will ship just 7 cubic metres of personal items, and they only ship one-way, so I don't want to take anything that I would regret having to ship back later. Good thing is, that apartment fire last year on New Year's Day pretty much took care of anything like that. All that I own right now could fit into my van, so it didn't take long to list everything. I want to pick up a few other things before the movers come to ship over with my stuff. I wish I could take my mattress, but in its absence, I am bringing a thick foam topper, still in the vacuum packaging so it takes up way less space.

I have a fair amount of food to eat up before I go, as they won't ship that stuff. What is leftover I'll probably give away here somewhere or bring into my friends in Victoria. I've been trying to use up certain things and not repurchase as I run out. I couldn't tell you how many times I've set up a kitchen, buying all the stock items like flour, sugars, spices, condiments, sauces, etc. I'm curious to see how much adapting I'll have to do in Australia with their supermarkets. One of their chains is Coles Supermarkets. Another is BI-LO. There are two malls, the Alice Plaza Shopping Centre; and The Yeperenye Shopping Centre There is also a weekly open-air market, so looking forward to finding some local crafts at that. I also found out they have a Woolworth's, another chain I thought folded up some 20 years or more ago, although this chain seems to be just grocery now. They also have Kmart, which I also thought folded up it's tents.

So lots of places to spend my money. At least I will be making good money!

G'Day Mates

Well, I have just uploaded the final document for my visa application. The only outstanding portion is the medical exam I have booked for this Thursday. Once they forward that information by X-presspost to the embassy, it should just be a matter of about 10 business days or less and I'll either have my visa or a rejection. I'm hoping for the visa...

Now to get on with the rest of my life...selling the van and settling Stormy in somewhere soon. The rest will all fall into place I reckon. Moving is something I do well.

Visa Nomination is IN!

So later last night the visa nomination came in and so I began the online process. I had a few questions along the way so was able to get answers fairly quickly as it was already well into the business day in Darwin. Far enough that by the time I had one last question, it was over, so I must wait today for them to open up tomorrow. I must buy some health insurance at some point today, and finish the application. I think I have all of the documents here that are required, but I won't know for sure until I actually finish the online application. They allow you to save your application as you pull the information together, which is great!

The time change things is going to be interesting. I hope for patience from my family and friends who try to contact me once I'm in Australia. One thing I've done is set the little clock at bottom right on the computer for a few different time zones - Darwin, London, and here. I can just hover the mouse and get all three time clocks at the same time. Right now it is 4:07am on Thursday in Darwin.

So things are moving right along. Now I just need to sell my van and place Stormy somewhere permanent.

The Waiting Game

So not much new, just that the visa nomination has been lodged. Now we wait for an assigned number so that I can proceed with a visa application online. I expect to hear either tomorrow or next week (as tomorrow is Friday in Australia) about it, and then it becomes my turn to fill out my application online, and upload my documents. It almost seems surreal, like it isn't happening to me but to someone else in a foreign land. Who is this person? This soon to be immigrant? And why is she leaving her beloved Canada? Sometimes it frightens me a little, to know that I won't be in my home and native land, the true north strong and free. But then I remember - I have traveled through my country, from one end to the other and back again a number of times, having slept at least one night in ever single province and 2 of the 3 territories. If I could drive to Nunavut, it would have been all of them. I've nearly run out of places to explore. I've worked and/or lived in 2 territories and 5 of the 10 provinces. I've camped in all of the provinces except for PEI (stayed with friends) and in those two territories. It's time for a new adventure; a new country to explore from one end to the other.

Australia - here I come, an immigrant from Canada, aka an ex-pat seeking adventure in your beautiful country with a thirst for the open road of a new land. I hope you're up for it. I know I am.

Hello Monday

Well, I had several emails back and forth with the coordinator in Australia last night - funny - she was in her office on a Monday and I was at home on a Sunday evening and it was the same time period. Ah the time zones. In any event, she is lodging my visa nomination this week, and once that is done, I will get a number to go ahead and apply online for my 457 visa. She is optimistic that my visa could be ready in just 10 business days, and that barring any hitches, I could possibly be flying to Australia in early April, just 4 weeks from now or sooner! I went to town today and picked up my criminal record check - always scary to get that done, as you hope nothing will show up on it. I always worry about identity theft and whether someone has used my name in a crime somehow, but alas - it was clear. Phew! That didn't take long, just a couple of days.

I found out I do not need to forward any documents for the 457 visa as it is completed online, but for the RSMS (Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme) visa, they will be looking at everything in great detail. That visa will be applied for once I make it to Australia, and takes several months to process. That one is for permanent residency, allowing me to stay in Australia indefinitely, should I choose to, and provides me with all the rights and privileges of any other Australian resident, such as medicare, and the ability to work elsewhere should I wish to leave the agency that is sponsoring me. I am to commit for 2 years minimum with them, and I'm totally okay with that. I may even like it and stay for years - who knows?

I was able to go to the local Work Centre in Sooke and have them scan my criminal record check so have since emailed that on to the recruitment agency. Apparently that is the last document I need to send them, as the rest will go to the immigration folks from here on in - thankfully. I need to get some passport photos taken so will probably do that later this week when I'm in Victoria. Wal-mart does them on the spot for cheap, so I'll probably get a couple of sets, as I'll need a set for the RSMS visa along with the 457 visa.

With the 457 visa, I have to show proof of private medical insurance as I will not be covered under their medicare until I have the RSMS visa. I checked into one website that runs quotes through a number of companies and came up with a policy for 6 months at $900 - steep! So I may have to check around a bit. It would cover doctors visits, hospital visits, x-rays and blood work, that sort of thing. I've had travel health insurance this past year while I've been travelling but it isn't enough. They want proof of real health insurance, so I'll have to get that soon enough too. I'll wait until my visa application is launched though, as I don't want to buy something with a timeclock ticking before I need to. I already have that kind of healthcare in Canada.

So that is the latest and greatest - while there is a lot of paperwork, it will be worth it in the end!

Now THAT'S more like it

Alice Springs is about where the red dot is

Finally received my written letter of offer from Australia today. Actually, it came in during the wee hours of the morning. I was up browsing through the Northern Territory government website, reading an action plan that has resulted in the positions being created that I am being hired for. It was such an interesting and important document, I couldn't understand why we hadn't been sent it before, as the recruitment agency sure sent us enough to read. In any event, I wrote to the recruiter about the report and suggested that recruits be sent this, and the one in London, England wrote back quite quickly - it may have been 2am my time but it was the beginning of her workday there. She then forwarded me all of the documentation - written letter of offer with terms, my reference documents (what my references had to say about me) and my interview assessment report.

Today I put in a request for a Criminal Record check with the RCMP to the tune of $50. The desk clerk said there has not been an increase, but that is so not true. I have been getting these criminal record checks for years, ever since I have been volunteering and working with vulnerable populations and have NEVER paid more than $25 if anything at all. Whatever, I didn't have much choice, and the Aussie gov will be reimbursing me for all of these fees when I arrive, so I just have to keep all of my receipts.

I also faxed her certified copies of my 3 degrees. I'm not sure what comes next. The visa nomination has to be made sometime within the next few weeks, once they receive the CRC and other documentation. The CRC is to be completed within 2-5 business days, so probably sometime next week.

My last stop was at the library where I signed up for a library card so I could check out some books regarding Australia. They were pretty limited with what they had onsite as it is a rather small library, but I found a couple of interesting ones, including a book titled "Cold Beer and Crocodiles: A bicycle journey into Australia." Should be good for a laugh.

My proposed arrival date in Australia is May 1st, and beginning work on May 4th. That is exactly 2 months away - holy cow. I hope time flies as I am sooooo ready to return to work!

The Waiting Game

Well, I had a call from the recruiter in London today to assure me that all was well, it just wasn't moving along very fast. I am still waiting for the formal offer to arrive via email as promised. It's now been nearly 6 weeks since the interview and 2 weeks past when the agency promised we would hear from them. The recruiter explained that the Australian government agency has gone through major restructuring and this has caused some of the delay. As well, they are processing the last wave of successful applicants and the current wave of 25 they hired (I was one of 25). I can understand there is a lot of work to do, however I don't understand why they were not better prepared for this work. I mean, if asked to hire 45 employees in the coming year, you would make sure you had the appropriate amount of staff to carry this chore out. Perhaps they had no way to gauge this, I'm not sure. All I know is that I hate the waiting game. There is a great deal to do when emigrating to another country, and I can't really do ANY of it until I at the very least, have something in writing. Right now, all I have is the word from an unreliable recruiter in Toronto who has broken more promises than she has kept about time frames, so has stopped making them.

What the recruiter did say is that once the visa nomination is made, the visa processing time has been rather quick, usually 2 weeks and they're ready...that is good news, if it is to be believed.

Time is running out, and I have just 2 months left in my lease for my current housing, and less than that in employment insurance. I started this in November, and thought 6 months would be enough time to go through this process, but now I'm concerned it is not going to be, and I'll be homeless and broke come May 1st. So I've explained to the recruitment agency that I cannot continue to wait without making back-up plans, particularly with no formal offer on the table. I'm going to start applying for jobs in Canada this week. I've been browsing for months, but now will have to start getting down to business. As of May 1st, I have to be working SOMEWHERE. I really don't want to sign another lease, so will have to depend on the kindness of friends if it looks like it might only be a week or two, but otherwise will have to find yet another place to live. It is a lot of hurry up and wait. Sigh...

So that is the latest. Stay tuned...