Congrats dear

nrdgeek:
I just got my Australian visa to study at UNSW. I have been a silent observer of this thread though and I really appreciate the valuable information you all have contributed. I would please like to know if anyone is heading to Sydney in February because I'd really love to make arrangements for accommodation.

bossladyMo:


You mean get a prepaid line instead...something like our regular GSM here in Naija.

What if aomeone wants to get a phone? Except you have a huge chunk of money to outrightly purchase a new phone...

When you land, buy a sim card recharge and use. getting on a plan for 12 -24 months (depending) on a brand new phone from any of the providers is quite not a good idea for 'new' migrants without a constant source of income is not a good idea. As for credit card I have this to say, the banks don't issue you a card for you to pay it off quickly. Cos in essence, they don't make much money on interest. Just an advice for new migrant.

Nwokenna:


When you land, buy a sim card recharge and use. getting on a plan for 12 -24 months (depending) on a brand new phone from any of the providers is quite not a good idea for 'new' migrants without a constant source of income is not a good idea. As for credit card I have this to say, the banks don't issue you a card for you to pay it off quickly. Cos in essence, they don't make much money on interest. Just an advice for new migrant.

Any suggestion on sim-card only prepaid plans?

Also how long did it take you to get a job, and any tips on getting a job?

Regards!

bossladyMo:

Any suggestion on sim-card only prepaid plans?
Also how long did it take you to get a job, and any tips on getting a job?
Regards!

Lycamobile & Lebara would be your best bet on prepaid mobile, they are incredibly cheap to call 9ja. Lyca charge about 29cents connection fee and 1cent/sec to 9ja.

But since you will be looking for job, I also advise that you look for a plan. That allows you to unlimited call, so as to enable you to hook up with prospective employers

Lyca has a 30$ plan that gives you unlimited calls & SMS Australia wide plus 2GB data for 30days http://www.lycamobile.com.au/en/super-saver-plan

Lebara also have something similar. Forget about $80 phone plus maybe another $40 call/data plan for now till you are settled!

As for jobs, I realised that combining traditional and modern methods of job hunting work best. By this I mean, yes you can apply for jobs online, but it is best if you can ring and chat up with your prospective employer prior to submission. Or better, walk in and drop your CV in person.

Always ask for the manager/supervisor/ contact person for a vacancy rather that discussing with receptionists. Most importantly you have to be flexible with your job search. Start from somewhere and work your way through.

Most of us from 9ja tend to have this complex about white collar/graduate jobs, but the reality here that the pay rate/hr for tradesmen (artisans in Nigerian parlance) is higher than what a lot of graduate jobs offer.

In addition, skills and experience is KING here. So lay more emphasis on what you can offer rather than on the qualifications you have.

My 2cents though.

UBKtech:


Lycamobile & Lebara would be your best bet on prepaid mobile, they are incredibly cheap to call 9ja. Lyca charge about 29cents connection fee and 1cent/sec to 9ja.

But since you will be looking for job, I also advise that you look for a plan. That allows you to unlimited call, so as to enable you to hook up with prospective employers

Lyca has a 30$ plan that gives you unlimited calls & SMS Australia wide plus 2GB data for 30days http://www.lycamobile.com.au/en/super-saver-plan

Lebara also have something similar. Forget about $80 phone plus maybe another $40 call/data plan for now till you are settled!

My 2cents though.

Thanks bro! Which part of Aus are you in, and how long did it take you and your dependent applicants to get a job?

Any tips?

bossladyMo:

Thanks bro! Which part of Aus are you in, and how long did it take you and your dependent applicants to get a job?
Any tips?

I am in Victoria, got my first job after three weeks!

UBKtech:

I am in Victoria, got my first job after three weeks!

Was the job in your field or another?

Any tips to landing a job quickly?

bossladyMo:
Your credit history is very important over there. Almost everything financial is tied to ypur credit history. You can easily make or mar it. Establishing a good credit history will come in handy when you need to secure home loans/mortgages, car loans, phone contractscredit cards, personal loans etc. You can be denied a car loan/credit card/home loan/phone contract/personal loan application, if your credit history is bad. You can also be charged higher interest on loans e.g home loans/mortgages, if you have a bad credit history.

Interestingly i have now come to understand if you really really really have to get a bank (NAB) loan for anything as well, your credit history can also consist of any of your regular payments
-regular rent payments
-if you buy a car with financing and you have set direct debit to it, ensure that you do not default in any payment.
-regular utilities (gas+electricity) payment

So if you are living..make sure you are good to go and try not to default on payments.

MisterNRC:


Interestingly i have now come to understand if you really really really have to get a bank (NAB) loan for anything as well, your credit history can also consist of any of your regular payments
-regular rent payments
-if you buy a car with financing and you have set direct debit to it, ensure that you do not default in any payment.
-regular utilities (gas+electricity) payment

So if you are living..make sure you are good to go and try not to default on payments.

Which would you say is the best bank, out of the big 4?

bossladyMo:


Any suggestion on sim-card only prepaid plans?

Also how long did it take you to get a job, and any tips on getting a job?

Regards!

You have already got a sound reply on sim card. However, on jobs what works for someone might not work for you. Location matters a lot. I bet Townsville is a country side and as such you will get 'country side' payrate however, spreading your tent to retrain in jobs needed at the moment in your area will land you a job quicker than you think.

Nwokenna:


You have already got a sound reply on sim card. However, on jobs what works for someone might not work for you. Location matters a lot. I bet Townsville is a country side and as such you will get 'country side' payrate however, spreading your tent to retrain in jobs needed at the moment in your area will land you a job quicker than you think.

Okay then!...

UBKtech:


Lycamobile & Lebara would be your best bet on prepaid mobile, they are incredibly cheap to call 9ja. Lyca charge about 29cents connection fee and 1cent/sec to 9ja.

But since you will be looking for job, I also advise that you look for a plan. That allows you to unlimited call, so as to enable you to hook up with prospective employers

Lyca has a 30$ plan that gives you unlimited calls & SMS Australia wide plus 2GB data for 30days http://www.lycamobile.com.au/en/super-saver-plan

Lebara also have something similar. Forget about $80 phone plus maybe another $40 call/data plan for now till you are settled!

As for jobs, I realised that combining traditional and modern methods of job hunting work best. By this I mean, yes you can apply for jobs online, but it is best if you can ring and chat up with your prospective employer prior to submission. Or better, walk in and drop your CV in person.

Always ask for the manager/supervisor/ contact person for a vacancy rather that discussing with receptionists. Most importantly you have to be flexible with your job search. Start from somewhere and work your way through.

Most of us from 9ja tend to have this complex about white collar/graduate jobs, but the reality here that the pay rate/hr for tradesmen (artisans in Nigerian parlance) is higher than what a lot of graduate jobs offer.

In addition, skills and experience is KING here. So lay more emphasis on what you can offer rather than on the qualifications you have.

My 2cents though.

@ The Bolded : Correct.. Your head is there..
@Bossladymo, With the phone option. go with prepaid option. you cannot go wrong with that. there is also prepaid boost mobile (blackberry options).

I think the real bonus here about the starting from somewhere is that the person(s) you end up working for will stand as your local reference. it paid out eventually . I learnt to follow-up with calls to the names on the adverts sometimes before and also after dropping CVs.

was not a big fan of www.seek.com.au but back then when it was reigning this side, i used this site www.snipey.com.au and it was heavenly. Connected me straight to the recruiters bypassing the agencies but shame they are under maintenance now.

PS: mehn those tradies ehn..giving their occupation the "chargeable" respect it deserves.

Another advice for people coming over here. If you have any medical (especially dental issues) please get it treated and sorted out in naija before coming over NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE it may seem. Cost of dental services here is killing. Imagine a lot of my asian friends having to defer their dental checkups and treatments till school holidays so that they can get cheaper services back home. As has been suggested, if you can stay clear of obtaining a credit card. Banks here have a way of making money out of you when you get one. For those coming to Sydney, get ready to hustle for jobs you probably didnt envisage yourself doing. Job opportunities are getting tighter by the day. For the guys, buy a clipper and learn how to shave yourself (or get someone to teach you). you can potentially save a couple of bucks that can be of great help towards other necessities like accomodation and transport.

^^^^ please explain more about this credit card issue. Does it mean that they will be charging you even when you didn't use it?

MisterNRC:


@ The Bolded : Correct.. Your head is there..
@Bossladymo, With the phone option. go with prepaid option. you cannot go wrong with that. there is also prepaid boost mobile (blackberry options).

I think the real bonus here about the starting from somewhere is that the person(s) you end up working for will stand as your local reference. it paid out eventually . I learnt to follow-up with calls to the names on the adverts sometimes before and also after dropping CVs.

was not a big fan of www.seek.com.au but back then when it was reigning this side, i used this site www.snipey.com.au and it was heavenly. Connected me straight to the recruiters bypassing the agencies but shame they are under maintenance now.

PS: mehn those tradies ehn..giving their occupation the "chargeable" respect it deserves.

Thanks for your input UBKTech and MisterNRC

chookudi:
Another advice for people coming over here. If you have any medical (especially dental issues) please get it treated and sorted out in naija before coming over NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE it may seem. Cost of dental services here is killing. Imagine a lot of my asian friends having to defer their dental checkups and treatments till school holidays so that they can get cheaper services back home. As has been suggested, if you can stay clear of obtaining a credit card. Banks here have a way of making money out of you when you get one. For those coming to Sydney, get ready to hustle for jobs you probably didnt envisage yourself doing. Job opportunities are getting tighter by the day. For the guys, buy a clipper and learn how to shave yourself (or get someone to teach you). you can potentially save a couple of bucks that can be of great help towards other necessities like accomodation and transport.

Why not just get an insurance cover that covers it?

kokobi99:
^^^^ please explain more about this credit card issue. Does it mean that they will be charging you even when you didn't use it?

Diff banks have diff policies...some don't charge an annual fee , regardless of use...while some do, whether you use it or not.

ukchy:
Visa Applicatiin form
Marriage Cert
IELTS Result
Birth Cert
My 0'level,BSc Cert and transcript. All certified copy etc...

were they required by the embassy ..tanx

Please house, for those who have travelled to Australia before, I will be going to Canberra this February, pls which airline is the cheapest and how long is d trip? Thanks

@bossladymo....please could u add me on this pin...75388852. I wanna ask some questions. Thanks a bunch

Glory be to God in the highest...... i receive my golden mail today..... lodged Nov 10 and granted today 13th January.. Praise God...

congrats oluwatobi. Was it 189 or 190 or 457. We that have PR need to network more now.

Aussie my dream land!

rolabettin:
@bossladymo....please could u add me on this pin...75388852. I wanna ask some questions. Thanks a bunch

Hello! You can ask the questions here...we are all here to learn or teach one thing or the other. Besides, there are people more knowlegable than me on this thread.

gogochocolate:
congrats oluwatobi. Was it 189 or 190 or 457. We that have PR need to network more now.

You mean 489?

He was granted a student visa....according to his past comments sha!

ukchy:
Congrats..Waaa enough good news this Jan.This year go good oo.More is coming.

Capital letter AMEN!

pls I need someone to shed more light on this.
an agent called my brother to bring his passport for 3years working permit visa in australia with ship or when reaching there he can change the visa to another company.
he has not collected any money from him because he would collect money after the visa is confirmed.
my questions are: is it possible to issue 3years working permit foelr someone in nigeria and come over to work with it?
Secondly , can someone comfirm any visa status in nigeria may be through site to just verify if is valid or fake visa?.

Thank you. may God bless you all.

nodawa:
pls I need someone to shed more light on this.
an agent called my brother to bring his passport for 3years working permit visa in australia with ship or when reaching there he can change the visa to another company.
he has not collected any money from him because he would collect money after the visa is confirmed.
my questions are: is it possible to issue 3years working permit foelr someone in nigeria and come over to work with it?
Secondly , can someone comfirm any visa status in nigeria may be through site to just verify if is valid or fake visa?.

Thank you. may God bless you all.

I know the visa you are talking about.....don't even try it. Your work is restricted to 'on a ship', you can't work on land, you should also not arrive by land (except you apply for a waiver).....many other yamayama conditions that the agent wont tell your brother.

Long and short.....it's a waste of money. If you can read back some pages, you will see the responses webgave one dude that an agent processed the same visa for.

Yes, there is a website. But it does not matter in your case...cos I won't even take the visa if they were giving it free.

Nodawa

bossladyMo:
Yes, there is a website. But it does not matter in your case...cos I won't even take the visa if they were giving it free.

Nodawa

. Hello Bossladymo, pls via which means did your CO contact you for medicals and also the grant. Telephone call or an email? Tnx

oluwatobi94:
Glory be to God in the highest...... i receive my golden mail today..... lodged Nov 10 and granted today 13th January.. Praise God...

Congrats bruv. Welcome to the fray.

cheedyH:
. Hello Bossladymo, pls via which means did your CO contact you for medicals and also the grant. Telephone call or an email? Tnx

Email