Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Want to immigrate to Australia - certain needed skills opened up



I am always on the lookout on new ways that immigrants can get into Australia.
If you have previously failed in getting into Australia - there is a glimmer of hope.
Here it is.
Australia has shortages of certain skills. 
These scarcities in the Australian labour market are being tackled by an immigration project called the Skill Stream.
This is part of Australia's Migration Program which targets migrants with skills or outstanding excellent abilities that will increase the competence and skill level of the Australian labour force. This is seen as supporting Australia's economic growth.

Of the 190 000 visa places available in the 2014 Migration program, the Skill Stream currently amounts to 67.7 per cent.
It is made up of;
  • employer sponsored migrants 
  • skilled-independent 
  • business migrants 

Priority processing in the Skill Stream is applied to applicants who are
  • migrating to a special regional areas
  • migrants sponsored by employers 
  •  migrants nominated by a state or territory government under the State Migration Plan

Queensland state governments have revised the criteria for sponsorship applications to enable a easier path to obtaining a visa. 
Also, the state government of Queensland recently published a broader(extra) list of eligible occupations and eligibility criteria in a push to draw in a larger amount of skilled workers. 
This is excellent  news for skilled migrants as those who have possibly been previously denied access can now apply again with a much improved chance of success. 
Applicants able to secure state/territory sponsorship can apply under the Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190 or the Skilled Regional (State) Sponsored Visa Subclass 498 and will receive an automated message from the DIBP upon obtaining state sponsorship.
Hope this helps!


Hi, want an Australia student visa?, why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.


How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Indian student attacked and robbed in a Melbourne Park, Australia

A young Indian foreign student put in an induced coma after being attacked and robbed in a Melbourne park.
Once again crime strikes an Indian in Australia, hopefully this does no become another race issue.
Police are currently looking for eight men and a woman after a student - Manriajwinder Singh, 20 years old, was attacked in the early hours of yesterday morning.
It seems Mr Singh was kicked in the jaw which caused him to fall to the ground, where he was knocked unconscious, then kicked and attacked with a stick.
Look like someone helped him when a 23-year-old man was allegedly punched in the face, before another friend ran to get help.
Mobile phones were stolen.
Officers that this was just an opportunistic crime.
"its a cowardly attack on two peaceful young men," Senior Constable Foley said.
Police released CCTV footage of the attack which happened east of Princess Bridge at Birrarung Marr at around 4.15am. Probably not a good idea to walk around at that time in the morning though...
The Reservoir student, 20 years old, was taken to The Alfred hospital where he remains in an induced coma.
Very bad luck - as his brother Yadwinder Singh told the news crews that it was actually his first night out in the city. What a welcome.
The CTV footage shows men of African appearance in their late teens to early 20s, running away through Federation Square.
Any witnesses or anyone with information is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au


How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Monday, December 30, 2013

What are the worst places to live in Sydney

After Living in Sydney for a while, I think these are the worst places to Live. 

Please note that these have lots of good people in them and some people live there without any problems, but on the whole;

 The worst suburbs are: 

  •  - Redfern 
  •  - Bankstown 
  •  - Blacktown 
  •  - Liverpool 
  •  - Parts of Paramatta 
  •  - Cabramatta 
  •  - Some ares fo Glebe 
  •  - Yagoona 
  •  - Campletown 
  •  - Lakemba (lots of gang troubles) 
  •  - Potts Point / Kings Cross (red light /clubbing district) 
  •  - Macquarie Fields


These are the dodgiest places I can think of. 

Avoid the South-West suburbs and some of the Western suburbs. The South-west of Sydney is notorious for crime and gang troubles (mainly due to middle-eastern gangs). I have seen them walking around with the big thick gold chains and driving around at 3 am in the morning doing everything you don't want to know about.  

The Western Suburbia don't have as much crime, but there are lots of state houses out there and it's not really a nice place to live if you know what I mean. There are some really lower income apartment places and also very low income housing estates- you know the places - all the grass dead, trees planted but not cared for, lots of grey cement, tiny old cars etc. Of course there are lots of nice people there, its just short of money right? 

Redfern is a sure place to get mugged and beaten up. Lots of cowards and bullies down there - hanging in large groups - avoid.

Kings cross / Potts point - 

Friday and Saturday nights are hell. Totally noisy up into your apartments due to thousands of vehicles congregating with youngsters from the burbs to Kings Cross. the commotion is deafening. Along with congested traffic (bumper to bumper on William Street’s traffic), a nice mix of Harley Davidson bikers screaming their engines. 

Agghh, every weekend, mutitudes of bikers passing by. all going to pubs, nightclubs, drugs, whorehouses, disco buses, strip-clubs, scum drug dealers, needle exchanges and violence. 

Even though young people have been murdered on the streets here the Assistant Commissioner just makes politically correct gestures how annoyed he is about it and then does nothing. Play the the game of ‘spot the police officer’ in Kings cross, you wont have much luck. I think the police only turn up in the area if someone is murdered. I think the local authorities have a hand in this by granting licenses to all the venues, and therefore blame rests with them. if they wanted tyo change it they could - but there is money being made isn't there?

Kings Croiss is well known as being the ‘red-light’ prostitute district of Sydney, but compared to all the cities I’ve visited in the world, Kings Cross seems to beat them all. At the end of each weekend the building entrances are littered with needles, condoms, blood and trash. It seems to be so violent with kids roaming the street high on drugs and alcohol. At night 

Kings Cross at night is a no-go area –  no such thing as a peaceful walk, an quiet dinner or a quiet nightcap. Stupid wannabee young people are drawn to the Cross because of its reputation for everything that reason would tell them they should stay away from. 


Hi, planning on Studying in Australia?  Why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.




How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Good things to know about living in Melbourne

I did some research about great places to see in Melbourne via the internet. Here are some excellent place to view in Melbourne using google street view. This is a great way to get a feel for where you are moving to when you finally immigrate to Australia.

Southbank

101 Collins street
140 William street
500 Bourke Street

Exhibition street (corner with Collins, cnr with Bourke)

Glenferrie street Malvern 
Hawthorn
High Street Armadale

St Georges road Toorak
Mercer road Armadale
Central Park road Malvern east 

Kerferd Road South Melbourne

Look here first - corner Flinders and Swanston and around Princes Bridge which is pretty much the center of Melbourne with the station and Fed Square. 

Spring street and MacArthur street, there are many landmarks around this intersection - Parliament House, Old Treasury building, Windsor Hotel and also the Princes Theatre and St Patricks Cathedral is not far away.

Also, Bourke street mall with Myer and David Jones department stores and also a vibrant area for street music and acts and is probably the busiest part of the city during the day.

The sporting precinct just to the south east of the city around Brunton avenue and Batman avenue.

Don't forget the Royal Botanic gardens and Government house, Fitzroy gardens and Alexandra gardens which are all not far from the sporting precinct.

Zoom into the Royal Park and the great Zoo.

Of some interest might be the State Library at the corner of Latrobe and Swanston.

Special interest with family with kids - the University, especially around the northern boundary with all the residential colleges.

Big Mention for Southbank Promenade.

There are great Victorian streetscapes around the inner suburbs, special mention to Carlton, Brunswick st Fitzroy, Smith street Collingwood,  Gertrude street, North Melbourne, and Nicholson street near the Royal Exhibition building (also home to the Museum), Chapel street Prahran. 

For the sophisticated there is the Arts center and Art Gallery which is south of Princes Bridge on St.Kilda Road.

you can mouse click around Williamstown, St Kilda, Station Pier (where the Tasmania ferry arrives and departs from), and farther out places like Brighton and Elwood will be a great insight to the bayside suburbs and atmosphere.

For nature lovers and people interested in the greenary, look around from the Yarra river all the way out to outer Eastern suburbs.

Some of these are Herring Island, Warrandyte, Studley Park, the Heidi Museum of Modern Art at Bulleen (a middle suburb by the Yarra). This was originally a huge artist colony in the 19th century that was a producer of a great deal of Australia's most famous artwork.

Have a peek at the Dandenong ranges which are the eastern edge of the metro areas but still comprise tall forests, beautiful gullies with pockets of rainforest and lyrebird habitat. 

Hike the capital city trail just before swan street/

http://goo.gl/maps/RH7VK

Artwork of Hosier Lane (good restaurants, Movida)

http://goo.gl/maps/5gawX

little old lanes and alleyways

http://goo.gl/maps/sJOmQ
http://www.thelittlemule.com/

Melbourne Cathedral - very impressive from the side view. tis it at the upper end of Spring Street. 

http://goo.gl/maps/AfVgb

One things thats annoying is finding beaches to take dogs. Try Brighton Dog Beach. Its a fenced in dog allowed beach in Melbourne area and there can many dog walkers there on a nice sunny day.

http://goo.gl/maps/uzSF0

Yarra River

http://goo.gl/maps/z75Q6



Thats its for now folks




Hi, planning on Studying in Australia?  Why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.




How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Good, Top Notch luxury Hotels in Sydney, Australia

Good 5 star hotels in Sydney

If you are thinking of having a luxury stay or holiday in Sydney here is a list of recommended hotels to stay at.

Park Hyatt Hotel with a superb view of the Sydey Opera House and the Harbour is pretty nice. 

Another option is (not a hotel) the Quay West Suites which are on Circular Quay and minutes walk from a nearby railway station. You get an apartment with kitchen for no more than rooms only in the 5 star hotels. This can save you a lot of money as you can self cater as needed to save some money. Another set of serviced suits is World tolwer apartments - good for short or long stays.

Depending on your budget;

The Hilton Relaxation Suites are nice, but the rooms are quite small.

The Westin(very flash – posh bathrooms) and Sheraton on the Park are both great Hotels. Sheraton offers some great price resulting in good value for money if you are on a bit of a budget(as most people are). The Sheraton has view of the Sydney water "heads" - very picturesque.

The Darling - has a Casino, 5 restaurants, nightclubs access to WildLife Sydney  and the Sydney Harbour aquarium.

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel. Walk to Martin Place, The Rocks, Circular Wharf, Martin Place, Town Hall, the Sydney Tower and the MCA and Sydney Museum.

The top-end is Park Hyatt, the Four Seasons, Shang-ri-la and the Observatory. The Observatory ironically does not have a view but the othjer Hotels do.

The Observatory Hotel stands out as a non chain like resort, so if you are looking for something to spoil yourself thats the place to go! It has beautiful rooms in an older, classical style.

The Langham - stands out with custom made elagant fittings.

The Shangri-la has a well known bar called "altitude". Known as one of the best bars in Sydney. 

Circular Quay has a couple of Hotels; -  Intercontinental, Westin, Marriott and Four Seasons. My experience of the Intercon is great, there are great panoramic views of Sydney Harbour from the club lounge on the top floor. 

The Marriott is a bit dated or tired. The Oberservatory is more of a boutique hotel and are quite expensive though.

More five star options;-

Swissotel, Sir Stamford, Sofitel, Stamford Plaza, Radisson and Hilton.

Its good to phone up and  ask if they have day spa's or 'romantic package deals'.

Here are some excellent restaurants with their Chefs names located within the various hotels

  • Altitude Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel – Matthew McCoolGlass 
  • Brasserie at the Hilton Hotel – Luke Mangan
  • Momofuku Seiobo at The Darling/Star – David Chang
  • Galileo Restaurant at the Langham Hotel – Jonathan Bruell
  • Gowings Bar & Grill at the QT Sydney – Robert Marchetti 




Hi, planning on Studying in Australia?  Why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.





How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney

Where to stay in Sydney if I am only visiting for a few days

If you are only staying for a few days, then the best place to stay would be somewhere in the Sydney city center. The Opera House and the Zoo are on the opposite sides of Sydney Harbour. One can easily catch a ferry from the City to the Zoo or vice versa. 

From the city centre you can catch a train or bus to Bondi beach or any other area.

There are also heaps of hotels in the city.

There is also an area called the 'Rocks' which is close to the harbour and the Opera House.  

Circular Quay or the Rocks are the names of the areas to start your hotel search. You will have great access to the site of the original establishments of Sydney. There are historical buildings here still. 

From Circular Quay you can catch a ferry to Taronga Zoo. Along the Circular Quay foreshore you can access the Opera House and / or the Botanical Gardens. This area plays host to a number of museums and many eclectic restaurants. 

Pubs, buses and city rail are available from Circular Quay. 

Please also consider Darling Harbour. This area is close to the CBD and also China Town and you can travel around it using the monorail. 

A short walk can be made to Queen Victoria Building or Pitt Street Mall from Darling Harbour (about 15 mins by foot). Darling Harbour hosts many shops, tourist spots (a small zoo, IMAX and a world class aquarium) and many many places to eat. 

Free entertainment is available at either area. Either one of these places is an attractive base. 

Sydney is a simple place. take some energy and an adventurous spirit and get out there. - You wont be disappointed - its also quite safe.

The top chain hotels are located around the Circular Quay and the Rocks areas. Staying in these areas as previously mentioned will give you easy access to the ferry terminal for the zoo and shopping.

Darling Harbor has an ride operator that offers a zoo catamaran trip direct from Darling Harbour, this includes entry fee to the Zoo ant it is cheaper than catching a ferry and separately paying for entry - plus you get a free tour around Sydney Harbour (lots of bays and info about the houses and islands etc). 

As for hotels, this of course hugely depends on your pockets budget bulge. The Metro apartments are cheap, Four Points Sheraton is lovely but is very expensive and upmarket, The Ibis was great too. There are lots of place to stay around there - some way more expensive than others.

You can walk to the Rocks from Darling Harbour as well as walk to the Centerpoint tower.

As for hotels, depends on your budget. The Metro apartments are great value, we loved Four Points Shearaton (but is very expensive - thanks work), and the Ibis was OK. There are heaps around there, some more expensive than others.

Have fun in your Holiday. Don't stress and remember its about having a good time. So if you value luxury - spend a little more on the hotel 

If you value the adventure - spend less on the hotel, bring your energy and get out there and do more.

Don't forget to walk/climb the harbour bridge.


See ya later. 




Hi, planning on Studying in Australia?  Why not use our community forum - all about living, working, playing, moving and studying in Australia.




How I got my visa, Life, Lumps and spirit, Hate your new country? Your not alone! A good Furniture Rental company in Sydney,Why do immigrants leave Australia?, Sydney - Scotland island - hidden gem, Malls in Sydney, Living in St Ives, Arriving in Sydney, Driving through Sydney - first day, How expensive is Sydney