Jackson Family – Emigrate to Australia as an Electrician

The Jackson family share their journey on emigrating to Australia. Liam, Electrician from the UK, and his family migrated and settled in Perth, Western Australia.

How did you find the Australian visa process?

It was long and stressful but definitely worth it in the end! Gathering all the information needed seemed never ending but we never lost sight of our dream and worked hard to complete everything asked of us as quickly as we could. The DUC made it a lot easier with the information they provided which helped us massively! Everything we needed was in there labelled and organised.

See how the Down Under Centre can assist with your skilled visa application.

Did you use the Employment Hub and how did it help you emigrate to Australia as an Electrician? Were you contacted by any of our employers?

Yes… it was very helpful as it showed everything you need do to prepare for the move. It allows employers to see where you are up to with your process, and they can contact you when relevant. I have had emails about electrical jobs in Perth from using the employment hub, it is a great tool to have when emigrating to Australia.

Liam, how have you found work as an Electrician in WA compared to the UK? How long did it take you to get your licence?

It isn’t really much different apart from the standards are a little lower in Perth. It took around 8 months to complete my WA electrical licence, but time differs for each person. The license is made up of onsite hours, onsite portfolio, practical and theory assessments at college as well as online courses to complete at home.

Do you have any tips for other Electricians moving to Australia?

I’d recommend bringing your own tools and testers if possible as they are expensive here. It would be easier to approach domestic electrical companies or panel wiring companies and apply as a TA until you get your licence as companies want people with their license. Do plenty of research about Electricians’ requirements specifically for your chosen state before traveling so you can apply straight away to save waiting.

The boys look very settled. How old are they and how did they find changing schools? Did they make friends easily?

Dylan is 10 and Jasper is 6. Dylan was a lot more cautious of the move as he had a great group of friends back in England that he had grown up with and he generally gets nervous about new things, but once we got here, he settled in so well, as did Jasper. They started school 3 weeks after we landed and started making friends from day 1. We are so proud of them; they have taken it in their stride and now often have play dates and sleepovers with their friends. Families are so friendly here we are very lucky.

How about you Gemma, did it take you long to make friends? How did you meet them?

I won’t lie this was one of my biggest fears! Making new friends as an adult is so daunting! Luckily however, I managed to make friends soon after we landed, the estate we lived on had a Facebook page, so I just popped a picture of us all on there and said hello to the neighbours! The response was amazing so many lovely people reached out and a few who did are now my closest friends here. Also, I found speaking to school mums is a good way to make friends especially the boys friends’ parents. I also run a home-based beauty salon and have met lots of lovely people through that. Sometimes you’ve just got to put yourself out there!

You hadn’t been to Australia before you emigrated, what made you want to emigrate?

Moving to Australia has been a dream of ours since secondary school, long before we met. Even though neither of us had visited we had looked into it for many years and did lots of research. The more laid-back lifestyle, opportunities and of course the weather were just a few big factors that made it seem so appealing. It was always something we said was just a dream until one day we took action and made it our reality! We are so glad we did.

What is the best thing about living in Australia compared to the UK?

We live in Perth which has a reputation as being very laid back, it’s true. It means more family time more than anything, we are always exploring our new home, we are never short of things to do! We found back in England we were working constantly and leaving little time for family time which is so sad. Our boys are loving spending more time with us!

Do you have any regrets or anything you would have done differently?

Nothing at all!

You have now been in Australia for over a year. Are you renting, or have you bought your first Aussie home yet?

We have recently bought our first Aussie home! We rented for just over a year to get a feel for areas we would like to eventually buy in.

If you’re an Electrician looking to migrate to Australia, the Down Under Centre can assist you with the Electrical skills assessment and your visa application. Call us on 0203 376 1555 for a consultation.

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