About ausam

Currently Lives:

Citizen of:

Australia

Some Forum Posts:

Australia: Daughter needs help transferring in Sydney Airport...:

Try contacting Sydney airports Visitor Ambassadors. They offer airport assistance to international visitors. http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/SACL/T1-Visitor-Assistance.html Qantas is suppose to have a meet & assist service to take people to their gate. You need to request it through Qantas Customer Service. Make sure you tell the airline/s she is travelling alone and needs assistance. Confirm this 24 hrs before the fight. Discuss her seating arrangements with them. Get her an airport map. In Sydney: She'll encounter sniffer dogs in customs - leave food on the plane. Most people have to get their baggage x-rayed before leaving so there is usually a long line out of customs. Transiting to domestic requires a walk to the transit lounge (to the right when exiting customs), rechecking baggage, going thru security, and a short wait for a transit bus to the domestic terminal (get off the bus & take the escalator up to the domestic gates) Discuss what to do if things go wrong...who to talk to to re-book connection if flight is delayed into Sydney (make sure she knows when the next flight is), lost luggage (see the customer service desk in baggage claim area), delays out of Sydney, etc. I've been delayed out of the US more than once and missed connections and been separated from my luggage so best be prepared. Make sure she has access to $$ (especially in case of delay). There's a Burger King (and other food) in the domestic terminal along with some shopping. She'll be dealing with a much smaller airport than LHR or LAX so its pretty easy getting around and everything is well marked. All the airport staff I've encountered are really helpful and friendly so that shouldn't be a worry.

Australia: Starting the Visa Process:

I came to Australia 11 years ago from the US as a de facto and handled the visa process myself without any real trouble. My application was pretty straight forward - English speaking with a university degree, under 30, no criminal record, good job prospects, and financially secure. A friend that was 40 when he applied had some problems due to his age. Only glitch I had was that my Dr missed one question on the medical form (did I have 20/20 vision) therefore my visa was held up until I could get them the results of an eye exam. So, review your documentation carefully before sending it in! Be prepared to provide proof of your relationship and means of support after you arrive. We were asked for things like Christmas cards addressed to both of us, pictures from family events that we both attended, utility bills & bank accounts in both names, etc. We also had to provide statutory declarations from neighbours stating we had been living together and for how long, and from his parents stating they were supportive of the relationship and that I could live with them when I arrived. Don't expect the process to be quick. There is a lot of waiting and it can be difficult speaking to officials about the status of your application. Good Luck.

Angola: moving to Luanda with baby:

Hi Amber. My partner has been in Luanda for the past 2 years and I have remained at home. We had a baby recently, too, but have decided that we won't consider bringing the baby to Luanda until he's at least a year old. In the mean time its lots of emails and webcam. I'm interested in finding out what you decided to do.

Australia: Geelong?:

Have a look at www.domain.com.au. Geelong is an outer suburb of Melbourne (by US standards) but many Melbournians still consider it a regional centre and fuel stop on the way to the beach houses along the great ocean road. Property prices tend to be a bit less than the inner suburbs because of the distance and economy (refinery & automotive based), and the "downtown" can be very quite. However, as the area grows in popularity the ammenities are improving. Its a nice mix of old country/beach town and new city suburb. Shared accommodation is very popular option here that you should consider particularly if your stay is shorter term and you don't want to invest in furnishings. You can find a wide variety of housing and flat/housemate options advertised in the Age and local paper. Sharing a house or flat can be an affordable way to have good comfortable accommodation and social opportunities. You can find someone of just about every age group and lifestyle looking to share from uni students to older professionals. If you want to rent on your own, almost all rentals go though real estate agents, so best to contact the local agents for their rental listings. You should note that rental prices are quoted as weekly rather than monthly. I' not familiar with the public transport system in Geelong specifically, however, in general terms the trains (for commuting to city), buses (local), and trams (city & inner suburbs) offer reasonable service but not as extensive a Europe. Timetables and route maps can be found on the web. Geelong is about an hour from the city, so a car is very useful if you are planning on partaking in activities in Melbourne and the rest of Victoria. Without one you might feel a bit "stuck" but it is do-able if you don't mind taking longer to get places and doing some walking.

Date Joined:

2/17/2004

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