A bold move to Perth

Being in their 40s didn’t stop Joanne Copeland and her husband from making the move from the UK to find a new life in Australia. The couple and their two children, aged 14 and 17, have been living in Perth since April 2009 and say they have no regrets about their decision to emigrate.

Joanne’s husband is an electrician and it was his skills that granted the family a visa to Australia. With the help of an immigration consultant, they saw their Skilled – Independent (Migrant) visa (subclass 175) approved. The consultant was “fantastic”, recalls Joanne. “Using a consultant is really the way to go. We paid 1500 pounds for the consultant’s fees but it was totally worth it,” adds Joanne.

Despite admitting that being away from the rest of the family is hard, Joanne has no doubts that this was the right move for them. “It’s been very good and refreshing,” she says. Four months after arriving, her young boys have also settled down and made friends in Australia.

It all started when the couple visited the Working In expo in the UK. It took less than 12 months for their visa to be approved, but the couple waited another six months before flying down under.

What makes this move so brave is not just the couple’s age but also the fact that they did not have jobs waiting for them when they arrived. “It was all a bit mad but we just decided to do it,” remembers Joanne. Her husband has found work as an electrician and is now permanently employed with an Australian firm. Joanne, on the other hand, is still looking for a job. Experienced as a secretary Joanne dreams of finding a job where she can work with animals. She is now applying for jobs in different areas and is hopeful that something will come along soon.

Joanne and her husband used the internet to find out about the different states and territories in Australia before they picked Perth as their new home. “We all agreed on Perth because of the beaches and the weather. The boys are into surfing,” explains Joanne. For new migrants, one of the most important things to do when preparing to move is to thoroughly research the country they intend to move to. “There is some misinformation. For example, some people may think that it is cheap to live in Australia. It’s not.”

The couple found their first house in Australia online while they were still in the UK. “We treated it very much like a holiday,” explains Joanne. It is also through the internet that the Copelands now keep in touch with their family back home. “My 68-year-old father is getting the hang of it,” comments Joanne.

One of the first things the family did after arrival in their new home was to get a dog, which helped them feel more at home. In the few moments when the thought of returning to the UK crossed their minds, they were reminded “We can’t because we have the dog here.” Joanne doesn’t know if they will stay in Australia permanently. “We like to take one step at a time."