Wednesday, July 17, 2013

International Relocation Tip #2: 457 Visa

Do your own research. Don't rely on your company or the relocation company to tell you everything involved relocating. That was my mistake. I was told not to worry about anything, the relocation company would handle all of the paperwork. NOT! The first week of July I get an email with attachments with 2 forms to complete totaling 23 pages. Most of the information I had no clue what I was supposed to answer. Then I get to the fun part, children's passport numbers. Okay, I was told they didn't need this for the visa. Phone call to Melbourne, yes, they do. Run around like a crazy woman getting kids passport photos and somewhere that will process them asap on a weekend! Ugh! Then pay to have expedited in Chicago! Can you feel the stress building in me? So, when someone says, "don't worry they'll take care of it", don't believe them. Do your own investigating into what needs to be done to enter a country. Come back later for my tip on packing and moving companies.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a creative day:-)

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

International Relocation Tip #1

Yes, it has been awhile since I have even looked at my blog. So, so, so much craziness and I'm sure it's only going to get crazier. Since I really haven't had time to craft I thought I'd at least share a little of what I've been dealing with for the past few months. This post may not get many views, but I definitely feel better writing it down:-)

Tip #1 and MOST IMPORTANT: If you plan on moving and have a pet you need to get in contact ASAP with a pet transportation company. You may need an RNATT (rabies antibody blood test) for your pet at least 5 months prior to your move. This needs to be done by an USDA approved vet and takes about 2 weeks to get the results back. Then a period of 5 months needs to elapse before we can apply for a permit to even allow our dog into Australia to begin his 4 weeks of quarantine. Needless to say, I did not know this and we are due to move in 4 weeks. Yes, I freaked out when I found this out. Transferring a pet out of the US is a much more complicated process than our relocation company led us to believe. Jetpets, has been very helpful starting this process but it's still going to be a long road.

Check back again for my 457 visa and passport escapade;-)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a creative day:-)
Copyright 2011
Blog Design by The Shabby Vanity