Journey 4 - From Germany to Tasmania

May 22, 2008 by Mira

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Some people think I’m crazy ….but some think I’m very brave.
I will let you judge for yourselves.

I’ve always been very independent and enjoyed traveling.
Although I’m pretty young (26 years old) I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many countries. As a woman, traveling alone can have its challenges as I’m sure most women would agree but challenges often become great opportunities and we learn and grow from those experiences.

I’m German so of course Europe is very handy and I’ve been pretty much all over Europe but have also been to the Middle East, Africa and the country that left the strongest imprint on me is Australia.
I’ve only been there once traveling on my Working Holiday visa, which enabled me to work while traveling in Australia. This way I was able to work in a few cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart and I could experience life in those cities which gave me a broader perspective about life in Australia.
I loved what I saw, I made great friends and was very sad to leave.
Coming back to Germany wasn’t easy and all I kept thinking about is how I can find my way back to Australia and this time for good.
I consulted a migration agent who was registered with MARA and I was told that in my circumstances I would only be able to apply for a Skilled Regional visa – that’s a temporary visa that would allow me to live in Australia for 3 years with full work rights and after a while I will be able to apply for permanent residence.
The only draw back I was told was that I can’t live in all metropolitan cities which meant that Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth were off limits but Adelaide or Hobart were possible. Actually the options were pretty wide, and I could settle anywhere in Regional Australia which included regional Victoria and NSW, all of South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
The main thing was that I needed to get State Sponsorship, which meant that one of the states had to sponsor me.
I decided to choose Tasmania because I so enjoyed this State. I could live in Hobart which is the capital and that could give me a lot of employment opportunities, plus it reminds me a lot of Germany, it’s a very European city so I thought it would help me feel at home quicker but at the same time everything felt more laid back there and life is not as stressful as I’m used to in Germany.
People even have the time to look at each other and smile!
On the weekends I could travel around, there are beautiful mountains and breathtaking views all around.
So once I decided and had the clarity I needed, things were easier.
The process itself required a lot of work from me and my migration agent who was really great.
As I work in Marketing and Public Relations we had to apply for a skills assessment with Vetassess which went well and then we had to apply for State sponsorship in Tasmania which was approved in one day! I knew I made the right choice! Then we lodged my visa application which was approved last week! I’m very excited! I’m now waiting for my passport to come back from the Australian Embassy in Berlin with my visa so that I can book my flight to Hobart. I can’t wait to get there!