Hi to all. I am new to Trucknet so please excuse any mistakes.
I am wondering if anyone has any information on driving jobs in Australia.More importantly how easy it is to emigrate to OZ and if HGV driving is considered a skill that will get you into the country. Any help would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Bertie 
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Welcome to TN Bertie, but I suggest you use the search facility, this subject has been covered before.
Briefly, as is common throughout the world, our profession is not considered a skill and I think that for this reason entry to Oz is not easy.
Welcome As stated above this has been discussed before,but I can tell you that HGV driving is NOT a skill in the eyes of the Australian Govt and therefore you have no chance of migrating on a skilled occupation visa as a driver…Can i suggest you look at www.emi-great.com. A word of caution, this is not easy and I should know, it’s been 2 years now but I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel,but it will all be worth it to make that dream move so…good luck and feel free to p.m me if you need any help.Oh and by the way , have you always been a driver? If not what did you do before?What does your wife do?(if your married that is)you could apply thru her, especially if she is a hairdresser 
If Oz is an option as opposed to set in stone, consider Canada. They are helping drivers to get here through different programmes.
Also, I hear NZ is easier than Australia to get into.
Thanks for all your responses. Australia would be first choice due to the climate but as I thought appears to be very difficult to get into certainly without a sponsor. I am currently an operations manager for a catering company and I drive at the weekends. Unfortunately this is not a skill in demand.My wife is thinking about training to be a nurse but that takes time and that is against us due to her age.
I 
Hi Bertie,
Hope you are well, Myself and a few other guys have been trying this avenue for some time but with no luck. I have stumbled across another way into Aus with no formal Qualifications.It involves retraining in Australia and does not come cheap.But you are allowed to work part time to supplement yourself (20 hrs per week for you and 20 for your partner). It can all happen very quickly ,and who knows when your there you might find an employer willing to sponsor you.If you need any more info pm me cheers, colin
Hi Everyone,
Oz is impossible to get into…well pretty much. Why not consider New Zealand, they are after drivers, beautiful country, friendly people, fabulous climate and no deadly snakes or spiders.
Check out www.chrysalisrecruitment.com they are recruiting drivers for NZ companies at the moment.
Hi all,New Zealand is the way to go.
Get residency/NZ passport and as Australia has an open border with New Zealand jobs done.
Or stop at a Pacific nation,climb on a small boat and wrap a tea towell on your head and sail to Australia claiming persecution.100% Australian residency.
Don’t laugh.
boots:
Hi all,New Zealand is the way to go.
Get residency/NZ passport and as Australia has an open border with New Zealand jobs done.
Funny thing is Boots on my first visit as a seafarer jumping ship in the early 60s the authorities wanted to let me stay, but all the shipping companies were bringing pressure because so many (mainly Greeks and Italians) were doing it. So it was ‘unofficially’ recommended to me that I go to the Mildura and pick fruit for a few months after which the fuss would have died down and I’d be able to stay. Didn’t reckon much to that, fruit picking sounded very hard to me, so the second suggestion was to go to NZ as a ship passenger, then return the same way after a short holiday (unspecified).
In the event Shell, my shipping company, offered me a free passage home on a liner, which is what I did, only to return a few years later as an airborne ‘swaggy’ 
.
Hi Bertie.
I have just signed up and read your request for info on Aust. I have driving positions right now and can name dozens of other companies which would consider employing U/K drivers. My positions would not suit many as time away could be 10/12 weeks at a time. Average pay is by Klms say 29 cents mim or $24-60 per hour, some pay per trip but the wages are good compared to U/K. I am an ex-pat but return to U/K every two years so I know the problems faced by english drivers, I some times wonder why you are restricted in hours as most of your time is spent parked in traffic jams. If you contact me I will provide you with info which may assist you in your endevours. John
overland 10/12 weeks at a time !! You would give most of 'em over here heart attacks if they are more into 10/12 hours away from home. I was away once on the road for six months before I got home. I had just got my first mortgage Well you live & learn…
Overland you have a PM.
I sent him one a week ago but no reply sadly
shade:
he’ll be back in 10-12 weeks 
pmsl
Hi guys; been a wee while since my last post.just to let you know ,i am now here in oz went down the re-training route . Been here three weeks now just getting organised house etc etc. Just to let you all know the facts about licences etc, Just been to sort out licence transfer and was given the news i was half expecting.HGV class 1 is not recognised at all!! . Thats right 15 years class 1 licence and now i am allowed to drive a (zb) car great eh. Sorry light rigid (transit on steroids) ho hum, i did suspect this right enough.
So the pennies will have to be saved and ill have to sit my test, class11 equivalent hold for 12 months then class 1,I’ll let you know how things go . Any questions let me know.
All the best Col
if it needs mis-spelling to get past the censor it means it’s not allowed mm
Whoa mate, that’s great news! It didn’t take you long to re-train then?
What did you train as?
Where in Oz are you, and what visa did you go on?
Sorry for all the questions it just suprised me to see your post
By the way , from what I’m told I wouldn’t sweat about re-taking the test it’s a doddle if you already drive a bendy
Hi shade, i wish it was that quick and easy myself. You retrain in oz.
There are various courses you can do all over Australia ,from boatbuilding boilermaking etc. The one im doing is commercial cookery and hospitality management. This is in Perth ,we have a couple of friends there thats why we chose that. It takes two years to retrain and a further year for experience .This is still only Three years which is quicker than the sponsored visa which i have never heard anyone getting for truck driving. Dont forget there are courses for the wifes to like hairdressing, sorry for sounding sexist. we just thought this is our one chance to make it work ,and think long term, and we are now here middle of winter!! 20 degrees and sunny most days cold at night though.Start my course 23 july . ifyou want any more info or if anyone has any questions let me know and ill do my best. Cheers Col