About Me

Who I Am

I am a mum, originally from Japan, who has lived in Canada for 13 years. I first fell in love with Australia on a working holiday around 2006 and 2007. I lived and worked in the Brisbane and Caboolture area, and I visited the Gold Coast just for fun. I have wanted to go back ever since.

My husband works in construction (drywall and plastering) and is the primary applicant on our visa. I am the partner. We have a young son who loves the outdoors, and a senior Bichon Frise called Cha Cha who is coming with us. A very long Canadian winter did the rest.

You can find me on Instagram, or write to me at emi.emi0824@gmail.com.

Where We Are in the Journey

• We started researching in late November 2025.
• We lodged our 491 visa application on 11 May 2026.
• It has said "Received" ever since, and we are waiting for a decision.
• Meanwhile we are preparing to move to Queensland, and I keep writing it all down.

New to all this? Start with the Start Here guide, or read the full story in why we decided to move.

Why This Blog Exists

When I started preparing for the Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional) visa, I found plenty of overviews, but very few honest accounts of how it actually goes for an ordinary family. The real challenges hide in the details:

• Reference letters and evidence for a self-employed tradesperson
• Police certificates from more than one country, and how long they really take
• English tests, partner points and the late nights behind them
• The long wait, and the rules that keep changing while you wait

So I write down what we actually did: the dates, what it cost, how long it took, what went wrong and what we would do differently.

How I Keep the Information Accurate

• Our own dates and costs come from our own records. Where I do not remember something exactly, I say so instead of guessing.
• Rules come from official pages. I link to the Department of Home Affairs and other official sources, and I note the date I checked them.
• Posts are updated when something changes, and the "Updated" date at the top shows when.
• Mistakes get corrected openly. If I find that something I wrote was wrong, I fix it and say so.
• Personal details stay private. I leave out document numbers, names of businesses and anything that would identify other people.

What This Blog Is Not

Questions or feedback? Get in touch, or start withour month-by-month timeline.