Post-panic – June 2026

This update will cover:

• more than you ever wanted to know about work visas
• what to do in lieu of serious conversations
• a health update about my emotional rock, Caesar
• friends who’ve helped me have fun while the world burns and
• closing arguments

Someday, I promise I’ll return to the “Dare to be Boring” ethos I defined when I created this blog, but what can I say? I live an interesting life.

Why I’m not moving (a crash course in work visas)

In my last post, I announced I was moving to Victoria for visa reasons. That is no longer necessary, hallelujah. I still want to move there eventually, just…

So what’s changed?

Old plan – 190 Skilled Worker visas

Visas in general require someone a sponsor: for partner visas, this is your lover; before March, mine was [former employer]; with the 190 skilled worker visa I was looking at last month, it’s the state. As the name suggests, this visa is for ‘skilled’ workers based on job titles, and Immigration lists Technical Writer (which is what I’m classified as) among them.

But each state can only sponsor a certain number of applicants. To that end, most states only accept applications from “important” jobs like nurses, electricians, and teachers (but also some unexpected jobs like carpenters and hairdressers); Technical Writer is not on any states’ lists.

However, Victoria accepts applications from any occupation that qualifies for the visa – at least, in theory. In reality, they still prioritize high-demand or highly-skilled jobs but all eligible candidates have a glimmer of hope.

With this all in mind, my previous plan was to:

• move to Victoria
• file an official ‘Expression of Interest’ for sponsorship
• wait for senpai to notice me
• then apply for the visa, which itself takes ~a year to process

While actual numbers are hard to come by, my estimated chances of success ranged from “purely dependent on white privilege” to “snowball’s chance in hell”.

A better way forward – Labour Hire agreements

Through the grapevine, I learned about “Labour (sic) Hire” visas. In short, a labour hire firm acts as the sponsor for “skilled workers” based on the assumption they’ll be able to find new work. That candidate then finds their own contract work and the firm assumes the role of ’employer’ (read: visa sponsor).

It’s not ideal, but:
a) I won’t be deported right now so winrar
b) I’ll be able to legally work and
c) it offers a pathway to permanent residence

I have to wait for more visa paperwork which will officially take 3 to 6 months but the lawyers indicated it’s a much more broad range than that: some are processed in about a month, others have been in process for eight months. There’s no way to know for sure where I’ll end up. But once it comes through, I have three months to find a contract role.

You might wonder how much this all costs. I won’t tell you the exact amount (because yikes), but let’s just say “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”, and there’s definitely no such thing as a free lawyer.

The Winter of Eddie rides again

Everything in the previous section only settled about ten days ago, marking the first ten day stretch where I haven’t talked to a lawyer for the first time since March; I pray that you never appreciate how relieved I am to achieve that milestone.

But since I legally cannot work while that’s all being processed, and I intend to hit the ground running once it does, the Summer of George Winter of Eddie is back in a way I never could have imagined.

Right now, the possible ideas for funemployment include:

I make no promises about what I’ll end up doing, as elements of this ‘break’ that are beyond my control.

Find out next month what I actually end up doing.

Caesar has fewer teeth now

Caesar had more teeth removed, leaving him with three remaining. It was a little stressful because he didn’t eat for three days after the surgery, which is concerning given how food-motivated he is. But now he’s back to his usual ways: eating so passionately he forgets to breathe and cracking through Greenies without hesitation.

He drools now which is a little unseemly, but that’s a small price to pay for the sanity he brings by laying on my chest when I’m sleeping. Seriously, not sure I could handle him being sick right now.

Photos of the month

During this extended period of stress, my friends have assumed the role of ‘police officer giving a child a stuffed animal after a car crash’ incredibly well. Non-immigration-related activities like trips to op-shops, coffee breaks, and running errands together don’t make for particularly interesting photos, but it’s getting me through.

From the June camera roll:

End credits

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being a part of my June.

Here’s to hoping my next update doesn’t talk as much about work visas.