PLAN B
We still don't have the official word regarding the job in S'pore one way or the other, but we're bracing ourselves for the worst. So, Plan B is currently being conceptualized. My thinking is that we should just go ahead and start the migration paperwork for Australia, get all the medical inspections and paperwork out of the way now. Migrating to Australia is at least a 4-6 month project. If we start now, we still probably won't have approval until January/February. So in theory, we could still move to S'pore in November, and give ourselves a one-month window to find work there. If Mark or I find a job in S'pore, we'll stay until the job finishes or until we receive approval from Australia to go there. If we don't find work after a month of looking in S'pore, we could just travel throughout the cheaper regions of southeast Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand) for the months of December and January, carefully budgeting our money, until approval or disapproval from Australia comes through. If we're rejected by Australia, then I suppose we'll come home, tails tucked between our legs, and earnestly start looking for work in the States (Northern California, New York City, or maybe Hawaii). If we receive approval then we'll head to Melbourne or Sydney and begin looking for work there. Really, we don't lose either way. And we've got to be proactive, or nothing is going to happen, and that would be worse than any obstacles we'll face by going.
In the meantime, we're going to be hitting the job sites every day, sending our resumes to any job in S'pore, Hong Kong, or Australia that we think either of us qualify for. Wish us luck!