Ken

It appears the government has announced that the $10,000 of Early Release of Super this year will apply to temporary visa holders - no mention of whether or not they will be entitled to next year's $10,000 yet. One word of caution is that I haven't yet seen this confirmed on an official website but this is the media report: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/temporary-visa-holders-in-australia-allowed-to-access-superannuation-as-coronavirus-support

There doesn't appear to be anything in the Temporary Early Access to Superannuation rules to say that temporary visa holders can't get it. That's interesting because the Temporary Early Access is tax free while DASP (the only other way for Temporary Visa Holders to access their Super unless they go on to get permanent residency) is very heavily taxed. Unfortunately it won't be until the middle of April before you can even apply for Early Access - and you should be aware they may come up with some more rules before them. Fact_sheet-Early_Access_to_Super.pdf

No reason to quit. If you have been stood down you've plenty of time to look for another job. Your problem is in the current environment it's going to be difficulty to find another job. So look but don't quit.

You have to pay taxes - but there's no law that says you have to leave the ATO a tip. So, yes everyone who can should take advantage of any generosity the government offers them. It's the government generosity with regard to negative gearing that I'd like to see changed. People who own more than one house are getting tax breaks while many people can't afford to buy one? Doesn't pass the smell test.

It ridiculous the way so called "investors" are encouraged to make a loss from rental properties in this country. Hopefully COVID-19 will prompt the government to look at this again and finally phase this out as not only does it lose the taxpayer money is skews the housing market.

TV Services available via the Internet in Australia (before you even start looking at what you can get from overseas by using a VPN) include: Subscription Services: Foxtel Now https://www.foxtel.com.au/now/home.html Netflix https://www.netflix.com/au/ Stan https://www.stan.com.au Disney+ https://www.disney.com.au/news/disney-plus-sneak-peek-australia Amazon Prime https://www.primevideo.com/ Apple TV https://www.apple.com/au/tv/ Kayo Sports https://kayosports.com.au/ (which I believe is the same Sports package as on Foxtel Now but without the other programming - so presumably currently nothing to watch?) Optus Sport https://sport.optus.com.au/ (this is a different range of Sports from Foxtel and includes the EPL and Champions League - or did when they were playing) Fetch TV https://www.fetchtv.com.au/ (they offer their own movies plus some of the other subscription services via their own set top box - useful it you don't have a smart TV) Telstra TV https://www.telstra.com.au/tv-movies-music (similar to Fetch TV they offer movies plus some of the other subscription channels via their own set top box) Free To Air: ABC iview https://iview.abc.net.au/ SBS on demand https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/ Channel 7 https://7plus.com.au/ Channel 9 https://www.9now.com.au/ Channel 10 https://www.10play.com.au/ The programming on the last 3 on the list is so poor you'll understand why there's so many subscription services! New Subscription Service coming soon: Britbox https://www.britbox.com/ I'm expecting the launch of this to result in the loss of BBC First and UK TV from Foxtel (just as they lost Disney TV when Disney+ launched) With the market developing as it is I would not invest in installing a dish or cable (unless you're in an area that needs them for your internet access). Foxtel has already lost the Premier League to Optus; it's lost all it's Disney programming to Disney+ and will probably soon loses much of it's UK programming (and Formula 1 will likely set up it's own channel when the current contract expires) so it's range of programming will only continue to diminish.

It's on Centrelink's / Services Australia website: We’ve removed the newly arrived residents waiting period for JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance, Austudy, Farm Household Allowance and Special Benefit from 25 March 2020. This is due to coronavirus (COVID-19). We’ll let you know once this starts again. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/topics/newly-arrived-residents-waiting-period/30726 Note that for some benefits not listed the waiting period does not apply if you start getting one of the listed benefits (e.g. JobSeeker Payment).

Having an Australian address may not a problem, but not having a UK mobile phone number can be when it comes to using an online account. I'm no longer able to use my Nationwide online banking because they now insist on having my UK mobile phone number to send me a text message to log in. I can however still use my Santander account as they don't have a problem with using an Australian mobile phone number. Clearly it all depends on who you bank with - perhaps others will share their experience of which banks still provide for online banking from Australia (and which don't even allow Australian addresses)?

You might be able to access your Super. It is after all not a Centrelink benefit but your own money. The current guidance on accessing super makes no mention of PR or of qualifying periods. The requirement are only: you are unemployed; or you are eligible to receive a job seeker payment, youth allowance for jobseekers, parenting payment (which includes the single and partnered payments), special benefit or farm household allowance; or on or after 1 January 2020: you were made redundant; or your working hours were reduced by 20 per cent or more; or if you are a sole trader — your business was suspended or there was a reduction in your turnover of 20 per cent or more. However applications can't be made until mid-April so there's always a possibility they'll make up some more rules before then. You'll need a my-gov account to make the application but as they are currently swamped if you don't have an account I'd get on there when you can to open an account.

Her chances of getting in don't look good. This is the latest from the Dept of Home Affairs website and it looks as if their definition of an immediate family member has been narrowed and in any case doesn't apply to temporary visa holders without jumping through some hoops: An immediate family member of Australian citizens and permanent residents Details In this case, immediate family means: spouses dependents legal guardians Without visa - You can't come to Australia until you have a visa. Apply for a visa and include proof (such as your marriage certificate, your birth certificate or birth certificate for your children). If we let you travel, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days, at home or in a hotel. With a temporary visa (except for Partner and Child visa holders) - Attach proof (such as your marriage certificate, evidence of your de-facto relationship such as shared finances or property, your birth certificate or birth certificate for your children) and submit this form. Do not travel until we advise that you can. If we let you travel, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days, at home or in a hotel. Partner and Child visa holders (except Prospective Marriage visa holders) can come to Australia. You will need to self-isolate for 14 days, at home or in a hotel

Assuming he can get a flight he should still be OK. The reason I say that is that the previous restrictions (which only applied to China, Iran, Republic of Korea and Italy) did allow in Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents, New Zealand Citizens Resident in Australia and "immediate family members of Australian citizens and permanent residents including spouses, minor dependants and legal guardians" which I would assume includes the 300 visa. Obviously Australian immigration will have their own ideas as to whether or not your partner's visa fits into that category and they haven't published any guidance as to the latest measures (their website was last updated on 15th March) but it's likely the same rules will apply.

These surveys and comparisons are totally useless for the newer suburbs as the data used for the comparison is either non-existent or so different (based on say 1/10th of the population the suburb now has) as to be meaningless.

That's way too early to start worrying. While instant transfers do exists (even internationally) you can't count on that method being used. Because you don't know when on the 28/2 the transfer was sent Australian banking hours may already have ended. Saturday and Sunday do not count as banking days (they can be used for instant transfers but if this transfer isn't one then they won't be used) so the next Banking day is Monday 2/3. Which is today. So please update did it arrive today?

No, unfortunately in order to draw your super you must meet a condition of release and while being over preservation age or 65 is the usual condition of release for citizens and permanent residents, it is not a condition of release for temporary residents. The only conditions of release that are available for temporary residents are:- being diagnosed with a terminal medical condition suffering temporary or permanent incapacity death (paid to beneficiary or estate) permanently departing Australia (the heavily taxed DASP option)

You'd also be liable to Australian CGT if you sold the property after moving back to Australia (although you can claim the exemption for your former home for up to 6 years after you stopped living there - provided you don't also want to claim it on another property for the same period), but there is no CGT on moving funds from one bank account to another (if you open a bank account to trade forex that's a different tax issue).

I think in 34 years they'll be to old to apply Sorry. I know it's just a typo but I couldn't resist.

It's only Qantas that has made this announcement. They say it's temporary (and apparently it only applies to new bookings, not those that have already been made) and it's only been made in the last few hours (their website doesn't even look as if it's been updated - the news is all from the media).

The guidance on the Australian Tax Office Website seems to suggest that if you have an overseas health insurer you will not be exempt but if you have an Australian insurer it will be a complying health insurance policy. It's not really that simple however so but I'd always ask the Australian insurer just to make sure their scheme is a complying health insurance policy. A complying health insurance policy must cover Hospital admissions so a policy that only covers outpatient services (such as Doctors fees), or "Extras" as they are normally referred to in Australia, will never be a complying health insurance policy even if it is from an Australian insurer. As Verystormy has mentioned BUPA advertise a policy specifically for Overseas Visitors who have access to reciprocal health cover https://www.bupa.com.au/health-insurance/cover/overseas-visitors/reciprocal-health-cover which does provide an exemption to the Medicare Levy Surcharge but I don't know if other insurers have anything similar or not. Note that it is only the Medicare Levy Surcharge that you are exempted from. Because you are entitled to Medicare (whether you choose to register for it and use it or not) you still have to pay the Medicare Levy. I would also recommend paying for Ambulance Insurance (unless you are moving to Queensland or Tasmania where it's free). Ambulance Victoria charge just under $100 per year (levied quarterly) for a family. If uninsured a road ambulance can easily cost you $900 and an air-ambulance thousands. While worrying about whether or not you are having a heart attack you don't want to be stressed about how much calling an ambulance will cost!

It's been a few years but my last Contents insurance premium from when we were renting was $182.59. That was with Allianz in 2016 for an apartment in Melbourne's inner suburbs. Might cost more for a House (or possibly less I'm not really sure how the risk profiles compare) and obviously will vary depending on location and sum insured. Latest policy (for a house in the far Melbourne Suburbs) was $495.62 with Budget Direct but that includes Buildings Insurance.

Qantas have announced that they will temporarily stop carrying snub-nosed dogs. That's one way to punish their victims. Well at least they haven't banned all dogs.

The saddest news for pet owners is that Qantas may overreact to this bad publicity by deciding to stop carrying pets (after all they can't be blamed for any pet deaths if they no longer carry them). Hopefully they merely correct their procedures to line up with what they should have been doing in the first place - but I can certainly see them taking the risk averse course.

To meet the residency qualification for citizenship you cannot have been outside of Australia for more than 365 days in the previous 4 years. That means unfortunately if you've been out of Australia for more than one year none of your previous years in Australia count. You'll need to return to Australia and stay for at least 3 years. 3 years because you'll be able to add the 365 days preceding your return as part of your 4 year residency. Note that if you need to make any trips out of Australia after you've returned the period you can use from before you returned will be reduced accordingly.

Not until 2023 (and then only if he wanted to take a trip out of Australia) but it's relevant to the discussion of how long you can remain outside Australia on your PR visa.

If you want to obtain a 5-year RRV you need to have lived in Australia for two years (730 days) in the previous five years - that's double the 12 months you say you want so I don't know where you've got that figure from. However those 730 days do not have to have been completed prior to your 5 year PR Visa expiry provided you are in Australia to complete them. Furthermore you only need the RRV if you want to be able to leave and return to Australia. If you enter Australia before your 5-year PR visa expires (and don't leave) you can remain indefinitely without needing an RRV. If you do take the RRV route remember that you'll need 730 days in the previous 5-years to get a new RRV but similarly you don't need to have completed those at the expiry of your RRV provided you are in Australia. PS Should also mention that there is a 12-month RRV available if you can demonstrate "significant ties to Australia" but haven't completed the 730 days in the previous 5 years.

I don't think there is any means of doing that. Even if a former PR holder were to be granted a temporary resident visa then while the ATO would almost certainly allow the withdrawal of super earned during the temporary residency period under DASP I still don't think they would allow the release of the earlier super earned on PR.