Marisawright

Legally, if you don't notify the authorities and you get found out, you could be in a whole world of trouble. In fact, your own visa could be cancelled. Not worth the risk.

If you're settled in Australia, then you could look into getting a personal loan in Australia for the full amount, then use that to pay off the Barclaycard. You'll still have a debt but at least it will be in Australian dollars and at a lower interest rate. Steer clear of places like Budget Direct or Nimble or any of the others that advertise on TV. They all charge high interest! Your Australian bank would be a good place to start. Transfer the money through Moneycorp or Transferwise and you'll get a better exchange rate.

Actually, I don't think it was. It's the story we were all told but I don't think it was true. Now the UK government is trying to pull back on paying pensions, the lie has come back to bite them - because people think they are entitled to "what they paid in". I've been trying to find a calculation that would tell me what proportion of NI contributions goes towards pensions. Then I could work out what the total would be over a lifetime's work, and then calculate the final pension that could be derived from that (taking into account growth from investing it). The Australian superannuation system has certainly been a revelation to me - it's scarey how much money you need to contribute over your career, to end up with a decent pension pot at the end. I paid an extra 6 years' NI contributions. I'll get the whole lot back in my pension payments within 3 years, when I'll be 68. I've found some articles which say you get about £260 a year (for life) for every year you paid National Insurance.

I wonder what they mean by "next summer"?

The thing I noticed is that she'd like a house with a pool. Depending on budget, it would be a lot easier to find that near a beach in Geelong than in Melbourne. To be near a beach in Melbourne, you're going to be stuck with a long commute. That's the advantage of being in health care - you don't have to stick to the big cities so you can get a better lifestyle for the same price.

I think I heard something of the sort, however it doesn't help people who have left their activation till the last minute and now have to get here before their visa expiry date. Judging by how many posts I've seen here and elsewhere, a surprising number of people get their visa granted, activate it, and then delay the move for five years.

In that case, I recommend you get the English test done asap. I've read so many posts here from people with English degrees, who've struggled to get a good mark on the English tests. It sounds like your mark for the English test will be do-or-die for your chances of migration.

I hadn't heard that Australia was relaxing the rules?

@Ann.J, if they are not coming from the UK, then check the reciprocal agreement between their country of residence and Australia, to see what they would be entitled to. Also check what their private medical insurance would cover once they are no longer resident in their own country, as it can affect their entitlement. They will be able to take out an overseas visitors policy in Australia (they won't be eligible for the normal Australian medical insurance policies).

Ramot has answered re the tax if you are retired. If you are planning to work in Australia then I think it becomes more complicated and some professional advice might be useful. For property purchases, you need to apply to FIRB for permission to purchase (for a substantial fee, of course). Then you will pay around three times the normal stamp duty on the purchase. For instance, in NSW an Australian would pay about $18,000 on a $500,000 property. You will pay $57,000. I assume you are currently resident in the UK? If you are resident in the UK immediately before arrival, then you will be entitled to essential medical treatment under Medicare. In practice, this seems to cover most forms of treatment. If you are ordinarily resident elsewhere (e.g. France), then you need to check the agreement between Australia and that particular country. Be aware that by losing your residency in the UK, you will lose your right to treatment under the NHS, e.g. while on holiday (being a British citizen makes no difference). Once you get your full visa and become a permanent resident of Australia, you'll be able to claim reciprocal cover as an Aussie, so it's just during the bridging visa that may be an issue. I assume you're aware that if you wish to leave Australia, even for a short holiday, while on the bridging visa, you need to apply for permission (a BVB).

If you put in an application now, it wouldn't be looked at until they start processing again, which won't be until after they've set the quotas etc. So there would be no point. 85 points is not likely to be enough for the 189 but could be enough for the 190, as they are less strict about points and more likely to look at the whole application. What occupation and are you absolutely set on NSW?

That only tells you where you have to be when you apply - not if you are eligible to apply. Each state has its own criteria for the 491 and 190 visas. It's not unusual for states to require you to have a job offer already, or even to be working in the state already (e.g. on a Working Holiday Visa) for some occupations. You need to check each state's criteria. Essentially, if they have those extra requirements, it's because they feel there's not a huge demand for that occupation in their regions, and they don't want to accept someone who's going to end up unemployed. If you've managed to find an employer who wants you, they'll make an exception for you. If agents are telling you that a 491 is your best option, it's probably because you can't score enough points to stand a chance of winning a 189 visa, which is highly competitive, or a 190.

If you apply now, you could well be on the bridging visa for 8 years not 6. The queue is getting longer. Your UK pension will be frozen as soon as you cease to be legally resident in the UK. However you will not be legally resident in Australia either. This has implications for tax and property purchase.

Right now, you can't apply because none of the states are accepting applications. The federal government hasn't made a decision on the quotas for this financial year and until they do, the states can't do anything. There's talk of it being October before there will be a decision. Unfortunately, although the 491 is termed a "provisional" visa (with a clear pathway to PR if you meet the criteria), it's classed as "temporary" under the current travel bans. That means that even if you could get the visa, you wouldn't be able to enter Australia - and the Prime Minister has said the bans will stay in place until at least July next year. As Paul says, you do get 5 years to make the final move - but on a 491, you want to move as soon as possible, otherwise you may miss your chance to qualify for PR down the track.

None. Melbourne airports aren't taking any flights at the moment due to the spike in coronavirus cases. I'm assuming they won't reopen until the spike is over.

Echuca is such a small place, if there is rock n roll around you will find it quickly

@BacktoDemocracy, on the whole I agree with many of your posts, but I have to say, you seem to have a cloth ear when it comes to understanding those people who suffer from deeply-felt emotional distress when removed from their home country. I sometimes wonder if you are one of those (like the OP's husband, no doubt) who think such people are being silly and not trying. Sure, the OP may find that with the help of a therapist, she can learn to sacrifice her own feelings to please her husband, but that's not a fair or reasonable long-term solution. Regardless of how much of a mess the UK is in, there are many families living happily there and bringing up children happily there. Whether life is better or not is not all about finances.

Where do you live now?

Yes, I'm sure it looks like that from outside. Officially, Australia was never aiming for elimination, but most states have got so close, I think people are thinking of it now. Around the world, we're seeing that "suppression" doesn't really work, because as soon as countries relax restrictions, the numbers shoot up again.

Melbourne is in lockdown, that's why there are no flights. Currently the cap is causing confusion but they're going to have to come up with a system to handle it, as they can't just keep cancelling wholesale. Currently they're giving priority to business class passengers (to maximise the income on these nearly-empty flights) so if you book economy, there's a chance you could get bumped. If you're just activating then you can go to any state AFAIK

Before people look at my journey and think, "well, it didn't work out for her", I should clarify that I never had a moment's homesickness nor any yearning to move back to the UK, ever. I moved back to the UK in 2015 for one logical reason - my husband loves European travel and wanted to spend his retirement doing as much of it as possible. If he'd been able to speak a second language (or been willing to learn...), we'd have settled in Europe somewhere. However, he was worried about making friends where he didn't speak the language and I'm a UK citizen, so England it was. So maybe it wasn't surprising that I didn't settle in England and sorely missed my Australian life. Like I said, moving countries to please a partner rarely works! Luckily he agreed (reluctantly) to return to Oz, having realised that our finances wouldn't allow much European jaunting anyway.

First, there's nothing to stop you becoming a citizen. Get that ball rolling now. If you're not willing to become a citizen for some reason, that alone tells you something - you don't feel Australian enough to think of it as your home. If you don't want to grow old here and you don't want to be laid to rest in Australian soil, you're running out of time to make the move. You need to get back soon, so you can re-establish your life, start building a British pension fund, etc.. It's either that, or stay until retirement age (which might well be 70 by the time you retire) so you can collect the Aussie pension and your super and take them with you tax-free.

....and that's what it all comes down to. Some people (not me) feel a deep, persistent ache of loss when separated from their homeland and/or their family. I find it sad when such people are made to feel foolish or lesser for wanting to move home for mere " emotional reasons". Their reasons are no less real for being emotional. Resisting those emotions can seriously threaten their mental wellbeing, sometimes to the point of self-harm. What good is a better job or a nice pool if you're miserable every day of your life?

@Hayley Gee, I'm so sorry to hear that. In the past, I've been given a hard time because I've warned people against agreeing to move to Australia just to please a partner. Your experience makes me determined NOT to shut up, because people find themselves in your situation far too often. I'm sure your partner didn't deliberately mislead you when he said it would only be temporary - but the fact is, once you've made the move and they get settled in in their "dream", it can be almost impossible to get them to move back. Even harder with children. You are not a terrible, selfish person. You could have refused to move in the first place. You compromised and moved to make him happy - now it's his turn. Your children will not hate you. Right now, it's even easier than usual to find a counsellor to talk to, either in person or on the phone, because there are special arrangements during Covid. Book an appointment. You'll be surprised how much better you feel, just having someone impartial to unload on. Once you've had a few sessions and built up your confidence, consider suggesting some joint sessions with your partner. If nothing else, the fact that you're so unhappy you've needed a counsellor might give him a wake-up call.

The Australian system is set up so that all the states have to fight each other to get a share of Federal funding. So it's not a case of "not getting along", it's more a case of that's how it works. What's been noticeable about the current situation is that they've all got together to form a "National Cabinet" and largely, they've all stuck together and supported each other surprisingly well. The only disagreements, really, have been them against Scott Morrison, who has been pushing to ease the measures and open the borders earlier than the Premiers want to. Whlie there's been a lot of nasty sniping at Dan and Victoria from individuals, you don't see the other Premiers having a go. None of the other states has complained about Melbourne shutting down the airport and in fact some have explicitly supported it (though personally, I can't quite see why they're doing it). I think Scotty is under pressure from his party because of costs. His party is all about having a government surplus and they're haemorrhaging money on this pandemic, so they're looking for ways to rein in expenditure. He knows the average Aussie will think the taxpayer shouldn't pay for travelers - let them stay at home if they don't want to pay. Likewise, there are already Australians calling for a halt to migration because there are so many Australians out of work. We know those are ill-informed opinions, but he isn't called "Scotty from Marketing" for nothing. If he thinks those slogans will win approval, he's going to use them.