Marisawright

I'm not sure I understand that comment.

Did you apply from overseas or how did you manage it?

If I had to live in Queensland, the Sunshine Coast would be my pick. It seems to have its own microclimate which is milder and less humid than the rest of the coast. Plus it has a good mix of amenities. It's a smaller place so naturally, work will be harder to come by - but as you're already in Brisbane, you could easily go for interviews and secure a job before you make the move, so that's not really an obstacle.

That's not a fair statement. Just take a look around the world and see the attitudes of other countries. If you were an Australian wanting to bring your daughter into the UK, you would have no chance at all.

The biggest costs are yet to come...

I think you're very wise. The temp visa to permanent visa pathway is very uncertain even now, and will likely be far worse in 4 years' time. Unfortunately, employers often make it sound attractive because they want you to take the job! Has she ever consulted a migration agent about her options? All the good ones will offer an initial consultation free of charge. I think it would be wise, as you have to be very careful applying for other visas while you're on a bridging visa. Try Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda - she's got nothing to lose. One thing to look into - if she's got the qualifications and experience to be eligible for the temp visa, then she may already be eligible for a permanent skilled visa. Worth investigating.

If you are scared the application will be refused, then hire an agent to check it for you.

If you've got no kids, then that's a manageable strategy, because you can buy the bare minimum, "camp" in your new place and buy furniture gradually as you go along. I still recommend doing that trial shop, though. Prices in Australia are not the same and not all brands are available. Also, if it's been a while since you kitted out your kitchen, you might be shocked how much prices have gone up (I'm still annoyed that I didn't keep my Le Creuset pots and pans as replacing them cost about three times as much). I also recommend you look at the Movecube - perhaps the smallest one, if you dont have much to ship. It's cheaper than shipping a few individual boxes.

Don't assume anything based on what year is being processed now. Just look at the parent visas as an example. Currently they are processing visas from early 2016, so you might think there's a 4 year wait. However, there have been massive spikes in applications since then. So anyone who applied in 2018 will be waiting at least 6 years. Someone who applied this year could be waiting 8 years. An agent like @paulhand may have some idea of the likely wait time for the Remaining Relative visa, based on his clients' experiences. A temporary work visa never "leads to" permanent residency - it's far from certain. After the qualifying period, she MAY have an opportunity to apply for permanent residency, IF the employer is still in business and IF they are still willing to sponsor her and IF the occupation is still on the list. And even then, there's a high refusal rate. In her shoes and in the current financial climate, I wouldn't be risking it. Anyway, I'm a bit confused - to be eligible for a temporary work visa, her occupation must be on the skilled list. So why doesn't she apply for permanent residency now?

If you have two cats then I think the cost is more than a couple of grand extra. Their transport costs are usually a lot more than humans' ! You haven't mentioned household goods or shipping. Long-term rentals in Australia are unfurnished, apart from a cooker. You may get a dishwasher and tumble dryer included, you may not. You'll need everything - furniture, appliances, TV and stereo, bedlinen, towels, pots and pans, crockery, cutlery, etc, And remember - you're going to have to buy the whole lot in the space of a week or two, when you're already coping with a new environment and trying to get jobs (or already working). I recommend doing a trial shop at Australian retailers like https://www.harveynorman.com.au/, https://www.petersofkensington.com.au/, http://ikea.com.au/. Don't just do the big stuff - you wont be able to do that when you arrive! Look around your house and really think about what you'll need. "Add to basket" everything you can think of, then see how much it amounts to. One thing to look out for - with furniture, a lot of stores now have a six-week lead time because it's all shipped from China as needed. So you may have to settle for what they have in stock, even if you don't much like it. Then look into the cost of a Movecube.

Definitely just to be put in the queue. The waiting time for LRR is something like 30 years.

I should add, that of course the problem with the 491 is that it's only provisional - like being on probation for a job. There is a clear pathway to permanent residency but you need to check what the extra costs and limitations will be during that probationary stage.

Raul Senise is a respected agent. If he is saying, "With 70 points a subclass 190 may be possible depending on the State, although even that may be difficult", then I would believe him. Pre-Covid, being a nurse wouldn't have made any difference. Now (or when applications re-open) it might help, but I would still go for the 491 to be on the safe side. You're lucky to be applying for Victoria because it's smaller in square km than other states, so even if you're in the country, you're still within reach of a reasonable-sized city or town.

I think if he’s not flying till Christmas they will all be charging by then

To be fair, right at the very start of the travel bans, the Prime Minister made several statements to the effect that residents needed to return to Australia immediately, because it might be their last chance to get home. That was weeks ago when flights were readily available I know that it wasn’t possible for everyone to drop everything and get on a plane, but there were clear warnings

People often make the mistake of thinking Australia is one big sameness - so if they loved living Sydney or Brisbane, they'll love living in Perth. Not the case at all. Each city has its own vibe, and different cities suit different people. In my experience, people who adore Sydney don't settle in Perth - and people who love Perth can't stand Sydney. I love Sydney but in all my years there, made very few friends - whereas Melbourne will never be as gorgeous as Sydney, but I've made lots of friends in a short space of time. However, I have a Sydney friend who found Melbourne stand-offish. We are all individuals, with individual likes and dislikes. You might find that moving over to the East Coast would offer a solution, if going back to the UK doesn't appeal.

Very true! I'm surprised the government hasn't realised their attempts to discourage parent visas has just resulted in more and more people exploiting that loophole - and if they are UK residents, then they're a burden on Medicare anyway.

Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda

I'm not sure. If the government is seeking to reduce pressure on the health budget, parent migration might be a target - after all, their figures show parent visa holders cost them money. The comment about spouse and child visas was that a figure of 34,000 didn't seem to leave enough room for them. I'm not sure how that was worked out.

I think next year's figure are just reflecting the likelihood that the travel bans won't be lifted till late 2021. Beyond next year, the article is saying that "Australia's weak economy" will result in lower migration. I interpret that as saying the government will make it much harder to get employer-sponsored visas (temp or perm) - there'll be more pressure on companies to hire locals instead, to get the unemployment rate down. Also of course, if Australia is no longer seen as a booming economy, migrants will be less attracted to the country.

Flights were always likely to be cancelled at the last minute, even before Covid, so of course Qatar would say that. I've had it happen to me - the most memorable was when the flight was cancelled after I'd arrived at the airport (engine trouble). The only difference now is that flights are less frequent, so if a flight is cancelled, there are fewer alternative flights they can transfer you to. As I said before - book a flight to Sydney, because Qatar has a few flights to Sydney every day. If one is cancelled then he will be transferred to the next available one, so it won't disrupt anything. If he has to stay in quarantine, he won't be allowed to see family anyway. He's going for the activation and that's your priority.

If you go to any public library in Australia, you can view the reports free.

Worth noting though, that they don't compare the whole market - they only compare the ones that pay them a commission.

It's understandable that a family bereavement delaying your migration was out of your control, but choosing to stay in the US and have two babies was your conscious decision. So it sounds as though you have no compelling reasons why you couldn't move to Australia. That makes your case sound very weak. Having a first cousin in Australia would not constitute "strong ties" to the country (not a close enough relation) and having studied there isn't relevant. I'd say you don't stand a chance without a good agent, and even then you may be on shaky ground.

@Lavers is in quarantine in Melbourne as we speak. Food is provided but you can also order in. Lots of exercise classes available on Zoom these days and you get free wifi.