Marisawright

I migrated in 1985. The application form was easy, the process was quick, and migrants arrived to find cheap housing and plentiful jobs (I was offered three jobs within weeks of arriving). It's not like that now. Because Australia was eagerly seeking migrants for most of the 20th century, the idea is cemented in people's minds, but it's not like that now. Now, Australia is much the same as any other country, with a plentiful supply of local workers in most occupations. Pre-Covid, the unemployment rate in Australia was about the same as the UK's. LIke the UK, that has led to some community resistance to migration ("foreigners taking our jobs"), adn that influences the government's attitude. Thanks to Covid, the unemployment rate has shot up and I wonder what effect that will have on migration policy - there are already mutterings about cutting the numbers. There are still shortages in highly-skilled occupations, but our government is more inclined to do what's popular than what's sensible, so who knows.

How long ago did your cousin move? It has got far more difficult in the last decade or so. Definitely use an agent, not a lawyer. Agents are specialists in making applications and tend to charge fixed fees.

Most states are virtually covid-free, and they're not even opening the borders to Melburnians because we have 21 new cases today. I can't imagine the outcry if we suddenly decide to let people in from a country that's still reporting hundreds of cases every day.

With those scores, neither of you stands a chance. Have you allowed to take the English test? As English speakers you don't have to, but you are allowed to take it and count the points towards your total. You need 90 points minimum and preferably 95 for the 189. Teachers must have a four-year degree. If your timeframe is 2 years, then apply now. Once you get the visa, you have a year to visit Australia to activate the visa - but that's all you have to do, literally arrive and leave again. Once activated, you have 5 years from the time your visa was granted to make the permanent move. It's getting harder and harder to get a visa, so better to get it under your belt asap and worry about when you're going to move later. You can save money by using an agent but I wouldn't advise it these days. Visas are complex nowadays and the government is always making changes - which agents get notified about, but the government website is not always updated promptly. Any good agent will give you an initial consultation free of charge which is very useful in itself.

I know but as far as I know, the restrictions are the same

Is it a Masters or a Doctorate? If so they can work unrestricted hours. If it's not, then they are restricted.

If you read the article, they're classifying "real chocolate" as chocolate that's made from cocoa butter, cocoa solids, sugar, and milk. For some reason (possibly economics), Cadbury has always substituted a percentage of vegetable fat for the cocoa butter. Since cocoa is what makes chocolate chocolate, some people view that as 'adulterating" the pure product. I think the EU has been reluctant to permit that, because they worry other European producers would follow suit.

As Raul says, there are two sides to a 186 visa. There's the main part which the employer has to handle, and there's your part which you have to do. The employer's part is complex and if they don't use an agent, you'd better start worrying, because they're bound to make mistakes and lose you the visa. Legally, you are not allowed to pay for the employer's part, including their agent's fees.

Oops that's right, if it's obviously new then you'll be charged customs duty on it. So if you're going to buy new furniture you'll have to assemble it so they can't tell if it's new or not - which defeats the purpose.

A de facto relationship is the equivalent of marriage, so it's treated exactly the same. If you're financially reliant on each other, how are you going to manage with your partner not being able to work? And what will he do if the partner visa doesn't come through before the 600 visa expires?

It must be awful to be in your situation and I feel for you. However, I would urge you to "broach the subject" soon. Don't keep it all bottled up year after year, because that is very bad for your mental health. Keeping quiet is also storing up trouble for the future, because when you finally pour it all out, your loved ones will think, "She's not serious. How can this be so desperately important to her? She's never said anything before." If you can't talk to your partner, then arrange to see a counsellor. A counsellor may not be able to help much, BUT you can be totally honest with them. Just venting your feelings to someone can be a great relief. Now is a good time to arrange something because there are services available to people who are strugging with isolation - which you are. If you think moving back in retirement would be an option, then you need to start planning now. If you leave Australia before pension age (which will likely be 70 by then), you won't get any pension at all - and you won't be able to claim the British pension either, unless you start making annual NI contributions now. Your superannuation will be taxed in the UK, too. If you don't start planning now, you could find you simply can't afford to move back in your old age - which is another reason you should let your partner know that's your dream, so you can work towards it together.

You're going to be sending lots of stuff in boxes. No reason why furniture would be any different. However, get online and check the prices in Australia before deciding whether it's worth it.

Interesting article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-23/regional-australia-institute-millennials-moving-city-to-country/12365964 Newcastle is one of the cities mentioned.

That's the thing to remember. There's a lot of publicity about people not getting travel exemptions, and there's a whole Facebook group of them. BUT they are temporary visa holders who are currently overseas. You are a permanent resident wanting to leave the country, totally different thing.\ Actually, you don't need to choose yet. Apply under compassionate grounds first. Then if that gets refused, apply under Option 2. Nothing to lose.

When you say you've "been together", what do you mean? "De facto" means "in a relationship that is the equivalent of marriage". So, you're behaving like a married couple, you just didn't go through a formal ceremony first. If that doesn't describe your relationship, then you're not "de facto" The problem with not going through a formal ceremony is that you were dating for a while, then at some point you became the equivalent of a married couple. You'll need to work out when that happened and work out how to prove it, because that's the date you can claim defacto from.

Hi @scubacam, how are the move plans going? I think if you're going to Airbnb on the Northern Beaches, then you've already made your mind up, consciously or sub-consciously. If you were open to other areas, then you'd pick somewhere more central. If you want to explore other suburbs to the south, it will be a long haul from the Northern Beaches and you're less likely to spend adequate time there. If expense is an issue, the southern suburbs are cheaper than the north.

It doesn't taste sickly sweet to me. I think the difference is the "mouth feel". British Cadbury's melts in the mouth in a satisfying way, probably because of the vegetable fats. I still like that about it, but I'm not so keen on the flavour any more.

There is no need to be anxious about applying for a travel exemption. If your application is rejected, you are allowed to apply again immediately. So if you make a mistake, you get the chance to try again. It's not an all or nothing thing. The government is primarily concerned with people going overseas then bringing the virus back with them, so if he can prove he's leaving permanently, then he's not likely to have a problem. He's left it a bit late to move in July though, because I've seen estimates of 4 weeks to get approval. He needs to apply under "People who are travelling on urgent and unavoidable personal business", not compassionate grounds. His "unavoidable business" is that he's relocating to the UK. Is he renting a home here or does he own it? If he's renting, he'll be able to show an email giving notice and a confirmation from the landlord. If he's selling, he'll have a sales agreement with a real estate agent and a link to a listing on realestate.com.au or similar. There's nothing to stop him getting quotes for shipping and booking a date. Then he will have a booking confirmation from the shipping company. It's always possible to change the actual move date (he can check that with the removal company) so he can adjust the date once he's got his approval There was nothing to stop you putting utility bills etc in your joint names long before this, so that's an opportunity lost. I suggest you get it done immediately, just in case this application fails.

Most visas require you to have work experience as well as qualifications, and usually, any experience you had before you're fully qualified doesn't count. The easiest way to find out for sure, is to talk to a migration agent. Go Matilda or Suncoast Migration will give you a free initial consultation.

No

My worry is that a skilled visa is so uncertain. It's a highly competitive process and only applicants with the very highest points get picked each year - the rest just sit there until they expire. A great many applicants miss out, even though they've got all the qualifications and experience on the list, and that's their money down the drain. If you do miss out, then you'll have to go for the partner visa anyway, and you'll have lost another year or two. Whereas as long as you have a solid relationship and you've got a good agent to prepare the application, there's a high degree of confidence that you'll get a partner visa. It's true there's a high rejection rate, but that's because there are so many fraudulent applications (people getting married to get a visa to Australia) and also that a lot of people stuff up the application. Neither of those things apply to you. Also conside, the waiting time for a partner visa is quoted as two years, but that includes "high risk" countries which have to go through more stringent procedures. Applications from "safe" countries like the UK are processed faster. If your partner applies for a RRV, he will likely get a 12 month one. You immediately apply for the partner visa, and then you both stay in the UK until the last month of the RRV. He then moves to Australia. Once he's in Australia, he's fine - he doesn't need the RRV unless he wants to travel overseas again. Once he's rented a house, opened a bank account and got a job, he applies to renew his RRV again, which will be no problem because he's got all those strong ties set up. You can always accompany him on a tourist visa to choose a home etc. You may then have to go home again, but it will be for a few more months because your application has already been in the queue for a year. I'm not an expert but I believe that would work. Worth running past an agent - and make sure he's a MARA registered one, not some assistant without registration.

@Brucolino, this is what I mean, I feel like you're not understanding. Option 1 is to apply for an exemption for compassionate reasons. In that case, there is no need to give notice or book tickets. Just make the application and wait for the decisoin before you do anything. Option 2 is to apply on the grounds that you are leaving the country permanently. Then you need to show evidence that you are leaving the country permanently (i.e. proof that you're making arrangements, giving notice etc). So, if giving notice makes you nervous, choose Option 1. I pasted a checklist in the post above. The only thing you need to work out is "evidence of compelling or compassionate reason". Use your common sense and ask yourself what evidence you could supply. The point is, it doesn't matter if it turns out to be insufficient and it's refused - because you can gather further evidence and apply again immediately. So you have nothing to lose by giving it a try and I'm struggling to understand why you're so reluctant. Question - how long is your partner likely to have to stay in the UK? Does he have a visa to live in Australia?

The DUC is a high profile agency but it doesn't mean it's the best. If you go with them, make sure you're looked after by an actual MARA registered agent and not just an office staffer - it does happen.

So, were you advised that the RRV wasn't an option?

If you get a permanent visa, you can do any job you like and you don't have to apply for another visa. If you get a temporary visa, then there are restrictions.