Marisawright

Usually, they don't count experience gained before you achieved the relevant qualification. I have no idea whether New Zealand would be easier to gain a visa than Australia, but consider that New Zealand citizens are able to live and work in Australia, so if all else fails, it may be a last resort.

Me neither, but the OP mentioned a medical issue so she needs family support and doesn't have any - so that's a different thing and I'd think you could make a case for either someone travelling to assist her, or (maybe a better case) her travelling home to be with family.

I don't think you need to feel uneasy. I've been here a while too, and it has changed - but not because we're all being paid to recommend agents. The problem is that migrating has turned into such a f****** minefield. Once upon a time, many of us would've been saying agents weren't necessary, but we're seeing more and more people getting rejected because they missed something they didn't know they needed to know (if you know what I mean). Given how ridiculous the application fee is now, it's getting to the point where it's not worth the risk to DIY any more. Agents get notified when rules change but websites aren't always kept up to date. With 95 points I'd have thought you'd go for a 190 at least.

One more thing - if you're still working, it would be worth looking into back-paying NI contributions to top up your UK state pension. Some people question whether it's worth it, but it doesn't cost much and the way I look at it, even a few extra pounds a week may be welcome if you live to a grand old age and your super runs out. I see it as my safety net!

https://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/moving/movecubes

Just get on the plane and go! Seriously, it's easier than moving to Australia because you're going to a country you're familiar with, which is half the battle. You don't need to notify anyone or get any special permissions (assuming the Covid emergency is over by that time). I'm not aware of an idiot's guide but here are a few pointers. If you don't need to ship a containerload of stuff, look into the Movecube (link below). There's only one company that offers the Movecube, otherwise you'll have to ship individual boxes and that's expensive. When deciding what to take and what to leave, don't underestimate how much things cost. If it's years since you bought household goods, you might get a shock. I regretted getting rid of my favourite old pots when I got to the UK and discovered the cost to replace them with the same quality! Money - You're right, there will be no problem accessing your super from the UK. Just be careful if you want to take a lump sum. If you take the lump sum before you leave Australia and put it in the bank, then it's just money in the bank and you can do whatever you want with it. If you wait till you've arrived in the UK and take a lump sum, the British taxman will take a huge chunk (about a third of it) in tax. If you leave Australia before you reach pensionable age, you won't be able to claim the Australian government pension - but as you know, that's means-tested so you might not get it for a while anyway. If you were working in Australia up till the year 2000, try to dig out evidence of that, because you can use it to claim towards a UK state pension. I know you'll have your super and your UK pension but every little top-up helps! Still on the subject of money, the biggest annoyance will be that the UK is ruled by credit ratings, and you won't have one. If you're planning to get a job it will be easier, but if you're retiring there, it's a challenge. Because we couldn't provide pay slips or an employment contract, we had to pay six months' rent upfront to get a lease. Although I was able to "open" a bank account the day I arrived, it was almost a month before we got debit cards etc. As for a credit card, overdraft or mortgage - forget it. The funny thing was that we had hundreds of thousands of pounds in the bank after selling our home, but that cut no ice at all! So don't close your Australian bank account or cut up the credit card, you'll need them for several months after you arrive.

I think you're right to worry about that. Some people (like me) can move to a new country and feel they belong there. We make good migrants, and sometimes it's hard for us to understand why other people don't settle. We're tempted to say, 'What's not to love? What are you complaining about?" but that's not the point. You can appreciate Australia and still feel there's a hole in your heart because you're not where you truly belong. If that's how you feel, it will never ever go away - in fact, it's only going to get stronger. So I think you need to move before your kids grow up too Aussie and you get stuck.

I second the suggestion of contacting one of the agents who've posted in this thread (W Russell and Paul Hand). The fact that they're so generous with free advice here speaks volumes, IMO. The bottom line is that you can't migrate if you don't have qualifications and experience in an occupation that's on the skilled list. End of story. You may be looking at more than 3 or 4 years, because for most visas, you need qualifications AND work experience. And because Australia is taking occupations off the list every year, many people invest years retraining and then find the occupation isn't eligible any more - so choose something you'd like to do wherever you end up. In theory it would be possible to arrive on a student visa, do your qualifications in Australia, then get a graduate visa to get your work experience, then hope for employer sponsorship, which might (if you're lucky) get you permanent residency many years down the track. However, if you have a family to support, don't even think about it. It's a very expensive, high-risk strategy and there's a high liklehood you'd end up back in the UK at the end of it, with no home and no savings. Agents may suggest it to you because it's their job to tell you what's possible - it doesn't mean they think it's wise! If your main goal is to get out of the UK, have you thought about investigating New Zealand or Canada?

Best of luck with it. Like I said, the worst that can happen is they refuse and then at least, you know where you stand. And they say that you are allowed to apply again straight away.

There may well be some particular circumstances in your case that we're not aware of, but to an outsider, your employer seems to be putting you through an odd and unnecessary rigmarole. Have you considered that even though you trust your employer, they may be getting bad advice from their agent? You are entitled to hire your own agent to do your side of the process - and it's worth noting that most reputable agents, Westly Russell included (who posted here) will give you a free initial consultation. In your shoes, I think I would take that consultation just to have a second opinion that there's no better option.

@Brucolino, you still seem to be confusing two different reasons for travel - you have to choose one or the other. Honestly, if your partner isn't able to help you with the application, I strongly suggest you contact a migration agent like @paulhand . This is obviously very important to you, so you should be willing to pay for proper advice. He will be able to advise on the best wording for the travel exemption and also advise you about the implications for your PR. I was happy to give you some pointers but I feel you're placing too much responsibility on me. Why do you think it's going to be 2-3 years before the restrictions are lifted?

You'll get plenty of people telling you, "Don't go back, you'll be worse off, you'll be mad to leave such a great lifestyle". That's not the point. The question to ask yourself is, can you see yourself growing old in Australia? Can you look forward to spending the rest of your natural life here, or does that thought fill you with dread? If it's dread, then make a definite plan to go home as soon as you can. It's going to take time to rebuild your life, pensions etc in the UK so the sooner you start, the better. We have seen so many members who wanted to go home but decided to persevere for a few years, to take advantage of better pay/better conditions etc. But the problem is, the longer you stay, the more entrenched you get, and you'll find yourself putting it off for a couple more years, and a couple more, and suddenly you're stuck - "we can't move now because it will disrupt our chlid's education", "we can't move now because he wants to go to university and we'd have to pay international fees in the UK", "we can't leave now because our son wants to stay with his girlfriend and I can't bear to leave without him", and finally, "we're stuck here forever now because of the grandkids". Don't be one of those sad people who get stuck in a foreign land.

I can't see anything on their website to say they're MARA registered? It's really, really important that they are - anything else is taking a huge risk. Check the agreement to see if there's any kind of "out" clause.

Bottom line, what do you have to lose? You can’t get an exemption if you don’t apply

I would never suggest Newcastle as a place to commit to Sydney from. Two hours each way would be soul destroying to do every single day. Newcastle has quite a good job market in its own right though

I wouldn't be admitting that on a public forum because it's against the rules of the WHV and could have got your employer fined and you could've got a 3 year ban.

What's the reason? It doesn't hurt to apply, the worst that can happen is they say no. You are advised not to book any flights till you get the response and it takes 4 weeks. Personally, although I'm sure you would love to have them here, I wouldn't be risking putting my parents on long haul flights at the moment

We've had two members get exemption to leave Australia but I can't remember who they were. There's a lot of buzz about exemptions getting refused but actually, the majority of applications are approved - and if you are refused, there's nothing to prevent you making a new application, perhaps with better evidence. Compassionate reasons need to be compelling, e.g. it seems that a lot of people get exemptions for the serious illness or death of a family member, but not for a wedding or a christening.

Thanks Bulya, that makes sense

It used to have a bad reputation but it has improved and it’s definitely one of those cities with distinctly separate areas. I would hate to commute to Sydney from there though. I know many do out of necessity but it’s a horribly long haul. Newcastle is a better bet for employment opportunities and seems to be more up-and-coming than Wollongong. Some of the small towns along the rail line between Wollongong and Sydney are lovely but they are more expensive than suburbs closer into the city, due to their beach lifestyle

Temporary visa holders are not allowed entry to Australia at present. The Commissioner of the Australian Border Force (ABF) may consider an additional exemption in relation to the travel restrictions currently in place for: foreign nationals travelling at the invitation of the Australian Commonwealth Government for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response or whose entry would be in the national interest critical medical services, including air ambulance and delivery of supplies, that regularly arrive into Australia from international ports people with critical skills (for example, medical specialists, engineers, marine pilots and crews) by exception diplomats accredited to Australia and currently resident in Australia, and their immediate family case-by-case exceptions for humanitarian or compassionate reasons. As you are not a medical specialist, I don't see how you could get an exemption.

It's because they recognise that you need to make a living and you might not be able to get a job in your usual profession.

Like I said, the difference is in the percentage of fats, because that's what melts. Strangely enough, when I tried to research this, all the references said that it was the vegetable fats that were reduced, not the cocoa.

Surfersj applied in 2015. The big surge of new applications happened in 2016 and they're just beginning to process 2016 applications now. They're not going to increase the quotas to cater for that "bulge", so that's why the waiting time has blown out.

Actually from what I've read, they put less vegetable fat in it, but that doesn't sound quite right to me.