Marisawright

It really does depend on what you want to do. My niece signed up with a few temp agencies when she arrived, and got a fabulous job as receptionist with an events management company. She had such a blast that she stayed there six full months. She got such a good reference that the temp agency offered her another job at another events management place so she did that for another three months. Then she realised it was "now or never" so she quit and spent her last three months travelling non-stop.

Centrelink won’t do anything until you’ve claimed The British pension first, or have a letter from them saying you’re not eligible. So you may as well knock that over first

If the contract is in his name, you won't be allowed to do anything. The only thing you can do is ask your dad to request copies of the bills and give them to you.

That’s why so many people on a WHV take casual jobs. You work for a few weeks until you’ve saved some money, then you go travelling for a couple of weeks, then find another casual job

You were honest with Centrelink so it’s not a problem. You don’t have to live with your partner every day so different addresses for short periods shouldn’t matter, especially since you’re married

As Martina said, if you are already living in Australia, then it is compulsory to have a job offer from Victoria when you apply for the 190 visa. If you do not, your application stands no chance of being considered.

I’d say stop the salary sacrifice because the only benefit over ordinary investments is that it’s tax free when you retire in Australia. But if you retire in the UK it won’t be tax free so what’s the point

In that case there are a few things to look at. Thirty years is a long time, so the rules may have changed a lot by the time you get there, but here's the situation currently. If you leave Australia before you are receiving the Australian government pension, you may not be able to claim it from overseas. Even if you can, it could be at a reduced rate. If you leave Australia before you're able to claim your superannuation, the British taxman will take around a third of it in tax when you do claim it. If your husband is Australian and doesn't currently have British citizenship, there's no guarantee he'll be able to get a visa to live in the UK. Both Britain and Australia have been making it harder and harder for citizens to bring their spouses into the country for the last few years, so I dread to think how hard it will be by 2050. Realistically, if you're going to move then you need to do it in your fifties, when you still have time to work for another fifteen years and build up a British private pension. I think you'd be wise to get some financial advice from someone like Vista (who understand both the British and Australian systems) to work out how best to set up your finances. For instance, most Aussies would be told to salary sacrifice into their super funds to provide for their retirement but that's the last thing you'd want to do.

So your firstborn has an Australian father (not your husband), who won't give permission for you to take him to the UK? I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure you know there are good and bad places in every country. In country Australia there are many towns with major drug problems and high unemployment, too. If you go back to the UK, you don't have to live in your home town.

I'm so sorry to hear that you're so homesick. Are there circumstances that prevent you heading home in the near future? I ask because if you wait until retirement you can find that it's simply uneconomical to make the move, and then you'll be stuck. The difference between Class 3 and Class 2 is that Class 3 doesn't entitle you to unemployment benefits. It makes no difference to the pension. So you may as well pay the cheaper one. Western Union used to be an expensive way to pay. For my six years catch-up payment, I used a bank cheque, but if you can transfer money straight into their bank account, then I'd use Moneycorp or Transferwise. They should send you a letter which will tell you what methods are acceptable.

I'm having some trouble understanding who's who in your post. Can I confirm this is what you mean: The wife held a temporary parent visa and has applied for the permanent visa, so she's now on a bridging visa. Husband Paul applied separately for a 3/5 year parent visa before, but got turned down. He's been coming and going on a tourist visa but his luck is running out. The obvious question is, why didn't the two of you make a joint application for the temp parent visa? It sounds as though you've been badly advised in the past. Are you aware that most reputable migration agents will give you an initial consultation free of charge? I'd say that would be an important first step to take.

It's not going to happen, I'm afraid. From what we understand, if an application is straightforward, they start processing it immediately. If it is not straightforward, they put it aside and move on to the next application.

@Radmac - here's the whole story https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/assurance-support

It’s the same for all countries - you are liable for income tax in your home country on all your income, regardless of where it is earned. However you’re liable only when you’re legally resident. If you’re only legally resident for part of the tax year then you only declare the income for that part of the tax year. I think the bonus would be taxable in Australia

You can’t apply for a bridging visa, it is granted automatically when you apply for a partner visa onshore.

The lump sum will be taxed at 40% (or even more, if it pushes you up into a higher tax bracket that year), so how will that help? You need to consider what other sources of income you'll have in your retirement. You won't be paying 40% tax on the pension if you don't have a lot of other income. Did you understand my explanation of how the "income stream" pension works? The income stream not a frozen sum of money that just sits there and gets depleted. The money is still invested, the way it was in your super fund, so it's still growing. That's why there's no need to leave any of your money in the old super fund.

Ah, but you're a single guy, right? Someone who's married with kids has to consider mortgages, school catchment areas, etc etc.

Yes, and that's what I said. I refer you back to my original post: "If you don't have a very strong reason to go to Sydney, I'd avoid it like the plague." I didn't say "you must avoid it like the plague", did I? I then went on to state a fact: "Ask yourself, if you were transferred to London tomorrow, doing the job you do now, could you afford a home in London? If not, you can't afford a home in Sydney." I loved living in Sydney too. I'd still be there if I hadn't been priced out of the market, but luckily I really enjoy living in Melbourne (where I am now).

If you apply for a UK one based on your Australian one, they'll take your Australian one off you. For those settling permanently in the UK that may not matter, but worth being aware of. I was away for 30 years and I wasn't asked to do a test.

What is your relationship to the parent?

Could be, but even someone on a high salary will have a lot more disposable income anywhere else in Australia. Personally I will always think of Sydney as home, but I do think it’s not a sensible starting point for a new migrant especially coming from Paisley

No it isn't, it's based on fact. Just look at the house prices. Someone coming from London might not bat an eyelid, but someone coming from Scotland would be in for a big shock. I lived in Sydney and I still feel nostalgic for it (I now live in Melbourne). From other posts, it appears that he has a family, in which case he'd be crazy to take an employer-sponsored visa anyway, due to the great uncertainty of obtaining PR.

What visa are they applying for? If they have serious health issues, then it's unlikely they are even eligible for a visa of any kind.

It is possible to do an approved degree course in Australia, and then apply for a 485 temporary graduate visa (for 2 to 4 years). Then when she has built up enough work experience, she can apply for a PR visa. The difficulty is, of course, that it's a long-term plan. She'd be embarking on a course of study with absolutely no certainty that the occupation would still be on the list by the time she's completed the degree and work experience. As you know, even seemingly solid occupations can be removed from the skilled list at any time. Add to that the high international fees for the course and the restrictions on working while she's studying, she will likely be in huge debt by the time she's finished the course of study.

If you don't have a very strong reason to go to Sydney, I'd avoid it like the plague. Ask yourself, if you were transferred to London tomorrow, doing the job you do now, could you afford a home in London? If not, you can't afford a home in Sydney. If you're keen on NSW and you're a nurse, teacher or have a trade, I would head for Newcastle where the house prices are much cheaper and the quality of life is miles better.