Marisawright

I wouldn’t even waste money on another holiday. There is nothing to keep you in Australia a part from a job. Your heart is in Scotland, so the sooner you get back the better. Any other course of action is just dithering. Book a one way flight and then start planning! What are you looking for in a place? People say Edinburgh is expensive but prices seemed affordable compared to Melbourne

It’s not a question of delay. They have too many accountants so they don’t want any more for now.

I am loving living in Melbourne but the colour palette is undeniably depressing. If it wasn't for the blue sky, I'd think I was back in Aberdeen!

What you're saying is that there were additional reasons for choosing Australia. so even if those things hadn't materialised, there were other aspects that would've made it worthwhile.

It's probably not worth stressing too much about suburbs at this point. Research where the good schools are , and browse around realestate.com.au to get an idea of how the prices vary, but that's that. I say that because a very common experience, which we see related here on the forums a lot, is that people put hours and hours of effort into researching suburbs before they arrive - and then when they get here and drive around, they realise that the "feel" of a suburb is something that's impossible to judge from a distance. It's very easy to get completely the wrong idea and build up an inaccurate picture in your mind. You'll have to book holiday accommodation for your first four weeks anyway, and that's when you hop in the car and drive around to check out areas. Your biggest priority right now should be decluttering, because it will take a lot longer than you think! Also do a trial shop to see what it would cost to replace your house contents. You can use harveynorman.com.au or ikea.com.au for furniture, petersofkensington.com.au for pots, pans, crockery etc. Myer.com.au for things like towels or Kmart.com.au for cheap alternatives. A lot of people think they'll sell/give away all their stuff and "start afresh" in Australia, then get a rude shock when they discover how much it's going to cost to replace.

I agree with Cal, it isn't likely to be an issue because real estate agents don't check visas. You'd be wise to tell a white lie and say you're moving over to be with your kids, though. Agents will always prefer tenants who are likely to stay long-term, so if you reveal that you'll definitely leave in a year's time, he'll choose someone else. If you're not able to provide proof of income, then you might be asked to pay 6 months rent upfront.

You would stand a better chance of being accepted for the 489.

That's what I mean. It sounds like it's doable in Perth but that is not the whole of Australia. It comes back to the same thing we're always talking about: it all depends which city in Australia you're comparing to which city in the UK. Someone who's tired of the rat race in London could probably find the same "more relaxed lifestyle" and "better work/life balance" by moving to Edinburgh.

The state pension is based on number of years residence in Australia, not the number of years worked. If you're living in Australia, then you only need to have lived in Australia for ten years before you are eligible. If you decide to go back overseas, the requirement shoots up to 35 years. The state pension is means-tested, it's only meant for people who can't afford to support themselves in retirement. Even in Australia that's widely misunderstood, and a lot of people see their superannuation as a nest egg to pass on to their kids, rather than the money that's supposed to give them their pension.

I notice these two are quite often given as reasons, and I'm not at all sure they're true. Certainly in Sydney, the liifestyle isn't at all relaxed (the culture is work hard/play hard) and the work/life balance is dreadful thanks to the long commutes most people have to make. I think Canberra and Melbourne have a better work culture, though Melbourne suffers from the long commutes as well.

I'm like Quoll, struggling to think up six reasons. We had been in Africa (my oh had a teaching contract) for three years, and returned to find a Scotland in the midst of the miners' strike. It was the most depressing place imaginable. The oh ended up in a horrible school and I couldn't find a permanent job at all. Our only goal, really, was to get out of that awful environment. My oh was applying for teaching contracts in places like the Gilbert & Ellis Islands and Singapore, and if one of those had come up first, we'd probably have ended up there. At the time, applying to migrate to Australia was no more difficult than applying for any of those contract jobs, and didn't cost a lot. We were a typical young couple of the time, with a flat full of second-hand furniture and a TV that showed more snow than picture. So it was dead easy to decide what to take and what to leave, and we didn't give a thought to how long we might or might not stay in Oz. I loved it from day one. Word of warning to Jon the Hat: weather = outdoors = skin cancer. You'll be fine if you've spent your young years in the UK but take care of your kids.

The main problem is not the insularity but the overall lack of jobs. When jobs are scarce and applicants are plentiful, there’s bound to be a bias towards locals

At a guess, if you've still got 16 years to go before official retirement age, you're in the best possible position. 16 years is still a good amount of time to be putting money into superannuation and you can choose to ask your employer to pay in extra from your salary (called "salary sacrifice"), if you can afford it - which also lets you reduce your tax bill. You've got money from a private pension in the UK which you can get paid as a pension in Australia. You'll be able to claim your UK state pension when you reach retirement age, though it will stay at the same rate forever (being overseas, the amount is fixed and you don't get any increases). With all that in hand, it's quite likely you'll have too much in superannuation and pensions to qualify for the Australian state pension - but if you run short in your old age, you'll be able to claim it, because you only need 10 years residency to be eligible (provided you don't go and live overseas again).

Very few, if any. They are more likely to sponsor for a short-term contract (a 482 visa) because if they need a staff member, they need them quickly. The 186 takes too long to process.

Mildura is a nice town set on the Murray River. It's quite a foodie destination nowadays, with good restaurants and wineries. It's got its good and bad areas like any other town. Real estate is much cheaper because of the remoteness, though renting is more expensive because the population isn't as mobile so there's less available. As for jobs - it is the regional centre, so there are more opportunities than you might expect, and the tourism industry means there are seasonal jobs - but the fact is, it's a small town and too far to commute to anywhere else. The biggest thing against it is its remoteness - if you want to visit the big city, it's a very long drive to Melbourne. If you're not a big city person that may not worry you. I have a friend who lives there and loves it.

You are correct. 65 points is the absolute minimum you need to be eligible, but in practice it's not nearly enough. People talk about "a queue", but it's not really a queue, it's a competition, and the people with the most points win. You need to find a way to increase your point score or it's not worth even applying.

Very true. I'd be cautious about revealing that fact in an online forum since we know Immigration does look at them.

If the payment is properly documented, it does not matter how it is paid. But usually in Australia, of someone pays in cash, they are trying to avoid tax or launder money, and therefore it is treated with suspicion.

This clause does not apply to you. Look at the words "HAS BEEN granted". This clause applies only AFTER your mother has been granted her visa. Then you will have no restrictions. It says nothing about the requirements AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION or DURING PROCESSING

So which ABN did you apply under?

And your point is...?

I don't know about the 461, but processing time for other partner visas are certainly shorter if you apply offshore than onshore, sometimes by a long way. I don't know why, perhaps they're trying to discourage people from applying onshore.

It's a situation I came across often when I was working. Companies often know little or nothing about how sponsorship works and will make the offer with the best of intentions. There's a few people somewhere in the UK who hate me - in each case, they were in Australia working on a WHV, their manager promised them it would be "no problem" to sponsor them, and I was the bad guy who had to tell them it was impossible!

There is no way they can sponsor you if the occupation is not on any list. End of story, I'm afraid. It makes sense - though you may be an excellent employee, if you left tomorrow they'd be able to find a local candidate to replace you. Perhaps they wouldn't be as good as you but there are thousands of people in Sydney who could do the job competently. That's why it's not on any of the lists.

One theory which is frequently quoted is that if you have a straightforward case, it gets approved really quickly. If there's even one thing that needs further checking, your application gets put aside, so you lose your place in the queue. No idea whether it's true but it's often mentioned.