Marisawright

One thing that surprises me - the number of younger people who are in the gig economy BY CHOICE, not because they can't get another job. Being a dancer, I meet a lot of people in the Arts. Talk to anyone over 40, and they'll talk about the difficulties of being a dancer/musician/artist in their youth.. Only the lucky/very talented few were able to get a scholarship or a full-time gig of some sort in their late teens/early twenties, and went on to a full-time career. If you didn't manage that, then your only option was to train in something else and get a "proper job". We had to resign ourselves to the fact that our art would be a hobby or a part-time pursuit. When I talk to the under-40's, I'm struck by how many of them have never had a "proper job". The idea of working in a "boring office" is anathema to them, and the very idea of some employer telling them what to do - unthinkable! "I'm an artist!" Unlike my generation, they've been able to scrape a living from their Uber driving, Airtasker, etc etc., which has allowed them to persevere with their artistic ambitions long after our generation would've been forced to give up. I would've assumed "artists' were a fairly small part of the population - but I'm astonished how many there are. Singers especially - it sometimes seems that anyone who can hold a tune, thinks they have a shot at finding fame on Youtube. The sad fact is that many of them have little talent, which explains why they're still driving an Uber at 35 and still hoping for their "breakthrough".

You could be talking about Australia there too. The unions have very little power now and the re-elected government is already talking about legislation to "create flexibility in the workforce"....they've already got rid of penalty rates. There has been a lot of press recently about how wages have stagnated in Australia over recent years, with no sign of it changing.

I'm talking about Australian tax and they changed the rules a few years ago so that renting to family members means it no longer counts as an investment and you can't claim any deductions (but you still have to declare the income so they get you both ways!). The bank might still regard it as an investment for mortgage purposes but for tax, no.

Well actually, now that you mention it.....you can search on the forums, there was a case recently where someone had married their partner before applying for a visa, thinking it would make life easier, and then found that the evidence required for a partner visa was far more onerous than for the PMV, so he had made life more difficult for himself. So I suggest you research that.

I feel you're being deliberately obtuse, Barry. In 99% of cases where "man loves woman" or "woman loves man", the couple have met and dated for a considerable period while living in the same country, and even in the same town. That applies just as much to Australian citizens and their foreign partner as to anyone else - most couples meet while the Australian was working in a foreign country, and the Australian partner usually chooses to remain in that country rather than leave their partner, until a partner visa can be obtained. If they met while the foreign partner was in Australia on a temporary visa, then they simply apply for a bridging visa to allow the partner to remain while the partner visa is considered. That is usual. Relationships where the two partners are in different countries are NOT the norm.

Most of the "regulars" on these forums joined when they were going through the visa process. We are still here because we have all become friends, so we enjoy chatting online. In the process we also try to help newcomers who arrive asking for advice. We're pessimistic because we've seen so many young couples come to these forums having been rejected even though their relationship sounds (to us, at least) perfectly genuine. Very often, it's because they failed to understand how demanding Immigration now is, and what a ridiculous amount of evidence they require before deigning to grant a visa. I have a close friend who is still struggling to bring her (genuine) husband to Australia, in circumstances which sound not dissimilar to yours. If your relationship were straightforward (already living together for some years, either married or de facto), I would not be urging you to use an agent and neither would anyone else.

That may be true, but remember the DAMA is only a temporary work contract and only valid while he works for that employer. If he loses the job for any reason (business goes bust, redundancies, or they treat him badly), then you'll have to go home. If you're looking at it as a pathway to permanent residency, then check what the rules are for that. If he has to meet normal eligibility requirements for PR, then it's 45.

It's always risky researching something online because there's a lot of misinformation out there. I know I've been guilty of repeating advice on this topic, which later turned out to be wrong. As WRussell points out, it's not illegal to arrive on a tourist visa with the intention of applying for a permanent visa. However it is illegal to arrive on a tourist visa with the intention of staying permanently. As I understand it, it's up to the Immigration Officer on the day to decide what your intentions are. If he thinks you're likely to stay permanently whether you can get another visa or not, then he'll put you back on a plane. So that's the risk people take.

How long ago? Things change. The current government of Australia is anti-immigration. They are not allowed to impose quotas on partner migration so they have resorted to delaying tactics - the waiting time for partner visas is now much longer than it used to be. And far from being understanding, we've seen reports on this forum by people who've had their visas rejected because of a minor mistake - and the case officer didn't even give them a chance to rectify the error.

Yes it is hard in rural towns because there is not much work. I was in the same situation when I first arrived in Australia. Eventually I found work but it was 100km away, so it was at least an hour's drive every day. Does she have a car? I agree with Toots, the best solution would be for them to move to a larger town. Even though they must stay in a regional area for a year, they don't have to stay in a tiny rural town. there is usually one town which is the centre for the whole region, and it will have more jobs and more opportunities. Otherwise, perhaps she could consider joining sites like Airtaskter and Freelancer. It's not ideal because the pay is not good, but she could do jobs which are more suitable for her skills so she would feel better about herself. I recommend she joins the CWA (Country Women's Association)

He will lose the right to return to Australia and could be stuck overseas. Don't risk it.

It is not nonsense. It is the officer's job to be suspicious and take nothing at face value. He/she is not going to say, "Oh they're old, so they must be telling the truth". The problem with long distance relationships is that it's very difficult to PROVE that they are genuine, and the officer will basically disregard any declarations you or your girlfriend make - what they are looking for is evidence.

Groups are always free to join, I think that’s a condition of the website. What happens after that varies

...and are prepared to pay the US$9.99 per month fee

I can't help with expat mortgages but want to mention, in case you're not aware - just be very careful when planning for retirement back in the UK, as pensions and superannuation get to be a minefield. If you go back to the UK, for instance, you can't get the Australian govt pension and you'll get taxed on your super. So even if it's a long way away, it's important to look into it all. People do end up getting stuck in Australia, in spite of longing to go back, because they would lose too much money by doing so. Also of course, if you have kids and wait until they're grown, you could end up with grandkids in Australia that you'll be reluctant to leave. In summary, if you're missing the UK, plan to go back earlier than later - and in the meantime, keep up your NI contributions.

Yes, that's about the size of it. The idea of the temporary/employer sponsored visas are tempting, but it's too much expense and upheaval when you've got children to consider.

So, to summarise: Your occupation is on the skilled list for a 189 visa (a PR or permanent resident visa) but you don't have the required qualifications. Therefore your only option is to go to university and get the bachelor's degree. You would get credits (sometimes called "advanced standing") for your existing qualifications, so you wouldn't have to do the full degree. It's worth checking with some universities, you may be surprised how much credit you can get. Then you might have to work for a couple of years to get the required experience, because experience often doesn't count until you've got the qualification - but again, that's worth checking so you know where you stand. That's your only option, I'm afraid. There is NO point in looking for a 2 year visa, or for an employer to sponsor you. Both of those will only get you a short-term contract. At the end of it, you may be eligible to apply for PR - but ONLY if you have the required qualifications, which you won't have, so you'll be back where you started. There's no magic that happens just because you're already living in Australia, it's exactly the same. You'll have to go back home and start all over again. I know it's hard to accept that there's no other way, but the hard fact is that it's $%^** difficult to emigrate to Australia, and the majority of the population simply aren't eligible to do so. Australia is very, very fussy these days because it's not desperate for people any more.

That doesn't sound right. I'd have thought the new employer would have to take over as sponsor for the 457 first, before they could do the 186. Your relation would be wise to get his own migration agent.

I've seen agents recommend this as an option. You may get cross-questioned a bit more, but you should be OK.

I think you've wise to rethink it. Frankly, coming on a student visa is only feasible if you're single, and even then it's tough unless you've got rich parents (a lot of international students in Australia are from rich Asian families). The fees are very high. You are allowed to work part-time, but good luck finding an employer who wants to hire you - you can't be flexible with your hours and you're only on a temp visa, good luck with that. Even if you manage to survive financially till the end of your course, there's no guarantee you'll get a permanent visa at the end of it. Depending on the course, you may need to get a Graduate visa for another two years to get the necessary work experience. Then you've got to apply for a permanent visa and pray they haven't changed the rules in the meantime (it happens a lot). You were asking about jobs in Hervey Bay recently - does this mean that you aren't even eligible to get a PR visa or is it just that you can't find a job in your current occupation in that area?

I agree with VeryStormy, the same problem exists in Australia.

It's impossible to predict. UK applications used to take about three months, then they changed the process and the time blew out. I believe the queue has started moving faster again, though. It is probably worth getting a migration agent's advice on how long the waiting lists are now, and exactly what your choices are. But I think you'd be better off applying for the offshore partner visa now. If you apply now, he is still allowed to apply for tourist visas to visit Australia while he's waiting for a decision - so your plan, for you to relocate and him to come for a short visit then go home, would be perfectly possible. And he could apply for subsequent tourist visas if he wants to visit again and it still hasn't come through.

The waiting time is a lot shorter if you apply from the UK.

I did NOT make an assumption. I said the IMMIGRATION official is likely to start with that assumption and therefore they will be looking to pick holes in everything you supply. From what you say, I am older than you, and I am not an agent. Ali is right - the moderators on this site are VERY quick to spot agents who join without disclosing they are professionals, we had an instance just recently. So if there is no disclosure in the signature on a post, that person is not an agent. As regards the PMV - we had a case recently on these forums where an individual had married his girlfriend before applying for a partner visa, thinking it would improve his chances. It turned out he had made life more difficult for himself because of the different evidence requirements between a PMV and a spouse visa. I So please do look into that thoroughly before you proceed. I'm curious where you are finding statistics about the success rate of agented vs direct applications? Are they also divided on the basis of MARA registered agents vs unregistered agents and lawyers? I am highly suspicious of "immigration lawyers" as, from what I've seen on these forums, they seem to charge a great deal for bad advice. Sadly there are also legions of so-called agents who don't know what they're doing. We have a small band of agents who are generous with their advice on these forums and I would have confidence in using any of them.

I've been a member for ages but I've found it pretty disappointing. The problem is that anyone who wants to create a group has to pay a monthly fee to Meetup, I realise that has to happen, because Meetup isn't running the site out of the goodness of its heart, but it means that all the groups are commercial in nature, i.e. the person running it hopes to make money from it. For instance, I joined to find groups interested in dancing and I've found most of the "groups" are actually just dance teachers advertising classes. Then I wanted to revive my Spanish language for a trip to Spain so I looked for Spanish language meetups, and found most of them were language schools offering classes. There are some groups which are more like social clubs, where they arrange social events, but they seem to be mainly for younger people.