Marisawright

I like cats but I love other animals and birds just as much. I wouldn't dream of trapping and killing cats, but I can understand why people get angry when cats are allowed to roam. In my book, small marsupials, lizards, frogs and birds have as much right to live as cats. Pet cats kill around 6 million birds in Australia every year - the owners who allow that to happen are thoughtless, irresponsible and selfish. I think you're wise not to bring your cats because if they've been accustomed to roaming free, they might find the backyard too confining. However I do think that for cats who are brought up to it, they can be perfectly happy with an indoor life, or one where they are confined to the backyard with rollbars.

I must say, I am a bit scared reading your post. Homesickness is not a logical thing. It's not about missing family or friends, necessarily. Some people have a deeply-held connection to their homeland - one which they're not even aware of until they try to live somewhere else, and then it takes them by surprise. And there's not a thing you can do to make it go away, except to go home. The scarey thing is that once you do get safely on home soil again, it all starts to feel like a bad dream and you think, "why was I so stupid, we had a great life, I was just being an idiot, I know better now". But if you are one of those people, you won't be able to stop it, it's built into you - the "I don't belong" feeling will return as soon as you get back to Oz. I have no idea whether that applies to you. Only you can say. But it's something to think about. I am also still worried about the idea of moving to Sydney, unless you think of it as a short-term job just to get you back to Oz, then he can look for a transfer. We've had several people on these forums (including me) who have left Sydney because they realise they'll be renting forever - house prices are so far out of reach. I've seen several newspaper articles saying people are moving to Brisbane and Melbourne in droves for the same reason. You may be able to find reasonably-priced rentals online, but in reality you'll find that real estate agents doctor the photos so what you see isn't what you get, and competition is very stiff (with price auctions) for anything decent. I know a recce trip is expensive and I wouldn't suggest it for any other city, but I would be visiting first and sussing out the real estate market before I made a final decision for Sydney.

@britsabroad, if you aren't already using a registered migration agent, then I strongly suggest you consult one immediately. I think you're at grave risk of not being able to include your son on your visa, so although it will cost something, it would be worth doing. Being "dependent" has nothing to do with how mature your son is or how well he'd cope on his own. It's entirely about whether he'd be able to earn his own living if he had to stay behind. He's probably like a lot of young people in that a starting wage isn't enough to finance the lifestyle he's grown up with, so living at home makes sense. However, that doesn't mean he couldn't manage on his wage, living in a share house with other young people, if he had to. And that's what they look at.

I am not sure what you are asking. If you are qualified and experienced as a Software Engineer, then apply for a Skilled 189 Visa. Once you have the visa, then you can come to Australia and look for jobs. Employers can sponsor people for a visa, but usually it's for a temporary visa for a short-term contract, not PR.

Actually, I think there is something magical about 2 years. For one thing, you hear it quoted by psychiatrists when talking about the time taken to adjust your thinking about something, e.g. it takes about 2 years to fully get over the death of a loved one, or any other traumatic event. For another, I notice a difference myself, now that I've been in Melbourne for two years. I liked the place straight away, but I'd say it was at about the 2 year mark that I realised I felt at home. It also takes that long to form friendships. Having said that, I think if someone arrives and truly hates the place, then enduring it for a whole two years isn't likely to change their mind.

I'm guessing McGuinness was referring to someone heading to the office for a 8.30 or 9am start. That would be a very different kettle of fish from leaving at 6am.

Yes I’m not saying they shouldn’t do it, but it’s vital they understand it’s not a low cost option

The fact that he’s able to work and earn his own living is a sign that he doesn’t need to be dependent. If you can’t bring him as a dependent on your visa then there is probably no other permanent visa he can get

It's odd because it's been difficult to get a visa for Australia for many, many years. I think the perception still lingers from the boom times of the 50's and 60's when the Ten Pound Poms arrived in droves.

If the $4k application is a lot of money for you, then please research the visa carefully, because there are a lot of hidden costs as the years go by. Your MIL will arrive on a tourist visa, apply for the 804 visa onshore, then she'll be on a bridging visa - possibly for the rest of her life, because the waiting time is up to 30 years. What that means is that although she'll be physically resident in Australia, legally she won't be. That means she won't be entitled to any government benefits at all, even if she is in financial difficulties. At the same time, her UK govt. pension will be frozen at the amount it is today - she'll never get any increases, so her income won't keep up with inflation. She will be covered by Medicare but only for "essential care", not elective surgery. So say, for instance, she needs a hip replacement. That's elective, so she can't get it done on Medicare. However, she can't pop back to the UK to get it done either, because once she's no longer resident in the UK, she's not eligible for the NHS either. That's why you'll need to budget for health insurance. However, she can't get the usual health insurance because that's only for residents. She'll have to get "overseas visitor" cover which is more expensive - I saw someone mention $12,000 per year somewhere. The final problem to consider is what happens if her visa is rejected in the end. Like I said, they are quoting wait times of "up to" 30 years for the 804 visa, but it's possible the wait could be shorter. Let's say her visa finally comes through in 15 years, when she's 82. At that point, before the visa is granted, she'll have to pass a medical (which, at that age, might be difficult). If she fails the medical, her application will be rejected and she'll have to leave the country. That will mean returning to the UK where she will have to re-establish residency before being able to access NHS and other benefits. I'm almost your MIL's age, and I'm not sure I'd want to give up my home and dispose of my possessions to move to a foreign country where my income will steadily decline, and where I might get thrown out at any time. I know being close to grandchildren and family is a powerful pull, but do make sure you understand the pitfalls before you decide whether to proceed. When you consider the loss of income and benefits, and the cost of health insurance, it could actually be cheaper for her to visit you every year for three to six months, than to make the permanent move.

As Quoll says, your husband will have to include you as a dependent on his visa, and that will give you work rights, including the right to be self employed. No additional visa necessary

"De facto" is the equivalent of marriage, you just haven't had a legal ceremony. Periods when you were just dating don't count. For a TSS visa, you need to show you've been in a de facto relationship for six months. You will need to provide proof of a shared life. Normally that would include providing proof that you have both lived at the same address for at least six months, that you're sharing your household expenses, and spending your time together. If you're not living together then it gets more difficult.

Lots and lots of people have felt the same way. In fact, about half of all migrants end up going back to the UK - and that includes people who struggled for months or years to get a permanent visa. I'm sure you'll have family and friends going, "Wow! You're living the Aussie dream! Sun, sand, sea! Why on earth would you want to come back to boring old England?" Don't let them put you off - they haven't lived in Australia, so they've got no idea. In the UK, Australia is often seen as "a dream" but it isn't - it's just another country. Some things are better than the UK, some things are worse. Australis suits some people best, the UK suits other people best. We're all different. If you want to avoid arguments, your desire to travel around Europe is a good reason to give for moving back.

I was curious to see what @wattsy1982 had written before, because I didn't remember it. But here's a couple of good examples, which suggest to me that he is indeed looking at Oz with rose-tints (which doesn't surprise me, because it's human nature ).

My only concern with the Internal Auditor option is that currently, there are hordes of accountants trying to get into Australia and failing. If they decide to retrain, auditor would be an obvious pathway. So you might find that by the time you're qualified, there's an oversupply. It is tough to know what to do. The problem is that Australia isn't a new country, desperate for workers, any more. The unemployment rate in Australia is about the same as the UK. For that reason, there's always a chance that no matter what you choose to do, it may not get you into Australia. For that reason, I'd strongly suggest choosing a profession you want to do, so that the effort isn't wasted if the door to Australia closes.

Whatever that family member could do during your student visa, they can do during the bridging visa. Nothing more.

It’s safe to say the cost of living is much the same in both countries, except for the cost of housing which is much more expensive in Australia than in Scotland. So do your research on rental and purchase prices for homes and that will give you an idea. Realestate.com.au

I’d say the question is designed to check whether he’s truly dependent. If you answer that he’ll stay behind and get a flat of his own, for instance, that would suggest he can manage fine on his own

Yes, it is now or never. Once you get to 45, it's too late to get a skilled visa - and bear in mind, a visa application can take many months to process. I'd say you need to engage a good migration agent to work out your best option. Yes, it's a cost, but you don't have much time so you can't afford to dither. There are several good agents on these forums.

If your skill is only on the short term list, then AFAIK, that means employers are only allowed to sponsor you for a short contract (2 to 4 years), then you are not allowed to stay and apply for a permanent visa. You have to go home, no other option. On the plus side, if you can get an employer to sponsor you for a TSS visa, you can reasonably expect them to pay your relocation costs to Australia and back, so it needn't be an expensive adventure. You can let out your British home and rent while you're in Australia.

Basically what Paul is saying is, if you're over 45, you can come over to Australia to work for a few years and treat it as an adventure. However, it's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to migrate to Australia permanently.

Report her to the authorities and leave. Or is the problem that you are using her to apply for a partner visa?

It’s a gamble. If you’re married with kids and have provided good evidence, it’s not that much of a gamble, but getting a visa is never a certainty

If you have no credit rating, you may have to pay six months’ rent in advance

Since you’ve only got a one year RRV, you haven’t got much choice. You need to move back to Australia within that year, or risk losing your right to move to Australia forever. If your husband’s visa doesn’t come through before you have to move, he can always get a tourist visa so he can spend some of the waiting time with you. Don’t panic too much about those global processing times, applications made in the UK are quicker than anywhere else