Marisawright

One dog is fine. You’ll have more of a challenge with two

The worry would be that they could leak in transit and ruin your other stuff (boxes can get a lot of rough treatment on the way - plastic bottles can crack and glass can smash). So I wouldn't take anything liquid that you don't absolutely, positively need. Therefore I'd forget the toiletries - I'm sure you can find perfectly good equivalents in Sydney. As for the Syrup - no idea if Starbucks in Sydney stocks it or not.

The way I read that section of the site, it's saying that if he's granted a "multiple entry" visa instead of a "single entry" one, each visit must be less than 3 months. But all he'd have to do is hop over to New Zealand or Asia for a few days, then come back. I do notice it says he has to meet the health requirement.

I'd suggest he needs to go into the office and check it out thoroughly - unless he's in a position where he can lose his benefits and not be too worried about it. Like I said, I know nothing about how it works in the UK, but I know Australians who've thought they could retire to Bali, only to find their disability benefits cut off after a certain period - and while they could "go through the process again", that meant going back to Australia for the extended period it would take to get it all re-approved. A very expensive exercise!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the OP has accepted he can't get a permanent visa. They're asking about a 12 month visa, which I assume is the 600 visa. The trouble is that once the 12 months is up, what will he do? He can't just apply for another 12 month visa. Anyway, I believe they sometimes ask for a medical clearance for visas over 6 months, so that could be a hurdle. He should also check whether his disability payments would be affected by leaving the UK for an extended period. I know that in Australia, if you leave the country for more than a few months, the benefits are stopped - I have no idea how it works in the UK.

I hadn’t read the posts but if they have embedded links then the posts are spam and should be reported

If they ask for a form, then you must complete it, because they will put your application on hold until they get it. If you've both received the request then that suggests you both have to complete it. The witness has to be a professional person (there's a list of who is eligible) who had known you for at least 12 months. They must not be related by marriage. Since your sister isn't actually married yet, I think you'd get away with that, but I assume he's in a profession that's on the list?

If your goal is to eventually stay permanently then make sure you check if you can transition without being an employee. Are you not eligible for a 189 or 190

The problem is that none of those people knew they had made an error until it was too late. If they'd known, they wouldn't have done it, would they?

I'd like to give this three "likes" and make it a sticky post...

To amplify my reply. If you come to Australia on a student visa, you will only be allowed to work 20 hours a week during the college terms. That's assuming you can find a part-time job that fits around your studies, which is not easy. Your wife will have the same restriction. Could you support your family on a part-time wage? You'll have to pay full international fees for your course - no grants or subsidies. In some states, you will have to pay for your children's education, even in a government school. At the end of all that, you may still not get a visa. The rules are changing all the time and occupations are being taken off the list constantly. You could do your two/three years' study then find the occupation has been removed, or the requirements have been changed or increased, and then you'll have to go home. In short, you could find yourself back where you started in the UK, with a qualification that may not be as well-recognized in the UK, and with all your savings gone. Would that be a good start in life for your family? You would be much, much wiser to do your studies in the UK, at a fraction of the cost, without uprooting your family or risking bankruptcy.

It doesn't surprise me. The official reason is to do with family violence, but I wonder if part of it is to discourage onshore applications? After all, the whole idea of immigration control is that you don't let people remain in Australia unless they have a valid visa. Yet we have thousands of people arriving on tourist visas and then applying for a permanent visa, and then they're allowed to stay for months if not years on a bridging visa. It's perfectly legal, but it is, basically, a way to jump the queue. Given the current government's attitude to immigration, I can see why they want to discourage it.

What I meant was, why not bring your savings to Australia? Bear in mind that the longer you leave them in the UK, the more of a tax headache you're creating for yourself when you finally transfer the funds, because you'll be liable for foreign exchange gains which will be a pain to calculate. The UK may have tax breaks, but is that really making a difference to you now, since you have to declare your UK earnings on your Australian tax return anyway?

Aha, but I also see people who are too optimistic. When you apply for a visa, even if you have paid your fees, there is always a possibility you will not be successful. We don't know what the percentage is, but even if it is only 5% of visa applications, that is still something people need to be aware of. To assume they've paid their fees and so they'll get the visa is just not true.

If your relationship is solid then there’s very little doubt you’ll get the 100 so I wonder if you’re being too cautious

You understand wrong. Studying in Australia is not a practical path to migration especially with a family and at your age.

Where did you read that the visa authorities will give you time to get a medical issue sorted? The reason there is a waiting time after you pay your fees is that they have to review your case and make a final decision whether to approve your visa. If it was guaranteed or automatic, it could be granted immediately

Unfortunately, residency rules are independent of each other. It’s perfectly possible to be classed as a non-resident of the UK and a nonresident of Australia at the same time. What visa are you on?

Maybe I am not understanding your question. When you apply for a job, maybe they will give you the job, or maybe they will not give you the job. When you apply for a visa, it is the same thing.

If you have been living in the UK up till now, you'll be covered by Medicare (the equivalent of the NHS) from the moment you arrive. There is a reciprocal agreement. Medicare is slightly different from the NHS because for most doctors and specialists, the Medicare benefit does not cover the full cost. You'll have to pay the difference. Private health insurance doesn't cover the difference so it's just something you have to budget for. If you can find a doctor or service that "bulk bills", then you don't have to pay the difference. Note that ambulance, dental and optical are not covered by Medicare. You can take out "Extras" private insurance to help cover those costs. Unlike the UK, it is far more common for Australians to have private health insurance so they can access the private hospital system. The government encourages that with tax breaks and tax penalties, which you should look into. However I am pretty sure you have six months (twelve months?) to decide what to do about that before any tax implications apply.

No, and no one has ever suggested it is. The point is that you did have a legal document of some kind proving that your name has changed.

Once they are qualified and have some experience under their belt, they may well qualify for a skilled visa. It depends whether their skills are still on the list by the time they're ready to apply - and of course, whether they want to by then. They may be too settled in their adult lives in the UK by that time.

Have you just applied? If so, then yes, it is possible that they will reject your application.

A 489 visa is temporary, but as it's state-sponsored and has a pathway to permanency, employers aren't worried about it. AFAIK you don't pay for schooling on a 489 visa in SA.

Having been part of many forums in the past, the fact is that new members will always struggle to find what they're looking for, no matter how good the navigation is. Often, it's because they don't know the right question to ask, so when they type their query into the search function, they don't find anything useful. Even if there was a sticky post somewhere with the RRV rules, a lot of newbies wouldn't find it. Also, remember that questions are what keep a forum alive. If people could find all the answers they want without posting questions, it wouldn't be a forum any longer. The level of activity would drop, it would lose its place in Google rankings, and the forum would eventually die. So it's worth being a bit patient with newbies in the interests of keeping it alive.