Marisawright

I assume you mean dollars not pounds? That's a tight budget if you want to be near the coast anywhere in Sydney. To give you an idea, we had a 2-bedroom townhouse in Oatley, which is half an hour's drive from the beach and 45 minutes commute to the city on the train. No garden. It is now worth $1.2 million. The reason Newcastle comes up most often is that it's the next biggest city after Sydney, and its economy is doing well. So if you can't afford Sydney (which many can't these days), Newcastle is the next biggest job market, with comparable pay rates to Sydney but much cheaper housing.. I'm out of date with the place now, but here's a good article: https://www.hunterhunter.com.au/newcastle/house-perv-newcastle-most-popular-suburbs Wollongong is half the size of Newcastle and the economy isn't as healthy. There isn't much work on the Central Coast. People do commute to Sydney but it's a long haul and not something I'd want to do every day. If you can work from home a few days a week, it makes it more bearable. If you're asking about towns near the coast within commutable distance to Sydney, there aren't any really. It's not like London where you can get a fast train from outlying towns and villages. If you're on the outer edge of Sydney in any direction, you're already more than an hour's commute from the city. There are a few towns between Sydney and Wollongong but the coast there is highly desirable and the property is very expensive.

To be included on your visa, they must be dependent on you. If they’re earning, even on minimum wage, they are not dependent enough. They could both get working holiday visas for a year or two but that won’t help them get a permanent visa. I have to say it doesn’t sound hopeful at all. Get a consultation with a good agent - if there’s any way at all, they’ll be able to tell you

I forget, what’s your budget for housing

If you lived in a home in Australia, then your UK house clearly wasn’t your only home.

Ask the accountant, but you generally need to reside in the UK for more than half the tax year to be considered residents.

I was only echoing what an agent said. There are no rumours about the 489 but the fact remains it is provisional not permanent. There are no guarantees. The option to transition is very unlikely to disappear but what if the requirements change? With the current anti immigration feeling in the government, I wouldn’t bank on anything

I had colleagues at work who got promoted to the Sydney office and refused to move their families down from Newcastle because they felt it was a much better place to bring up children. That has always stuck with me.

Be aware that Sydney house prices have increased massively since you left. If you left for financial reasons last time, I'd be concerned about surviving this time. We sold up around the same time as you, did some travelling and then spent some time in the UK. When we decided to return to Australia, we discovered that it was simply impossible to go back to Sydney. The little townhouse we'd sold for $600,000 in 2012 would now cost over a million. To rent a nice flat in our old area would cost around $750 a week. We are now in Melbourne, where I'd say house prices are about the same as 2012 Sydney prices. Depending what jobs you do, if you want to be close to your family in Sydney, then I'd suggest looking at Newcastle - still close enough for a day trip to Sydney on the weekend, housing is much more affordable, great beaches and it's nothing like the old working-class town it used to be.

You've already had advice from a migration agent here, who advised you to try to get the RRV. I'd listen to the expert.

I don't believe the lump sum would be taxed but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come along. You'll get nothing from Centrellink if you have money in the bank.

I'm afraid you'll have to get used to us. We see so many people on these forums, coming to Australia to "live their dream", going on about how wonderful Australia is, how much more laidback (ha!), how great the weather is, etc. They uproot their whole family at great expense, then a year later they're back on here again, complaining about the long working hours or the long commute, the stressful corporate culture, the sweltering summer heat, etc etc. That's why we tend to focus on the negatives of Australia, because the average migrant is so starry-eyed, they're closing their eyes to any possible downsides. We know they're going to ignore most of what we say, but perhaps some of it might sink in enough for them to be slightly prepared when they get here. Like I said, the reality is that there are pros and cons to both countries. We have people on these forums living happy lives in both countries. It comes down to personal preference, not which country is better.

Unfortunately, just because an agent is registered with MARA, that doesn't automatically mean they are reputable. Since you've paid the agent, you're entitled to go back and ask him the question, and expect a detailed reply. To be fair, the points required does fluctuate so perhaps it was realistic to expect an invite when you first applied. Is there a reason you have to go to NSW?

This sounds like bad news: https://www.seek.com.au/career-guide/role/welder It looks like you need a Certificate AND to do an apprenticeship before you can work as a welder in Australia. That sounds similar to an electrician. If it is, then I know electricians basically have to do their apprenticeship again when they get to Australia, working as an assistant to a qualified electrician for a year. It's something that catches a lot of people out - they arrive in Australia thinking, I've done my skills assessment so I'm right to go - and then they find they have to work on minimum wage for a whole year before they can set up in business.

.....but if you are not resident in the UK at the time you free it up, it's not taxable until you become a UK resident. So any intrerest/gains/losses before that date would be irrelevant. I think. Though that doesn't apply to the OP because he's going to be resident in the UK long before taking the lump sum. One thing that came to light in the Royal Commission was that Australian banks have been very slack about reporting lump sums transferred overseas, which means people were able to transfer large amounts of money without triggering the attention of the ATO or foreign governments.

Why do you expect someone to help you for nothing? How could they manage to pay their staff if customers never pay anything? If you want a good service, be prepared to pay for it.

https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/criminal_history_check/criminal_history/faqs

If you sold a property or cashed out investments and then paid them into an Australian bank account before you left, then it's just "savings" and the Inland Revenue doesn't care what it was before that. If you then leave the money in an Australian bank account for a while after you leave,, then the UK government will tax you on any foreign currency gains you make. I looked into the lump sum when we were planning to return to the UK and I can't remember the details now. However I do remember the amount of tax was major.

Justice Connect is a legal firm which offers free advice That's for America. I believe the rules for non-profits vary a bit from state to state. Justice Connect is a legal firm which provides free advice and support to not-for-profit entities. It has a good reputation.

Interesting question. I'm not even sure if you would be allowed to? Best thing is to ring the company and ask them. However, lump sum transfer at age 60 would be a bad idea as you'd pay a painful amount in tax (the payout is tax-free in Australia but the Inland Revenue will take a big chunk). For that reason, I'd say start a new fund in the UK and then take your Aussie super as a small pension.

You’d be risking them saying no because obviously you weren’t serous

Lots of people get skilled work on a WHV. It’s not hard. The image is of people working in bars etc, but that’s only because most of them want to work a few weeks here and there and have freedom to travel. I’ve known several people who did their normal job

I remember seeing one who had applied but don’t recall if it was granted

It depends what you are looking for. Personally, I would pick Port Macquarie without a doubt. Because it's further south and right on the coast, it has a better climate than Lismore. In Port Macquarie, you will be able to live close to beautiful beaches, whereas Lismore is inland, a long drive to the nearest beach.

Are you aware that the British pension will be frozen the day they leave the UK, and they will not receive any further increases? There is no reciprocal agreement for pensions or social security between Australia and the UK. The old one expired in 2001. There is a reciprocal agreement for Medicare only. I suggest they contact the appropriate service in the UK to find out whether they will pay the allowance abroad. As there's no agreement, it has nothing to do with the Australian government. From my Googling, it looks as though it would stop after 26 weeks, but that may not be correct. The waiting period for a contributory parents' visa is around five years, by the way.

If you read my post again, I didn't say I was unhappy in Australia. Having lived in the UK for a year a few years ago, I can see there are pros and cons to both countries. Like I said, both have poverty, crime and drug problems. Which country you prefer is very much a matter of personal preference. For example, personally I prefer Australia to the UK. However, I wouldn't live in Perth if you paid me. Whereas one of my friends moved there from Sydney and would never move back. By the same token, we have many members here who came to Australia, lived for several years, and now prefer the UK. Provided you don't come to Australia with an unrealistic dream, as so many regrettably do, you'll be fine.