Marisawright

It is possible. These days you can be up to 30 years old on a WHV, (and it's just gone up to 35) so you may have a qualification and several years' experience behind you. People always think of people on WHV's working in casual bar and café jobs, but a lot of them do temp work in offices and retail, doing the same job they did in the UK. If they're any good, then there's a chance their employer will offer to sponsor them for a 457 (now TSS) and after that, they may apply for PR. However, none of that will work if their occupation isn't on the lists, and that's the bit that people miss. Too many people think, "I don't qualify for a PR visa, but I've heard that people can go on a WHV and parlay that into a permanent visa, so I'll try that". It's not the case. The people who achieve that transition are usually people who could've stayed in the UK and still qualiified for PR - doing the WHV just gave them a chance to move to Australia a bit earlier. I remember having a receptionist working for me once. She was very good, and my boss (who was based in Singapore) was very impressed. She asked him if the company would sponsor her and he said yes, for sure - and then passed it on to me to arrange. Of course, I had to tell her there was absolutely no chance because she had no qualifications and her job wasn't on the list. To this day, I think she's still convinced that she could have been sponsored, and that I deliberately scuppered her chances for some reason. She based that view on the fact that "lots of people" at the backpacker hostel had managed to get sponsorship before, though strangely she'd never met any of them or knew any of their names or what kind of sponsorship they got.

I thought the investor retirement visas were closed to new applicants? Also it's quite likely the temporary 5 year visa for parents will have the same "balance of famliy" test as the other parent visas, so that's not likely to help either.

Yes, when he goes back to the UK, he will get the increases to his pension. How old is he? If they're already getting the Australian aged pension, then yes, they can take that with them, but the amount will be less. To get the full pension overseas, you need to have lived in Australia for 35 years. At 30, they'll 30/35ths. They won't get any supplements. If they're not old enough to get the Australian pension yet, then they won't be able to claim it if they leave the country. One thing I'd suggest looking into is their eligibility for support services. I don't know enough about it, but I believe there are residency requirements before you can get some social services, aged care etc, which they might need if his wife is unwell.

The thing is, people who prefer a quiet life don't understand what you're talking about. Where you see buzz, they see crowds and stress! I talk about my niece (and me) not liking Perth because it's too quiet, and instantly I'm inundated with people telling me there's "lots to do". But when they say that, they're missing the point. It's not just about having things to do, it's about atmosphere. There are some cities which just feel exciting to be in, and others which feel like you're under a blanket. People who like a quiet life probably love the secure feeling of being under the blanket, whereas those of us who like the "buzz" just feel suffocated.

It's such a personal thing. I have a couple of friends who moved from Sydney to Perth and love it. On the other hand, my niece, who loved living in Sydney, tried settling in Perth and hated it.

We had the same problem when we tried to hire a car in the UK. They wouldn't accept our UK debit card or our prepaid Travelcard. We did have our Australian credit card but we didn't want to use it, considering we had British currency on the other cards. The issue is that they won't take a card which limits how much they can claim, in case you nick or write off the car and they want to charge you thousands of dollars. So prepaid won't work either. I found this article: https://www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au/rental-information/payment-methods/debit-card/

Why do you say that? There are three reasons to study in Australia: 1. To gain a qualification not available in one's own country - I'm discounting this for Brits or Europeans because I don't think it would ever apply. 2. To take the opportunity to experience a different country while achieving a qualification. 3. To use it as an avenue to stay in Australia. Those who take option (2) must be rich, because it's such an expensive choice. The rich can afford it as an indulgence. The average person would too sensible to pay big money to get a foreign qualification, when they can get the same qualification at home for significantly less cost (as Jim911 points out). So that leaves those who take option 3. And as even Jim911 points out, the chances of that succeeding are slim, so they must, by definition, be either dreaming or desperate.

This. We often see people saying, "I know someone who arrived on a temporary/WHV/whatever visa and managed to stay" - but if it was more than a few years ago, the experience isn't relevant, because things are a lot more difficult now than they were years ago.

From my observations, most of the people on these forums have arrived on skilled, employer-sponsored or parent visas, so I don't think you're going to find much help. However, I second what VeryStormy says. I'd say people applying for a business visa need an agent more than any other. From my limited experience, they're more complex than they look and have all kinds of pitfalls, which are not obvious. A good agent will be able to answer all your questions and steer you through the process, increasing your chances of success.

Thank you for your kind words. I just love being called a bitter toad. I am not looking down my nose at anyone. Reading your post, you yourself say "I personally know people who have successfully gained PR through completing two years of study, due to a combination of the graduate scheme and managing to successfully be "in the right place, with the right trade, at the right time". BUT it is expensive, there are simply no guarantees, and I would not even attempt it with a family to support or no fall backs. Even in an ideal scenario, I'd prepare to go in with the mindset that there will be no outcome beyond qualification, enjoy the course and continue to work along side your studies." You even say it is "extremely likely" that you will not bother, even with the advantages you have, and that it's "probably not" worth it. Trying to use a student visa to achieve PR is bloody hard and usually ends in tears. That's what I said. That's what you said, too. What's your problem?

Bear in mind that you don't have any certainty AT ALL until your visa is actually granted. Your visa can still be refused, even after you're assigned a case worker and after your form 80 is accepted. The government might come out and change the rules two days before your visa is approved and that would be the end of it. It has happened in the past with other types of visas - the rules change and suddenly, hundreds of people, who've been waiting patiently in the queue for years, have their applications cancelled and that's that. So don't count your chickens.

...but equally there are people who went back, love it, and regret having delayed their return for so long.

If your occupation isn't on the skilled list, then there is no way for you to get a visa by yourself. There are employer-sponsored visas, but the employer has to do most of the work of applying. It's complicated and they will need to hire an agent to manage it all, and they have to bear the cost. However, they are only temporary visas which will let you live in Australia for two to four years, then you have to go home again - would that be worth the effort? I'm afraid the harsh fact is that the majority of Brits have no chance of moving to Australia. Australia isn't a new country, desperate for people, any more. The unemployment rate here is about the same as the UK. Because of that, Australia doesn't want to import people who will compete with locals for jobs. So they will only accept people with skills that are in short supply - and they're very strict about it.

Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. You can look at all the logical reasons why Australia is "better" but at the end of the day, logic is not what matters. It's where you feel at home that matters. There's several threads on these forums by people who came to Australia, didn't like it, and are absolutely thrilled to be back in the UK again, grey clouds or not. People may leave the UK in droves but about half of them do end up going home, though you may find that hard to believe now! Personally, I prefer Australia, but I do know that it's very much a matter of personal preference. It's not a black-and-white case of one country being better than the other.

Most reputable agents will give you a free initial consultation, so that may be the easiest approach. Try GoMatilda or Pinoyau.com. The problem you're facing is that most countries do not want migrants our age, so they make it very difficult. The reason is that, though you're fit and healthy now, statistically the great majority of people in their seventies and eighties need regular medication, and it increases as time goes on. There's also an increasing need for intervention, hospitalisation and ultimately, end-of-life care. During their working life, all Australians pay tax and Medicare levies to pay for those services in their old age. When you move to Australia on a permanent visa, you immediately become eligible for all of those services, without having paid a cent. That's why there's such a huge fee for the Parent Visa - to go some way towards paying for what you'll cost the taxpayer in your later years. As an Australian taxpayer myself, I think that's only fair! The problem for you is that even if you could pay the high fees, you don't meet the "balance of famliy" test, which is one of the essential criteria for a Parent Visa. Most of your children are still in the UK. I am flummoxed as to what other kind of visa you could apply for, other than visiting regularly on tourist visas.

Who has told you differently? I’m afraid they’re wrong. You are well past the age to get a skilled visa of any kind regardless of your qualifications

As you'll be on a bridging visa, you won't be able to get any of the normal health insurance available to ordinary Australians. You'll have to get "overseas visitor" insurance.

If you don't see yourself spending the rest of your life in Australia, go back right now. Don't let pride hold you back. I say go now, because if you leave it too long, you may stuff up your entitlement to the British aged pension. Meanwhile, if you leave Australia before retirement age (whatever that will be by that time - 67? 68?) then you won't be able to claim the Australian govt pension at all, not even pro rata. If you've got a healthy private pension you may not care about that, but it's important to be aware of it.

If they have a "no further stay" condition, then they must go home at the end of their visa. They can then apply for another visa from their home country.

Sydney is very, very expensive. Everywhere else in Australia is much, much cheaper. Even in Melbourne you would pay less rent. and in other cities you would pay much less. If you can find a job in another city, it will be much easier for you.

What is your goal in life? If your goal is to move permanently to Australia, then I suggest you stop and reconsider your plans, because you're aiming at the wrong profession. You probably know that to be eligible for a permanent visa, you need to score a certain number of points. Right now it's 65 points. However, it's not a "first in, first served" system - it's a competition. They invite the people with the most points first. Right now, if you were an accountant applying with 65 points, you would never ever get invited - there are so many other accountants with 75 or 80 points constantly being added to the queue, and they will always leapfrog over you. That's the situation now, and it's getting worse, because there are thousands of Malaysian Chinese and Indian accountants flooding the queue. It's so bad that (as VeryStormy says), the government has flagged accountancy for removal from the occupation list altogether. Of course, you can come to Australia on a student visa, and then (if you've done two years full-time study in an eligible degree course) you can get a post-study visa for another 18 months. But at the end of that time, where will you be? If, at that point, accountancy has been removed from the lists, you will have to go home. There will be no other option open to you, except perhaps an employer-sponsored contract - which will be for only 2 or 4 years, and then you'll be in the same boat again. Having studied in Australia gives you no advantage.

Definitely not. Don't listen to people who say that claiming benefits will affect your citizenship. They are wrong! If you are a permanent resident and you are genuinely entitled to the benefits, then there will be no problems at all

Having worked in both public service and big corporations, I don't see much difference in the behaviour or work ethic of the actual workers on the front line. If anything, public servants are more committed to their jobs than private ones, because they feel they're doing something that has a value to the community. The problem is the cutbacks: no matter how well-intentioned the staff, they can't perform miracles if there aren't enough bums on seats.

If you’ve spent most of your life in the UK then you’ll be entitled to the British pension, which you can claim even if resident in Australia

Citizenship is irrelevant unfortunately, it’s residency that counts.