Marisawright

Itemised phone bills? Copy emails and text messages?

The most important thing to look at is pensions. You have spent your whole working life in Australia, which means you will not be eligible for the British govt. pension. If you leave Australia before you are eligible for the Australian pension, you won't get that either. It's a weird situation, because if you moved to almost any other European country, you would be able to claim your Australian pension while living there. But if you live in the UK, you can't. As you know, the Australian pension is means-tested - so if you've got lots of superannuation and think you may never qualify for the Australian aged pension, then it won't worry you. However if you're worried about your super not lasting as long as you do, then consider - if your super runs out, you'll have no other income. If that happens, you will be able to come back to Australia and then you can get the pension, but would you want that upheaval in your eighties? If you need the Australian pension, then you'll have to stay in Australia until you are able to claim the Australian pension. Once you've done that, you can leave Australia and it will continue to be paid. Note that you can't move to the UK, pop back to claim the pension, then leave again. There's a two-year residency requirement.

What kind of private school are you thinking of? There are religious private schools - which generally have lower fees - and there are elite private schools. Here's an article about fees https://www.smh.com.au/education/sydney-private-school-fees-soar-past-37000-20180125-h0o2w6.html

The best idea, for someone whose case is not straightforward, is to consult an agent. Some will give the initial consultation free of charge.

Everyone makes their own choice. There are two reasons it's worth considering. One is cost. Most of us accumulate our household goods gradually and never add up how much they cost. It's scary how much you spend when you have to outfit an entire home from scratch. The other is time. You're going to have to find the shops you like, for a start. Forget about buying just the right sofa or picking the right dining table - you'll have to settle for what's in stock. Many stores sell big furniture to order so you'll have a six week wait - you might as well have shipped yours. You'll have several trolley loads of towels, cutlery, crockery, bedlinen, pots, pans, small appliances...it's a lot to grapple with while you're trying to cope with new jobs and getting kids into new schools. I strongly suggest that before you make your own decision, you do a pretend shop in Australia, to see how much it will cost you to replace all your household goods. Where you decide to shop depends on your tastes and preferences. Harveynorman.com.au is a popular choice for furniture in Australia. if you're more on the budget end, you can buy cheap stuff at Amartfurniture.com.au or Fantasticfurniture.com.au, but bear in mind the quality is sometimes dodgy. If you're an IKEA fan then you could use ikea.com.au. For white goods, there's Thegoodguys.com.au. Don't forget pots, pans, sheets, towels, cutlery, crockery - Myer.com.au or Kmart.com.au. Bear in mind the average person will spend a month in a holiday place when they arrive, so there's the first month gone already. Most people would ship their goods a month or so before they leave, and either "camp" in their own home with a few basics (perhaps borrowed from family) or go and stay with the folks. That means you won't have to survive very long without all your stuff. It can make sense to leave beds behind, then you can buy new when you arrive and at least have something to sleep on. Chances are you'll buy a better outdoor setting for your new Australian home, so you can use that as your dining table and seating until your own stuff arrives. There are ways to manage. Having said all that, if all your current furniture is completely knackered and you'll be glad to see the back of it, that's obviously a different story.

The confusion arises because Brits get reciprocal cover even in a tourist visa. People from many other countries don’t

You can’t call it an approach, because that suggests you make a choice to react that way. Whereas for both of you, it’s the way you are made.

For homebody types, that can sometimes make them feel worse

Well, I guess you could fix the snow problem by moving to the South of England rather than further north.

The way I read that, they’re not refusing genuine spouse applicants. They’re just taking more time so they weed out the shonky ones - which blows out the waiting time for everyone else, unfortunately

In that case, follow the instructions on the website.

Your story illustrates why, when people arrive on these forums asking about 457 (and now TSS) visas, we're at such pains to point out they are TEMPORARY visas to fill TEMPORARY vacancies, and anyone arriving on such a visa should accept they'll be going home at the end of it. I wish more people would believe us before embarking on their journey, but the myth still persists that transitioning to PR is easy or even guaranteed. Whereas as you've discovered, it's an extremely stressful and uncertain method of migrating to Australia, and getting more uncertain all the time. I'm sure you know it's nothing to do with whether you, personally, are what Australia or any country needs. It's about quotas and politics. Fingers crossed for you.

Unfortunately, I'm told NSW no longer issues release letters.

I can't imagine why you would go for sponsorship - which will give you only a temporary visa, with no guarantee of extension - when you have the opportunity to apply for a partner visa. If you apply for the partner visa, you will go onto a bridging visa which allows you to work, so that's no problem. Very few employers have the resources to apply for sponsorship. That's why most employers engage an agent to handle the process for them. The employee is not allowed to do the work on their behalf.

What happens when you contact him to ask for a report?

That’s what I said. The OP was asking if people sold property via the newspaper

But do they advertise in the newspapers or is it online? Or just a board at the front of the house?

It sounds as though you might have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). That's an awful thing to suffer too, so it sounds like whichever country you choose, one of you will be miserable. It's so frustrating because (despite what Parley says) you can't fight something that's innate in you.

You don't really need to follow the agents. They all advertise everything on those two websites. If you do a search for the suburbs you are interested in, you can Save that search, then you will be sent an alert at regular intervals, telling you when new properties are listed by any of them.

Pet bonds aren't set down in law, so the agent can charge what he likes. The money will be held by the agent. Rent is always paid in advance, so when you first take on the property, you'll pay the four weeks bond plus four weeks rent. No, agents don't charge fees to verify your references. If you haven't rented for a long time, then get some general character references.

So do you think that if you went back, you'd feel in the UK exactly like he feels now in Australia? Or do you just feel you are financially and socially better off, so you prefer it in Oz? If it's the first one, then it's an awful situation to be in. If it's just the second one, then it does sound like you're being a bit callous - "I like it here, so you can just go on suffering a mental illness".

No, not really. People selling without an agent is rare in Australia, and if people do want to DIY, they are more likely to do it online than in a newspaper. Advertising property in print is dying out in Australia. Many real estate agents don't even bother to advertise a property in a newspaper or magazine any more, it's just online (either on domain.com.au or realestate.com.au).

One thing I've learned is that there are two kinds of people - the nomads and the homebodies. Homebodies have a VERY strong connection to their homeland. It's something a nomad can't understand, because they don't feel that deep connection. Nomads look at the two countries and think, this one is so much better, how can they possibly feel homesick? But homebodies do, because it has NOTHING to do with how good or bad a place is, or how much money they make, or how many friends they have. It's all about a sense of belonging and it's innate. Homebodies should never, ever migrate and in fact, they never would, except that they marry a nomad who wants to. In a foreign country, homebodies feel alien, homeless, empty, disconnected, insecure. Unfortunately homebodies cannot change the way they feel. They can never adapt to their new country no matter how many advantages it offers, because it's not home. The longer they are away, the worse they will get. There are only two solutions. Either they go home, or they decide to grit their teeth and be miserable for the rest of their life, to keep their partner happy. It's the main reason why, whenever we see someone posting to say, "How can I convince my relucant partner to migrate to Australia?", we say, "Don't!" If one partner has to be nagged into going, it's bound to end in disaster eventually. So please don't dismiss how your partner feels. It may be illogical, but it's very real.

This might be the study you're thinking of. Yes, it is mainly feral cats that are the culprit - but pet cats still kill an estimated 61 million birds in Australia per year. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-04/cats-killing-one-million-birds-in-australia-every-day-estimates/9013960

If he's not out at night, that certainly reduces the risk. The most vulnerable wildlife is nocturnal. If you don't want to use a cage, there are roll bars you can get to stop him getting over the fence into neighbouring gardens. Some people get very upset about cats visiting their gardens and will catch them and take them to the pound. You should have no trouble moving to Australia as you'll be eligible for a partner visa. No need to meet any skill requirements, you just need to prove a genuine relationship. To that end, it's worth starting to collect evidence now so you're prepared when the time comes (and I'm sure you're not concerned, but FYI, once you get the permanent partner visa, you 're given a visa in your own right - so even if you split up, you are entitled to stay in Australia ).