Marisawright

Transport links will be your problem anywhere you live in Australia, unless you're in a capital city. Public transport between towns is poor, and sometimes non-existent. Even where it does exist, buses are often infrequent. For instance I used to live in Warracknabeal (Victoria). It's about 40 minutes drive from Horsham (the main regional centre) but there is no local bus between the two. When we first arrived (my oh got a job in the local school) we had to be met by one of the staff in Ballarat - two hours away - and driven to Warracknabeal. The next day we had to get someone to drive us back to Horsham so we could buy a car, as there was no other way to get around. That won't be the case in Port, of course, but it gives you an idea how difficult it can be to get around in the country. You will need to drive!

Once you are legally resident in Australia, then you are liable for tax on your income from ALL sources worldwide, like any other Australian resident. You get the same allowances etc as any other Australian resident. As for Canadian tax, that depends on Canada. Once you've left Canada you are no longer legally a resident, and in most countries that means you'll be taxed differently to a resident. In some countries non-residents are taxed more harshly, in others less harshly. This article may help. https://turbotax.intuit.ca/tax-resources/tax-compliance/5-tax-tips-for-nonresidents-of-canada.jsp Finally, Australia and Canada have a double tax agreement. That means you won't be taxed twice on the same income. When you submit your Australian tax return you would declare your Canadian income, and then also declare the Canadian tax you paid on it, and the Australian tax man would take that into account.

They won't give you your pension forecast over the phone and you may have to submit the official form to request one.

The 10 years is the minimum to get any kind of pension at all. You're currently 1 year's contributions short of getting the full pension. What you need to do is - Ask for a PENSION FORECAST, and then they'll tell you exactly how much you'll get. - Calculate the difference between that and the full pension. - Look at how much it would cost you to back-pay a year's contribution. - Calculate how long it will take for the extra pension to pay back that extra contribution.

I think clotted cream is a real acquired taste. We often have Devonshire teas on our outings in Dorset and the New Forest, but I'm getting to the stage where I ask for a pat of butter instead of the cream! I usually nick some of my oh's cream just to see what it's like, but it's nearly always far too dense, almost like soft butter, and has no taste to speak of.

But that's like saying nobody had cancer in the 1600's - of course they did, they just couldn't put a name to it. It's a whole separate debate whether identifying an illness makes it easier to treat and is therefore a good thing, or makes it easier for people to exaggerate their condition and is therefore a bad thing.

That's interesting, because having just spent six months in the UK, I think there's a lot more sugar and fat in the diet here! Not so much in individual foods, but in the type of foods people eat - I notice people eat a lot more biscuits and cakes, and are more likely to eat sausages, pies with thick pastry, fish with batter than lean meat and salad. I also put weight on when I moved to Australia, in spite of a healthier diet, but I know the reason - the portion sizes are much bigger in Australia. For instance, I'll buy two steaks or two pieces of fish in the supermarket here, labelled "2 serves" and the whole pack will 200g to 300g - buy the same thing in Australia and it's more likely to be 400g or even 500g. I remember when I first arrived feeling they were too big but got used to it far too quickly!

That makes sense on the surface, but a lot depends on your financial situation. In my case, I have enough assets that I won't be entitled to much Aussie pension for several years after retirement age. Whereas I will get my UK pension from the moment I reach that age. So even in those few years, I will get enough UK pension to make it worth paying the extra.

You can only claim your Australian years if you are living permanently in the UK.

Not sure what you mean - a WHV doesn't exempt you from anything, in fact Immigration takes a very dim view of people who try to use a WHV as a "back door" way of getting a visa (something your oh needs to remember if he gets questioned on arrival - if he admits he's trying to get work with a view to staying permanently, he'll be put back on the next plane!). If you mean that having the 6 months' regional work will exempt him from the financial requirement, I'm not sure about that for either state. The financial requirement for SA is less (about $35,000 for a family compared to $65,000 for the NT). I may be offline for a while as I'm off to my sister's place in a couple of hours. I do think it would be worth posting in the Migration section if you have any further questions about the in's and out's of the various visas in different states - there are far more knowledgeable people than me here, and they may have some inside knowledge they can share. There are agents here too who can help - don't worry, they will not hassle you for business or anything, they're not allowed to do that!

It used to be less than NT for a family

Yes, he needs to have held a job for 6 months in a regional area.

His skills are on the CSOL, which applies to the whole country. Then the states decide whether they want to offer state sponsorship. He can only get STATE sponsorship in the NT, SA or Tasmania. But the 186 visa is not tied to any state, at least as far as I can see - just to an employer. But to reiterate - I'm no expert!

Don't worry, like I said the whole thing is extremely confusing at the best of times. A lot of people would've given up by now, you're trying to emigrate via a fairly convoluted route with no guarantees so of course it's going to be tough. I do think you're entitled to ask him to summarise WHY he's recommending the NT as opposed to South Australia and Tasmania, both of which appear to offer 489/190 as a backup, very similar to the NT. I once had a very good accountant and he was great at answering my questions, but he had a bad habit of doing just that - answering my questions, but never putting it altogether in a nice, easy to understand table so I could get my head around it. Sometimes these knowledgeable people know too much and expect you to just "get" it!

If he gets a 186 it negates the need for funds anywhere, and a 186 is not tied to any state, he could get it anywhere he can find an employer who'd sponsor him. So I'd say he is basing it on the state that would have the best demand for his skills. Which takes us back to your original question! He may also be thinking that if the 186 fails, at least in the NT there is the chance to apply for a 489 or 190. But that applies in South Australia too I think.

Not your fault at all, it's all very bewildering isn't it? I'm not at all familiar with the 186 visa, but looking at the immi site, I can't see anything that says it's only available in certain states: http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/186- So presumably it's just that the agent feels his best chance of finding an employer would be in the NT.

At the very least, I'd be going back and asking him to explain again, HOW the pathway to PR would work if your OH goes to the Northern Territory, i.e. 1. Would he be able to qualify for a 489 or 190 straight from the WHV, or would he have to get a 457 (employer sponsored) visa for a few years first? If he had to get a 457, what entitlements would you be able to get as a family and what extra costs would you be up for? 2. If he could only get a 489, what areas of the NT would you be allowed to live in exactly (so you can look them up and see whether they'd be practical for your family to live there) Agents know it's complicated, having narrowed it down to the NT it's not unreasonable for you to ask him to summarise the situation for you, just to make sure you've got it all right.

I'm just worried about what you're setting yourself up for. He's going on a WHV - that's a year. Then if I'm wrong about South Australia (or if he can't get six months' work in regional SA), he will have to find an employer to sponsor him for a 457. A 457 is just a temp job - it will be a fixed term contract, and in some states that means you'll get no family benefits, you'll have to pay school fees and you'll only get limited medical benefits. On top of that, if his employer suddenly has a restructure (and government depts have cutbacks in Oz too, just like the UK!), if he loses his job then you have a limited time to leave the country or find another 457 sponsor. So you'd still be living with uncertainty and extra costs for a year or two, until the employer will sponsor him for PR. That seems like a lot to put a family through - especially if it will all be in a remote place, which is possible in the Northern Territory if your only avenue to PR is a Regional visa. The outback has a raw beauty but it is a tough life, desert and snakes and spiders!

It's true that if he can get a 457 visa, then his employer can sponsor him for PR in due course without needing to do skills assessment etc - BUT the occupation still has to be on the list and he still has to fulfil the state's criteria, as far as I know. I think it would be a good idea to post a question under "Migration Issues", asking what visa your oh could apply for and what states would sponsor him for a 190 visa IF he could get a job under a WHV. That way, it's more likely one of the MARA registered agents on these forums will give you expert advice.

Do you mean the first link I gave you or the second? The first link, the search is already done - just scroll down the page. The second link (South Australia) - click on the "Supplementary Skilled List" tab. Then scroll down to 41 - Health & Welfare Support Workers and click on it, it will open up and you'll see Youth Worker is listed, which means it's eligible if he can meet this criteria: http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/skilled-migrants/nomination-process/skilled-nomination-requirements/currently-working-in-south-australia I'm not an expert so I may be missing something, but that looks like it would be reasonably achievable. Even if he couldn't get approved based on work during the WHV, he could get employer sponsored and then apply for PR after 6 or 12 months. Bottom line, there is simply no point in him going to NSW, Queensland, Western Australia or the ACT because even if he could find employer sponsorship, there is NO pathway for that to lead to permanent residency on those states. Unless I'm reading it wrong, I think NT would be off the list too - because unless you're prepared to work in the outback for two years (which is very tough for a family), you can't get PR there either.

I just checked and Youth Worker is on the CSOL. Here is the breakdown of which states he could go for, not much choice by the looks: https://www.anzscosearch.com/411711 Perhaps South Australia would be a good option. Youth Worker isn't on the main list, but it is IF you've worked for 6 months in a regional area - which he could do on a WHV: http://www.migration.sa.gov.au/skilled-migrants/state-nominated-occupation-lists Seems to me SA has more populated areas so more places he could find work than either NT or Tasmania.

So, is his job on the list for sponsorship everywhere?

You're looking at someone unskilled struggling to get a job, and that would be the case anywhere. Your husband is skilled and therefore her situation isn't relevant. I assume you've checked on seek.com.au to see what vacancies are around (or on whatever sites specialise in your oh's area)? It's a good point that obviously, there will always be more work in the bigger city than in a small one. For instance, if an Australian asked you, where would you say there's more chance of finding work - Birmingham or Grimsby? Other Australian capital cities have well over 1 million population each, whereas Darwin has only 120,000 and Alice Springs only 25,000. There's obviously going to be more demand for employees in a big city - but in small places like Darwin or Alice, when there IS a vacancy for a skilled worker there's unlikely to be someone local available. The bigger question for you, surely, is where your oh can get sponsored? Does every state in Australia sponsor his occupation? If not, then he needs to do his WHV in a state that does sponsor, because it's more difficult (and expensive) to get work in one state when you're working in another.

I don't know a lot about Darwin but I do know the rentals are quite expensive. I used to own an investment property in Palmerston, which is just outside Darwin, and I do know that a lot of young families used to live there and commute to Darwin for work, because it's cheaper, there's a decent school and a major shopping centre.

Best of luck with it!