Marisawright

If you meet the residency requirements, then you get the RRV automatically and it is very quick.

Both would be good for the beach lifestyle. Apart from that, it's going to depend what other factors are important to you. Personally, I would choose the Gold Coast. Not because it's better than Perth, but because of its location. If you move to the Gold Coast and don't like it, it's not going to cost you an arm and a leg to move up to the Sunshine Coast, or down to Coffs Harbour or Newcastle -- or any of the cities along the East Coast. The distances are long but there are plenty of removalists transporting goods up and down the coast, so prices are reasonable. Plus you'll be able to drive to check out alternative places to live. Whereas if you settle in Perth and don't like it, there aren't any other cities in Western Australia to move to. You'll have to move East. That means expensive 4-hour flights to research where you want to live. Then, shipping your belongings from Perth to the East Coast will cost as much as shipping them from the UK.

Not necessarily. Like I said, that 25 months figure applies to people who need extra security checks etc. Yours might get granted tomorrow, for all you know.

Yes, processing times do go up and down all the time. However, bear in mind that the waiting time includes everybody, including people from 'high risk" countries, who need extra security checks that can take ages. Where did you apply from? If you're in the UK then yours is likely to be processed faster. Is the wedding planned or are you waiting for the visa first?

Good point. If you take it as a lump sum, you can lose a massive chunk of it to the British taxman because it will push you into a higher tax bracket in the year you take the money. However, the purpose of super is to provide you with a pension in your old age. If you convert it to an "income stream"(pension) then you will still pay tax, but as you're not likely to be earning a huge amount in retirement, you won't be pushed into a higher tax bracket.

If you had PR, you don't have a choice. You can't get access until you reach preservation age

If they are still in a relationship, yes he goes on the form -- but then the question would be, why is he not migrating with her? If they are a couple, they must apply together. As I understand it, he will not be allowed to apply by himself later on.

Others have answered the buying question. As for renting -- it's illegal for real estate agents in NSW to "solicit a higher price from potential tenants". However, it's not illegal for you voluntarily offer a higher price, and that does happen. The most important thing to be aware of, is that the property may look nothing like the photos. Agents shamelessly photoshop the images they put on the real estate sites. They use fisheye lenses so the rooms look bigger, they change the lighting, they paint out flaws. Never ever offer to rent a place sight unseen. Always check the floorplan rather than judge the size of the flat by the photos. Check that all the rooms have windows (they're not above calling a cupboard a bedroom).

As Quoll says, start by booking a consultation with a good agent. It will cost money, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of actually making the move, and you can't afford to waste time, because once you reach 45, you won't be able to get a visa.

The trouble with recorded delivery is that it's drawing attention to the fact that the contents are valuable. I don't think you get any compensation if it goes missing. I think you can claim compensation if you send something Registered Post, but last time I looked, they specifically said it didn't cover money.

Actually, unless things have changed a lot, it used to be much faster applying from London than applying onshore. Last year, London applications were only taking 3 months. During Covid, they processed the onshore applicants faster because people were stranded. That's all over now.

Pity you didn't apply back in February. There may be a way around it, I suggest booking a consult with Andrew (above) as it's not the kind of thing agents will discuss for free.

Is there a reason why you can't apply for a partner visa now, and get it before you travel, so you won't have to worry about it?

Healthcare is a national thing so it's the same all over the country. Assuming you are currently resident in the UK, you will be covered by the reciprocal agreement between the UK and Australia, regardless of what the conditions of the visa say. Strictly speaking, the reciprocal agreement covers only essential care, but in practice you'll have the same cover as any permanent visa holder or citizen. Be aware, though, that Medicare isn't like the NHS. Visits to your GP are only subsidised, not free. Unfortunately, private health insurance covers medical treatment in a hospital setting, and nothing else -- so it won't help with things like GP visits. Whether health insurance ('hospital cover') is worth paying for is a matter of debate, and increasingly Australians are feeling that it's not worth it -- but it's a complex issue, so unless the visa requires it, I'd recommend you delay taking out hospital cover health insurance until you're here and have a chance to talk it over with colleagues and friends, so you get a wider picture. Private health insurers also offer a thing called "Extras" cover, and you can take Extras cover without the main policy. I'd recommend it, because dental treatment and spectacles are not covered by Medicare at all. You have to go private and they are expensive. Some Extras cover will also cover you for therapies not covered by Medicare, like physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy.

You had very good reasons to break the rules, but that's irrelevant -- you still broke the rules, that's just a fact. Having a consultation with Paul would be a good idea.

@MelB. as Matt is a new member, he won't be able to use the private messaging system yet. Better if you message him with your details

I don't see why not. You are teaching the subjects at school level.

This is the problem with deciding to apply for the 804 while onshore. For the duration of the bridging visa (which will be the rest of your life, since the waiting time is about 30 years), you will need permission (a BVB) every time you want to leave the country. You've broken the rules once -- and by several months, not just a few days -- so that may affect how Immigration views your future applications. So I wouldn't assume the BVA or the BVB will be approved quickly.

It's not easy to find companies willing to sponsor from overseas. All I can suggest is to look on Seek.com.au and apply for suitable jobs that come up. The bigger question is whether it's wise to come to Australia on a sponsorship, rather than on a skilled visa in your own right. The idea of getting a company to sponsor, so your husband will have a job from day 1, and you'll get some help with relocation costs -- but there are big snags. For one thing, most companies will want to sponsor for a 482 (temporary) visa, not a permanent one, because they're usually in a hurry. That means all you get is a 2 to 4 year stay in Australia, and your husband will be stuck with that employer even if he's got the boss from hell. Worse, if the company goes bust, so does your visa. Several times, we've seen situations where a family has come to Australia on a 482, then a few months later the company had difficulties and had to make workers redundant -- and you guessed it, the husband was one of them. There was a grace period for him to try to find another sponsor, but it's short and the family had to go home. Don't get me wrong -- for a single guy or a couple without kids, I think it's a risk that's absolutelyy worth taking. If nothing else, you get an adventure. But if you're going to uproot a family of 4, the move is far more expensive, you're disrupting your kids' education, and the employer is not going to cover your relocation costs 100% both ways. So you're risking a lot of stress, and you could end up back in the UK, having spent thirty grand with nothing to show for it.

Just bear in mind that this is exactly like applying for a job. It's competitive. With 85 points, you should stand a good chance of 'getting the job', but there is no guarantee you'll make the short list. So try to do what you'd do if it was a job application -- stop thinking about it and get on with life. You could also do some decluttering, so that if you do get an invite, you're ready to hit the ground running.

If you don't meet the residential requirements for a RRV then you're not entitled to one. You are allowed to apply for a new one, making a case for why you deserve one, but it's entirely at the discretion of the Immigration department whether they'll be generous. They will look first at how strong your ties are to Australia. If you can't prove strong ties, it won't matter how compelling your reasons for absence are, you're likely to be refused. So yes, it would be much safer to pull out the stops and get here before it expires.

Personally, I think you're mad. Read the responses the OP got -- nothing has changed since @EJMac asked the question. You're looking at half an hour (traffic permitting) to get to Frankston station, then 50-55 minutes on the train. It really depends how well you tolerate long commutes.

As you probably know, Australia has a Medicare system. Once you are living in Australia on a work or PR visa, you will receive medical care under that system. If you apply for PR, the government will look at your health and consider what you are likely to cost them in medical bills. If they think you may cost them too much, they will not give you PR even if you have all the necesssary qualifications.

The advice is usually, "Try for the RRV first". On paper, it might be a bit of a stretch, but we've seen a few people get RRVs recently where we didn't think they stood a chance. Worth a try.

No, it won't make any difference. Have you worked out which visa to apply for?