Marisawright

I suggest you get a quote for a shared container, to compare it with the cost of the Movecube. The Movecube used to be a no-brainer because it was cheaper than a shared container, but that's certainly not always the case now. If you're not sure what to bring and what to leave behind, try doing a 'pretend shop' at the websites of major Australian stores. Sites like TheGoodGuys for electrical, HarveyNorman for furniture (or IKEA if you like their stuff, but make sure there's going to be a branch where you are, as they aren't everywhere here). The thing that stunned me, when I moved countries, was how much it cost to replace pots and pans, crockery, cutlery, towels and linen -- all the small stuff. We tend to buy those things gradually and don't realise how many you need, and how much they cost, when you have to trek round the shops and buy them all at once. The dog is going to be the most expensive cost of the lot! Doing it yourself won't save much and isn't worth the hassle and potential disasters, look at Pet Air or similar. You'll save a ton of money by having family to stay with, so that's great. Buying a car is expensive, and Australians don't generally lease their car, because leases here are a dreadful rip-off. Also don't get sucked into a car loan from a car dealer, because they're a rip off too! Probably best to compromise on a second-hand car to start with.

It's not unusual for people to post a question here, and never come back. Sometimes it's because they've got their answer so they go away and take action -- I suspect that sometimes, they post the question, forget where the site was and don't even see the replies. It would be nice to know! Did you have a question yourself, @CaseyLawson?

Yes, I think that's exactly what it is. After all, we're the ones who chose to go off and leave them behind, so (whether it's conscious or not) they feel it's up to us to do the keeping in touch, not them. When we left, we left a hole in their lives, but they've filled that hole up long ago -- they've had to.

That's interesting, they must have tightened up recently. No one asked us that question in 2015.

I think the point is that when you first arrive in the UK to settle, no one cares if you are a citizen or not. I know from experience that real estate agents do not care if you're a citizen or not, for instance -- they only want to know you have a job or have some other way to pay the rent. Banks don't care -- they want some form of ID but they won't fully open an account for you, until you show proof of an address in the UK.

Sounds like rearranging the deckchairs to me.

No, there isn't. Australia isn't desperate for migrants any more, in fact there are far more applicants than there are places for most occupations, so the government doesn't feel the need to offer incentives. If an employer is willing to sponsor you, they will probably offer you something towards your relocation expenses, but these days even that isn't likely to cover everything.

That's what I suspected. I recall someone else had the same problem with another shipper because they didn't dock in Sydney, so their shipment had to come by road from Melbourne.

Surely you're not eligible to apply for a 309/100?

It won't really matter from a tax point of view. Once you're resident in the UK, you'll be liable to pay UK tax on the interest whether it's sitting in your Australian bank account or in your UK one.

I tried that when I got locked out with the card reader. I can't remember why it didn't work but I recall that it didn't work either.

The good news is that house prices in Brisbane are substantially lower than Sydney (for an equivalent property), so it may not be as hard as you think. However the bad news is that Brisbane doesn't have beaches near the city like Sydney, so you're either up for a long commute or accept that you've got to drive to the beach on the weekends.

Why not ask them that question. I'm guessing "Movecube transfer" is the transfer from the port city to their depot in your city.

Sorry yes, I do mean NI contributions.

Me neither. That's why I moved to Melbourne, rather than move to Sydney's outer burbs.