Simonrbh

Hi Marisawright, How do I find out more information about what the implications are of Super and Aussie State Pension if I return to the UK? Regards, S.

This post is so pertinent, I never realised there were so many of us who felt like we do! My heart goes out to all of you that feel so disconnected and long to be back home. I can relate to it personally, as I am exactly the same. After 7 years I know QLD and Australia will never be where I want to spend the rest of my life, but my Australian partner is home and will never leave. I too, like many, feel the years have been wasted and wish I'd never made the move. Like so many of you, I too will be hit financially when I finally make the move to family, real friends, proper fish 'n' chips & mushy peas and real malt vinegar, great real ales in great real pubs! I yearn to be hiking in the Lake District. My 40 years+ mate in Perth sums it up.....'People say Australia it's better, it's not better.......... just different'! I wish the very best outcomes for all those unsettled souls.

Same here. Applied August '18 and not heard a thing. The only way I know I'm in the system is when I go into my IMMI account. I haven't even had a confirmation email of my application. To be honest it's taking so long I even forget I've applied!!! Appears to be just a money making scheme when you have to apply for an RRV to ensure you still have travel rights whilst waiting. Simple individual of 1 from the UK with a 4th generation aussie partner (and she got her UK citizenship with 4 months of applying) lol.............

I phoned them about travel since 18 and told them that there was no way I could possibly remember all that as most of it was European travel and you don't get stamps in a UK passport for that travel. The person I spoke to checked with their superior and told me the last 10 years travel is all that is required. I'm reckoning 'Spouse/De Facto" would be the choice seeing that you're married.

If I remember correctly your UK police check is only valid for a certain amount of time. This plus the fact that it never asked for one to be submitted when I completed my online application means I didn't submit one! If they as for further documentation then I'll get on when it's requested so it's current. I only applied in August '18 so will be waiting a while longer before I hear anything from them. I've had to get a Returning Resident Visa (RRV) to permit ongoing overseas travel whilst my application is in situ.

If I remember correctly your UK police check is only valid for a certain amount of time. This plus the fact that it never asked for one to be submitted when I completed my online application means I didn't submit one! If they as for further documentation then I'll get on when it's requested so it's current. I only applied in August '18 so will be waiting a while longer before I hear anything from them. I've had to get a Returning Resident Visa (RRV) to permit ongoing overseas travel whilst my application is in situ.

Brisbane based. Applied online in August 2018, still awaiting anything further than the initial receipt of application. Travel rights expired on my Permanent Resident Visa over 8 months ago so last week I applied for a RRV (Returning Residents Visa) so I can travel overseas. I completed the process online and had to enter quite a lot of the details I'd been asked for as part of my citizenship application. Wouldn't you expect that those details should be automatically filled from the current citizenship application?! Put in my payment details and in less that a minute I got the RRV granted online and email notification too! Shame it isn't so easy for the citizenship application and that they seem to have to double dip to let people continue with their lives whilst being on hold for up to 22 months!

I'm exactly the same as you but DeFacto, not married. I assume you are on a 100/309 Partner Migration Visa? As VeryStormy says, you are okay to travel as long as you are still within the 5 years travel rights of your visa. If you are outside of that then you will require a RRV (Returning Resident Visa) to re-validate the travel portion of your visa. I would also check on what I've been told by friends that got an RRV and that is:- If you do travel outside of Oz after your travel rights have expired, and you get an RRV, then the timeframe for applying for citizenship can possible be reset to when your RRV is issued. I'm sure someone more knowledgable on here can verify as whether this is correct.

Hi Scousers1, Your posts sound so familiar, after just returning to Brisbane from Perth for a short 10 day visit. I've still not settled after 4 yrs and part of the reason for the Perth trip was to catch up with pommie friends and try and answer some of my nagging doubts. One of them has the same dilemma as you, with their eldest child having settled with his own place, an aussie partner and possibly looking at starting a family in the next few years. Until recently she was keen to head back to Wigan/Warrington area and hubby applied (internally) and took up an job in Ellesmere Port last year. So now the family are split and indecision and doubt are coming into the equation due to the eldest child having his life mapped out in Perth! Their reasons to want to head back were the same as so many others who have contributed to this post and are mine too, except my aussie partner has no wishes to return to the UK. I'm interested to hear how your trip back to the Wirral went and and update from your post in Sept 2017. Best Wishes Simon.

Hi Nemesis, Yes, I meant my travel rights, apologies. Think my 100/309 visa was granted Sept ‘13 and I entered Oz May ‘14. Looks like I may need to apply for a RRV if I want an overseas trip anytime soon!

Hi shiveringpom I submitted my application online today (Sunday 19/08/18). I'm Brisbane based too. I'm unsure when my PR expires, I suppose i can check on VEVO? Date applied: 19/08/2018 City/Council area: Brisbane City Council Online / Paper:  Online Date received the acknowledgement email: 19/08/2018 Date of the Citizenship Test: TBC Approval online: TBC Date of ceremony: TBC Type of ceremony:  I'd love to hear timescales for other Brisbane applicants and whether they are online or paper applications. Good luck to everyone. Simon.

Hi rockingteddy89 Congrats on the speedy process to date, others seem to have waited a lot longer than it's taken for you! Have you got a ceremony date yet? I submitted my application online today (Sunday 19/08/18). I'm Brisbane based too and hoping things will be quite speedy for me! Date applied: 19/08/2018 City/Council area: Brisbane City Council Online / Paper:  Online Date received the acknowledgement email: 19/08/2018 Date of the Citizenship Test: TBC Approval online: TBC Date of ceremony: TBC Type of ceremony:  I'd love to hear timescales for other Brisbane applicants (and others cities/states) and whether they are online or paper applications. Good luck to everyone. Simon.

Hi lttm I have been looking to do something similar with overseas travel after applying. I can apply for citizenship on 13/05/18 and when I spoke to the helpline (huge wait, 100+ callers, so choose phone back option) they informed me that besides the fact that you must not exceed the 90 day limit for being out of the country in the preceding 12 months to your application, any travel at all can affect the date at which you can be considered. Added to this I was also informed if you travel out of the country once you have applied, this can also possibly affect the date for acceptance. I hope I've interpreted this correctly!

So you’re moving back to the UK and will forget progressing your citizenship application now? Is that a definite move back or just an option that is being researched? Simon.

I'm confused why they need to do all these background checks and overseas police checks when they did such checks when applicants originally applied for their visa. Surely it would be a simple matter of checking on a database for most of the checks required. If I head back to the UK is there an option to apply in the UK to the Australian High Commission and have the ceremony in the UK? Looking at all my options before I make a decision what to do for the future.