mrsmac

Then I don't know Paul. He knows he answered 'Yes'. Perhaps he was just telling me that he answered yes because he has an Australian passport and I misunderstood. He didn't know at the time of applying that he wasn't permitted to get the visa, and he won't be activating it - it is simply to get him on the plane if all else fails. Hopefully he can manage to arrange a replacement passport before then. There is so much conflicting information and advice.

I think you are right Marisa, because it seems dependent on which immigration officer you get on arrival. And when you’re getting conflicting advice from the Australian Embassy, you have no solid guidance on which option is going to be the right one. Citizens, especially the younger generation of travellers, are not likely to invest $240 for an emergency visa that is possibly not going to be granted in time for their return, and with no possibility of refund. At the end of the day, the Australian immigration show is a shambles. It really doesn’t need to be so difficult.

He answered 'Yes' and 'Australian'. It simply went on to the next question. They approved his visa. The advice about the ADV is that it can take up to 3 months to be processed and costs $240, hence trying for the 601, because without it he won't get on the plane. Once in Australia, he will present to immigration with the colour copy of his passport and be identified as an Australian citizen. That's the plan.

My son misplaced his passport somewhere between the Isle of Man, Eastbourne and Edinburgh. Simplest solution would be to report it lost and have a new one issued. Or so you might think, but no, it's not that simple. With the Australian Embassy in London open for just 2 hours a day, getting a replacement passport in time for his flight to Australia on 13 September is proving to be an expensive nightmare. He has to present himself at the embassy in person - first available appointment 26 September! Best they can do is offer him an emergency passport but he cannot have an appointment for this until a fortnight before he flies. This means getting down to London for the allocated time slot and flying back, praying his flight is not delayed or cancelled - probably a 50/50 chance just now. £££!! Why do they have to make it so difficult?! In exasperation and to ensure he can at least get on his flight, he has acquired an ETA on his British passport to enter as a visitor and then apply for a new passport on his return. This does of course come with its own problems, as under the terms of the visa, he can only remain (and not work) for 3 months. Explaining at immigration why he has done this is also a bother. But I can understand his thinking. It is going to cost him a fortune to get down to London and back, with no guarantee that he will even make his allotted appointment time and secure his passport. In this scenario, his British passport will get him on to the plane from Edinburgh and again from Doha, but on arrival in Australia, should he present at immigration with the coloured photocopy of his Australian passport (which has not been cancelled) and beg for lenience, as opposed to scanning through on his British passport, therefore activating the Visitor visa? In the meantime, the search for his passport in every crevasse of every document folder, golf and cricket bag, jacket and jeans pocket continues ... Thanks Paul.

Usually when an application has been successfully lodged, a receipt is generated for the payment. Maybe just ask the DUC for a copy of the DOHA receipt and it might help put your mind at rest.

I believe TRA are the assessing body for UK Electricians and contract the assessment out to VETASSESS and FutureSkills. The information in the VETASSESS Fact Sheets is certainly the easiest to understand:

Are they not Westly? Regardless, there are some very informative Fact Sheets on their website, and so I suspect they will be able to offer reliable advice in respect of the applicants skills and certification requirements.

Contact VETASSESS - https://www.vetassess.com.au/ They are an assessing authority for Electricians and will give you a definitive answer to your question. Without a positive skills assessment, you will not be able to proceed with a skilled visa application, so best to be certain of your chances of succeeding with the qualifications that you have.

Thank you for your comments. I understand the validity of being able to leave, however I’m not certain which box to tick. None of the reasons for departing seem to fit with ‘migrating’.

The latest directive from the Home Office regarding international travel does not appear to include 'Migrating' as a valid reason for departure. Has anyone found a way through this?

Vasse is a lovely area, with all the amenities you need, including a great little primary school and early learning centre. There is a Coles supermarket, weekend community market, cafes and restaurants, etc, and Busselton and Dunsborough are both just 10 minutes away. Vasse is preferable to Dunsborough in that it doesn't get over run with tourists every weekend, and 'Schoolies' championing their 'right of passage' every November/December. It is very much the gateway to the many wonderful wineries, breweries, art galleries, beaches, etc that are in abundance in the South West. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a nicer area to bring up your young children.

Add to this the demand for tradesmen, and the prediction is one of a skills shortage. With so much free money being handed out under building grant schemes, the new home industry is going to stall unless more qualified tradesmen are found. Prices have already increased substantially. In Western Australia, some builders have signed up more contracts than they can supply labour for, with the most recent signings expected to take 2 years for completion. Many tradies are already booked up for the next six months and will not quote a job before May. This is not sustainable and I expect our government is going to have to add trades to the priority list in the near future. I certainly hope so anyway.

Paul Hand at Suncoast Migration is the most regular contributor to this forum and he would be a good start - www.suncoastmigration.com Others that come highly recommended are Grahame Igglesden of Concept Migration - www.concept.co.uk and John Adams of Immigration2Oz - www.immigration2oz.com.

With the exception of Perth, you may get a room with a balcony or opening window, or an hour a day in an outside area for some much needed fresh air and walking space. The quality of the hotels chosen for quarantine varies, in room size, food quality, cleanliness and function. Everyone pays the same price and there is no fair system in regards to allocation. A returning backpacker who is happy to binge watch Netflix for the entire 14 days can end up in the 5* Intercontinental with its 42m2 of luxury space, while the professional businessman who needs to continue working will end up at the Sheraton in a 24m2 room with no opening window and no air conditioning. You would not manage with your wife and child in such an environment, especially without much needed fresh air/oxygen and direct sunlight. Getting into any type of routine will be incredibly difficult because jet lag is delayed in such conditions. If you are planning on coming to Perth, consider quarantining in another state first. They may even be allowing self-quarantine in a couple of months if things keep going well. Sorry to paint a gloomy picture of WA, but under Major General McGowan, this is the reality.

I think, at this stage, it might be quite difficult and certainly very costly to get flights back to the UK in time for Christmas. Perhaps consider the option you have of enjoying one last Christmas and summer here in Oz whilst sorting out your exit for Easter in the UK. At least you will not be going back to the cold winter months where you are more susceptible to viruses. Another benefit is that the children can go into the last term of school to be connected with friends before the summer holidays. I don't know how long you have lived in Australia, but I imagine the children might settle better if they have a couple of weeks holiday at Easter time before heading to their new school. It also gives you time for a break, to re-adjust and settle in. From this end, you will have time to sort out your house, to prepare and pack for your departure. Time also to enjoy the company of your friends here, to visit those few places you haven't yet got to, and to prepare your children for the next adventure. It would be a lot of pressure on you to pack up your life here and be back in the UK in time for Christmas.