Progressive

Hello everyone, I have a messy situation whereby I had a car accident (other driver's fault) before I left Perth in 2015. Proceedings are still rumbling along (it's a long story) and I'm struggling to manage the case from a distance. I really need to get this closed if possible. I would like to engage a local personal injury solicitor in Perth to do this on my behalf. Does anyone have a recommendation, particularly solicitors with experience in motor accidents? Many, many thanks!

I just want to chime in to add that this advice is accurate, having recently been through it myself. Many people claim that voluntary resignation waives this requirement but it absolutely doesn't, as is prescribed by DIAC. The key is formally requesting it in writing (signed letter to HR is the best way in my opinion). I booked my own (financially competitive) flights for all people on my visa and my employer paid up without question. Good luck.

Haha. Far from it, though perhaps I should look into a career change. As mentioned by others, just my honest opinions to try and inform potential candidates for moving. I naturally did my research before moving out and at times struggled to find any heavily unbiased opinions. My descriptions are generally positive, though there are some negatives listed in initial post on the thread. I'm far from a blinkered pom though. The proof is in the pudding; I left Australia and still think I definitely made the right decision for me! Thanks for your interest.

Strictly speaking I didn't return to UK, but somewhere else in Europe. Happy to contribute to your project though. PM me if you want to discuss further.

Whilst I no longer have a dog in the 'Perth vs. Perth' fight, there are plenty of things worth doing beyond a couple of weeks, with something to suit everyone. Here are a very mixed handful of examples which could keep you busy throughout the year. Some (most) I highly enjoyed, others less so, but all certainly good Perth experiences to tick off and things you can easily cycle monthly: Catch a (free) weekly Sunday evening Jazz concert one of the Subiaco / Shenton Parks over the summer months with a bottle of wine and cheese board. Cycle the (60km+) perfectly smooth cycle paths around the Swan River in shorts and t-shirt, for over nine months of the year. Enjoy a pizza and a beer at Little Creatures in Fremantle. Bar crawl the quirky laneway bars of the CBD and Northbridge. Could easily name 20+. Afternoon tea at The Duxton or C Restaurant. Throw down a blanket at Kings Park and enjoy the sunset over the city. Rooftop yoga at 6.00am as the sun comes up at the rooftop cinema venue. Eat amazing Vietnamese, Thai or Japanese cuisine. Swan Valley wine tour. Various outdoor cinemas. Go for a hike in the bush around Kalamunda. Research the history of WA with the extensive resources at Perth library. Volunteer a few spare hours to the amazing selection of charities based in Perth. Beaufort Street, Angove Street, Mt. Hawthorn festivals. Watch a top-flight AFL / cricket / basketball / soccer match. Go to a comedy night at The Astor in Mt. Lawley. Spend an afternoon in the fantastic Art Gallery of WA. Go to the ballet at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Breakfast and coffee at one of over 100 amazing local cafes. … all in a safe, friendly and respectful environment. I am happy to give recommendations for any of the above! As for the snakes, I saw one (dead) snake and about four redbacks over my four years in Perth. You seriously have more chance of injured by a shopping trolley crashing into you in Woolworths than by being bitten by a snake. Furthermore, there is anti-venom for all snakes in Australia now I believe, so the chances of actually being seriously hurt are extremely slim, unless you have an pre-existing serious health issue. It definitely doesn’t warrant not using the beaches in WA. It sounds like your mind was already made up by that point and you were thinking with ‘confirmation bias’, which is human nature and which we are all guilty of. I know I am at times.

I work in an (office based) engineering discipline which was (and still is) on the skills shortage list. I secured a job (and therefore a sponsored 457 visa) before travelling. I received two offers from two interviews. This was at a time when the market was significantly more buoyant, therefore I assume it wouldn't be as easy now, but still possible. Of my peers, I would say 50% came via this route, the other 50% travelled without a job to keep their options open and perhaps be able to command a better package once physically on the ground. It all depends on your risk profile and current situation. My partner works in marketing so quite a transferable area to be in. She had four interviews within a couple of weeks which culminated in two offers, one which she accepted. We are both educated to degree level with relevant experience and, importantly, the drive, ability and confidence to sell ourselves to potential employers!

Speaking frankly, your logic is flawed in my opinion. Realistically, you would be bored in a traditional sense in most cities after two weeks. Going on holiday somewhere and living somewhere is (obviously) a very different experience. With that said, it does heavily depend on your interests. I would agree (as mentioned in my original post) that after a couple of years we felt like Perth was running out of thing to offer us, but even then it was head and shoulders above our place of origin and life was very comfortable. Perth may not be the most exciting city in the world, or even in Australia, but it is definitely one of the most liveable cities in the world. How liveable a city is should come ahead of how exciting a city is when considering where to settle in my opinion. I think Hanoi, Hong Kong and Singapore are fantastic cities, which would keep me extremely entertained for months and months. I wouldn’t like to live in any of them though.

Hello all, I find myself drawn back to the forum and in particular my previous post. It has provided a good reflection of where I was, where I am and where I am going. As such… Six months after leaving update So, six months on. Did we make the right decision to move on from Perth? The answer is… Yes, definitely. We moved back to Europe but not UK. I had a job before moving, my partner found a suitable job two months after arriving; quite similar to when we were headed to Perth. This has seen a step up in career for both of us and a significant jump in our current earnings and future earning potential. We wouldn’t have achieved this within the next five years in Perth, without some very good luck. This reflects the ‘slowed’ economy at present in WA and the relative buoyancy of the economy in Europe. More importantly, what about my relationship with Australia? I still read Perth Now nearly every day, check the weather occasionally and am always interested (and sometimes jealous) of hearing what my friends still in Perth are up to at the weekend. I have fantastic memories of Perth (and Australia) which will stay with me forever however, since before I even got on the flight to leave I am certainly operating in ‘rose tinted glasses’ mode. With that said, I am under no illusions that we had it very good in Perth, as I set out at the start of this thread. We have it good now too, but in different aspects of life. I found life in Perth ‘easier’ but less rewarding. I always had this perception, but eventually the need for a challenge outweighed the laid back lifestyle. Would I return to Perth? The answer is yes, though with the big consideration of it being with a secure, very well paid job. I would want an even better lifestyle than last time, with the ability to travel back to Europe more regularly. Personally, I don’t think it could match the financial viability of elsewhere now, but I would be willing to re-assess if the right opportunity arose. Interestingly, my partner says that she wouldn’t like to go back, as some things are better held as (amazing) memories. I agree that the potential to be disappointed if we went back is greatly increased. As mentioned previously, the thought of a house in an anonymous suburb on the outskirts of Perth thing is massively uninspiring and even frightening for me, so it may never be possible. This remains to be seen. Would I return to elsewhere in Australia? Realistically, no. I really took a shine to Perth and whilst I enjoyed visiting other places, it was only Perth where I could see myself settling. The east coast, or what I saw of it, just wasn’t ‘for me’. Nor was rural Australia; nice to see, but just not me. Would I move back to Australia ‘forever’? No. I never felt like I belonged there (at all) to be honest, though admittedly I never went with the intention to become completely integrated. The attitude at the outset has a big effect on success of this. I thoroughly enjoyed myself but never saw myself as there forever. The long-term cons outweighed the long-term pros for me; they did then and still do now. Specifically, (a) too far from the other important places in my life, (b) a general feeling of being an insular place which was good short-term but not for me longer-term, © I felt it would be difficult to put down roots financially and emotionally. In conclusion, I feel closer to Perth (and Australia) now I have left. I think I will have a long standing relationship with this amazing country. Whilst it sounds cliché, I genuinely felt a connection to Perth from the moment I arrived until the moment I left, but it just wasn’t forever. From my personal experience, the place is a symbol of freedom, being independent, an adventure and really being a blank canvas to do what you want to do. I went when I was young, free and full of energy. I was met with a place which converted this into a sustainable and solid foundation from which to enjoy life. I would go so far as saying Perth is one of the best places I have ever been and has an almost magical feel to it which is hard to describe*. Absolute best of luck to anyone making the move, loving life in Oz, maybe not loving it so much or anyone looking to move on in the coming months or years. Best years of my life, 100%. God bless Perth. *An example of this… After being in Perth around nine months I was feeling pretty settled and content. I had been out with a few friends for drinks and finished up about 2.00am. It was a warm summer’s night, I left my mates, jumped in a taxi and headed for home. Driving along in the taxi with the windows down, Aussie late night radio on and the usual conversation with the driver, I felt possibly as content as I ever have before and thought to myself simply… “life is fantastic”.

With that said, somebody earning $150k per year will get a 'better deal' out of it than somebody doing a few bar jobs here and there on a WHV.

Not really. It's comparable with the tax you would have paid on it if you'd have pocketed it when you earned it. It's not actually 35% flat rate either, it has tiers which increase with the amount. For the average punter, it does work out at around 35% though.

I have recently received my super payout (four year's contributions) as I was a temporary resident departing Australia permenantly. I was interested to know how people have handled this lump sum. It was (and still is) my intention that this money would be invested / locked away now for use later in life. Which product or investments have people looked into when in this scenario? I am unable to 'add' this money into my new employer's scheme so currently it is just sat in the bank. Thanks!

Yes, you can. Inform your bank you are leaving and change your correspondence address to an overseas one. The bank will withhold 'non-resident withholding tax' from your interest which a negligible amount (a couple of dollars). Well worth keeping it open an assures correspondence won't get sent to your now vacant previous residence. An important thing to note is to make sure you provide your super fund with your current bank account details so they can pay the DASP by directly as opposed to a cheque, which would be a pain to deal with when overseas.

Tax returns are (generally) mandatory for everyone in Australia. This would include where the person has earned for part of a tax year. For the average person in this situation, they would see usually see a decent rebate anyway so there would be a financial incentive in doing so anyway.

Update for future readers: Posted (first class) paper copy of tax return to Australian Tax Office in Perth on 21st January 2016. Received rebate into Australian bank account on 22nd February 2016. Assuming five business days in the post, that's 17 business days to turn it around and pay out. Not bad at all.

The guidance notes on ATO website state: post your completed tax return to: Australian Taxation Office GPO Box 9845 IN YOUR CAPITAL CITYDo not substitute your actual city, as we have a special arrangement with Australia Post. How do I mange this from overseas? Any idea where I should post the completed tax return to?