OZAllan

Many thanks, Ken. It is very helpful.

Hi All, I have obtained my PR visa in 2010 and I have visited Australia to validate my visa in 2011. I will visit Australia for 2 weeks again in August 2012. Could you please advise whether I should register for Tax Filing Number, Medicare, Centrelink and Open bank account during this temporary visit. I plan to emigrate to Australia permanently before my visa expire in 2015. Many thanks. Cheers

Many thanks for your comments. I plan to visit my wife and kids every 2 month. I can manage to work from home in Australia for one week every 2 months. When my visa is expired, I will visit them on tourist visa. I totally agree that the legislation keeps changing frequently and it is true that the RRV may not even exist by then. It appears that I have no choice, but to migrate with the whole family before the expiry of our PR visa. I am just trying to explore the option that I can delay to move. It is a difficult decision to give up the excellent opportunity in Thailand. I also explore the options that I move to Australia for 4 years and apply for citizenship and then return back to Thailand. But the opportunity won't be waiting for 4 years, especially if I could not manage to get a relevant skill job in Australia to upgrade my existing skill. I have some friends living in Australia and they said it is difficult to get a relevant skill job in Australia and even if I can get the job, I would need to significantly downgrade the role and responsibility and of course money. Is it a good idea to discuss my plan with the immi agent for their advice?

Thank you for your comments. I mean my wife will go and stay in Australia in June 2015 i.e. one month before expire. When she stays there for 2 years, then she applies for 5-year RRV. When she gets RRV, I will also apply for RRV from offshore. Based on immi website, if my wife holds RRV, I can also apply for RRV. I am not sure if this is the case.

First you need to write the CO to explain that Singapore Police does not issue the police clearance for non-resident. You can attach the link of the Singapore Police website for the CO reference. Second, ask for an extension of the deadline to submit the clearance certificate as it is not a normal process. Singapore Police will still issue the clearance certificate to non-resident on a request basis. Hence, you will need to ask a letter from the DIAC to stay that statutory declaration is not sufficient for their purpose and hence DIAC needs the police clearance certificate. Once DIAC issues the letter, you need to contact Singapore Police to make appointment. You will need to travel to Singapore for this submission and they will need the thump print of all your 10 fingers. Some fee will be charged. The clearance certificate will be sent directly to DIAC. Come to this stage, it is almost sure that your visa will be granted. Wish you good luck.

I also heard another option is to have my wife and kids to move to Australia first (just before the expiry of the PR visa) and when she can apply for a RRV (maybe even before she meets the 2-year stay in Australia), then as a husband, I can also meet the 5-year RRV criteria. Kids will attend the school there, and my wife may or may not be able to get the job in Australia. Please advise if this will work?

Thank you so much for a very quick response. I saw in the previous post that it would be so much easier if I apply for the RRV in Australia, rather than from offshore. Under that arrangement, it somehow shows that I have some "ties" to Australia although my stay is not long. The comments suggest that I travel to Australia before the expiry of my PR visa and in case, the RRV is not approved, then I can continue to stay in Australia without a need to obtain RRV. Do you think that suggestion would work? Do you have any idea of how long it will take for the immi department to process the RRV application? Based in the immi website, it says that the process will take 1 day if the application is made in Australia and the applicant meets the 2 year resident in Australia, or one week if the 2 years out of 5 years in Australia requirement is not met.

I have obtained my PR visa in July 2010 and I visited OZ in April 2011 to validate my visa. My PR visa will be valid until early July 2015. I still have about 3 years more to move to Australia. My family (wife and 2 kids) are Thai and currently working in Bangkok. Both my wife and I are senior management staff in finance of different private companies. We are both a member of the professional accounting body in the UK. Because of business opportunity, we are making quite good money in Bangkok. We want to have a some financial freedom before we move to stay permanently in Australia. If we could manage to get the RRV for 5 years i.e. until 2020, we should be able to achieve that financial goal. My wife and I are well aware that if we migrate to Australia, we will find it difficult to get a decent office job and it may take sometime to secure the jobs. If I could get the RRV which will be valid until 2020, my whole family will be permanently settle down in Australia. I understand that if I do not stay in Australia for 2 years out of 5 years, I will need to prove that I have substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefits to Australia to apply for RRV. While I still have 3 years more, I would appreciate for advice on what I should do from now until July 2015 to prove the substantial business, cultural, employment or personal ties of benefits to Australia. For example, should I buy a house in Australia, open bank account in Australian and transfer the money regularly for a fixed term deposit there? Or should I become a member of certain Australian business association in Thailand etc.? Very much appreciate it for all advice. Cheers Allan