Nicola72

yes apparently they put all exemptions on hold just when we started looking into things in july. i wondered what brought about the change.

thanks for that you dont have many rights by the sound of it if you are not a voter.... at least I feel its a bit clearer now

Thanks snifter but my reading is that it is still only up to six months unless your a companying an academic? But perhaps you can sponsor your partner while you are in the uk if you get a permanent job that pays enough?

hi therechickn66 thanks for that we thought we might that might be the case, our dream trip home for a year is turning into a much bigger problem than we thought. we have jobs and house to return to in australia, we just wanted to give our kids the experience of living in scotlandnear our family. it feels like a pretty poor way to treat british citizens who have non british spouses!!

Thanks quoll, sounds like we are in for a challenge

My understanding is that even without a british passport your son will have right of abode for as long as he needs based on your british citizenship. Am I right peeps?

Hi there my advice is wherever you settle once your kids go to school you will really settle into the community especially if you pick an area around like minded people. For the first few years in oz I made lots of friends through work but it wasn't really until I started being around at drop off and pick up at school once or twice a week that I really started to feel part of a community. Helping out at the school fete and other stuff helped too. Good luck wherever you decide to live

Hi there we live in melbourne and love the village feel of it but I believe the rentals aren't much better. We live in northcote which is a funky area great schools the eaverage rent for 3 bdrm is about $600pw though. But the job market here is still really good (as a scottish melbournite for 16 years I am biased!)

Hi there, we just want to go back for a year to give our kids the chance to get to know their british cousins better. We don't even mind if my husband can't work as I plan to support the family, though I realise the job market is tough. Whats the easiest way? We just found out about the sponsorship rules so my mum is going to lend us some money but apparently it has to be in the bank for a year. Should my husband just come over on a tourist visa and Wait until I get a job and can sponsor him or will he get questioned at immigration. How long can he stay on a tourist visa and can he just go home once it expires then easily go back again. Me and the kids have british passports. I had no idea until I started looking into it that it would be so hard.... any help would be so appreciated, your hopefully, nicola