Hello from a 68yr old first time user on a forum

Hi there

I am new to PIO and forums in general so please bare with me if I make a mistake I am an only human and a bit long in the tooth but my granddaughter is teaching me.

Where do I start..... I was a £10 pom in the 70's, arrived with my then husband and stayed 5 years (1971-76). We returned to the UK due to homesickness. More than anything I would now love to go back. I don't believe that my Visa was cancelled and we returned before passports where stamped with a right to return. Can anyone help me with how I would go about returning?

1 of my 2 brothers is currently in WA on a 457 in the process of obtaining permanent residency the other i have had no contact with for over 15 years. My only daughter has a student visa to complete her degree course in Australia and my only 2 grandchildren are dependents on her visa so I have no family left in the UK.

I have looked at the RRV but the way I am reading it it is more about the length of time you have to return. When we left these things were not around.

I do not have the original passport I travelled on as it was a joint passport. I do have the passport number, the original passenger entry card issued on arrival into Australia stating permanent residency and a copy of the electoral roll for WA confirming my address.

If there is anyway I can return for a few years to spend time with my family over there that would be great and for anyone who takes the time to be reading this thank you and apologies for the length.

Also if you happen to be in Perth has Girrawheen changed much in 35 years?

You're unlikely to be able to get a visa to return and your original visa will have expired. As it stands, you don't have any family permanently in Australia so demonstrating your connection to Australia after a 40 year absence would be tricky. Your brother is all but irrelevant and your daughter could well have to return at the end of her student visa, most students do. If they do get settled as permanent residents then you could apply for a contributory parent visa but they would have to be settled for a couple of years. You can visit as a tourist but that's about it. Meanwhile start saving for your CPV (around the $60k mark). Making the assumption here of course that you didn't take out citizenship before you left, if you did, you just get your passport and arrive.

Well done on your foray into forums!

Welcome to the forum and good on you for learning something new!

Have you considered doing what a couple of people I know do, which is spending half the year in Australia (on a tourist visa) and the other half back in the UK? I have one friend who has a house here and rents in the UK when she is there, and another couple I know have a house in both places, but you could probably rent in both maybe, or keep your house in the UK and rent in Australia when you are here...

Hope it works out for you anyway, one way or another.

The rest have answered the principle question I think. Your request of what's Girrawheen like after thirty five odd years? Well I'm in no position to say what it was like but then, but my partner had her own office, operating out of that suburb. There are numerous social issues surrounding that part of the metro area of Perth these days. You can include places like Mirrabooka and Balga. All suburbs in the area have a high degree of social tenants and rather high crime rates.

Not to far from the city though and bus service is rather good. (I go to Mirrabooka, once a week) There are very high rates of ethnic diversity which adds to the colour and I seem to detect less Bogans, at least on the surface, than a dozen years ago.

There are some rather nice looking houses up there, if a little close together in certain instances. Going up in price as well. As you may be aware Perth prices went berserk. Now moderating in areas as Perth awaits the next phase of the economic cycle.