Tarby777

Hi all, My wife will start to receive her UK state pension this year, and she will reach the qualifying age for the Aussie state pension 12 months later. We've sent off the paperwork to HMRC to start the ball rolling, but I'm wondering what to do for the best when the time comes that we're able to apply for the Aussie pension. She'll get pretty much the maximum UK pension but IIRC it isn't index-linked if you live outside the UK. the Aussie pension is income- and asset-tested and I imagine that her UK pension would be seen as foreign income that would reduce her entitlement to the Aussie pension, as would her super balance. The idea of cashing out on super and paying down the mortgage has crossed our minds. We're UK and and Aussie citizens, living in Oz 100% of the time. I'll still be working for a few years. So many things to consider! How have others navigated this stage of life? TIA Tarby

For good schools, think about the north shore (Kirribilli to Hornsby) or the Eastern Suburbs. "Good" meaning world-class $15-30K per child per year! There are probably decent schools all over the city to be honest, but those two areas probably have the best reputations schools-wise. Walking distance might be an issue though... it's a city of 5 million people after all and the schools are spread out. Not to pee on your chips but commuting by car is an absolute nightmare here... unbelievably clogged roads and some expensive tolls. 45 minutes is an unattainable dream for a *lot* of people. I would advise you to do everything possible to set up close to a train station, ferry wharf or decent bus route if a shortish commute is a must-have. BTW, you were right - there is a fast ferry - about 18 minutes to the city.

Rather than rush it, can't you just make your initial entry into Australia before the 4 years is up, and go straight back to Blighty again? Maybe make a holiday of it and buy yourself some time before making a decision... with any luck, the family will fall in love with the place during the holiday. You'll probably want to look into a resident return visa as well, because once you have clocked up 4 years since the PR visa was granted, you lose your ability to get back into Australia from abroad (although you can still *stay* in Oz indefinitely... you just can't leave and come back to Oz on your PR visa once 4 years ticks over). I know this puts me at odds with what others have said, but my opinion is that Oz is infinitely better than the UK in just about every respect. Quality of life - for me, at least - is off the scale compared to the UK... The "it's not better... it's just different" thing hasn't been my experience at all. Sorry! Best thing I ever did and I wish I'd done it 20 years sooner. Would your family at least commit to a 2 year experiment with the promise they can go home at the end if they want to?

This place is the real deal next time you're in Warners Bay (Lake Macquarie): Currently up for sale, but still trading... run by a Scottish family. As British a chippy as you'll find anywhere.

I don't think you'll be waiting long. My citizenship was granted last year and it took around 4 months (max) before getting a date at North Sydney.

I paid for the services of a migration agent who had previously worked in my industry (IT), which was a great help. If you can find one with a background in construction / fabrication etc, they will be able to give expert advice on your chances, and will know how best to structure your application. Failing that, get yourself along to one of those "moving to Australia" fairs (assuming they're still a regular thing in the UK). You get a good mix of government reps and employers at those events.

There are tax advantages to *not* having PR. All your worldwide income becomes taxable in Australia once you have it, so income from UK investments, properties etc has to be declared here. I got PR sorted before leaving England but that's only because I was close to the cutoff age for PR (45) and I figured that if I came on a 457 and loved it, I would have been broken-hearted if I subsequently struggled to get PR. Unless you're close to 45 or your trade is at risk of dropping off the critical skills list, I wouldn't bother with PR yet.

Even 35 years doesn't guarantee a full pension... if you contracted out of SERPS at any stage, it counts against you.

Thanks Alan. I'll have one last attempt at getting my head round all of this unaided, but I suspect I might be calling on your services soon

Thanks Lisa. Was this the UK and/or Aussie taxman? Did you check with both?

Hey folks, Sorry, but I still haven't quite got my head round this, and I need to as I'm in the same boat as Lisa. Just to spell it out for this thicko (me)... let's say this is a simple case where the property was the vendor's main UK residence until emigration and it has been let or available for let from then until the sale. Are we saying the taxable gain is essentially (sale proceeds - valuation as at April 6,2015), or (sale proceeds - valuation when leaving the UK), or something else? I get that other factors come into play (e.g. relief to reduce the taxable amount), but I'd like to at least understand the absolute basics of the calc. I've been trying to work through the example at [TABLE=width: 75] [TR] [TD=width: 75]https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax-for-non-residents-uk-residential-property[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] and it has confused the heck out of me. As an aside: Alan, would you be one of the people you mentioned (an accountant able to handle the UK and Aussie side of things in this situation)? TIA Nick

Thanks all. Mine will expire on November 24 and I'm planning to fly out in early October, returning by mid-October. Is that too close to take a chance or would I be OK right up to the cutoff date?

G'day folks, I'm hoping this is an urban myth but I've a vague memory of a story about someone who had been living in Australia on a PR visa for long enough to become a citizen, and they hadn't got round to applying for citizenship. They flew to their home country for a short break and had trouble getting back into Oz on their return. IIRC, there weren't any issues around their foreign passport approaching its expiry date... it was something else, something specifically to do with them having been in Oz long enough for citizenship and not having gone for it. Does that ring any bells? TIA Tarby

Mate, you need to trust him, and the people here who have benefited from his services. A big part of getting certification, and then getting a visa, is to pick out the thing from your skillset that is most in demand at the time of application... and that isn't always the obvious one. It might be that there's low demand for your primary skill this month but he's spotted something else on your CV that will get you through quicker, and maybe that means going through the ACS rather than TRA. Putting him down on this forum isn't doing anyone any favours... he'll see you right.

Chillax mate. He's a top bloke and I speak from experience as I used him for my ACS/RPL assessment and my 175 visa application. He's thoroughly professional and very capable.