sandch
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Everything posted by sandch
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It's good to see the thread is alive and kicking after all this time. I see the processing times have really slowed up over the last few months which is frustrating for anyone waiting. I wonder what the cause is? My better half has just (yesterday) obtained citizenship - thank goodness, she got invited to a ceremony just as we were about to invest in a returning resident visa for holidays at the end of this month. So now she's an Aussie. Always wondered what it would be like married to an Aussie girl. For now I've had to settle for a RRV due to work time spent overseas. All the best Steve
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Hello All Area: Moreland (Melbourne) Application online: 4 Feb 2014 Test & interview: 25 Feb 2014 Approval: 25 Feb 2014 Ceremony: 1 May 2014 We were led to expect a long delay between approval and ceremony, but I think they're trying to catch up (more than 200 received certificates in this ceremony) Good luck to everyone currently in the pipeline! Steve
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Sorry Folks, the domain is moving between providers - by rowing boat I think. It should be available now. Thank you Alan for alerting me to the broken link. And it's a good excuse to catch up on ... oh no ...several hundred posts. Steve
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Hello For AOS I suggest you read this: http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/34aos.htm. There is of course a financial risk, but it's a small one if your parents have adequate resources. At the time of application you need to be "settled". In itself 12 months might be insufficient. There's a lot of information about this subject on this forum, do a search for "settled" in this thread to see some of the many posts. The CPV process is a national one, and it seems to be about 14 months from application to being allocated a CO at the moment. I've no information about type 2 diabetes and I hope others may be able to help. It's a matter of degree for some conditions. Best wishes Steve
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Happy New Year to everyone! We’re already into 2012 here, and expecting 40 degrees tomorrow in Melbourne. About 18 degrees above my optimum that. Liverpoolloo, we often ask ourselves if it was the sensible thing to do. Financially it certainly wasn’t, but we have created some memories and family ties that money couldn’t buy. As time goes on, it becomes more beneficial, but only as long as one of us is earning Aussie dollars. If that changed we’d be back in England within 6 months or so I think. Because of family ties in England, we’ll always have a challenge, but we’re slowly working towards dual citizenship, the holy grail. Very best wishes to all for a good 2012. :smile: Steve
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You cannot know how you will feel or what lies ahead in 5, 10, 20, 30 years. Will the Tweety Pie of the future, the one which wouldn't qualify for residence in Australia at all, look back with anger and frustration at the opportunity which the young employable version squandered when it was so easy to walk away? You've done almost all the hard work. Just under a year? By the time the awful winter's over it'll be six months. Stick at it, get that citizenship, keep it together with your partner; he is thinking clearly. Then you'll have the option of coming and going as you please for ever. Just the thoughts of one who wishes he'd done exactly that. Good luck!
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Hello It's intended to be the date the AOS process in completed - bond in place - though it may vary as it depends on user input.
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Stay in touch Phoebe, we will all be interested to see what you decide next year. It's a big setback for sure, but you are in good company making the decision to defer, something we would certainly have done if we were faced with the present economy and exchange rate. All the very best. Steve
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Yes they can.
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Sounds rotten Phoebe, sorry. It doesn't mean you can't visit though, and in a couple of years it might be a bit cheaper. Might. Not much solace there I'm sure. Steve
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That’s excellent, a very warm welcome and best wishes for your settling-in period. It sounds like you are committed and that really helps. Cheers Steve
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Could be. For one thing you need to separate the concept of sponsorship from Assurance of Support. The former is a function of DIAC, the latter of Centrelink. So direct questions about sponsorship to DIAC. If that's resolved to your satisfaction (and I don't know the rules) you then have the question of who is to be the Assurer for the second set of parents. I hope others can comment with more authority. Cheers Steve
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I believe it's one year from first registration Mike. (later that day...) The brochure is here: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/assets/lhcbrochures/lhcenglish.pdf and the relevant text is:
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I think you might have the wrong thread - this one is for parents migrating to Australia, normally sponsored by their resident son or daughter. If not please add a bit of information about your circumstances so that someone may be able to help.
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I recently ordered a DAB radio / iPod dock from the UK Moira because it was nearly half the price of the cheapest local retailer (after taking into account shipping of £22!). It works perfectly here. It found about a thousand stations and set itself to local time when I plugged it in. It seems like they don't all work though based on previous comments – this is a Sony DAB/DAB+/FM model. Cheers Steve
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It was quite an afternoon! Very loud, very wet, though it didn't quite match the fireworks of Africa or the deluges of PNG. I was glad not to be commuting anywhere. Melbourne's rail and tram system comes to a halt if the weather is bad. It comes to a halt quite often. :fish:
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Surely if you are the investor, she would only have to declare her share of the interest? That is, zero? Someone will end up paying it though!
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This is the sort of exchange rate curve it's good to see! Heading up towards 1.6, but we've been here before not too long ago.
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Welcome to Australia Les, I hope it turns out to be a good decision for you both. We're working hard to try to make it work and at least the weather is improving down here in Melbourne. Odd weather, but I'm not complaining. Our first few months were quite difficult, but except for the fact that we have to rent, we're a bit more settled now. After the initial heavy outlay for car and basic furnishings, we're pacing it - next purchase will be an elliptical-trainer to try to get back to fitness. I occasionally think of the one I already have, a large abandoned ornament in a deserted house. Say Hi to Marmite Matt if you ever get the chance to meet up. All the best Steve
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I'm not sure I susbscribe to that view, simply because there's no short-term prospect of UK interest rates rising. The Aussie Dollar is weakening a bit but it's mainly the US Dollar that is rising (you only have to look at sterling against the US Dollar over the past few weeks to see that). We've only moved from 1.5 to 1.58 or so with all this talk of Aussie Dollar weakness. It will need an upward hike in UK interest rates or a fall in Aussie interest rates to help move the rate back towards 2:1 (or a serious global downturn but who wants that?), but we may be living in the past a bit even then. The economic balance is shifting west to east and there's talk of many years of stagnant European economies. There's a lot of sense in buying currency in batches when you perceive the rate to be acceptable, which helps to even out the cost over time. If you've budgeted at say 1.5 then 1.56 looks quite good! Cheers Steve
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Good information, thanks folks. As usual it's not clear-cut this returning healthcare entitlement thing. Have a look at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_128866 So it could be interpreted that for the first five years after leaving, you may be covered providing you have 10 previous years of residence. Our situation is probably different as I remain employed by a UK company and still pay taxes over there, so it shouldn't be a problem for me. My wife on the other hand is on the 5-year deal.
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This is a really thorny subject and it's understandable that people who retired to Australia and South Africa for example feel the disadvantage. The treatment seems inconsistent. Apparently it saves 500m per annum and with the UK facing years of cutbacks, job losses, public sector pay and pensions freezes, consequent strikes I guess that a petition for more money from those who have fled the UK ranks right up there with the good old snowball on its first visit to hell. For anyone who suffers from insomnia, try reading the last ruling: http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item=1&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=%22THE%20UNITED%20KINGDOM%22%20%7C%20pension&sessionid=78505579&skin=hudoc-en :SLEEP: Cheers! Steve
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I'm of the UK 2-pin adapter persuasion Moira, which I plug into a UK extension lead which has a local plug on it. It's worth bringing a good quality switchable UK extension lead with you if you have a number of UK plugs which can't be changed (eg on chargers). But you can also get 2-pin and single UK adapters locally in many places.
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Nah hadn't heard of that one but now absolutely have to get it. Dismal guernsey indeed - had to look it up! :biglaugh:
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Thank you very much for that. It always surprises me how easily people get confused distinguishing between chat forums and authoritative reference works, but it continues to happen. I’ve always drawn comfort from of the personal interaction on this forum, support, a lot of support, informal guidance, a good deal of light-hearted chatter. Some people have had bad experiences in the CPV process, illness and rejection, even death in the family, and they’ve found comfort here; they weren’t admonished and sent off to set up a “comfort” thread. And it’s been good to see moderators that understand that, in the background to help if needed but not disrupting. Keep up the good work!