robswife

Here’s the link for the new state pension, which is what I am now part of, my SPA is not for another 7 years. Even though I have paid in over 37 years of NI contributions in order to get the full pension I need to pay in at least another 5 years so I’m looking at voluntary contributions, at the moment I will get approx £155 pw instead of the full pension of £179.60 pw. https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension

Have a look on the Gov.UK website, education & learning. When I explored this a few years ago I went to the local college and my son could have gone there to do his GCSE’s. He could also have applied to do an apprenticeship and alongside that you also do GCSE Maths & English.

No I checked our immi account and it showed on there ?

Just updated, through the worst ? back to the waiting ? Citizenship Timeline Date applied - 15 NOV 2017 City/Council area - Cockburn, WA Online / Paper - Online Date received the acknowledgement email - 15 NOV 2017 Date of the Citizenship Test - 24 AUGUST 2018 Approval - waiting (son got his though within hours) Date of ceremony - Type of ceremony - 

We each received an email, Immi account hasn't changed at all since "received"

Quick update: Received email today for test date 24/08, applied 8/11/17 ?

My sons partner applied recently, visa came through withinin 2hrs

We applied November 2017 and still waiting for a test date

Date applied - 15 NOV 2017 City/Council area - Perth Online / Paper - Online Date received the acknowledgement email - 15 NOV 2017 Date of the Citizenship Test - Citizenship approval letter - Date of ceremony - Type of ceremony -

Manchester for me

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Citi/pathways-processes/application-options/migrant-with-permanent-residence/eligibility To become an Australian citizen you need to meet certain requirements. For most applicants these include that you: are a permanent resident at time of application and time of decision meet the residence requirements are of good character have a competent knowledge of English intend to reside or maintain a close and continuing association with Australia have an adequate knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship. If you are 60 years of age or over you are not required to sit the citizenship test. General residence requirement On 20 April 2017 the Australian Government announced that it would be strengthening the requirements to become an Australian citizen. This included increasing the general residence requirement, which means an applicant for Australian citizenship will need to demonstrate a minimum of four years permanent residence immediately prior to their application for citizenship. Subject to the passage of legislation required to enact some of the measures, the changes will come into effect, and apply to applications made from the date of the Government's announcement on 20 April 2017. The changes will not apply to applications made before 20 April 2017. The current rules will apply to applications made before 20 April 2017. Under some circumstances you might be eligible to apply for a variation to the residence requirement or be eligible under the special residence requirement. Calculate your permanent residency If you were granted a permanent resident visa before you arrived in Australia, your permanent residence date is the date that you arrived in Australia on that visa. If you were granted a permanent resident visa after you arrived in Australia, your permanent residence date will be the date that the visa was granted. Children You can include children under 16 years of age in your citizenship application if they are permanent residents. Children under 16 years of age do not need to meet the residence requirements. More information is available about children who are 16 and 17 years of age.

Very easy to do online, then post off old passport, photos and signed declaration, door to door within 6 weeks.

Legislated or not I believe we now have to do 4 years on the PR Visa, we would have been able to apply next week, our 4 yr Ozzyversary, but now have to wait until January 2019 - not happy no doubt when we get there the rules will have changed yet again. We also did English tests before we came out, we had to for ahpra, but the government cash cow will no doubt make us do it again.....

:ssign19: Good Luck with everything, don't forget to keep us posted :smile:

I also kept credit cards going and remain on the electoral role :smile:

Bruce Springstein is like Christmas, comes every year (well it seems like it) :laugh:

Definately keep it open, you can manage it online and as others have said use a relatives address, your bank statements can be online too so no need for paper ones, so glad we kept ours open

https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/returning-to-the-register/readmission-register/ I believe it's not as difficult as it seems and I'm sure someone who has done it will be along at some point. Myself I've kept my UK registration and continue to renew each year, just in case lol! :cute:

I've had a quick look on the UK website and can only find information on exchanging a Australian full license for a UK one and that costs £43 http://www.gov.uk

....and I can confirm that having been through something similar over the past year :arghh:

I still keep mine going too, and credit cards...

what about this one? http://www.tsb.co.uk/plus-money-saving-expert/?WT.mc_id=1613487|122013894|294961544|0#Important

We only moved out here 3 years ago, youngest was 14 and has struggled with school since being here, back in UK he was doing so well, that and other issues aside I went back to UK with him last year after emails and phone calls to school to set him up again to start in September. Cut a long story short they couldn't place him in what would then be yr 12 but offered him a place in yr 10 to restart GCSE's which I know would have been tough initially being the eldest in the class but I felt would have given him the best opportunity, he didn't want this at 16 can't/couldn't see the bigger picture. College was the other option(s), do his GCSE's or apply for apprenticeship which would also incorporate Maths & English GCSE as well with support from college staff if needed. Anyway that didn't happen either as he didn't want the family to split up (not that it would happen) but didn't say this to me at the time so consequently we came back here... If your daughter (and girls are better at this I think) could look at the advantages of going into yr 10 even though she would be the eldest, I would go for it. She would have the opportunity to make new friends which can be difficult at any age, join in school activities, have support from school etc. by the time she finished school she could still go to college or apply to university and hopefully not have the international fees applied at uni, I believe you have to be resident in UK 3 yrs prior to applying at uni for these not to be imposed - found this out when eldest was applying to go back to do nurse training over there Hope all this makes some sense

From my experience, yes that's right, but she could go to college and do her GCSE's there instead..

Having spent hours seeking out expat mortgages and getting nowhere my biggest regret was selling our house in th UK as it it now seems we have no chance of getting a mortgage of any sort. I go back to the UK at least once a year, on my last couple of visits I approached mortgage broker and bank/building society for mortgage, my building society said it was not impossible but expected one of us to be resident and working in UK for at least 6 months in a permanent position, if that position had a probationary period that was not included it had to be permanent for at least 6 months... The thing is we could comfortably afford a mortgage in the UK but no one appears interested if you are in Australia... If anyone has any information/help in this area I too would be interested :notworthy: