rammygirl

Also ask if there is a sinking fund. Basically a pot for large one off expenses like roof repairs etc. New properties can be a gamble as no history to check and little idea of how much fees could rise. As said check what you get in the fee. Some also cover gardening for common areas and some water charges as well as buildings insurance. Obviously if there are other facilities like a pool or gym that puts the price up but if you will be using them a lot it can be good value.

You might pick up casual work once registered but permanent positions are sought after. New graduates all have to do a few years in country SA to get permanency then they can apply for permanent positions in metro areas. By country I mean 4 hours plus drive from metro area and remote with few facilities. Not fun. Not sure if you are more experienced and how that would work but I guess supply might be a way in.

So you are now outside of Australia but you applied onshore is that right? More details of your current position would be useful if you want any advice.

Yes but the one where you need to show ties to the country is only for 1 year. Maybe you can get special case being fifo but not heard that . hopefully he will get approval for citizenship soon though and maybe can request an urgent ceremony. Tricky though.

I see. I don't think your agents are to blame TBH, when you lodged the 143 it wasn't taking over three years to process them! Unless you can renew your 457 then you may need to leave Australia. A long term visit visa may get you back but as you say will have no working rights. Visa processing has blown out significantly in the last year. Although if you have reached the AOS stage it shouldn't be long now. You are at the hands of the Immigration department, your agents can't really do anything about that.

If you have lodged a valid visa application onshore then a bridging visa will have been granted and should kick in when your current visa ends. The bridging visa usually has the same conditions as the current visa. You need to ask your agent about a bridging visa and check the conditions carefully. if you have an agent what have they actually said?

Can take a while after 50. Hubby got his bowel screen six months before me and we arrived together both over 50 and I am older. Been here nearly 5 years now and had two bowel screens and one breast screen all free on Medicare.

No medical is required for citizenship only for PR.

They weighed everyone’s bag at Cairns last month. Loads of people were over or had big bags. They were pretty pissed but I think it is only fair. It really annoys me when I pay for a hold bag and just take light hand luggage and others just take their luggage on the plane. one guy had a big backpack plus a small suitcase, he was outraged at having to pay for both bags.. Really? I did think that a stroller had to go in the hold though, even if you kept it till the gate. That was always the case when we flew with kids. If they enforced the rules more often people wouldn’t do it and they could load the planes faster without people trying to fit unreasonably large bags into the overhead bins.

There will be a “must enter no later than “ date on the visa grant notice. This should be 5 years since the grant of the visa. If you return before that date you are OK. After this date you will need a Resident Return Visa (RRV) or Citizenship to return to Australia if you leave. RRV info can be found here. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/155-

Well I don’t know for sure. I appreciate you might not want an agent to do everything but paying for a review of your personal circumstances and getting sound advice on the best way forward may be well worth it. Why not contact Westly who posted earlier, he is good with complicated cases and I believe his prices are reasonable.

Can you not just apply for an onshore partner visa, provided you meet the requirements?

As above. What was right for someone else at a particular time may well not be right for you now. Rules change and people’s circumstances are different. If you do not understand speak to your agent and ask them to explain it to you, maybe in writing so you can have time to go over it and understand the detail.

I think you need to run this past an agent. You have a provisional visa so you may be able to meet the requirements for PR independently of your partner if you are no longer together (living for two years in the regional area and working for 12 months). Note you can work in any job, even your partner doesn’t have to do the job they applied with. You cannot apply for citizenship until you have PR and meet the residence requirements for that.

Reading back you applied with special circumstances as you did not have the required residency, is that correct? I guess that takes longer to process. Not sure how the special circumstances thing works. Our citizenship application will be 8 months from application to ceremony (later this month) that is good compared to many! We did have the required residency though.