rammygirl

That is right. My UK gov pension worked like that. For me the tax was / is minimal as I am not working here. You may need advice for your particular situation though.

I am registered with two fx companies. One is fee free, the other (wise) charges a fee. I check both and usually paying the fee gets me more dollars in the end. When moving large sums a tiny difference in rate can make a few hundred dollars difference overall. Register with more than one and see which works best. Some allow you to set a rate or do regular transfers. Depends on what you need. Just using your bank will lose you money.

That looks like the form I used recently. I did it before the pension was due but it took a few months to kick in. You send it to the ATO who send it to HMRC with verification then HMRC inform the pension company to alter the tax code. The pension company refunded the current UK years tax but I had to claim the previous year by submitting a Uk return. I couldn’t refuse the lump sum but was only taxed on the growth since leaving UK. I have a UK/Aus accountant as we need to file in both countries each year - it is worth it.

I agree. You should be eligible to apply on the 22/4/23 as you have spent less than a year outside Australia.

Did the op actually say they had to be in Melbourne or Sydney though? Geelong is also a good option but a tad chilly for me.

Ok for contrast. I live in the Adelaide Hills. I can walk to cafes, shops and restaurants, wineries etc. Walk and cycle in the beautiful countryside. City is 30 mins away with theatre, music, galleries (which we love). Lovely beaches 40 mins away. Looking forward to the Fringe and WOMAD soon. Good community, growing large town nearby (Mount Barker) with growing infrastructure (new schools,hospital,shopping centres….) I love what the city offers but prefer to live in a more rural setting. Best of both worlds for us! We wouldn’t want to be somewhere without easy access to theatres and events, but dislike many commuter suburbs where people don’t know each other. Even in Adelaide the sprawl can be soulless in parts and although cheaper than Melbourne or Sydney still well over a million in the nicer areas.

Our Westpac credit card comes with no fee (provided we use it) and offers excellent travel insurance lasting until we are 81. As suggested if your Uk pension is paid directly into your Australian account it will show as regular income.

For citizenship you must also have been PR for one year so it will be more than 4 years for you depending how long the PR process takes. There are also other rules in the link I posted. We didn’t come on a 491 so I can’t really give insight for that one.

Exactly I really don’t mind paying a bit extra for local convenience and to support local, but when they charge SO much more for exactly the same thing…………….then are happy to lower the price if challenged it makes me mad.

Or you can “self insure” we made the decision not to pay monthly for private health care but to have a slush fund to use where Medicare could not offer what we needed. We did the same in the UK. It can be a gamble but we are many thousands up on the deal so far. Even Medicare isn’t totally free so you may pay a gap fee to see a gp. You can and should shop around for treatment and prescriptions though, never be afraid to ask how much. Also your gp may well automatically refer you to a private clinic but you can ask for public and discuss costs. Chemist Warehouse is a big pharmacy chain that is cheaper for most prescriptions, there isn’t one near us but local chemists will price match - but only if you ask! It can make quite a difference. My neighbour was paying $35 for her regular prescription and now pays $19 it all adds up, she was embarrassed to ask so I went with her. Honestly it really annoys me as the people who need the cheaper prices simply do not realise or are afraid to question.

Have you taken any independent advice re visas? Are you sure you can’t apply for PR now, either independently on a skilled visa or a direct entry employer sponsored visa?

Unless things have changed you had to prove ownership and use (or at least access to the car) at the time of application for the import.

Maybe when you have been here longer and can show the regular income in dollars they will reconsider. Or simply shop around …..

Yes 12 months from grant.

Start here. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/become-a-citizen yes you can keep your Uk citizenship but once you are an Australian citizen you must use an Australian passport to leave and enter Australia. The hardest bit is filling in the application form (no surprise there) the test isn’t difficult and if you revise the document recommended on the. Gov website you will be fine. The interview is more like a chat to verify your identity. First step is to identify if you are eligible.

If you meet. The qualifications for an independent visa you could apply now. Otherwise can your employer offer PR straight away (again if you qualify and they are willing). As Paul says getting independent advice could be key as you have no time to waste. There are a few visas you could look at but you may not qualify for all of them. Why not contact Paul who posted above he is a reputable agent after all!

You can check in VEVO it should say it is activated. But as above really.

Do check the recent rule changes to commence 1st March I think. Places in quarantine are limited so you do need to book ahead.

Only if it is applied as a specific condition. It used to be common but doesn’t seem to be now. It was clear on our visa that the main applicant should arrive first with a condition number and everything.

Look at your visa grant notice. If no condition about who must arrive first is stated then it doesn’t matter.

But the op said the police check came back with no trace so maybe it wasn’t an official caution. If they mentioned it on their application then they could be asked for more info but …..

They are good these days. To be honest it can depend on the actual plane and the crew as much as the airline. We had a ratty old plane and grumpy crew on Singapore and a brand new plane and a great crew with Qatar recently. I know which I preferred. Also airlines fit out planes to different specifications so the same plane May give you more legroom and better toilets with some airlines. We always fly economy, preferring to spend on accommodation on holiday so I can’t comment on business or first class!

We are in Adelaide Hills. All electric no gas. Annual bill less than $1000. Yes we have solar….. an investment worth doing (pay back three years ) and even with lower feed in tariffs and price hikes still makes a huge difference. £350 a month is a lot, although I guess will reduce in the summer. Depending where you are heating or cooling year round here. Good insulation helps and many houses here simply do not have it, single glazed and basic roof and wall insulation is the norm. Standards for new builds have improved and if you build yourself you can upgrade.

Seven seas do both boxes and a small move cube. They are good although the website was confusing when we used them a quick phone call sorted it all out. I think that is what was referred to earlier by Quoll.

Depends what your contribution has been so far. You can check on the state pension website.