pommekate

Assuming your husband passes the medical for the Visa then I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be entitled to medicare. However healthcare over here is not totally free. There are a lot of bulk bill GP's in medical centres where you don't pay anything and they send the bill to medicare, but you don't always get the same GP. In your husbands situation you would probably want one GP to follow things up it will probably be important to have continuity of care. Lots of GP's charge a rate mine is about $80 which I have to pay then I can claim some back from medicare, not all of the $80. Your GP can then refer your husband to an Oncologist for the necessary follow up, this too can cost money some of which you can claim back from medicare. If finances are difficult you can ask the Oncologist if they bulk bill. If you also have private health insurance they too pay a portion of the costs. Any hospital admissions and tests such as bloods and X-rays as an impatient are free, as an outpatient you do have to pay some of the tests. Lots of the cities and towns do have bulk billing pathologists. I know a lot of people complain about the NHS, but when you live in other countries it really does make you appreciate what we did have in the UK.

My kids all have british passports, they have never lived in the UK and I have not paid any national insurances or taxes in the Uk since they were born, so I don't automatically expect to have free NHS treatment when visiting the UK later this year, hence why I have taken out insurances to cover this. It is my understanding that having a british passport doesn't automatically entitle you to non emergency treatment unless you can prove residency. I pay taxes and medicare levy and private health insurances in Australia so why should I feel I am entitled to it in the UK.

If you are planning on staying in Australia permanently, is there any point your son sitting his GCSE's. even if he sits them and then moves to Australia he would still be going to high school for years 11 & 12, which is HSC exams.

I can see why immigration would want more evidence from you, and it will be frustrating for you as you know that you are in a genuine relationship. However, everything you have provided i could have provided this information with a male aussie friend of mine. It made me think, when I moved to Australia I made some great friends and for a couple of years we all lived together. Now one of my male friends (we have never been in a relationship with each other) we lived in a shared house (4 of us in total) we all had our own bank accounts but same address. Lots of photographs of him and I together, even pictures of me at his house for Christmas with his parents, they took me under their wing because they knew my family were in the UK and I was on my own. He and I got a joint invitation to another friends kids christening. We even all went to melbourne together for a weekend, now I was at work when the other 3 housemates decided we should all go so they rang me at work to confirm I wanted to go, so my male friend said he would pay for my flight and accommodation on credit card but on my way home from work I got the cash out to pay him back. So I could have provided information that appeared we were in a relationship. But far from it, what he and I can't provide as the relationship doesn't exist is joint assets, beneficiaries of wills or super, joint bank accounts, joint insurances. So I can see how with the information you have provided is not adequate. on another note, I find your last comment very embarrassing, I am so relieved that Australians are aware that not all Brits think the way you do that we have an automatic right to be here. When I got my Australian citizenship, an aboriginal elder gave an amazing welcome speech, stating that Australia is a great country big enough to welcome us all and asking us to respect the land and the people of the land and in return the land would provide for us all. It made feel a real privilege to be here not an entitlement to be here.

I guess I am really biased we have only lived here for 2 years, we always came here for holidays and fell in love with it. House prices in Sydney and central coast were so high and port was seen as more affordable. We managed to buy a 4 bedroom house, with two lounges, games room! Swimming pool on a 780m2 block for just under $500000. However house prices have risen a lot in the past year, Husband had the opportunity for voluntary redundancy after 25 years working in Sydney, it has taken him a couple of years to secure a job, however I worked full time. Has good schools, my kids age 7,10,12 all go to private catholic schools, only costs us about $5200 a year for all three. There are good public primary schools, although I wasn't too keen on the public high schools. St Columba is probably the pick of schools (k-12), however would have cost me about $15,000 to send all 3 kids. My kids are not baptised but they are so happy in their school. Things I love about Port, very community minded, have met loads of nice families, great beaches, affordable restuarants, great sports activities for the kids. Even after 2 years I still feel like I am on holiday. No traffic, only takes 10 minutes to get from one side of town to the other. The things I miss is definitely the shopping, not a vast selection of shops would love to have a Myer or David Jones, however not the end of the world as can shop online. Fuel seems more exspensive in a rural town than Sydney but not having to use the car as much. No train station in Port closest one is Wauchope. However one way to Sydney via plane costs between $70-120. The biggest issue is getting jobs, so if you already have jobs lined up then would certainly recommend the move. However, I appreciate that I am very biased. Lots of my colleagues who were born and bred in Port stated that as late teens the night life is not that exciting and many moved away to go to uni. Port is having a new university built at the moment.

I live in Port, and love it. Did the whole Sydney thing then central coast and now live in Port. Found it harder to make friends in Sydney. I work at the Base hospital, very sociable. Even met colleagues who came from my home town in UK. ( not that I knew them in UK) Loads of poms live here, but a very friendly town.

We use to live on the central coast, Wyong is certainly not an area I would consider living in or bringing up my family. Hamlyn Terrace has nice new houses but friends of mine that live there get frustrated with the amount of travelling they have to do, like their kids activities after school and weekends. Closer to Gosford, more affordable areas like Lisarow, Narara have good schools. More expensive but closer to the beach areas such as Terrigal, Avoca and Wamberal. Kariong is a good for commuting to Sydney, however use to put us off that it is in a bush fire zone. We ended up moving away from the central coast as my other half got fed up with the commute to Sydney. We now live in Port Macquarie which is a beach side rural town. When we first moved away from Sydney we also looked into Wollongong which is about the same travelling distance to Sydney as the central coast but south. However your idea to rent first to check out all the areas is good.

British passport does not entitle you to automatic NHS treatment. If you have lived outside the uk for greater than 3 months in one year or 6 months in total you have to pay. However as the OP is planning on staying in the UK and will be able to prove permanent residency then shouldn't be a problem.

I say go where your heart is. Yes it will be a struggle. If you are going to do it then sooner rather than later, certainly look at renting out your house in Brisbane until you are absolutely sure you have done the right thing. Also look into NHS, I think you have to fit the residency requirements before being entitled to NHS treatment, although you will get medical care that is considered urgent and necessary treatment. Also if your kids want to go to college or uni you have to be living in the UK for a period of time before being entitled student loans. Have you looked at any of the house swap websites. There maybe even people on here who would consider a house swap for a period of time! I grew up in Basingstoke, my family still live there, I think it has changed lots since I left home 20 years ago. (For the better!)

Citizenship ceremonies don't only occur on Australia Day. Each council do their own. I live in a regional area and they have citizenship ceremonies every 2 months. It only took me 7 weeks from applying for citizenship to attending my ceremony.

Maybe as others have suggested you apply for a job so that you have an income, then if hubby gets a job then drop down to part time or casual. I work as a midwife, we are a family of five and currently on a single income. If I was living in the UK there is no way we could live off my salary alone but it is manageable here in oz. I work full time 12 hour shifts so only work 3 days a week. After paying a mortgage and private school fees for 3 kids we don't seem to be saving much. However, if you work in the public system like I do there are opportunities to salary sacrifice, we also take advantage of the meals entertainment card, so are still able to eat out weekly. Sydney is quite expensive especially for renting/buying. When I moved to Australia we were initially living in Sydney, we did move to the central coast as housing was more affordable. My aussie other half was still working then so he use to commute to Sydney. We now live in the Mid Northcoast, mainly for the lifestyle and housing affordability.

Hey Suzanne, we live in a beautiful place called Port Macquarie. It is in NSW and about 4-5 hour drive north of Sydney. It is considered to be a rural place but by the ocean. Great beaches, good schools and a very friendly place. We have lived in Sydney a place called Maroubra, great place but too expensive to buy a nice family home. We then lived on the central coast, where housing was more affordable, good schools only an hour away from Sydney. However, Port Macquarie was where we use to go on holidays and we fell in love with it. Houses a lot cheaper than Sydney and Central Coast, but can be harder to get jobs. If you work in health, education or the tourist industry getting a job won't be a problem. We are a family of 5 living off one income, (I am a midwife) cost of living is manageable, however don't seem to be saving lots after mortgage, private school fees for 3 kids etc, however, if we lived in the UK there would be no way we could afford to live off one salary. I work 12 hour shifts but only work 3 days a week, so do get to have quality time with the kids. Just realised I have kind of hijacked the thread, but just thought I'd let you know it is possible not all of Australia is so exspensive.

Well today after 13 years of living in Australia I have my citizenship ceremony. I have been amazed and overwhelmed by the response of Aussies when I tell them I have my citizenship ceremony. My colleagues, friends, neighbours are all so excited for me. At work my colleagues decorated the place in aussie flags and brought in food, some of the doctors I work with were hugging me and congratulating me. Even at my boys school the teachers were telling them what a special day it was to watch their mum become an aussie. Such a contrast to arriving here 13 years ago with one suitcase and not knowing anyone. Makes me feel really proud to become an Australian.

Costing us $6300 for family of 4 but we are flying in November. Wait for the sales before booking. I did get a quote for June this year which was $7600, but I couldn't get annual leave from work. The trouble I have had with booking my flight so far in advance is that the airline has changed the flight times twice already.

Why would you not just all apply at the same time in April, is there an urgency for your other half to do it in January 2016? Your children don't automatically get it they have to go on your application form, however they don't have to sit the citizenship test or be interviewed. However, your older son will have to apply separately as I am guessing he is nolonger considered a child if he is at uni. He will have to sit the test, interview and meet the residency requirements. Good luck with it. Took me 13 years to get around to applying have my ceremony on Monday. Was very impressed as it only too, 7 weeks from posting my application to my ceremony date.

I didn't get asked any questions, they just checked my original documents I sent with my application and then I sat the test. The lady was very friendly and I was very impressed with the quickness of my application. 4/5/15 sent off application 22/5/15 sat citizenship test 28/5/15 citizenship approval ceremony set for 22/6/15. So it will be 7 weeks from start to finish.

Where in the mid north coast are you moving too Sharon I'm in Port Macquarie.

I emigrated on my own 13 years ago. Was 27 years old left my family and a great network of friends. Just couldn't stand working for the NHS. I remember leaving heathrow with all my friends waving me off and arriving in Sydney knowing nobody and not having anyone meet me from the airport. I had arranged temporary accommodation at the hospital I had been employed by but that was only for 3 months. I was sharing a hospital flat with an aussie radiographer and in the first two weeks we just seemed to pass each other as we both worked shift work. In my first two weeks it did feel pretty lonely visiting the sights on my own and I remember one evening feeling really teary thinking I had made a massive mistake. I remember plucking up the courage to ask my aussie flatmate (who I had only seen in passing) if she fancied going out in Sydney thankfully she agreed, I then learnt that she had only lived in Sydney for 2 weeks longer than me. Thankfully we built up a great friendship even her parents adopted me as their pomme daughter! It is nerve wracking but also exciting. But I look back now and think it was one of the best things I could have done. I have since married an aussie and have 3 kids. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my ups and downs, probably took 2-3 years to not feel homesick. I reckon you make more of an effort when you are on your own. I have found the Aussies to be very friendly warm and inviting. I was amazed at how the friends I met even their families wanted to make sure that i was welcome, my first Christmas was spent with 3 different families, Christmas Eve with one, Christmas Day with another. The parents of my aussie friends said that if their children were in the Uk they would hope british families would be the same towards them. just go for it, wish you all the best.

Australian citizens can only enter Australia on an australian passport. Irrespective of what other passports they hold.

Family day care can be a cheaper option. As you will not be entitled to child care rebate. How old are your children? Will you get permanant residency before any of your children start school.

Just watched a four corners documentary about farm work especially in Bunderberg. It was looking at how these farming business' contract out the employee work force to sub contractors. Some of these contractors were not paying the minimum wage to the workers. The farms would pay the contractors for the workers then the contractors would pay the workers. Just be mindfull that you are entitled to minimum wage of $21/hr, some of these contractors were paying $13-17/hr. I'm not saying don't work there as not all employers are going to be like that. But just be aware of your rights. I found this documentary to be very disturbing and shameful. However I am only influenced by what I watched on TV, but no experience in working in these areas. The fact that you have friends/relatives working in these areas be sure to sake them about pay and working conditions.

She is not entitled to NHS treatment, only urgent necessary treatment under reciprocal agreement until she has lived in the UK for at least a year. My kids are also dual citizens and not entitled to NHS. I am not complaining as I don't expect it as I have not paid taxes in UK for 13 years.

I don't think it is an option to apply from the UK as you are not allowed to be out of Australia longer than 90 days in the year prior to gaining citizenship. I did live in sydney for 4 years from 2002 till 2006. I then moved to the central coast and met more people in the first two months than I did in 4 years in Sydney. I now live in Port Macquarie which is beautiful, friendly town. Could never live in Sydney again, it is only when I left Sydney I realised how miserable I had become. I .look back now and have lots of aussie friends none of whom are from Sydney.

Learnt to drive in a manual in the UK. Not driven manual in 13 years though, hope it's like riding a bike as in you never forget!!!

I read it as 12 months accumulated with no more than 90 of those days being in the year prior to applying