darkstone1975

Well I just moved back a month ago, bringing a cat via dogtainers, cant speak highly of them in my case, they fly the pets via Qantas to uk I believe. I think their qoute was somewhere in the middle of the pack if i recall.

oh yeah packing as speak, arghh otherwise just hectic, Finally might have some work fingers crossed, 2 interviews literally the day after I get off the plane. House proving a little more problematic, there pretty much asking full yr rent up front WTF. anyway hopefully might have it sorted soon their offering 6 month contract funds up front and reassess afterwards always something to make life more challenging

Been a while since I looked in here, to many things to do and not enough time to do it, Great to see your made it over and settled. Only 12 more days before I make it back to blighty myself, elder made it over before she turned 18, so far so good except its oh so cold she goes. Rest of the ramble in may, never seen youngsters so excited.

I can only go by what immigration and the council both old me, because I as desperate to get a ceremony date, if they don't delay well that would be a bonous

I agree with Lady Raincorn, having just gone through the whole process myself. Experience tells me that if you are applying in October you can safely expect not to get a ceremony before Australia day. most applications with appointments and approval for ceremony can take 2 months, they say the process can take up to 3. Your supposed to notify them when ever you leave the country, and each time you do they will put the application on hold. i believe this will also apply to when they will give you a ceremony date. Depending on which council you fall under depends on how many often they carry out the ceremony. back waters might only 2-3 times a year. likes of Brisbane i hear can be nearly 1 every 1-2 months.

I can't remember where I saw it in the last day or so, but Bournemouth Brighton and Liverpool are supposed be the fast growing IT hotspots in the UK. Count out Liverpool, so leaves you with the other 2 Brighton can be a little chilly in the winter, but then so is every where in Uk But if you looking for probably the best weather then Cornwall and Devon Dorset tend to be pretty good all yr round and tends to be the least likely to snow as well. Bournemouth is in Dorset.

I've been advised they are entitled to home student fees up to and including the age of 18 in state schools or college. I have a daughter thats going to be doing a-levels starting 18, not sure what will happen when she turns 19 though yet to get confirmation on that one.

Passport does not require residency in Australia only thing stopping you getting passport is if you are a citizen, but to add, your not supposed to leave Australia with out an Australian passport if you are a citizen The citizenship process does though require you to be in the country. If at any point in the Citizenship process you exit the country you are supposed to notify them and the process is suspended till you return. I would dare say they could confirm based on your current passport that you left the country and when you returned.

@Aunt Agatha Who did you end up booking the cats with, just about to follow up on a few past Quotes, need to get our cat booked for a flight for around the same time as I plan to fly back which is looking like beginning of April, now that the wife and elder daughter got their visa and my citizenship has come through for Australia day.

I believe you can do it without passport, just birth certificate at the border is sufficient.. no visa required. but as others have said and what I have done is get kids their passports. simple and took me only 2 weeks from moment I put it in the post till I got back through my letter box

Just to chime in about the citizenship, I applied beginning of August 2014 I got approval for application about beginning of Nov. I'm still waiting for the letter from the council which is only issued up to 3 weeks before ceremony date. hoping I get mine within 2 weeks as I've been informed provisionally by Gov dept that I potentially booked in for Australia day. but till I get the letter that still not confirmed.

Well unless you got a real need to move I'd take it step by step.. see what happens with your new job its far easier to try your new job first than move back to the Uk to find another. If it doesn't work out when you can always take that next step and make a move back to the uk, I'm currently moving back to the uk, with my family the timing has kind of forced my hand to make the move now and even me wanting to move back to the uk and family supporting me, its also proving an adventure for them as they are Aussie born and never been out of the country. there is nothing harder than stepping back into the unknown, will I get a job, will i not what happens if I don't, finding its a highly scarey thought at the moment. the last week or two has had me thinking really hard wondering if I really am making the right decision, but then I have been wishing to move back to uk for yrs. what ever happens remember nothing is ever permanent, difficult maybe, and things can always change, and yes the grass is always greener, but depends on the grass, it might be family or could be work, might be the place you live, if we could have them all it be a perfect world, and I'm still waiting for one of them and I rather make a mistake, learning and moving on, than regret not taking a decision to do something.

Just about to submit ancestry visa applications for wife and daughter, something struck me as not making sense and hopping someone might have filled one of these in before. Employment and income section pic below goes on about living costs and accommodation, I'm assuming that means in uk.. but we are not there so what you supposed to do, enter 0 ? or is that what we currently spend, which seems strange since they can't assume that is what we would spend in uk. Hate feck up the application over one stupid section. only thing left I got to fill in.

Sounds like your plans are moving full steam ahead always good to hear. Curious how did your OH find the responses from employers, I'm assuming here you didn't have an official date for when you were returning. Still waiting for my citizenship ceremony date, so at the moment not sure which month I'll be heading back.

Seriously benefits abuse is just as bad over here as the uk. You just don't see sensationalised as much in the media here.