Sarahelle

SKW I've been here since September 2010 and I'll be able to apply for citizenship next year I think. I think we'll be here for at least another 3 years - a lot depends on what happens with the immigration rules regarding me being able to take my Australian fiance and daughter with me to the UK as unless they change we're here for the foreseeable future Good luck with everything, you must be so excited!

I agree with 3FatCats, if I was told I could go home in 6 months I'd be giddy! Seriously though, I know time does drag when you're waiting for something good to happen, but I'm sure packing and organising everything will take up a large chunk of time. My fiance is Australian, hence my baby girl is Australian so I'll be getting citizenship when I can, but I must say, I wouldn't be overly keen to move back here if I manage to escape in the first place, lol, I just want to keep our options open for the future. Isn't it funny how people wanting/waiting to go home always refer to their time here as if they're coming to the end of a prison sentence.

I've been in Queensland for 3 and a half years and I've only ever seen Huntsman spiders. Since we moved to Redcliffe nearly 3 years ago, I've only seen one and actually, since we got a cat, I haven't seen a single spider or insect in the house apart from ants, not even one single cockroach. I do hate cockroaches, they make my skin crawl but Huntsmans have an unfair reputation - yes, they're big, but they won't hurt you, they're more likely to run away from you! I feel quite bad for the poor things, they only come in to get out of the heat or cold, like most spiders

Thanks so much for your support and lovely messages ladies, it's good to know there are others who feel the same way. I'm sorry to hear about your situation Ewok. I have read about the applications being put on hold too, I'm hoping for something positive to come out of it because I know this ruling has split an awful lot of families up - it just seems so unfair and ridiculous to expect the Brit partner to live and work in the UK for 6 months as well as having the set income, and us being stay at home mums means it's impossible as we'd have to work full time to earn that. Let's hope and pray something good comes out of it. We've looked into the ancestry line but there's nothing doing and the thing is that DF actually had IRL but because we haven't been able to make it back the the UK since 2011, it has expired which is extremely frustrating! How I wish he had applied for citizenship but I don't think at the time he thought that he would want to go back to live there. I've read that they won't renew it unless you can prove a strong link to the UK but that being married to a British citizen, having children and even owning property there won't cut it. If they aren't strong enough ties, I'd like to know exactly what are. I won't give up, there has to be some way. We've given ourselves 3 more years here which I know seems like a long time, but if we're going to be working on a way back home, it'll be totally worth it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too Ewok

Hey all, I don't really know where to start...the beginning, I guess... So how did I end up in Australia? I met my Australian fiance back in November 2008 and knew pretty much straight away that he was 'the one', the fact that he was aussie and might want to return home one day didn't even really register in my head, I just got caught up with the first flushes of love, so when we had only been together for a few months and he told me that he wanted to go home after 8 years in the UK and wanted me to go with him, I was pretty freaked out but we talked about it and decided to give it a go. We moved in together in 2009 after a year together and no sooner had we signed the lease when he lost his contract and found himself out of work for 6 months which brought our Australia plans closer but to be honest, we didn't plan it very well at all. We just booked the flights, landed in Oz in September 2010 and moved in with his parents for a few months. DF got a job and we've moved around a bit but are still in Brisbane. So now it's getting on for 4 years and since we've been here, we got engaged in 2012 and now have a 4 month old baby girl and I love my little family to bits. Unfortunately, every day more that I'm here, I like it less and less. It was never my dream to come here, to be honest I would have been happy to live in the UK forever - I had a nice job, lovely friends and family and most importantly, a life. I honestly feel that my life stopped as soon as I got off the plane, and while I adore my DF and DD so much, I just seem to exist. My DF and I have spoken about it a few times and he's told me that he doesn't want to stay here either and quite often tells me how homesick he is for Britain. I was so proud of myself for moving to another country and being strong enough to do it when all my friends didn't think I would, but now and especially since I had my little girl, I think about going home all the time but the problem is, I can't. I can't find a way to get my Australian partner and daughter back to the UK through all the red tape UK Immigration now has and I feel completely trapped and destined to be unhappy here for goodness knows how long. I know that for some people this is the dream and feel so ungrateful that I'm a PR here in this beautiful country with it's glorious sunshine, but I guess the heart wants what it wants. All I can do is hope that either we can somehow get our hands on pots full of cash, or that the rules change again, otherwise I'm here indefinitely. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if I had known how difficult it was going to become to return to my homeland, I would have thought long and hard about it, we might have not even come here at all but foolishly, I thought it would only be for a couple of years and what makes me feel even worse is that my parents only grandchild is thousands of miles away from them and they're missing her grow up - it truly does break my heart. Thanks for listening. Sorry if I've rambled on a bit, but it is nice to get it all off my chest. Sarah xx

No unfortunately he doesn't. He didn't apply for citizenship then because he had split with his ex-wife (British) and was going to come back to Oz never to return...or so he thought, lol. I wish he had though, it would have saved so much trouble & I wish I had realised what letting his ILR lapse would have meant, but honestly I just thought it would be a case of getting a spouse visa like I did here. We can't afford to move yet anyway - we'll have to see what happens.

Okay, I'll do that. Thanks guys x

Hey all, wonder if anyone is particularly knowledgeable about this... I understand the new financial laws regarding taking a non-European spouse to the UK, me being a British Citizen and DF being Australian. I was wondering if anyone knows whether they would take into consideration the fact that my fiance lived and worked in the UK for 8 years, obviously paying taxes all the while he was there and had Indefinite Right to Leave until it expired last year since we have not been able get back to the UK for a visit. I guess I am being optimistic about this, but I really would like to go home in the future and be able to take my little family with me. I, along with thousands of other people, feel ostracised from Britain, which is sad. Thanks for any help, Sarah x

You can apply for a spouse visa, but you also still have to meet the financial requirements - [h=3]How much income do I need to have?[/h] You must have an income of at least £18,600. If you are sponsoring a child as well as a partner you will need an income of at least £22,400. For each additional child being sponsored you will need an additional income of £2,400. For example, if you are you are bringing 2 children with you to the United Kingdom, you must have and income of £22,400 and £2,400 for the additional child, so a total of £24,800. You will be required to provide documents to show that you can meet the financial requirement. The way you meet the requirement will be different, depending on whether you are applying from inside or outside the UK. I believe you (British Citizen) have to have been working in the UK for 6 months prior to your fiancee being able to live there, or you have to have substantial savings of up to 65k GPB. Hope you find a way - they certainly have made it very tricky xx

Hello people, I hope someone can help. My fiancée (Australian) and I came to Brisbane in September 2010. I was on a tourist visa and so was unable to work or claim any kind of benefit. My partner applied for and was granted Newstart allowance, which he only claimed from October to November as he got a job. Today he received a letter from centrelink saying he was overpaid by $1800 as he was in a de facto relationship and they want this repaid by January 20th. As I stated before I was not working nor able to claim anything. Please can anyone tell me why my Australian citizen fiancée was not entitled to newstart payments based on this. I had no savings here either. Any help on this would be very greatly appreciated, Thanks in advance, Sarah

I'm in the same position as you guys - I'm British, fiancee is Australian and therefore cannot return to the UK unless we comply with requirements, even more difficult now because I have a baby so can't go back for 6 months to get a job! Good luck, I hope you manage to find a way around this. Now this has happened, I feel I'm not welcome in my homeland. Sad.

Nor me, I sweated my arse off while putting my Christmas tree up today - it was soo hot in Redcliffe. This is my 4th Christmas here and I still don't feel the festive spirit, I guess it doesn't help that we're not doing presents this year and having seafood for Christmas lunch, lol. I'm hoping to be home for it next year for the first time since we left, and haven't been home in nearly 3 years. Maybe try putting on some Wham and The Pogues and drinking lots of wine x

Snifter, that's interesting about residents who had indefinite leave to remain. My partner had this but it has lapsed - however he was there for 8 years. The problem is that he would need his old passport and I'm not sure where it is. But then it does say he would need strong family ties or to have lived there most of his life so it may not work. I really hope they change the rules on this eventually, it's crazy that you can live and work anywhere else in the EU but your home country, as Scottydoy357 said.

Yes I think so. UK Immigration has clamped down in case of Marriage of Convenience.

Thanks guys. Yes, I guess we'll have to start saving. The real irony of it is that my partner's ex-wife was English, he lived in the UK for 8 years and had indefinite leave to remain but because we haven't been able to make it back to the UK since March 2011, it has since expired as you have to return every 2 years for it to be valid! I'm so kicking myself that we let it lapse! Like you guys Chicken66, it just never occurred to me that it would be any more difficult than getting a spouse visa! All I can hope is that so many people complain about it they change the rules again. I really never saw myself living my entire life here and since the baby arrived, I seem to get more and more homesick every day. I will be getting our daughter dual citizenship for sure. I can understand why they have done it, but they could at least be a little more lenient to couples who have been together for a number of years and have children. Same to you, good luck with everything, I feel so bad for you guys. Let's hope something comes along xx

I can, but I can't bring my Australian fiancee with me to live without having had a job earning 18,600 or possibly 22k for at least 6 months.

Yes, as English as you can get

Hey all, It's been a while since I posted here but I've been pondering on one day returning to the UK to live and was looking into how easy it would be. I've been a bit out of touch with goings on there so I was kind of freaked out to discover that UK Immigration have made it now nearly impossible for people with Australian (or any other nationality) partners, to return to live. I believe I would have to have either secured a job earning 18-19K or else have savings of 65K. Both of which are impossible for me as I've just had a baby, and as for the savings, forget it! My fiance doesn't have any relations of UK ancestry either. Is any one else rather alarmed by this? My dreams of one day returning to the UK to live have been shattered and I hate to say it, but I now feel trapped in Australia. Don't get me wrong, I like living here but now I feel I can never go home. Your opinions on this would be welcomed. Sarah xx

Thanks guys x

Hello lovely people, Just wanted to let you know that I was granted my 801 visa last week and am now officially a permanent resident! It feels good! All in all it took more or less exactly two years - I submitted my Partner Visa application in Brisbane on 27 May 2011, was granted my temporary visa last August and it only took two months after submitting my second stage paperwork to be granted. Not bad at all. I must say, I didn't have any issues with Immigration and they were very helpful when I needed them which included asking for permission to work while on a Bridging Visa. Good luck to everyone out still waiting for theirs, it will happen eventually:biggrin: Sarah x x

Hell yeah! Bisto gravy, marmite (of course) and just recently Coleman's mint sauce, it's soo nice. Bisto is my most frequent purchase though I was giddy with excitement to see they had chicken & mushroom Pot Noodles a while ago - I was a big pot noodle fan when I was younger - but I just couldn't bring myself to spend nearly $4 on one, lol.

No unfortunately, just posted.

Hey guys, I have (another) problem. It would seem that I've lost my visa grant letter for my 820 partner visa and I need it for Centrelink reasons. I last had it to get my new Medicare card and I can't believe I was stupid enough to not put it somewhere safe like it was before. Is there any way at all I can get another one or is that it?? Thanks for any help, Sarah x

I fdid the same as Aussie Girl Bay - I sent the completed application to my parents - they wrote the cheque out for me and sent it on and I reiumbursed them.

Great posts! But...oh dear, I really shouldn't read them, they make me terribly homesick! Hope all goes well for you! xx