InnerVoice

The retirement properties we've looked at so far have been on reasonably-sized plots, which although much smaller than the average Australian house are still pretty comfortable for two people. They were also advertised as having no entry or exit fees, although I'm sure others do. Listings tend to be pretty comprehensive about what is and isn't included, and my gut instinct is that if the listing is incomplete then the agent is probably hiding something. The possibility of dodgy neighbours is a cause for concern wherever you live, although I'd suspect it's less of an issue in an over-50s community - and there's a process to address it in Queensland. https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/housing-options-in-retirement/retirement-villages/steps-to-resolve-dispute-retirement

Thanks, that's a great explanation. Our next move will most likely be into a residential retirement complex, or 'over-50s living' as they like to call it here. Some of the accommodation is superb and nothing like 'old folks places' they have in the UK. As a sweeping generalisation based on the one's we've looked at, you pay a weekly rent or site fee of around $200/week (although this is about $140/week if you're on an Aged pension and can get a rebate). Although this works out at $10k/annum, you don't usually pay for water, council rates, or body corporate fees, so there's several thousand you're saving straight away. There isn't usually any stamp duty on the purchase either, so that's another big saving. They say that sometimes they can be hard to sell on, but less face it, that's probably going to be someone else's problem. All in all they seem like a pretty good deal when the time is right.

That might be the case nowadays but I completed my degree 30 years ago, before the nanny state kicked and stopped students doing anything remotely risky/interesting/fun without someone signing off on a risk assessment. We did tonnes of practical work including wiring a ring circuit from scratch, making PCBs, programming PLCs, soldering etc, not to mention we all did an industrial placement. It was really enjoyable - wish I'd stuck with rather than going into teaching!

It doesn't sound like they do from the small print on their website... We work in cooperation with immigration consultants and lawyers with over 10 years of experience in the field who are registered on the Government website (MARA), the organization receives regular updates on the latest immigration programs and the news in order to assure all applications are handled under the current laws and regulations. https://australia-express.com/home/about/

I've lived in Queensland for over 20 years so I'm au fait with the law on this matter - and yes, it is draconian. If the job involves repairs to the electrical infrastructure in my house then I always use a qualified electrician even though I'm quite capable of doing it myself. I'll admit that I still do a few small jobs, like changing a plug on the particle accelerator in the shed - the one that powers the DeLorean - and I've not ended up black, crinkly, and dangling from the ceiling like a Tasmanian electrician would do. What's life without a few risks??

I've a degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering so I can probably manage a plug.

We were messing around with a plug, not electricity, and we were supervised by an adult - even back in those days. It's amazing how many people don't understand the first thing about electricity and electrical appliances, and treat it like it's some fearful mystical force.

Covid didn't restrict thousands of people returning to Australia during the pandemic. Our borders were never closed to citizens, and to those with PR like yourself. Caring for a sick family member although very admirable isn't going to help your cause, and if anything demonstrates stronger ties to the UK not Australia. There's also a big difference between a job offer and 'an offer of employment when I arrive'. The latter sounds like something concocted to get the RRV. They are going to expect to see a contract of employment, or at the very least a letter from the employer offering you a position. To echo everyone else's advice get an RMA on board or you might blow your one chance of getting back here, and $465 to boot.

Back in the day I had a number of friends who came over on WHVs (including one who was a nurse), who were able to move on to substantive visas when their WHV ended through an offer of employment. The nurse worked up in Darwin for 3-4 years. I never asked any of them what visa they were on but in all cases they eventually returned to the UK and Ireland, so I assume they were temporary. I'm rather curious to know easy/difficult it is to get sponsorship from being on a WHV or tourist visa these days, and if there's a clear pathway that can eventually lead to PR.

There isn't any loophole. Their NHS pension would fall under the income test, not the assets test. As per your link... Income streams include: defined benefit pensions paid from public sector superannuation schemes Australian super is counted as an asset by Centrelink because essentially it's just a pot of money. You've already paid tax on it, and in most cases you can access it all tax-free when you reach your preservation age. UK pensions are different because they haven't yet been taxed. In most cases you can take a lump sum up to 25% tax-free in the UK, but that money is subject to tax in Australia. Once you've paid tax on it, it would then be deemed an asset. The remainder of the pension (and this is the part I'm not entirely sure on) would be classed as an income stream because the beneficiary receives regular monthly payments, but has no access to the rest of the fund. A further consideration is the lump sum amount that can be taken will vary depending on which NHS scheme the beneficiary is in (1995, 2008 Section or 2015), as explained in the following document. https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2023-03/NHSPensions_RetirementGuide_(V26)_202303.pdf Given that the OP is probably also entitled to received the UK state pension - another income stream - it would be worth them getting some professional tax-planning advice.

@sammy11480 rammygirl is correct. If you've only lived in Australia since gaining your PR then you don't need to obtain a Police Certificate (UK or Australian). "My bad", as the young ones say!

You can't transfer an NHS pension to a super fund in Australia, so I'm reasonable confident (although I wouldn't bet my house on it) that it isn't classed as an asset and it's only the income stream that's taxable. There are other members who know the ins and outs much better than I do, so hopefully they will comment too.

Sorry, I wasn't implying that your desktop was the cause of the problem (they don't draw much current at all). I just like quoting 'fun facts' from time to time Glad your dodgy landlord got his comeuppance!

Most people are aware that the domestic supply voltage (230-240V) here is the same as it is in the UK, and think that all you need to do is change the plug and their UK appliances will work. It most cases that's true. However, a lesser-known fact is that the standard socket-outlet in Australia allows a maximum current of 10A, as opposed to 13A in the UK, so if your UK appliance draws more than 10 amps then it won't work properly here.

I can see that would be a better way of watching Australian TV. ABC and SBS are the only channels I've ever watched too. I don't really enjoy watching the news or current affairs programmes to be honest, and would rather hop on the Internet and read it on the BBC, Reuters or Aljazeera websites. It's less timing-consuming - and less biased. When you buy a Firestick there are instructions on how to install it. It plugs into an HDMI socket and then you change your TV's input source to whichever socket you've chosen, so it overrides the menu system on your TV. You will find most of the apps you want to use are already preloaded on the Firestick, but you can download others and update any that are out of date. Before you do any of that you'll need to have an Amazon account, and create a username and password for any of the apps you want to use (I'm sure you're aware of all this).

@sammy11480 one thing you're going to need is an Overseas penal clearance certificate (Police Certificate) from any country you have lived in for 12 months in the last 10 years, for anyone 17 and over. I assume that you lived in the UK before you moved to Australia, so you will need to obtain Police Certificates from the ACRO. This can take 4-6 weeks because even though you can apply online, they need to post the physical certificate to you from the UK - there is no digital alternative. If you want to speed up your application then I suggest applying for your Police Certificates now. They are valid for 12 months from the date of issue, so they will still be valid when you come to apply for citizenship next January. Hope this helps. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our-requirements/character https://acro.police.uk/s/

I think that was pre-Brexit, wasn't it? Didn't you ever consider moving to Spain or Portugal like a lot of Brits do in retirement, rather than returning to Australia?

I'd say he handled the situation well at the start but dropped the ball towards the end. Your borders stayed shut long for no apparent reason, months after the rest of us were enjoying life under the new normal. His record on climate change was abysmal, although I'm sure he was very popular with anyone and everyone who doesn't give a F about the environment, just as long as they are getting rich.

As @Neil B said, the terrestrial TV here is absolutely dire and I'd even go as far as saying that if you watch too much of it you'll starting thinking negatively about Australia. I sometimes watch SBS for the football, but that's about it. An Amazon Firestick for $50 will ensure you've got most of the TV apps you need, and you can download the rest. Subscribe to a decent VPN (not a free one) and you can watch UK catch-up TV and some live events on iPlayer etc, if you wish. We use NordVPN and there's even an app on Firestick for that, so it's really easy to use. If you change your country using the VPN you'll get a different selection of programs on Netflix, which is very handy. If your UK TV is less than 50", I'd consider selling it and buying a new one here. We still have a 42" Samsung which we shipped over. We used it for a while, but our rooms are much bigger here so I bought a 55" TV shortly afterwards. Unfortunately, because it's a UK TV no one here will be interested in buying it and I don't want to dispose of it because it's a really good TV, so it's just sat behind the sofa gathering dust.

I got the impression that Mark McGowan is a bit of a fruit-loop, not that I'm any fan of Daniel Andrews! Thanks for that - you've made it sound appealing. I like to see a few hills here and there and we have that over here on the East Coast, but my recollection of Perth is that it's rather flat and a bit dry. I like the fact that it's much closer to Asia and going on holidays to the rest of the world is easier, and a bit cheaper. However, that doesn't seem to be a good enough reason in itself to move there, and is probably a bit like saying one likes the UK because it's close to Europe.

Yes, and for future reference you may also find the following link useful for checking your movements in/out of Australia. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/departmental-forms/online-forms/request-international-movement-records

Yes, I think you do. I applied for my wife's RRV about a year or so ago, and recall having to take that additional time overseas into consideration. If you haven't been resident for the full two years you will almost certainly be granted a 1 year RRV, which would be rather annoying considering the cost is currently $465. If you're granted the 5-year one then that should tie you over until you get your citizenship, assuming that's you intention to apply. For the record, it only took a couple of days from when I applied until my wife getting her RRV. Processing times will vary based on individual circumstances of course, but this one seems like a rubber stamp job if you're onshore. In answer to your second question, no that shouldn't be an issue - just as long as you don't have a penchant for base-jumping, or some other high risk sport that might put you in traction for 6 weeks overseas.

The TRBWA website is a little vague on the matter. It seems that the Provisional pathway is for new or recently-qualified AUS or NZ teachers, and the process for overseas-qualified teachers is slightly different (see link below). I would assume that once you're registered you will receive Provisional registration based on how it works here in Queensland. After you've completed the teaching requirement (100 days in the 5 years for WA) you can then apply for Full registration. It's about 12 years since I went through the process in QLD as an overseas-trained teacher, but I recall Full registration being a formality once I'd met the teaching requirement. I noticed the processing time is 10 weeks, so definitely something you'd want to start before you arrive. https://www.trb.wa.gov.au/Teacher-Registration/Becoming-registered/Overseas-qualified-teachers

In addition to the above list you will also need a Tax File Number (TFN) to give to your employer, which is similar to the NI Number you have in the UK. I don't know which (if any) of these things you can apply for from abroad but I wouldn't sweat too much, it doesn't take that long to get them on arrival. Your teacher registration will take a bit longer depending on which state you want to work in, so it's worth looking into that in advance. It took me about 6 weeks to get registered in QLD, but that was back in 2011. I was also registered in NSW for a while although I've never taught there, and they had a completely different set of hoops to jump through. Below is a list of the teacher registration bodies for each state/territory, which I hope is helpful. I will stick my neck out here and say you will have absolutely no problem finding a teaching job in any state at any time of the year, as there's a significant teacher shortage Australia-wide at the moment. You may well have to accept a contract first, but the conditions of employment and entitlements are usually the same as for permanent staff (except for the end date). If I was you I'd be a bit choosy and not jump at the first thing that's offered or you might find yourself in some hell-hole doing country service for 3 years, which is okay for the younger ones but probably not what you'd want to be doing with a young family. New South Wales (NSW): Teacher Registration Authority (TRA) Website: NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Victoria (VIC): Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) Website: Victorian Institute of Teaching Queensland (QLD): Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) Website: Queensland College of Teachers South Australia (SA): Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (TRB) Website: Teachers Registration Board of South Australia Western Australia (WA): Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) Website: Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia Tasmania (TAS): Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania (TRB) Website: Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania Northern Territory (NT): Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory (TRBNT) Website: Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory Australian Capital Territory (ACT): ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) Website: ACT Teacher Quality Institute

The teaching route is probably your best bet of getting in at the moment, and I would do what @Quoll suggested and submit your qualifications for assessment. If acceptable, they are likely to request further information in a very specific way, so you're better finding out what they want first before approaching the universities where you completed your qualifications.