egrek

Seems I lied. My partner was told 6 weeks to bank her cheque of Oz money and none of the banks could tell her the charge?! Rip offs all around!

Just thought some people may find it interesting to hear we've done it and it worked and it's 38% NOW! And it's not easy!

So we have been back a few months now, but about 6 months since we left Australia and only tonight can I say I have my Super! The process is simple. You get the form from the ATO, fill it in and send it off. They come back saying yes, you've left and visa ended and forward it to your Superfund. The superfund then check details and give you back your money! In theory. Well we applied as soon as we left Australia - partly as we knew there was a 6 month timeframe to get it sorted. We were travlling around New Zealand. My partner gets an email saying she needs to get certified copies of everything and send them in. Not great when we're travelling but found a policeman who could help, if was bewildered why in the sounds, he was certifying UK docs for Oz reclaims! Send off and hear no more. So 3 months later we arrive back in the UK and start to chase - whats going on? My partner is told they send a letter and a cheque. Did we nto get them? No. I'm told they sent a letter - no emails - did I not get it? Somehow from 3 items posted, none reach our shores? (and yes, they both had the right address) Some chasing and hassle and a cheque is reissued and my partner gets hers. Mine? Well I get told a list of items I needed to get certified and then sent off. Certified, on the whole, by Autralian professionals (not easy when you're not in Oz) - but I manage it, send them off. Nothing. Thus I begin to call once a week. They had the documents but now they sent them to another department who needed another form. And email was recieved telling me with with 'the form attached' (nothing was attached). Replying got me no where. When I asked the 'financial support' I was told I 'had to do the process' - the fact there was no £$£$%$£%$£ing attachment seemed to bypass this simple instruction. Pointing this out. No reply. When I finally called and got through to someone I was told I needed to fill in the form. Can they send it? Yes. Could I get it online (as there seemed to be a 30 min delay from them sending emails to me getting them - i know as I wouldn't let the guy off the phone till I got it). And no. You can't search for this mythical form as it's not availiable online. Brialliant. Finally get it and find my 2 month delay is for me to fill in my name, address and sign. Obviously this couldn't have been sent and requested with all the other information I sent in. Nor could they process my claim without me writing out ALL THE SECURITY INFORMATION THEY ASK ME ON EVERY GADDAM CALL! So 2 months of chasing a form with nothing new on. Still. It's sent. Then nothing. I call up again. "They have it and no one is doing anything with it". What? Even the girl on the other end seemed a bit confused. "I can see you have sent in everything, just no one has checked or looked at your emails and information" ... At this point it was 'escalated' (I didn't have much faith 5 months after I started at this point) But 2 days later it seems it was sorted. The 38% tax rate (checked, that's what is is now) is removed and the money put into my bank (not all need to be cheques sent to the UK it seems - though my partner was told her Super couldn't put it in a Australian account) Not that anyone said anything. I had emailed. No response. When I called to try and speak to a manager at this point I'm first told my account is closed. Closed? Apparently a letter was sent out (probably never get it if it's anything like the initial ones) and all the requests I made in email, letter and on the phone - to be emailed and notified if ANYTHING happened with my account - were more wasted time and words. But it's done. Just need to transfer the last bit home and we're done with the AUD! Seems you CAN get your super back, but with varying degrees of chasing and hassle. And we both needed docs signed and verified before anything would go on. Not quite as easy as they make out! AMP. Can't say I recommend them. But being home, same crap here. Idiots in positions of power screwing up our lives. Have a good xmas all! One less pile of cr@p for me to stress over now (but plenty of others)

Hello all A friend was told they had 2 weeks notice at a place on a 457 visa, having been there over a year. They handed in their notice, agreeing verbally on the 2 weeks notice in their resignation meeting. They have now been told they actually don't have 2 weeks but 4 weeks notice (from their initial contract). Added fun: they have also signed a further contract with an update to all roles, which (we believe) states 2 weeks notice. This is because everyone else in the workplace (Australian) have 2 weeks notice. 1) Can they have a different notice period for 457 as other workers? My readings of this: "You are entitled to fair pay and to basic rights and protections in the workplace. Your sponsor must provide you with the same terms and conditions as Australian workers performing the same work in the same workplace." (http://www.immi.gov.au/faqs/Pages/what-are-my-rights-as-a-worker.aspx) Is that the terms and conditions (eg notice period) must be the same as everyone else working there. So here I'd assume it's 2 weeks notice. Other options: 2) When resigning they asked their notice period, the manager said it was 2 weeks and accepted (verbally) - does this stand up? I know a resignation has to be in writing, but does an acceptance? Here I am unsure if it would be the 2 weeks verbally agreed or the 4 weeks when agreed in writing. 3) Assuming the new contract does state 2 weeks and it doesn't say it supercedes the previous contract - they are saying as the initial contract was done with a 457, it was for the longer notice and so that remains in place. Can they do that? They appears to be picking and choosing what they want from each (I know we need to find the contract and check) 4) If the new contract says it does supercede previous documents (which the first one states) and it has 2 weeks notice. I would assume it should be the new contract and so 2 week notice (unless there is a rule where the longer notice period takes priority? Maybe?). To me number 1 seems their best bet? (otherwise we really need to find the contract!) Number 2 is possibility. 3 & 4 depend on the contract. Any help advice, or best - links! appreciated. Too much information to read through it all! (at least I am unemployed with time!)

Plenty of people staying too I'm sure! We're moving out of a place and a 'relocation agent' is coming to see it. Anywhere and everywhere you can have boss and colleague troubles. But true - not as easy to just leave. Though I have found people in Oz more likely to keep to themselves. Most Aussies stay in the same place and so have their friends from school they keep in touch with. They don't need new friends. So meeting Aussies can be a mission in itself - maybe foreigners and expats all seem to meet each other. Not saying you can't meet Aussies, just it seems to be a minority of the people we meet! Can you not move over and try the job for a few months before the rest of your family come over? (depends if you've a family or just you and your partner) Back to OP - History is another thing you could say we miss. Things like castles and old buildings and the like. But to be fair, we hardly went around them in the UK! Having a place close to go on holiday can be an issue. There are planety of places to see in Oz, but we prefer foerign lands, and they are all a lot further away than Europe is to UK!

Yes - Cadburies in the UK is better than Oz (we assume due to the need of a higher melting point in Oz? So it's not jsut liquid on the shelves!) And European (German?) M&M's are better than the one in Oz (no idea if european ones include UK?) - but our Oz friends bought back a suitcase of M&Ms when they visited after being amazed there was a difference (and such a difference) - I'd never know it till they told me There are plenty of chocolatiers in Oz. But good quality chocolate from chocolate shops seems good around the world! We really like in Melbourne, the Chocolait cafe. You can get a drinking shot of belgian chocolate for $7 and it's sooooo good! ... we got to try the eating choc shot for $8 next. (and when they say 'shot' they mean glass - we normally share ours) 'English' Pubs are missed, but then there are some of those in Melbourne if you know where to look (we like the Sherlock Holmes) And you can get some of the ales there (hobgoblin is the one I remember) In the same way people miss home, they bring it here - so everyone can get a taste of home. I've heard there is a 'UK' or 'English' shop around - where you can buy UK cadburies and various UK sweet brands. Not had the need to go myself. But other friends love it (no idea where it is) I thought I'd reply with places we recommend! Ahhh! Indian curries! (and by that I mean proper English-Indian curries!) The curries here are too... authentic! Taste more like India than Leicester! But it's not all bad - the cheaper places here seem to have curry that tastes a little more like home (and being more authentic - I assume they are healthier than the UK curries!

Xmas seems to be a new one The cold and darkness, carol singers and pubs! Xmas isn't the same here. Still. Not many places you can go and see bikini babes with santa hats on playing in the sea! Silver linings and clouds. I think if you're making Australia a home, you'll always be able to find things better and worse. And that will be different for each person. So look around and work out what you miss - then see what you've got and decide if you're in the right place or not Oh. And real cadburys chocolate. It just doesn't taste quite right here. Apparently it's true for M&M's too.