Lostlily

I see your confusion, but someone asked me to explain the tax implications and that is all I was doing. As I said, money is not the problem here, just a fact. The problem I have is breaking my daughters heart.

Sadly I completely agree with you!

Yes that is a fact, we still actually physically hold our UK driving licences, but they are worse than useless. Honestly I spent two weeks in the UK last year trying to sort out this very problem. I have just copied this from British Expats.com [TABLE=class: tborder, width: 100%, align: center] [TR] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: alt1, bgcolor: #F9F9F9]yes you cant drive, so you are not exchanging your licence. i would not drive on your uk licence in the uk, as you are not resident so if you were to have an accident and they found out you were not a resident then they would not pay up etc. its a grey area really. but as a non resident your uk licence is not valid. [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=class: alt2, bgcolor: #F9F9F9] But Please! Do not take my word for this, get on to to the DVLA at Swansea to confirm the facts for yourselves. [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

I totally sympathise with you here Tina. What many many people are unaware of is the "Geneva Convention" which of course applies worldwide. This is a typical scenario, nice young couple partner up and/or not get married. Think that the standards are slipping in the UK and decide to migrate to Australia or anywhere else for that matter. They can see there are more opportunities (agreed) their kids would have a better life etc. BUT they are not thinking ahead! How many relationships break down 1 in 3? probably more I am not sure. But unfortunately this is just a fact of modern day life. Lets say e.g. that the guy is a bully or unfaithful, or vice versa. The relationship splits......and e.g. the one who has custody of the children feels totally lost and alone and wishes to return to the UK for family support. Well as you have found out, this is not going to be possible if the other party does not agree. I strongly feel that this should be pointed out in the vast quantities of literature which you have to trail through to get a visa to come here. So very sad but so very common

Really? Well I will do a bit of googling, because we tried everything as we had offers right left and centre from friends to borrow their cars, but we just couldn't get the insurance. Will let u know how I get on.......

I know this sounds unbelievable, but it is true. My husband even phoned the powers that be in Swansea and was told the same. You can probably google the information. In fact the insurance companies in the UK have even changed their stance on unused garaged vehicles, you used to only have to insure them if they were on the road, but that is no longer the case. And as for the old "any driver" policies, they are invalid unless you have a current UK licence, which we do, but apparently they are now cancelled because we are not "resident". BS isn't it!

I see your point, but I so miss my family there and vice versa. It is painful each year, but there is happiness alongside the sorrow.

My husband is sad for me, but he now has health issues that he feels are better taken care of here than in the UK, I have explained in a post a bit further below.

It is more complicated than that. You see, I have a grown up daughter here who has now married an Aussie and has children. Both of my daughters were pressured (unfairly) by us to move out here, one of them went back to the UK due to a marriage break up and her new partner would NEVER consider leaving his family as they are very close. They now have a child too. But even if I did persuade my husband to go back, my daughter here would feel totally betrayed, I know that for fact. We are now semi retired and have our income from investment properties and some in a SMSF. I wouldn't like anyone to think that I am putting money first, but our income from our SMSF is tax free, this would not be the case if we were in the UK. Also we would lose so much tax relief on our investment properties that we just couldn't afford to make it work and the final point, which some may see as totally trivial is that there are no death duties here, but if we were in the UK our worldwide assets would be subject to death duties. That to me is not the most important thing, money is not my main interest, but breaking peoples hearts is.

I see where you are coming from and I have to admit I was blazing somewhat when I wrote my post. BUT Nobody gave me a job when I came here, we set up our own business and actually employed quite a few Australians. Also my husband loves it here and I love him, so I am not prepared to break up a happy marriage to live permanently back in the UK. Last year we went back for 6 months, I have to say for me it did feel like home. We tried to do something positive for the happiness of both of us, but you wouldn't have a clue how very difficult it is if e.g.. you try to buy a small property and a car there and spend 6 months in each place. We were banging our heads against a brick wall and coming up with numerous obstacles. As soon as you own a property there there are severe and I mean seriously severe tax implications which for us made it unviable. Same problem if you lease somewhere, for tax purposes you are considered "UK resident" if you have a place available there to stay. We thought ok, we will buy a car, as it is so expensive to hire one there for a long period, but apparently you cannot hire or buy a car there long term, because you cannot get insurance as once you have an Australian driving licence, you are considered to have surrendered your UK drivers licence. You need a UK drivers licence to get the insurance, the only way to do that is to surrender your Australian driving licence. In previous years, friends or relatives lent us a car and we were put on as an extra driver, that is no longer possible. So please don't just assume I have been whinging for the last 3 years and made no effort to find a solution. Admitted I am now depressed, I guess I just want to warn people to think of the long term consequences of migration. So in the end we hired a car through an Australian website, the whole situation was crazy. I am sorry if I have offended anybody, but I guess we all lose it occasionally and I lost it the other night. There are many regrets, things we take for granted like not seeing extended family. Terrible loneliness, missing people you have taken for granted your whole lives. I go back every year, so I am realistic enough to know how the UK has changed So that is it really.

Actually I am living in a really nice suburb, but that doesn't protect me from ignorant bogan attitudes!!

Actually i am living in a very nice suburb. But sadly it doesn't take away my sadness that one daughter has gone back t the UK because of a broken relationship and the other one has stayed here with an Aussie (who is a decent person) but she still resents the pressure put on her when she was young to come out here, because she has now lost her sister, who has gone back and a of the extended family. I am not here to have a poke at anyone, just perhaps to make you think a little ahead of the consequences of your choices.Not just in the short term, but maybe in the long term????

Well I wouldn't stay here if it was not for me encouraging my kids to come over and seeing Australia as some sort of magic bulletin! But unfortunately for me one did partner up with an an Australian, although she wold still say we wished she hadn't come here. But she is trying to make the best of it. I feel so dreadfully guilty that I encouraged my two daughters to come here, one has gone back and I dearly miss her so much, but the other one is basically stuck here......all my fault!!!!

Oh well, I have received a notification that my message s too short, are they taking the piss???? I have been here in WA for about 15 years. Yeah sure it is great if you want to drive to the local supermarket with no hassle. BUT there are so many disadvantages. No 1 Australia is full of very ignorant people (otherwise known as bogans) No 2 The weather is certainly better than in the UK, but that takes away from our excitement of going somewhere warm for 2 weeks p a. No 3 Everyone here try's to outdo others with their disgusting Mac Mansions, which are totally tasteless. No $ Once your house is about 30 years old, everybody will give u grief unless u knock it down and build a new one. Sooo environmentally unfriendly! No 6 As I was told when I came over, there are more sharks on the land than in the sea. No 7 Don't forget for 1 minute to underestimate the sadness (on both sides) of leaving your family. No 8 This place is not and will never be home. No 9 If you choose to take this path, like I did.....Think about what you are leaving behind. IE your heritage, your family and the love and support that you can give to them and also remember that if one or two of your children marries/partners with an Aussie you are stuck! No 10 Don't always convince yourselves that you can go back, because it is not always that easy. And on a final note, if you love shopping malls and hate independent retailers, you may think this is great. But I for one have no interest in Big Brother Business and it has got seriously expensive to live here. I do believe it will get worse. Basically this is not a great place to live ad until my dying day I truly regret coming here. I think I would have been better off in Southern Ireland (I am not Irish by the way) where people are lovely and intelligent. Tread your own path, but think of the long term repercussions. I seem to have missed out on no 5, but never mind I am sure most of you will get the gist lol.