toOZ2012

@Julian927 I think the term is fixed for 5 years(at least it was the case when my parents did it a few years ago). You may have to call CBA to re-fix.

Yeah, the same job is keeping him there. I'll ask him to look into applying for PR again and go through the whole process. If he is really committed to moving here then I suppose that's the price to pay.

No such luck - he got an offer overseas that he couldn't resist.

Asking for a friend. He PR is about to expire soon. He will only have spent 6 months in the last 5 years and doesn't have any significant ties to Australia. For various reasons, he won't be able to come back in the next 2 years. What are the chances of getting a 157 approved at that time? What can constitute as a compelling reason? Once he looses his right to come back as a PR - what are his options? Thanks heaps.

By all means. We'll lend it to you at an affordable 14% interest rate. Or why not ask your fiance NT. Oh wait - we support both you guys

Probably go by actual "support" received + reasonable interest minus the 70% WA is forced to give

I wouldn't worry about the 5 year gap for migration purposes. Employment is a different matter and once you are here - up to you if you want to work for someone or have someone working for you. ACS which assess IT skills can substitute work experience for degrees etc. Like vs said, have a chat with a good migration agent to get up to speed on your options.

To each his own of course. Some simply prefer a more private residence. Pick the right share house and it can be quite private especially when the house mates are all working professionals as well. The other reason being saving up to be able to afford to buy a whole house than being able to afford to rent a whole house.

I would never buy a new car. If I want to spend $30k on a car - I'll buy a used but late-model high end car than a run of the mill new car. My golden rule for acceptable depreciation on a car purchase is pretty simple. Less than $250/month - Say I buy a used car for $8k with some high miles on it, assume it'll last 4 years with a 20% repair cost. That's $10k over 4 years - works out to $210/month. However, there is still some resale value so works out to be even less. Another example would be a 2-year old car for $20k that will last 10 years works out to be $170/month. Those are simplified calculations but you get the picture. Only borrow to invest - sadly a car is rarely an investment unless you use it for work.

At 20, what do you want a whole 2-bedroom apartment for? Just rent a room in a 3 bedroom house. You'll get to meet new people and can also easily move place as you are not tied to a lease. This is what a 20-year old should spend irrespective of how high the income is(within reason of course) Rent + Internet + Utilities: A max of $1000/month. $800 is a typical figure. Phone: $30 to $40 per month gets you unlimited calls/text etc. Don't be tied to a contract. Just use pre-paid. Buy the phone of your choice outright. Gym: Perth is such a outdoor place - you probably won't need it. Just go hiking, biking, scuba diving, you name it. Transport: Stay within 10k's to work and you'll probably spend less than $200 all up on car expenses(fuel, rego, insurance). Just buy a cheap car with low miles on it. Food: Less than $500/month. Can save quite a bit if you share with house mates. Entertainment: $300/month Save the rest for travel, education, buying your first home etc. Never be tempted to apply for a credit card and you'll be alright. Welcome to Perth

If she doesn't have any prior experience then programming jobs are harder to land but don't let that discourage her. Also, not much hiring happens from November to Feb so nothing to panic about. OCJP may help, more so if it is mobile app oriented or Enterprise back-end stuff. Don't forget about test automation.

Simple tax affairs are best done by yourself. The new mytax portal has gotten heaps easier compared to the archaic etax program. All the cheap tax agents are rarely any good but probably doesn't matter for the things you mentioned as there is very little to get wrong for straightforward tax matters. If you, nevertheless, want to a good accountant I highly recommend Paul from http://www.pricefinancial.com.au/ - He is not your average tax-agent in the mall and costs a fair bit but is worth every penny. Have a chat with him and see if meets your needs.

Very true. To quote Ken Robinson - We are educating(taking away) creativity out of our children. I think technology should be used to improve their imagination and hands on abilities. Let children think than look-up information in books or otherwise. As the saying goes - Teach how to think and not what to think.

@missgooseberry No experience with leasing companies but you may find Novated leases interesting. Personally, I would just buy and use my own car as I can deduct the expenses for business-part of it.

@Squiffy In regards to a visa for your Dad, I would have a chat with a migration agent to explore all his options especially if he has any medical issues. You can do all the research yourself but you are probably pressed for time. Considering his age there could be cheaper options than paying $50k but with it's own set of *catches*. Just so you know, the current processing time for the $50k visa is about 18+ months. @Alan Collett and @wrussell regularly contribute here

A lot of those calculators are designed to entice customers to their banks. For $160k combined income, $1mil is not that hard at 80%(200k deposit) LVR. If I were you, I would buy two instead of one. My general rule on affordable mortgage is 3 to 4 times of annual salary. So if your wife will stop working in a few years then calculate what mortgage you'll be left at that time and see if it is less than 4 times your annual salary alone. Also, talk to a broker. Use the banks for information and brokers to get you the right deal.

Not all of them. They have to make enough money to ride out slumps. Apparently. the average agent clears may be 70k to 80k. The really good ones, now that's a different story.

Sell the lot and you'll have enough money for a few years worth of subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix, google music etc.

The guy has been here for 26 years that's more than most migrants. The only mistake(other than actual crime) he did was not to get citizenship. If a migrant got his citizenship and commits a crime, he would be jailed and let go once the sentence is complete. I am arguing that he is practically a citizen and his 26 years here(he is only 29) should count for something.

Or Maybe WA can just keep all the GST it collects

Consider working part-time as a lecturer in local uni

Punishment should fit the crime. He did his time and they should let him be as he is practically a local rather than going on a witch hunt. Not all countries grant citizenship by Jus Soli. Should people who were born elsewhere to Australian parents be stripped of their citizenship too? Citizenship should be about calling a place home and about ties.

I used to work even weirder hours but only cause I was free to work when I wanted as long as the job got done. When I mention flexible hours to employers in Perth - they look at me like I am from another planet.

Regarding mortgage payments, see if your bank will give you a holiday for repayments. Some banks will give you a 6 or 12 month holiday on repayments and will just capitalize(add the payments) on to your loan. Work out a plan, don't default. Check if your mortgage came with a re-draw facility. Rent out a room or two in your house if needed to help with the cash flow. When all else fails hit up Centrelink - don't know how that will work as you are a home owner. If you haven't taken up citizenship, now is a good time to sort that out as Australians get E-3 Visas to work in the US. I believe Canada has some opportunities in your line of work. They also have the new Express Entry system where they'll grant you a PR rather quickly. Sad to see dreams shattered. Hope it gets better.

I doubt it's just the software engineers though. Surely, a lot more people are involved.