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nicolac34

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Everything posted by nicolac34

  1. nicolac34
    I know it's a bit off topic - but in the same theme as being a bit behind the times - I was very shocked the other day to read that abortion in many of the states (apart from WA and ACT I think) is illegal unless your doctor is convinced it is medically necessary for the health and well being of the mother. I'd just assumed that in modern western society this wasn't even an issue any more!
  2. nicolac34
    I feel the same. Found it a real effort and inconvenience doing the Christmas shopping for the folk back in England - not to mention expensive. I feel a bit "bah humbug" about it to be honest, as sort of feel obligated to continue buying gifts (and seems to get more expensive & extravagant each year) for people in England - yet they don't make the same effort to get gifts to us on time, and winge that it costs so much to post. No Christmas decorations up in our house, didn't have a tree the past two Christmases and not sure if we can muster up enthusiasm to go and buy one either, it's just more money. Maybe it would be different if we had children and could view it through their eyes...
  3. nicolac34
    Yeah, not sure they want to be that far out. Just floating ideas at the moment as they intend to go travelling for 8 months but need some kind of income to do it, so either cash in the bank earning interest or cash in their future house with a tenant paying rent - also worried about house prices continuing to rise in Perth. They just got a shock from the bank when they were told that without a TFN they'd be paying 46% tax on their interest. :rolleyes:
  4. nicolac34
    Looks like it's a no go for an established property, has to be a new build.
  5. nicolac34
    Great, thanks Cez. Yes they are in Aus already, but only on tourist visas (in the parental visa queue).
  6. nicolac34
    Thanks Lambeth, although probably wouldn't work for the situation I'm thinking about it. Although an overseas resident at the moment they hope to become PR in the next few years so would want to live in it after that.
  7. nicolac34
    I assume it is possible to purchase a house in Australia as an overseas resident - but does anyone know the process? Do you have to get approval from somewhere first? Would be a cash purchase so no mortgage required. Does anyone know what the tax situation would be like on the rental income?
  8. nicolac34
    Just bought some Christie towels from Debenhams to be delivered over here, got 2 bath sheets and 2 hand towels for £48. They're a Christmas present gift for my parents, we have Christie towels (wedding present) and they are the lovliest, softest towels ever!
  9. nicolac34
    But sometimes it doesn't happen that way which is why it's suggested you speak to George. A friend of mine was on a 457 and finished her job in August, she left and went back to the Uk. She wanted to come back in Nov for 3 weeks so applied for an evisitor visa. This threw up all sorts of issues as it turned out her 457 was never cancelled. She almost wasn't able to come back and only managed to get it sorted the day before she was due to fly. They don't always automatically cancel your visa.
  10. nicolac34
    That's great! We aren't in a position to do that so we are seeing our monthly repayments rise by the day!
  11. nicolac34
    I've never actually seen any hooning taking place, but hear it occasionally where I live, and see the evidence of it all over the streets on my way to work the next day. I'd imagine living on one of the roads where they do it frequently would be quite scary. I just think bad driving or drink driving just ruins so many lives. Another work colleague has a friend in prison serving 3 years for killing a pedestrian whilst drunk at the wheel, he was driving home from the pub, 5 minutes from his house. Not only has he ruined another families lives, he's ruined his own. He went to prison and left his fiance with their toddler and pregnant with their second. I'm sure it happens all over the world, I just have more awareness for it here.
  12. nicolac34
    That's the thing though, I think people DO get away with drink driving over here, I know people who've been caught over the limit and get told to 'wait 30 minutes' and then be on their way. Most think nothing of going out drinking all day and then switching to water an hour before they want to drive and think that is sufficient. I wouldn't trust any app to estimate whether I could drive, I just wouldn't drink in the first place. I also hate driving here, used to love it in England, now I avoid it where I can.
  13. nicolac34
    Since we arrived in WA I've been pretty shocked by the attitude towards drinking and driving. Seems common place among so many people I've met. Sure they have their 'booze buses', but do people heed the warning? Doesn't seem like it. Today a work colleague is very upset. We asked why. Her 30 year old friend has just been killed in a car accident, she was a passenger, the driver had been drinking and lost control of her v8 supercar. She leaves behind a 7 year old son with no father in the picture. So unnecessary and avoidable.
  14. nicolac34
    Seems like we are around the same time, my parents 173 was lodged on 16 August 2012 and acknowledged on 6 September 2012, no word since.
  15. nicolac34

    WHV to PR?

    nicolac34 replied to JenPen's topic in Visa Chat

    Not true actually, if they reside in the same place for longer than 6 months then they are classed as resident for tax purposes, if they travel around and do casual work then they are not. http://www.ato.gov.au/Calculators-and-tools/Are-you-a-resident/
  16. nicolac34

    WHV to PR?

    nicolac34 replied to JenPen's topic in Visa Chat

    As far as I know it's only if you declare yourself a 'non resident' for tax purposes and then you don't qualify for the tax free allowance. But most WHV's who work and stay in the same place are resident for tax purposes and get this back in their tax return at the end of the year.
  17. nicolac34
    Ok thanks, didn't realise that. Although they are going back in November next year for my grandma's 80th birthday, so could be classed as a sort of return!
  18. nicolac34

    WHV to PR?

    nicolac34 replied to JenPen's topic in Visa Chat

    Same applied to me, came on a WHV and got a job within 6 weeks and an employer to sponsor me for the RSMS PR visa. No way would I have got an offer of sponsorship from the UK, so being here was very important. Not that we came to be sponsored though, we came for the experience for a year, but decided with a sponsorship offer we should probably stay and see what happened. Interesting what you've mentioned about extending the 6-month limitation, my agent refused to put an application in for me and said there was no way it would be granted. So I had to stop working for 6 weeks whilst I waited for my PR to be granted. I enjoyed the time off, but it would have been better if I could have continued working and being paid!
  19. nicolac34
    Thanks Vava. They've cancelled their home insurance as they no longer have a home to insure! All their things were packed up on Monday and in the container ready to be shipped as soon as their visa is granted. I've just text mum and they haven't sorted any travel insurance out, said it hadn't occurred to them that they needed to - I guess because in their minds it's not a holiday they are coming to live! I have found a couple of policies that would be valid for 6 months in Oz for the two of them (hopefully they'll get the visa within that time, been waiting 15 months so far), £214 being the cheapest which I didn't think was too bad, but I can feel resistance from their end - they are just forking out so much at the moment I can see how a few more hundred pounds that they didn't think they were going to spend is annoying.
  20. nicolac34
    Well I think you are coming across and judging with 'who cares' comments, it's not helpful. I was only pointing out that it was more than you were suggesting in case people thought parental leave was only $5,000.
  21. nicolac34
    Some people might. It's a personal decision and not up to anyone on here to judge.
  22. nicolac34
    It's more like $10,000. 18 weeks at $622 per week paid parental leave (assuming the OP has worked 10 of the 12 months before the birth of the child.)
  23. nicolac34
    My brother suggested that, I just thought if they had an accident somewhere else it would be fairly obvious that they were travelling and I wasn't the main driver, I don't know if insurance companies are that savvy, but not sure I'd want to risk it really.
  24. nicolac34
    Just wondering if anyone can recommend any insurance companies that will insure tourists on their own car and caravan? By that I mean that they will be purchasing them here, but won't have a WA drivers licence and will only be on a tourist visa. I assume is can be done with the amount of backpackers buying campers and travelling for a year. My parents arrive on Monday and are awaiting their parent visa which hasn't been granted yet, but they plan to go travelling for 6-8 months and will need a car and caravan to do this. Thanks for any help!
  25. nicolac34
    Just wondered for those of you that did or have relatives that came out prior to the visa being granted on a tourist visa - what sort of travel insurance did you have? My parents arrive on Monday and they've been so busy these last few weeks I think this may have slipped their mind!
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