bigbadcon

Hi folks, I'm wondering if you could help me out with some advice please. My parents have recently put in an application for a 143 Contributory Visa a few months ago after I went to see a migration agent and discussed my options with him. I asked the agent was there any alternative options for us as we obviously would love to save the huge fee that is required for this visa. He said that the 143 visa was our only option so we went ahead and applied. I then spoke to a english lady who told me that her parents were moving over here when they retired and that they were doing it the "sneaky" way. She said that they would make it look like they were coming here on a holiday and then when they got here they would apply for the retirement visa (the one with the huge waiting times). This would then give them a bridging visa until their visa came through but they would then be able to stay in the country and avoid paying the huge visa fee. Is this really a legitimate option and if so would it leave you vulnerable without a medicare card etc? Any help would be appreciated. Regards bigbadcon

Hi folks, I'm wondering if you could tell me if I'm missing something... A couple of years ago I looked into the contributory parents visa to see what was involved in getting my parents over here and I don't remember the exact figures but it was roughly $40000 each. I had another look this morning at the 143 contributory visa and I couldn't find the huge fees I saw last time.I did find something about an assurance of support which was 10k for one parent and 4k for the other. Am I missing something or have the visas got a lot cheaper?? Thanks in advance... Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

We are currently living in Meridan plains which is in kawana forest. We love it here.Close too everything you need and the motorway etc. Currimundi lakes and Caloundra are 5 to 10 minutes away, Kawana shopping world and mooloolaba and Maroochydore are only down the road. I can't compare it to Buderim as we haven't lived there.I have drove through it a couple of times and it looked quite nice though. It is very quiet here though and maybe doesn't have the community feel that I hear is present in some other areas like Buderim. Kawana forest, kawana island and birtinya are lovely areas with fairly new houses so definitely have a look at those. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Hi folks, My family and I are going to be renting somewhere in the Sunshine coast area in the next month or so. We are moving from ireland and are a bit unfamiliar with the rental terms and conditions in Queensland. So my parents and other family member are planning to come visit us at different times of the year and will probably be staying with us for a few weeks at a time. My brother in law is living in Melbourne and could possibly come up and stay with us for a couple of months. Should we be asking for permission from the Landlord/ Estate Agent when people are coming to stay or is it assumed that we are paying for the house so we can have whoever we want stay in it? Thanks in advance....

I will be working from home so dont need to commute anywhere, thats one of the main reasons we are going to the sunshine coast as if our circumstances change in a couple of years we can always move into central brisbane but until then its time to live by the sea... Removal company arrived on 28th dec to take our stuff so we are on the countdown now until Feb 12th... :biggrin:

My wife (35) and son (1) and I (30) are were originally thinking of going to one of the bayside suburbs in brisbane but have now decided to give the sunshine coast a try first. Hopefully somewhere around the Caloundra,Alex Headlands,Buderim area and we're flying out from Dublin on Feb 12th 2013. Havent been there yet so am looking for advice on which areas are the best for young(ish) parents with a young child. Not too worried about schools yet as Noah is only 1.

Hi folks, We think we are going to look for a property to rent in one of the Bayside suburbs of Brisbane. We initially thought Manly but are now considering Sandgate and maybe brighton. Is the beach in sandgate a lot better than manly? It seems to be from the pictures I have seen... We arent looking at Redcliffe due to there being no train line. I will be working from home so commuting to the cbd isnt too much of an issue for the first year or so anyway so would like to stay within a 40 min train journey and also close to a train line. Has anyone got any opinions on these bayside suburbs for a young family with a baby? Thanks for your help... bigbadcon

Hi folks, Thanks for your replies so far...Starting to narrow down the list of 10000000 suburbs a bit at this stage. We really like the look of the Manly/Wynnum area. Any opinions on it?

Brilliant news,delighted for you and your family.

What is the outcome if you fail the rule? Does it mean you get taxed as a normal employee and not at the lower tax rates that contractors avail of? According to the cxc website using them might get you around this rule if I understand it correctly. From the faq on their website... Q.*If I use CXC Global’s services, does the Alienation of Personal Services or the ‘80/20’ rules affect me, and how can I be sure? A. CXC Global’s salary packaging service and structure is compliant with the Alienation of Personal Services Income Bill 2000 (APSI), the so-called ‘80/20’ rules in Australia. Since 2000, the ATO has been targeting Independent Contractors using their own Pty Ltd Structures.* CXC Global has received from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) a personal services business determination (PSBD) which ensures our business structure is legal and complies with the APSI legislation. CXC Global provides independent contractors with the safety and security of being compliant with the ‘80/20’ measures.*

Do any of you guys or gals have any experience working long term for the one client as a contractor. My current employer wants me to work for them from Brisbane when I arrive (they are based in Dublin). How does the 80/20 affect your take home pay as a contractor and also how does it affect the employer?? Any advice would be appreciated...

By the way they do registered post for €65 for 20kg also so I'll probably go with that.The stuff is insured for up to €100 also included in that. Will just have to split up the valuable stuff so its not all in the one box just in case. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

I think the formula is as follows in centimetres to work out the dimensional weight.It still has to be under 20 kg in actual weight though no matter how big or small the box physically is. Length x Height x width/ 6000 Once its under 20 the dimensional weight is ok. So the biggest square box you can ship is 49 cms. 49 x 49 x 49 /6000 = 19.6 Obviously the box doesnt have to be square but you get the idea... The €2200 we got quoted wasnt just got the items I mentioned above as there was loads of smaller items aswell which I'm now thinking we'll send with an post! Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Hi Irish Cailin, Thanks for that. I had heard about an Post doing this but have never heard of anyone who has actually used them. This sounds like it would suit us a lot as the only furniture we are shipping is 1 double bed and mattress, 1 childs bed and mattress,1 chest of drawers, a couple of guitars and a couple of deck chairs. The rest is bits and bobs that we could probably put in boxes with An Post. We have just about settled on a groupage quote of 2200 with Nat ross (although we havent paid anything yet) so I would be looking to get this seriously revised if we were to take out all of the smaller stuff. The fact that you get your stuff so soon is a big bonus also. Im wondering did you send anything that was fragile at all? Also what about insurance on the items,did you get it and what was the cost like? Did you have any breakages when the boxes were opened? Thanks a mill...

Hi JZombie, You never mentioned what suburb you are in ? :biggrin: