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:

Hmmm im not liking the reports on a lack of broadband in the area cause I definitely will need good broadband cause Ill be working from home. Besides that you have me sold on the place :biggrin:

God fish, you read my mind and answered my question before I had even asked it.... :biggrin: Im thinking if commuting to the CBD isnt going to be an issue for the first year (as Ill be working from home) and then if the train is finished by the time my contract finishes (if it finishes at all) I shouldnt be more than an hours commute by train so Its sounding quite good..

Thanks for that, I think I like the look of Springfield lakes a bit better than North lakes. Its sometimes hard to tell because the promotional videos make the place look like paradise so its hard to judge... One thing I did notice is that there doesnt seem to be a whole lot of back garden space on any of the houses I saw. It wouldnt be a deal breaker though as the houses look lovely and they seem great value in comparison to other suburbs I have been looking at... So what are the disadvantages to Springfield lakes in your opinion. Is the commute to the CBD painful? How long would it take in peak hour traffic etc?

Hi folks, Thanks for the replies. We have been looking a bit more into suburbs and really like the look of springfield lakes. It seems good for schools,shopping centres,parks,family life etc and the houses seem very big,modern and great value. The bad aspects I have found are that until 2013 there wont be a train station and that the commute to the cbd by car is somewhere between 30 mins to an hour depending on traffic. Also the nearest hospital is about 20 mins away in Ipswich. Does anyone have any opinions on Springfield lakes?

Hi folks, Thanks again for your information. Im starting to think that maybe somewhere around eatons hill/albany creeks would be nice. A half hours drive to the CBD is fine and under half an hours drive to Redcliffe and an hours drive to Sunshine coast sounds fine aswell. Maybe I was a bit misleading about thinking RedCliffe was a bit sleepy. We're so used to having shopping centres within 5-10 minutes away here in dublin. Then again with the crappy weather sometimes all you can do on the weekend is go to a shopping centre, Im hoping that wont be a problem in Brisbane :-) Does anyone know what Aspley is like? I spotted a few nice houses there last week. By the way is Redcliffe the sort of place you would visit if you didnt live there or would you just go straight to the sunshine coast for a day at the beach? Thanks again folks...

Thanks for all of the replies folks, It sounds like the Redcliffe area is somewhere you would recommend.. Im not too worried about the commute for the first year as I'll be working from home and If my circumstances changed we can always move elsewhere. So if you could live anywhere for a year without worrying about the commute where would you live ??

Hi folks, Im doing a bit of research on Brisbane suburbs and am a bit confused as there are so many of them. Maybe someone who is living in/has lived in Brisbane could recommend a decent location if they dont mind. I can work from home for the first 6 months - 1 Year and possibly more so commuting to the CBD isnt a big deal for the first year anyway. I'm moving with my wife and our 1 year old son so although schools are important to us in the future they arent such a big deal now. We are looking for the following in a suburb: Somewhere not too remote Good schools ( not needed just yet) Near a hospital An area that typically has houses with a decent back garden for our son Low Crime Shopping Centres / Cinemas etc nearby Close to a park Within 30 mins drive to a beach (not necessarily sunshine coast or gold coast) Rents no more than 550ish a week for a 3-4 bedroom house So far Ive been looking at RedCliffe a lot but it looks a bit quiet. Everything I can find on the area just shows the seafront. Is there anything else to do there besides go for a walk on the seafront?? :biggrin: What about Eatons Hill or Chermside?? Thanks a mill in advance folks...

I'd like to know this also. I'm helping my brother in law to get his documentation together for the 489 and he will have 60 points without doing the ielts as a painter/decorator which has an occupational ceiling of 3k. He's sure he won't pass the ielts and its so hard to tell is 60 points enough or will he be waiting forever... Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

I just exchanged some money at 1.21 and some more at 1.22. Ill exchange some more when I have it and hopefully it will keep going up. Glad I didnt do it a few weeks ago... Then again in a few weeks time Ill probably be saying "why did I exchange money a few weeks ago". Wish I had a crystal ball...

Ive been watching the exchange rate like a hawk all day. It looks like its getting better but Im trying to hold out in case it gets even better. Its hard not to get greedy :-) I have money sitting in my CurrencyFair account ready to transfer.... You should be very careful what you say to your bank about renting out your house, if you are on a standard "Owner occupier" mortgage you are really supposed to be living in the house. If you plan to rent it out the bank have every right to move you on to a "buy to let" mortgage which will probably double your interest rate. For example my tracker mortgage is at 2% at the moment and costs me €818 a month. If the bank were to find out I was planning on letting out the house they could move me onto a buy to let mortgage which would have a rate of around 4% which would push my payments up to €1300ish... In other words if they did that I would have to sell the house which I dont want to do as theres no way I could afford a jump in payments of that much. So my advice is dont tell them anything unless you absolutely have to as it could blow up in your face. I had a chat with my solicitor about this and they confirmed that what the bank doesnt know wont hurt them. It might be different if you are struggling to make payments as the bank might have a different view on it but just bear it in mind...