Marisawright

The trouble with recorded delivery is that it's drawing attention to the fact that the contents are valuable. I don't think you get any compensation if it goes missing. I think you can claim compensation if you send something Registered Post, but last time I looked, they specifically said it didn't cover money.

Actually, unless things have changed a lot, it used to be much faster applying from London than applying onshore. Last year, London applications were only taking 3 months. During Covid, they processed the onshore applicants faster because people were stranded. That's all over now.

Pity you didn't apply back in February. There may be a way around it, I suggest booking a consult with Andrew (above) as it's not the kind of thing agents will discuss for free.

Is there a reason why you can't apply for a partner visa now, and get it before you travel, so you won't have to worry about it?

Healthcare is a national thing so it's the same all over the country. Assuming you are currently resident in the UK, you will be covered by the reciprocal agreement between the UK and Australia, regardless of what the conditions of the visa say. Strictly speaking, the reciprocal agreement covers only essential care, but in practice you'll have the same cover as any permanent visa holder or citizen. Be aware, though, that Medicare isn't like the NHS. Visits to your GP are only subsidised, not free. Unfortunately, private health insurance covers medical treatment in a hospital setting, and nothing else -- so it won't help with things like GP visits. Whether health insurance ('hospital cover') is worth paying for is a matter of debate, and increasingly Australians are feeling that it's not worth it -- but it's a complex issue, so unless the visa requires it, I'd recommend you delay taking out hospital cover health insurance until you're here and have a chance to talk it over with colleagues and friends, so you get a wider picture. Private health insurers also offer a thing called "Extras" cover, and you can take Extras cover without the main policy. I'd recommend it, because dental treatment and spectacles are not covered by Medicare at all. You have to go private and they are expensive. Some Extras cover will also cover you for therapies not covered by Medicare, like physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy.

You had very good reasons to break the rules, but that's irrelevant -- you still broke the rules, that's just a fact. Having a consultation with Paul would be a good idea.

@MelB. as Matt is a new member, he won't be able to use the private messaging system yet. Better if you message him with your details

I don't see why not. You are teaching the subjects at school level.

This is the problem with deciding to apply for the 804 while onshore. For the duration of the bridging visa (which will be the rest of your life, since the waiting time is about 30 years), you will need permission (a BVB) every time you want to leave the country. You've broken the rules once -- and by several months, not just a few days -- so that may affect how Immigration views your future applications. So I wouldn't assume the BVA or the BVB will be approved quickly.

It's not easy to find companies willing to sponsor from overseas. All I can suggest is to look on Seek.com.au and apply for suitable jobs that come up. The bigger question is whether it's wise to come to Australia on a sponsorship, rather than on a skilled visa in your own right. The idea of getting a company to sponsor, so your husband will have a job from day 1, and you'll get some help with relocation costs -- but there are big snags. For one thing, most companies will want to sponsor for a 482 (temporary) visa, not a permanent one, because they're usually in a hurry. That means all you get is a 2 to 4 year stay in Australia, and your husband will be stuck with that employer even if he's got the boss from hell. Worse, if the company goes bust, so does your visa. Several times, we've seen situations where a family has come to Australia on a 482, then a few months later the company had difficulties and had to make workers redundant -- and you guessed it, the husband was one of them. There was a grace period for him to try to find another sponsor, but it's short and the family had to go home. Don't get me wrong -- for a single guy or a couple without kids, I think it's a risk that's absolutelyy worth taking. If nothing else, you get an adventure. But if you're going to uproot a family of 4, the move is far more expensive, you're disrupting your kids' education, and the employer is not going to cover your relocation costs 100% both ways. So you're risking a lot of stress, and you could end up back in the UK, having spent thirty grand with nothing to show for it.

Just bear in mind that this is exactly like applying for a job. It's competitive. With 85 points, you should stand a good chance of 'getting the job', but there is no guarantee you'll make the short list. So try to do what you'd do if it was a job application -- stop thinking about it and get on with life. You could also do some decluttering, so that if you do get an invite, you're ready to hit the ground running.

If you don't meet the residential requirements for a RRV then you're not entitled to one. You are allowed to apply for a new one, making a case for why you deserve one, but it's entirely at the discretion of the Immigration department whether they'll be generous. They will look first at how strong your ties are to Australia. If you can't prove strong ties, it won't matter how compelling your reasons for absence are, you're likely to be refused. So yes, it would be much safer to pull out the stops and get here before it expires.

Personally, I think you're mad. Read the responses the OP got -- nothing has changed since @EJMac asked the question. You're looking at half an hour (traffic permitting) to get to Frankston station, then 50-55 minutes on the train. It really depends how well you tolerate long commutes.

As you probably know, Australia has a Medicare system. Once you are living in Australia on a work or PR visa, you will receive medical care under that system. If you apply for PR, the government will look at your health and consider what you are likely to cost them in medical bills. If they think you may cost them too much, they will not give you PR even if you have all the necesssary qualifications.

The advice is usually, "Try for the RRV first". On paper, it might be a bit of a stretch, but we've seen a few people get RRVs recently where we didn't think they stood a chance. Worth a try.

No, it won't make any difference. Have you worked out which visa to apply for?

Exactly what I suggested. Why battle the the system when there's an easier pathway?

Quick question, do you know that the waiting time for a 143 visa is about 12 years?

Firslty, I would ask your partner to find out about registering your relationship in NSW. Most importantly, there are two different hurdles to jump with your qualifications. The first one is to satisfy Immigration, to get the visa. They don't care about registration, so your NZ registration hack will cut no ice with them: they are interested only in your teaching degree. So If you want a 189/190 visa, you will probably need to upgrade your teaching qualification, unless you can find some way to get your current qualification recognised. The bad news is that usually, you can't claim any work experience that you gained before you were fully qualified, no matter how relevant. So it's possible you'll have to upgrade your teaching degree and then work for the required number of years to gain the experience before you can even apply for a 189/190 visa (and then it can take a year or more to get the visa, if you get one at all -- both visas are highly competitive, exactly like applying for a job: everyone who applies has the required qualifications and experience, so they can cherry-pick a few, and the rest miss out). Once you get your visa (whichever one it is), and come to Australia, then you have to satisfy the NSW Education Department's requirements. That's where your NZ hack may work. And that is why, in your shoes, I would definitely go for the WHV. If your NZ hack works, you'll be able to get a job as a teacher. If it doesn't work, there are further education colleges which don't require their teachers to be registered. Yes, it means you have to change employers after 6 months but really, is that such a huge obstacle? In every other way, it offers you an easy and comfortable transition: the visa will be granted within weeks, you'll be able to move when it suits you, and you can start building your lives together straight away. A year or so of contract work won't negatively affect your career in the long run. You may even be able to use that year to do something about upgrading your qualifications in Australia (I have no idea, but it would be worth researching). If you stilll can't face the WHV, then it's worth knowing that although you've been living apart, that doesn't automatically mean you can't get the partner visa. It is more difficult of you've never co-habited, but not necessarily impossible. Married couples sometimes have to live apart due to work commitments, so that is allowed for. If you can prove that you have a genuine shared life together in spite of the distance, you can still get a partner visa. One of the most important things is to show that you have shared finances in some way. If you don't, then that is something to think about now, and see if there's any way you can start putting something in place. If you want to try for the partner visa, I wouldn't contemplate it without using a MARA registered migration agent. It can be hard enough to DIY at the best of times so I wouldn't risk it in your case. They will know how to prepare the evidence the right way.

Yes they have, but note that you have to be residing in Australia.

Not as far as I know, (mindful, of course, of the expiry dates).

If you applied in 2012, there was no separate queue date. That's a new thing.

No, it can't.

As you can see from Andrew's signature, he is a financial adviser and he comes well recommended. I would certainly be seeking someone like him, who understands both Australian and UK pensions/tax. We've had members hire separate UK and Australian advisors and get into all kind of trouble becaue one didn't realise the tax implications of the other.

You're overlooking the one element in these posts by people like Dougie -- it won't matter if the UK is sh*t because they'll feel like they belong. When you see a post from someone who expresses those feelings (like Dougie saying "I have a terrible sense of alienation",there's no point arguing against their perceptions of Australia or the UK. Those are irrelevant, because they are skewed. They feel miserable and out of place in Australia but don't understand why - so they magnify every negative thing. They feel at home in the UK but can't put a finger on why -- so they highlight the good stuff. I've never suffered from homesickness in my life so I find it hard to comprehend that feeling, but I've 'met' so many people on these forums who do suffer from it, permanently, every day they stay in Australia, and it becomes intolerable. I'll never understand it but I do respect it.