Marisawright

On 20/12/2023 at 22:20, Blue Manna said:

I do too, but the hassle of collecting bags and going back through check in is a turn off. Did someone mention airport pods? Would be interested if people have experience of those.

But you don't have to.  You just check your luggage all the way through.  Never had a problem.  I always make sure I have a stopover that's long enough to stay in an airside hotel for at least 6 hours, so I can get some sleep (I can't sleep on the plane).    Being airside, I don't have to go through customs.   I've done it in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi and Bangkok.  Airside hotels vary -- some are luxury and I can have a swim in the pool, maybe a massage or a facial as well as a sleep.  Some are just a basic room.   

Some airports have snooze loungers or sleep pods but they don't have anywhere safe to leave your belongings so I always worried I'd get my pocket picked while I was asleep. 

The nicest option we found was in Singapore -- although it was just a curtained cubicle, you had a secure place for your belongings,  the bathrooms were gorgeous and the price was a steal.  We discovered it by accident on one trip.  I've been trying to find the details of it but I haven't been able to find any trace -- maybe it's no longer there.

If you are not eligible for a 482 then I can't see any other visa pathway. I'm not an expert but I'm not sure why you feel relevancy is a grey area in your case.  Exercise science is a world away from sales/ICT.

I don't see any reason to be concerned.   The 491 is a temporary visa, however unlike other temporary visas, it has a transition to permanent residency built-in (provided you meet the salary requirement).  So employers have no reason to worry that you won't be able to stay.  

11 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

I think yes, just as long as you have a UK address where the licence can be sent to.

I've always kept my UK licence current since I moved to Australia (almost 30 years now), and whenever it needed to be renewed I had it sent to my mum's address. When I visited the UK I used to drive her car as a named driver. You can probably do the same. ...

That will definitely work, and from what I've read, the DVLA knows that goes on and doesn't really care.    The snag is that if you have an accident while driving and the insurance company discovers you're not actually resident in the UK, the insurance policy is instantly invalid and they won't pay the claim.  So it all depends whether you're willing to take that risk.

2 hours ago, CurrawongSong said:

Hi all

I've moved back and forth between Sydney and the UK a bit and am about to return to the UK in February. I will only have been here for 9 months this time and so have had my ToR application rejected for the first time. I've tried to have it reconsidered but it's not happening. I was wondering if anyone knows how much tax would be paid on a usual personal effects move, or how it's calculated?

Thanks in advance.

The website clearly states:

To claim relief, you must satisfy all of the following criteria:

• you’ve been resident outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, prior to the date of moving to Great Britain or Northern Ireland

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transfer-of-residence-to-great-britain#who-can-claim-relief

27 minutes ago, bonanza said:

Thanks, just wondering out loud  whether our next trip in March  is a good moment to stay on in WA to establish more ties for a few months rather than leaving at what will be the end of 5 Yr travel term and risk not getting an rrv to come back on. Thanks for your help.

What ties would you establish?  I can't think of anything else you could do, other than buying a property.   

BTW you don't have to leave before your PR expires.  You don't need a RRV to remain in Australia -- hundreds of PR holders live in Australia without a RRV.  You also don't need a RRV to leave Australia.  You just need one when you want to re-enter.  Having said that, I would apply for the RRV before your PR expires anyway.

In your case, the worst that can happen is that you'll have to apply for a partner visa all over again.  Expensive and a hassle, but not the end of the world.

9 minutes ago, bonanza said:

Thanks very much for your fast reply. I know this is a 'how long is a piece of string' question but is the application likely to be straightforward  in this scenario or should I re-engage my MA ?

Hmmm, good question.  To get the RRV, you must convince the department that you have 'strong ties to Australia'.     If you don't have strong ties, no excuses for your absence -- no matter how compelling -- will even be considered, and the RRV will be refused.  Having an Australian partner is obviously a strong tie.  Her son is not yours (assuming you didn't adopt him) so I'm not sure he would count. Personally, I think asking your MA to help you with the wording would be a good idea, but the application itself is simple.

Assuming you hold a 100 partner visa and not the 309 (temp) partner visa, then yes, you will be eligible to apply for a RRV.   However, as you don't fulfil the residency requirement, you won't be approved automatically.  It will be at the discretion of the department, which means it will take months to get a decision, and you won't be able to enter Australia between the expiry of your PR and receiving the RRV.  

It won't make any difference whether you apply while in Australia or wait until you get home. 

16 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

Just for anyone else reading this, holding a temporary visa like a 309 on arrival is no barrier to any of the items mentioned. Not so easy for some things as a tourist (though I had no problems opening a bank account as a tourist).

I think that was the point of the post.  Philip decided to apply for the 309 offshore (and wait for it be granted) rather than travel on a tourist visa and apply onshore, for precisely that reason.    

2 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

 I'm certain that even if I'd eaten nothing else but baked beans for the last 30 years and never taken a single holiday, I still wouldn't have been in a position to buy a house for cash. I agree that some people seem to waste a lot of money on stuff they don't really need, but the amount of money you're talking about isn't going to make the difference between them being a property cash buyer or not.

Haven't you heard the saying, "Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves"?     You probably remember the fuss there was when some 'boomers' suggested millenials should stop eating avocado brunches, but it was missing the point.    When I was working, I never made breakfast but bought it when I got to work.  Likewise I never made a packed lunch, I bought food and drink at a food court.  It was only when I retired and started thinking about budgets, that I realised that added up to more than $5,000 a year.  No idea what it would be now, but since avocado on toast now costs at least $18 and usually $25 in Melbourne, it could easily be double.  And that's not counting takeaway coffees during the day.   

Then there's the technology -- the trendiest mobile phones are almost $2,000 now and most younger people get them on a plan, which means they pay far more than that -- and often they upgrade before the plan expires, which means they're then paying over the odds for the next one.  Then of course you can't live without the latest fitness watch and several streaming services.

In the last few years I've met several younger people -- by which I mean 40s, mainly -- who never cook.  They either buy ready meals or (more usually) order Uber Eats or similar, or go out for dinner.

I agree, being more frugal might not ever let you buy a house for cash, but it pains me to see young people saying they've no hope of getting a deposit together when they shell out thousands of dollars for things which they regard as "essential to their lifestyle" but which, at their age, I'd have considered indulgences. It's not their fault either, it's marketing.

12 minutes ago, Skani said:

Eligibility for concession cards in Australia is not only based on age but also on income, Australian residency and/or receipt of particular benefits from Services Australia.  So I would be surprised if they didn't request proof of a card.

He's talking about applying for tickets for a show, not applying for health benefits or government concessions.    Often, retail discounts require you to have just a Seniors' Card, not a concession card. 

In the past, I've booked theatre tickets and the conditions said I had to present my Seniors' card to collect the tickets at the box office, which was true. However if you book the tickets and they're sent to your email immediately, it's very unlikely anyone will check when you get to the venue.

3 hours ago, Ken said:

No, both countries tax you on your worldwide income which means it includes all of the income you earned while working in the other country while still tax resident in their jurisdiction. You do get to offset all the tax already paid in the other jurisdiction though.

However looking at the definition of tax resident in the UK, I'd have thought the OP would just have to make sure they spend less than 183 days each year in the UK:

"You are likely to be treated as UK tax resident under the SRT if you: spend 183 days or more in the UK during a tax year; or. have a home in the UK and do not have a home overseas; or. work full-time in the UK over a period of 365 days (this does not need to coincide with the tax year)."

12 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

Travel can seem more difficult as we get older. For me, it is the increasingly inability to be spontaneous. Having to prebook so much in fear of missing out or paying too much in season. 

That's not just a factor of age, actually.  I remember Eurailing back in the '90s, too.   We had only a rough idea where we wanted to go.  Each morning we just rocked up and hopped on whatever train we fancied.  I recall taking the overnight train from Barcelona to Geneva, planning to take a trip on the lake, only to find it totally fogged in.  So we jumped on the next train out, which took us to Interlaken, then onto another train...we had the most amazing day, criss-crossing Switzerland, gawping at the spectacular mountain scenery.  

We never had a problem finding accommodation on that holiday, either.  We would head for the local tourist office, which was generally able to book a hotel for us, usually at a 'last-minute' rate.  We stayed in some gorgeous hotels for very little.

I tried to do it again in 2011 and it was a totally different experience.  Although the Eurail pass still covers the cost of the ticket, most routes now require you to prebook a seat (sometimes at quite a large extra cost).  So it's no longer possible to jump on a train on impulse, you have to go and queue up at the ticket office first. And a couple of times, the seats were fully booked so we couldn't travel.

As for accommodation -- you'd think internet booking would make it even easier to find last-minute hotels, but the opposite has happened.  Hotels now reserve their special offers for 'early bird' customers, and if you arrive and need a hotel for the night, you pay top dollar. Many of the tourist offices have closed down, and those that are still open, don't do bookings any more. 

We found the same limitation when we were in England in 2015.   In the pre-internet days, I used to visit my family in the UK for 6 weeks every 2 years.  I always reserved my last week for a holiday for myself, which I never booked in advance.  I would just pick up a cheap 'last minute deal' from one of the local travel agents during my stay.   The main motivation for moving to England was to be able to travel frequently to Europe, but we soon discovered that to get cheap fares and hotels required considerable advance planning.  The 'last minute' postcards in travel agents windows had disappeared.

7 hours ago, Ken said:

 People have tried to claim they're not resident in either country - but it's always ended in tears and sometimes jail. 

I agree that you can't decide you're not resident, it all comes down to how long you're in the country.  However, if the OP gets the right advice, he can make sure he spends the right amount of time in each country -- for instance, he's talking about doing six months in each, but maybe it's as simple as spending 7 months a year in Oz and 5 months in the UK.

17 hours ago, jayrigg said:

Hi, 

Have been in OZ now since 2006, am now a dual citizen.I was wondering if it's possible to work 6 months in the UK and 6 months in Australia every year (so I catch both summers).If it is possible do I need any special work visa requirements to do it.

You don't need any visas.  If you're set up to work as a contractor, then you just invoice the company and it's not their business where you live.  Tax could be a headache but if you get good professional advice, you should be able to avoid the potential pitfalls.  I think you'd need to decide where you want to be 'usually resident' and then invoice them all year round accordingly, e.g. if you decide you're usually resident in Australia, you'd invoice them from your Australian sole trader entity all year round, even when you're in the UK.  But you need to be sure you've organised your year such that the Australian and British taxman agree that's where you are usually resident...which is why you need the advice.

It's just the logistics that might kill the idea off.  Where will you live?   

If you can afford to keep a home in both countries, then you'll always have one property that's empty for 6 months, and that can make insurance difficult.  The best bet would be to rent out the vacant one while you're away, as an AirBnB, but then you've got extra tax and management hassles to think about. 

If you can't afford to keep a home in both countries, then you'll have to find a rental every time you move.  Obviously it won't be an ordinary long-term rental, because you can't be shipping furniture back and forth, or having to pack it up and store it every time.  Plus you usually can't sign a lease while you're overseas, so each time you move, you'd have to spend some time house-hunting before you can get settled.    Therefore it will have to be a furnished executive let or AirBnB, either of which would be expensive for 6-month stretches. 

What will you do about a car?  If you're OK with carshare services then no worries.  

1 hour ago, 23f790 said:

Hi everyone,

I would like to request the immigration to waive the first entry requirement for my visa (476). What is the right email to contact the immigration for this matter?

Thanks

I found this email address which may be relevant:

sa.temporary.graduate@homeaffairs.gov.au

The issue with waiving the first entry requirement is that it won't extend the end date of the visa.  If you're going to be late arriving, you may not have time to complete your course?

3 hours ago, mandymark said:

Update to let you know my son applied for his Bridging visa this morning and it's already been granted

Phew, that's good to know.

6 hours ago, paulhand said:

There are too many moving parts here to properly discuss this in a forum post.

That's what I thought, and I was worried @mandymark would take your reply as meaning he just has to apply for the BV and it's all sorted.

21 minutes ago, Raul Senise said:

If your intention is to apply for Permanent Residency, it may be difficult after the age of 45 as there are only limited exemptions available. 

@gary_844, I would echo this.   One of the risks of using the company's agent is that the company wants to encourage you to take the job, so they are likely to 'talk up' your chances of permanency.  If you have your own agent, they are more likely to give you an honest, realistic perspective on your chances (which after 45, are very low indeed).

11 hours ago, gary_844 said:

"If he's tied to your company then he's not 'your' migration agent, he's the company's."

I meant it as  - The only migration agent I know, that helped get me here is reporting into the business that employs me.

I thought that might be the case, but just wanted to mention it. A surprising number of people think that the company's agent is acting in their interests as well as the company's during the application.  

14 hours ago, paulhand said:

For an RRV application, you need to make a separate BV application. 

If he makes the BV application now, and it doesn't come through before his WHV expires, will he be in trouble?

19 hours ago, Daffyduck said:

Hi,

 

Quick question I'm hoping someone can help me with. My wife was the main applicant for a 186 skilled PR Visa. She was looking to make a small reduction in her working hours to spend more time with the kids. She's been told by her employer that working FT is a condition of her visa. I'm not really sure where this comes from, does anyone have any experience of this?

Full-time for the first two years only.   It's understandable they want to insist on that, considering the amount of time and money they invested in getting her the visa.

1 hour ago, gary_844 said:

Company Applied pre-Covid 2019

When it was finally granted in April 22 (I was 45) so only arrived in Sydney Sept 22 due to it taking 6 months of life re-planning with my Wife - also bringing pooch as well.

Extension would be due April 24 although I'm not sure I want to stay with the same business

What would my options be if I decided to stay with the business  / Or maybe I transition to another company - Life feels upside down at the moment!

Unfortunately can't ask my migration agent as they are tied to my company!

If he's tied to your company then he's not 'your' migration agent, he's the company's.

I agree with BendigoBoy, I'm not aware of any age restriction on the 482 visa so you could potentially move to a new employer with a new 482.  I also agree that you've got almost zero chance of getting a permanent visa so I assume you're just wanting to stretch your temporary adventure as far as possible.

11 hours ago, mandymark said:

Hi, my son's first year WHV is due to expire within a week and he applied for a RRV visa probably around 3 weeks ago but still waiting for the decision on this. 

Just noticing that the WHV is due to expire within a week.  It's really, really vital that he gets professional advice about this, because he's at risk of being unlawful.  Don't rely on advice on these forums, we're only amateurs.  Being unlawful will have dire consequences, including being banned from entering Australia for 3 years, and it can ruin his chances of getting any other visa ever again.

Don't think he can ring the Department of Immigration for advice, either.  They're notorious for giving the wrong advice, and they have a disclaimer saying they're not responsible for any consequences when they do.   A paid consultation with a good migration agent will ensure he's on the right track, it can be over the phone. Someone like @paulhand.  I know it costs money but this is your son's future you're talking about.

6 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

  I think him getting a WHV may have been a mistake and that has cancelled his old PR.  

I don't think it has, because the OP posted about this previously and Paul Hand wasn't concerned.