Marisawright

@OzukOzuk, I think for many, it's normal to feel as you do. It's called 'the curse of the expatriate'. 

Early in my first marriage, my oh and I spent 3 years in Africa. Tough, but very well paid and an amazing social life in the expatriate community. We met many couples who were on their 3rd or 4th contract or even longer. They were why we decided not to renew our own contract!  We learned that most of those people weren't in Africa because it felt like home, but because they didn't feel at home in the UK any longer. We didn't want to fall between two stools like that. 

As it happened, we returned to the UK in the middle of the miners' strike, struggled to find jobs and decided to try Australia. Luckily for me, I felt at home right from the start.

@bearnova64, remember also that it's 5 years from date of grant, not date of activation

17 hours ago, bearnova64 said:

So it is not the case that "Once activated I have 5 years from this activation date to make the permanent move to Australia, otherwise I have to go through the application process again and pay the fees for a second time?"

 

If you visit Australia just to activate your visa, then you make no attempt to move permanently before the 5 years is up, then you WILL have to go through the whole application process and pay the fees a second time. There is a residency requirement to be eligible for an RRV - you must have actually lived in Australia for at least 2 years out of the 5.

8 hours ago, Pips said:

I read if you are IN Australia when you give up Australian citizenship, you will immediately become a holder of Ex-Citizen Visa (Permanent) without any application.

But the immigration website also states that if you are OUTSIDE Australia, then you will need to "apply for a visa that suits your circumstance"...

Does this mean anyone giving up Australian citizenship while overseas will not become a PR, but need to go through the whole difficult process of PR application, invitation etc.?

Thanks.

Yes, I'm afraid you do. 

Depends what you mean by rural. A remote community can be very challenging 

5 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

 

We will have to agree to disagree on this one because I've seen many listings here in Queensland that explicitly state 'no entry or exit fees'. I am happy to PM you links to listings I have seen, or you can search for yourself on Domain or Realestate. You and Parley are in Victoria, and as we all know each state has its own rules and regulations on these matters

Also the types of retirement villages are often different. I believe a common setup in Queensland is that you buy the home but not the land. That's when you see the annual fee referred to as "rent" because that's what it is. They usually don't have much in the way of free communal facilities because no one is funding that

39 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

. I would never consider buying a place that had an exit fee or where the rent could be increased by more than the rate of inflation, which I understand is the standard practice.

As Parley said, most retirement villages have some kind of fee payable when you sell. Not always called an exit fee. Deferred management fee is a common expression. Of course people should know it exists when they sign up, but you yourself said, "selling will be someone else's problem", and you're not the only person who would think that.

It's not a rent, it's a service fee, which means the operator is entitled to charge whatever it takes to cover their costs. There is no watchdog to ensure they don't inflate those costs or pay their management exorbitant salaries, and residents have no power to object.

Some villages do limit increases to CPI once you sign the contract, but it's far from universal.

11 hours ago, Amber Snowball said:

It’s obviously a while ago now, but one lady I dealt with in Victoria had moved into a nursing home, but found she couldn’t afford it because when they sold her retirement unit, they discovered the exit fee was about 25% of the sale price. I couldn’t believe it, that was just obscene. It was a real issue for her and the family, with the care home clamoring to get paid.

I hope it is better regulated now, but beware that the big print giveth and the small print taketh away.

There was a huge scandal about it, maybe ten years ago? But no, it's not much better regulated now, sadly 

8 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

They say that sometimes they can be hard to sell on, but less face it, that's probably going to be someone else's problem. All in all they seem like a pretty good deal when the time is right.

Not necessarily. What if one of you needs to go into a nursing home or dementia care? You'll need to sell up then, and there is often an exit fee to pay, as well as the difficulty of selling. 

The other issue is that unlike a strata apartment, you get no say in what the annual fee is. The company running the complex can charge what they please. In Melbourne, there are some complexes where the annual "service fee" for a 2-bedder is more than we pay in annual rent for our strata unit.  There have been news stories about residents struggling to afford the fees, but reluctant to sell because they'd be left with so little capital after paying the exit fee.

Check to see if they have a MARA registered agent on their staff. If not, don't use them.

Try Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda 

It's very common to get wrong information from the Immigration phone line. Your agent knows best. 

You can apply for work rights but you need to show hardship. Ask your agent if you would qualify 

Actually I am wrong. They changed the rules for annuities and their value is counted though not 100%. 

Given that's the case I wonder if the NHS pension balance would be assessable too?

4 hours ago, Parley said:

I don't see why they wouldn't count assets in a fund outside Australia as an asset. I would be amazed if they allowed a loophole like that.

Superannuation here is counted as an asset once you are over age pension age

I believe the difference is that we have access to the whole superannuation balance at any time. 

If you can't withdraw the balance from the NHS pension then it isn't an asset. Same as if you converted your super to an annuity 

7 minutes ago, Toots said:

The ferries have been sailing from Geelong for a few months.

https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/company-information/media/media-releases/new-victorian-home-for-spirit-of-tasmania#:~:text=Mr Grainger said Independent research,to and from the terminal.

I know but I had never seen anything about the reason. Thanks

45 minutes ago, Ken said:

Why did they move the Victorian terminal from Melbourne to Geelong?

It would be nice if someone told us.  Seems like a most inconvenient move to me.

I agree, I wouldn't put yourself through the stress of finding a job before you go.  You'll have enough on your plate getting ready for the move.  

3 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

I think WA might be offering sponsorship without AITSL approval but I am not 100% sure. 

Aha.  @benj1980 will know.

1 hour ago, Cheery Thistle said:

You’ll have to see if you can get sponsorship, think that might be your only route. Or check if you can do a PGCE somewhere. Good luck. 

Would getting sponsorship make a difference, though?  I always understood the requirements for qualifications and experience were the same as for other skilled visas.

32 minutes ago, rammygirl said:

Many are franchised too so they vary even within the brand. Be aware that the quote will be based on specific perimeters as well as location. A longer driveway, poor access or more floors will all cost more. 

Good point. Always budget for it to cost extra as most quotes don't include customs charges at the Australian port. Some will only quote you to the arrival port and then you'll pay separately for the final leg after they know your address 

1 hour ago, InnerVoice said:

... probably a bit like saying one likes the UK because it's close to Europe.

Haha yes, very true!   In hindsight that wasn't a good reason to move to the UK in retirement.  Europe was the drawcard, not the UK itself, and we forgot you can't be on holiday all the time.

Are the companies refusing to quote based on your regional destination, or  is it just that their online quoting engines don't offer that option?   Best to ring and ask them.

One reason it's very difficult to judge removalists is that you get a quote from one company, but usually that company doesn't look after your shipment all the way from your home to your destination.  They sub-contract parts of the journey to other companies and you don't know who they are, so you can't check their references.  That's why almost every removalist company has some great reviews and some awful ones.   It can be a bit of a lottery.

1 hour ago, Rob Frain said:

Signing up to WA. Is it provisional I'm after?! I'm sure it is!

Sounds like a question for @Benj08

12 hours ago, RossMac said:

Hi, I’m currently 43 and might have a potential job and sponsor to move from UK to Perth.

Looking at 494 visa which is a 5 year visa with PR application possible after 3 years. I’ve read you need to be under 45 to apply for PR. So if I got a 494 visa at 43 I’m 46 after 3 years. 

Or is it taken from when you apply for initial visa?

Congrats on the offer.  Like JZT, I believe it's the age when you apply for the 494 that matters. However in something as important as this, I wouldn't rely on a forum for advice.  Even with an employer-sponsored visa, it's wise to get your own migration agent to represent your interests.  At the very least, book a one-off consultation with someone to make sure you've got all your facts straight.  Try Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda.

5 hours ago, Pip87 said:

It’s on my to do list! Will be using the Down Under Centre which seem to be popular and have good reviews.  I’m just in the very early stages of all this so just researching at the moment what is feasible etc. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time at a migration agent if teaching in Australia is a complete no go with me not having a PGCE. 

We've had some members who've used DUC without issues but others have complained that although they have MARA registered agents on staff, most of the work is delegated to junior staff and that has led to mistakes.  Get a quote from Suncoast Migration, Go Matilda or Andre Burger.

3 minutes ago, MarkLdownunder said:

I agree Neil or at least i think i do! Melbourne is a really cool place... its just not really what i pictured what i thought about moving over from the UK.

Very true.  Melbourne is the most un-Australian mainland city in Australia, I think!   The British perception of Australia as all sun and beaches isn't true (we all have to go to work after all), but it's much closer to being true in every other mainland state.   Whereas it's not at all true in Melbourne, (St Kilda and Bayside aren't beaches by most Australians' standards). 

Melbourne suits me because I'm very into theatre, dance and the arts, and I was never much of a beach-goer even when I lived near the beach in Sydney. I must admit I do miss my pool, and the glorious blue winter skies, though.