Marisawright

I'm also concerned about my Super should I move back to the UK. I did think to continue paying into my Aussie Super rather than starting from scratch in the UK. Or is that a false economy and can I even do that if I'm not a resident in Australia?

I'd say it would be false economy. Assuming you're not running a self-managed fund, just cancel all the insurances on the super (they're not valid anyway if you're living overseas) and make sure you're in a fund with good returns. Then just leave it alone to accumulate until retirement age, at which time you'll need to research what tax will be payable (it all might have changed by then!), and from that, decide whether to take it as a lump sum or as a pension.

If you've got a self-managed super fund, you'll have to close it as it will be subject to maximum tax once you're overseas. You'll have to transfer the balance to a retail or industry fund.

You're probably aware that you'll get no Australian state pension, and the UK goverment will recognise only the years before 2001 as counting towards the UK one.

It's great to hear you have family there already - having somewhere to stay until you get on your feet will save you several thousand dollars and make the process so much easier!

As others have said,your first step is to find out whether you can even qualify for a visa. Just wanting to emigrate is not enough, unfortunately! Even if you qualify, your husband needs to check whether his qualifications can be recognised in Australia and how much it will cost. In some trades, it's quite a process and you have to accept work at much lower rates for up to a year while you're retraining, which could have a big impact on your budget. I'd also be a bit worried about his employment prospects - there was a big influx of tradesmen into WA for the mining boom so now it's winding down, here's likely to be a glut unless they've all left the State!

I need a car for work unfortunately and if it means we can live somewhere more affordable I am willing to have a long drive, in fact I'm expecting it. I know a guy in our office in London who travels up from Portsmouth everyday.

 

How did you find the Spouse Visa process?

In that case, that graph should help you narrow down where to look. Make sure you're reading it correctly - those figures aren't house prices, they're how much you'll SAVE on house prices by moving to those areas compared to London.

We found it easy because we were able to rely on savings - we had already sold our house while we decided what to do next, so by the time we applied, we'd had enough money sitting in a bank account for twelve months. You complete the application form online then have to take a printed copy to an interview. The application form is painful to complete but not complicated (the only trap is knowing you have to fill in Appendix 2, which they don't tell you).

All they are worried about is that the spouse won't be a burden on the taxpayer. That's why, if it's a brand new job and you're going to be on probation, you might have to wait 6 months, since the job isn't secure. However if you're continuing an existing role with the same company at the same salary, this is what the documentation says:

"Where the applicant’s partner is returning with the applicant to the UK to work... the applicant’s partner must be in employment at the date of application and have been with the same employer for at least 6 months prior to the date ofapplication. They must have been paid throughout that period of 6 months at a levelof gross annual salary or income which equals or exceeds the level relied upon inthe application."

What Bungo said.

I'd second the importance of starting to declutter NOW. Everyone has stuff they don't really need and wouldn't miss, even if you change your mind about migrating - and there's always a LOT more stuff to get rid of than you think! Start getting rid of that stuff now - put things on Gumtree. It will make life a lot easier when you have to start packing.

I've recently moved a couple of boxes back with Seven Seas and it all went like clockwork (apart from them trying to deliver it to the wrong county at this end, but that's another story), so I'm sorry to hear they've made such a dog's breakfast of yours!

Is it really a Movecube's worth or just a few boxes? Unfortunately there isn't a really cheap way to move a small amount of stuff. I got a quote from a couple of excess baggage companies, Seven Seas was the cheapest but not by much - we only had 2 removalist boxes.

Bear in mind you can take 7kg in your carry-on case (just make sure it fits the dimensions), plus a laptop and heavy coat - and if you've got a coat or vest with zippered pockets, they can't stop you filling the pockets with stuff. In fact they even sell vests specially for that!

http://www.innovations.com.au/p/clothing/shoes-accessories/lightweight-travel-vest-with-12-pockets

I also realised that in all the years I've travelled, I've never used my whole 20kg check-in allowance. It turned out to be TWO of my usual-size suitcases. So maybe try a test pack and see how much stuff you've really got left over?

I've been caught out once, too. Not with travel but with ordering contact lenses. In my case I didn't care about the overseas transaction fee because I saved so much on the transaction even with the fee - but of course, because the company didn't have a provider number, I couldn't claim the cost of the lenses back from my health fund!

I signed up for a similar Travelicious "program" several months ago. It's worth joining as you will get paid for your first piece of work as promised, and $100 is not to be sneezed at - but don't think it's going to be an ongoing job!

What will happen is that you'll get instructed how to set up a blog and will get paid for your first articles, then told they will be in touch with further work. Then silence.

I am still mystified what they hope to gain by this method. It seems to me they are paying out money for something that's not doing them any good, really.

Thanks for the graph, very useful and thanks again to everyone for the helpful comments - what a fantastic resource for information this website is. Just wish I'd found it 13 years ago!

 

 

Unfortunately due to my area of work, I'd be tied to working in London for a few years

I understand that, but the whole point of that graph is to show you comparative costs of housing in commutable areas around London. From which you can see that moving north of London instead of staying down in the southeast could save you far more on the price of your house than it would cost you in extra commuting costs.

You say you will be driving to work - is your car essential to your work, or is your work not accessible by public transport? Insisting on being close enough to drive will place you in some very expensive areas indeed.

We've been shocked by how expensive Dorset is.

I think you need to double-check the requirements for the spouse visa. As you are continuing with the same employer, I don't believe your wife needs to stay behind for six months. You simply apply while you're in Australia and wait until it's approved. My oh's visa took about three weeks - we're in Sydney, it may take longer elsewhere.

We're in Western Australia so we're unable to register the relationship.

I'm thinking the 600 visa is my only option, I'm assuming that I can only state that to continue exploring Australia would be the only valid reason to give in the "reason for requesting the visa extension" section but I don't want this to cause problems when immigration check back on my records when I apply for the partnership visa next year and realise I would have also had other reasons (living with partner) for requesting the tourist visa extension.

How have others in this situation fared?

It does sound like a very dicey situation to get a visa under false pretences, then use it as evidence of cohabitation - if Immigration decides you've been acting fraudulently to get the other visas, wouldn't that incline them to feel your de facto application is all a lie too? They can still turn you down, even with 12 months cohabitation, if they think it's all a setup.

I'd suggest before you do anything else, get a second opinion from another expert - I know it will involve a fee but how important is this to you? Go Matilda seems to get good reviews on these forums.

So in that respect, the choice is better in the UK? I quite like Starbucks' Soy mocha! What a heathen I must be!

Nothing wrong with soy for those who have an objection to dairy, I was just saying that if we're talking about European-style cafe culture, I agree that all the fancy bells and whistles aren't part of it.

What Starbucks produces tastes nothing like real coffee, but then it may appeal to people who don't like the taste of real coffee!

Normally I'd say, ask them for a Certificate of Service when you leave. In writing your email/letter, tell them you were employed from a date to b date, and again from c date to d date - there's a good chance they will just copy what you write! However if you were on a contract and therefore still technically employed while you were on unpaid leave, they're not likely to be willing to lie on the Certificate.

I don't get the "coffee culture" thing at all.....if you go to Italy its either a standard black coffee or an expresso little one, super strong and super sweet....all this latte and cappuccino rubbish with cream and all the bells and whistles???.....went into starbucks and asked for a cup of coffee.....what followed was the most ridiculous conversation I have had in a while asking if I want a latte....cream....long....short.....a cup of coffee please.....latte on the bottom.....coffee on top then milk?......no!.....a cup of coffee......oh.....an americano......whats that (i said).....its coffee and milk.....@#/#!.......seriously......and I paid £2.75 for it!......what a rip off that was.....just unbelievable that coffee has come to this.....I dont get.

 

My view is.....forget about this migrant Italian influence.....this is about large American corporate business being welcomed into Australia because Australians want to be like Americans.

Yes, that's exactly what Starbucks is - and it was SO unpopular in Australia, they actually went broke. There are only a few surviving Starbucks cafes in Sydney now.

I hate all that American rubbish too - you won't catch me ordering a grande weak soy latte, extra froth, with hazelnut syrup or any of that nonsense. "Proper" Sydney cafes serve the same range of coffees you get in Italy, and some of them won't even offer you skim milk let alone soy!

 

I note that Marisa states it is still 12 months requirement. Marisa, we met in May last year, again in November and have been living together sharing household costs and jointly attending all school activities etc since March this year, there were over 45,000 facebook messages and an average of 3 or 4 hours daily Skyping between us since last summer and this March.

I'm not aware that it's been reduced to 6 months but I'm not a professional in the field, so I can't say.

What I am saying is that whatever the time requirement is, you do NOT have to be physically living together for any particular number of days, weeks or months, as far as I'm aware. Immigration recognises that even married couples are forced to live apart sometimes due to work or cost or visa restrictions. What you need is evidence that it has been a real committed relationship for at least twelve months, even though you haven't been together.

What you need to do is collect the paperwork to prove that - bills and bank statements to prove you're sharing household costs, certified copies of wills showing each other as beneficiaries, photos showing you attending school activities with your partner and children, Christmas cards and other correspondence addressed to you both as a couple, etc. Plus statements from as many family and friends as you can manage. You can't submit electronic evidence so I don't know how you could use your Facebook or Skype evidence - can you get an itemised call log from Skype showing who you've called?

Also, even though you feel a piece of paper is not necessary for the two of you, it would certainly make it easier for you if you did marry - in Australia it's possible to have a simple ceremony in a park which is a lovely way to celebrate your love.

On another note, I notice you say that you're reluctant to rush into marriage as you've both recently left previous relationships. How long ago was that and how long were you dating before you moved in together?

As you'll see from the kind of evidence Immigration requires, they're looking for a genuine 12-month de facto relationship - ie. one that's equivalent to a marriage, not one where both parties are still trying to decide whether to make the commitment long-term. So they will look at how long you were together before moving in.

My friend actually took nearly 2 years to get her oh's visa approved, because Immigration felt their first several months together weren't a "full" de facto relationship, even though they did live together for part of that time. Very frustrating for her but because she didn't have enough evidence for that early phase, she couldn't do anything about it.

Also by the way, I know no one likes to consider break-ups when they're just starting a relationship, but if you're reluctant to commit to marriage, be aware that de facto break-ups in Australia are covered by pretty much the same laws as marriage, once you've been together two years.

This graph may be of interest to you, it shows the comparative cost of living within commutable distance of London in various directions.

What it tells you is that unless you have a very strong reason for living South of London, you need to go north,young man - it is hugely more affordable.

London Commuter Towns.pdf

London Commuter Towns.pdf

You don't actually have to be living together to qualify for de facto status. One of my friends got her Nepalese husband in on the de facto rule in spite of the fact that he spent large parts of the year in Nepal and she was in Australia with her children.

My understanding is that other evidence is more important - things like shared finances (bank statements showing you paying joint bills), stat decs from family and friends attesting that it's a genuine relationship, evidence that you're named in each other's wills, evidence of continual contact while you're apart (e.g. itemised phone bills), photos showing you together in family situations, Christmas cards from your family to you both (which demonstrates that they see you as a couple) etc.

I assume you've read this:

http://www.border.gov.au/about/corporate/information/fact-sheets/35relationship

I would also be a bit worried about not admitting the relationship when you're going to be relying on that evidence in your eventual application, but I'm not an expert. Is your agent a registered agent?

When I migrated, we had only 6 months to validate our visa, so we didn't have much choice - we planned to move within 3 months to avoid any chance we might miss the deadline. We were renting so didn't have as many loose ends to tie up.

But anyway, I doubt we would've left it any longer in any case. While we were in the process of applying, we put a lot of things on hold - stopped buying clothes and stuff for the house, put off changing jobs etc - so when it came through, we couldn't wait to get our lives back in gear again.

If you get on with decluttering while you're waiting, and start planning the move (you can get no-obligation quotes from estate agents and shipping companies and just get them to update the quotes once you have a confirmed date), then it needn't take long to move once the decision comes through.

- My family came to Aus as missionaries, and lived as that for 4 years, then my father decided to apply for a PR as he was approaching 45, the age limit. But the nomination from our organization, where we lived for 9 years, was refused because of money issue.

 

- As my father was old for the PR, we went to the tribunal to discuss this matter. Which took almost 3 years

I can understand your distress as you're so young and have spent most of your life in Australia - but the only reason your family was in Oz for so long was they were trying to get around the visa restrictions. Immigration can't allow that as a reason to stay, as it would encourage applicants to use endless delaying tactics and appeals until they could say "I've been here so long, you must let me stay".

As for the current application for PR - if there was a mistake in the application that's why it was rejected, nothing to do with a blacklist - unless your family stayed in Australia illegally at some point?

Yes a lot of people get turned down. That's why people spend money on a migration agent, because your application can be rejected if you don't fill out the forms correctly, and no one wants to risk getting refused for a silly mistake.

Are you committed to the south Marisa? If not, I'd have a good hard look at York. Great city with lots to do, wonderful people, and much cheaper than the equivalent (i.e. Bath) down south.

We went for the South because most of my family is down here, spread from Exeter to Croydon! However family was not our main reason for moving, so it's not set in stone. As we're understanding more about house and rental prices, we can see that moving north would make a lot more sense (and my oh is realising that the landscape up there attracts him more - he finds the rolling hills round here a little bland!).

Glad you're starting to see the wood from the trees and finding other places you do like - didn't you consider Bristol at one point?

Yes we did, but rentals are much higher in Bristol than in either Bournemouth or Southampton. What's weird is that it seems cheaper to buy in Bristol than in either of those places - makes no sense.

Do they have a list of places/ homes/castles they both control? Perhaps if they do you could have a look and see which offers you more of what you like. Just an idea. Hope you are settling a litttle more now Marisa.

Thanks! As others said, we are feeling a bit better now we've got a car and can get out and about more. Although that basically means we are closing our eyes to our local community and therefore not going to make friends! Not that we'd want to - we've met a few normal people in our block, but the whole suburb - and most of Southampton - seems to consist of dole bludgers and bogans. In some ways, being able to travel to other towns is depressing in itself, because it just highlights how bad this area is!

However it's only a temporary thing - I'm resigned to the fact that we're not going to get settled for at least another six months - we're going to spend that time productively, trying to work out where in the UK will suit us better.

Trying to decide whether to buy an annual sub to the National Trust or English Heritage - which one gives the best value if you're interested in stately homes and castles?

I have no family in aus. .All in UK. ...but aus feels like home to me...I feel like I belong there more than I do in UK. .I never expected to feel like that. ..everyone is different

I was exactly the same. Not at first - we started out in country Victoria which I didn't like at all - but for some reason, the minute I arrived in Sydney to suss it out for a possible move, I felt as if I'd come home.

However, Sydney's far too expensive now and besides, my oh can't live in a high UV climate, so it's not an option any more.