Simonrbh

On 31/07/2021 at 16:10, Marisawright said:

@Peety,If you feel that strongly, don't delay.   Start doing your research now.   Don't think "I'll move back when I retire",  because you may find you can't afford it then.

The difficulty is that if you leave Australia before you're eligible to claim the Australian government pension, you will never be able to claim it.   So you either have to leave now and start building up your entitlement to the UK pension, or you'll be stuck in Australia until you're entitlement age--which the way things are going, could well be 70 years old. 

I would suggest finding out about paying NI contributions now, and maybe backpaying some missing years as well.

Also make sure you understand what the deal is with superannuation.  

Hi Marisawright, How do I find out more information about what the implications are of Super and Aussie State Pension if I return to the UK?

Regards, S.

This post is so pertinent, I never realised there were so many of us who felt like we do! My heart goes out to all of you that feel so disconnected and long to be back home. I can relate to it personally, as I am exactly the same. After 7 years I know QLD and Australia will never be where I want to spend the rest of my life, but my Australian partner is home and will never leave. I too, like many, feel the years have been wasted and wish I'd never made the move. Like so many of you, I too will be hit financially when I finally make the move to family, real friends, proper fish 'n' chips & mushy peas and real malt vinegar, great real ales in great real pubs! I yearn to be hiking in the Lake District. My 40 years+ mate in Perth sums it up.....'People say Australia it's better, it's not better.......... just different'!

I wish the very best outcomes for all those unsettled souls.

On 13/05/2019 at 08:04, shiveringpom said:

er sadly not  - we are waiting now almost 18 months to hear anything from brisbane city  - all very random it seems ! simple family of 4 from UK lol....x

Same here. Applied August '18 and not heard a thing. The only way I know I'm in the system is when I go into my IMMI account. I haven't even had a confirmation email of my application. To be honest it's taking so long I even forget I've applied!!! Appears to be just a money making scheme when you have to apply for an RRV to ensure you still have travel rights whilst waiting. Simple individual of 1 from the UK with a 4th generation aussie partner (and she got her UK citizenship with 4 months of applying) lol.............

On 28/02/2019 at 12:37, imthedave said:

Filling out my citizenship application (taking forever to enter in amount of travel since I was 18!!)

Random question. It asks do you give permission for anyone else to ask about the application on your behalf. My wife and I want to be able to ask about each others if needed so ticking yes.

It says 'describe your relationship'

Options that seem correct are:

"Spouse/Interdependent partner" or "Spouse/De Facto partner"

Clearly I am my wifes spouse and she is mine. What is the difference between the two options above though? There isn't an option that just says husband/wife.

I'm sure it's irrelevant which one I pick for this answer but I'm genuinely curious which one would be correct and why?

I phoned them about travel since 18 and told them that there was no way I could possibly remember all that as most of it was European travel and you don't get stamps in a UK passport for that travel. The person I spoke to checked with their superior and told me the last 10 years travel is all that is required. I'm reckoning 'Spouse/De Facto" would be the choice seeing that you're married.

On 19/02/2019 at 15:13, littlefoot said:

Hi all - quick question. I've recently become eligible to apply for citizenship and noticed I needed police checks from the UK. Do I have to attach them before I submit the application? Or can I attach them at a later date?

If I remember correctly your UK police check is only valid for a certain amount of time. This plus the fact that it never asked for one to be submitted when I completed my online application means I didn't submit one! If they as for further documentation then I'll get on when it's requested so it's current. I only applied in August '18 so will be waiting a while longer before I hear anything from them. I've had to get a Returning Resident Visa (RRV) to permit ongoing overseas travel whilst my application is in situ.

On 19/02/2019 at 15:26, kirsty160990 said:

Hi littlefoot, does your application tell you that you need to submit UK police check?

I'm due to submit my application soon and didn't know i would need to have a police check from the uk. I have been on PR since March 2017 and have only been out of Australia twice for 5 weeks each trip.

I have been following this forum for my partner - he submitted his citizenship April 2018 with application still waiting to be approved. He completed his test on 03/09/2018.

If I remember correctly your UK police check is only valid for a certain amount of time. This plus the fact that it never asked for one to be submitted when I completed my online application means I didn't submit one! If they as for further documentation then I'll get on when it's requested so it's current. I only applied in August '18 so will be waiting a while longer before I hear anything from them. I've had to get a Returning Resident Visa (RRV) to permit ongoing overseas travel whilst my application is in situ.

Brisbane based. Applied online in August 2018, still awaiting anything further than the initial receipt of application.

Travel rights expired on my Permanent Resident Visa over 8 months ago so last week I applied for a RRV (Returning Residents Visa) so I can travel overseas. I completed the process online and had to enter quite a lot of the details I'd been asked for as part of my citizenship application. Wouldn't you expect that those details should be automatically filled from the current citizenship application?!

Put in my payment details and in less that a minute I got the RRV granted online and email notification too! Shame it isn't so easy for the citizenship application and that they seem to have to double dip to let people continue with their lives whilst being on hold for up to 22 months!

3 hours ago, MetalToby said:

Hi all,

I've been in Australia now on a partner visa for just over a year. My wife is Australian so I am a permanent resident.

We are planning a trip back to the UK in October. Do I need to do anything with my visa for a 3 week trip to the UK? Or can I just come and go?

Thanks!

I'm exactly the same as you but DeFacto, not married. I assume you are on a 100/309 Partner Migration Visa? As VeryStormy says, you are okay to travel as long as you are still within the 5 years travel rights of your visa. If you are outside of that then you will require a RRV (Returning Resident Visa) to re-validate the travel portion of your visa. I would also check on what I've been told by friends that got an RRV and that is:- If you do travel outside of Oz after your travel rights have expired, and you get an RRV, then the timeframe for applying for citizenship can possible be reset to when your RRV is issued. I'm sure someone more knowledgable on here can verify as whether this is correct.

On 30/09/2017 at 12:36, Scousers1 said:

She has always said she would not go because she has seen what it has done to me. Im not expecting her to change her mind to be honest but at least she is wanting to go for a holiday. 

Not sure where this leaves our future though as i am sure i cannot be here too much longer. My parents are here and elderly but once they are no longer around i have no wish to be here. I have stopped functioning a few years ago, dont really see many people anymore, dont look after the house as i once did. Only work a couple of days to cover the bills. 

Try to catch up with people but just cannot be bothered anymore. But looking forward to going home in 3 weeks.

Hi Scousers1,

Your posts sound so familiar, after just returning to Brisbane from Perth for a short 10 day visit. I've still not settled after 4 yrs and part of the reason for the Perth trip was to catch up with pommie friends and try and answer some of my nagging doubts. One of them has the same dilemma as you, with their eldest child having settled with his own place, an aussie partner and possibly looking at starting a family in the next few years. Until recently she was keen to head back to Wigan/Warrington area and hubby applied (internally) and took up an job in Ellesmere Port last year. So now the family are split and indecision and doubt are coming into the equation due to the eldest child having his life mapped out in Perth! Their reasons to want to head back were the same as so many others who have contributed to this post and are mine too, except my aussie partner has no wishes to return to the UK. I'm interested to hear how your trip back to the Wirral went and and update from your post in Sept 2017.

Best Wishes

Simon.

12 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

Your PR does not expire. It is permanent residency.

Your travel rights connected to PR expire 5 years after it was granted, so what date did you enter on the citizenship application as date of grant? Add 5 years and thats when your travel rights expire. 

Hi Nemesis,

Yes, I meant my travel rights, apologies. Think my 100/309 visa was granted Sept ‘13 and I entered  Oz May ‘14.  Looks like I may need to apply for a RRV if I want an overseas trip anytime soon!

On 19/06/2018 at 12:33, shiveringpom said:

intrigued to know if anyone else waiting for Brisbane city application to get going? we applied early January - all in system but no email as yet for test dates...now 6 months in....wondering if anyone else waiting or any tips on how long wait is with Brisbane .... just feel like spent years waiting for visas and tests and doing applications ..... lol. Will now need to get RRV sorted as PR 'expires' 1/8/18  incase of any overseas trips etc ......

 Hi shiveringpom

I submitted my application online today (Sunday 19/08/18). I'm Brisbane based too. I'm unsure when my PR expires, I suppose i can check on VEVO?

1. Date applied: 19/08/2018
2. City/Council area: Brisbane City Council 
3. Online / Paper:  Online
4. Date received the acknowledgement email: 19/08/2018
5. Date of the Citizenship Test:  TBC 
6. Approval online:  TBC
7. Date of ceremony:  TBC
8. Type of ceremony: 

I'd love to hear timescales for other Brisbane applicants and whether they are online or paper applications.

Good luck to everyone.

Simon.

On 03/08/2018 at 11:52, rockinteddy89 said:

I'm still waiting for my ceremony invitation. Anyone here still waiting? 

 

1. Date applied: 24/02/2018
2. City/Council area: Brisbane City Council 
3. Online / Paper:  Paper 
4. Date received the acknowledgement email: 27/02/2018
5. Date of the Citizenship Test: 22/05/2018 
6. Approval online: 25/05/2018
7. Date of ceremony:  TBA
8. Type of ceremony: 

Hi rockingteddy89

Congrats on the speedy process to date, others seem to have waited a lot longer than it's taken for you!  

Have you got a ceremony date yet?

I submitted my application online today (Sunday 19/08/18). I'm Brisbane based too and hoping things will be quite speedy for me!

1. Date applied: 19/08/2018
2. City/Council area: Brisbane City Council 
3. Online / Paper:  Online
4. Date received the acknowledgement email: 19/08/2018
5. Date of the Citizenship Test:  TBC 
6. Approval online:  TBC
7. Date of ceremony:  TBC
8. Type of ceremony: 

I'd love to hear timescales for other Brisbane applicants (and others cities/states) and whether they are online or paper applications.

Good luck to everyone.

Simon.

20 hours ago, lttm said:

Hi,

Hopefully this is the right forum to post in, if not, apologies.

I become eligible to apply for citizenship in December and intend to apply then.  However, I'm looking at travelling for overseas for five-six months from the beginning of May next year.  As my overseas travel will be after I apply, will it cause any problems with my application?

Thanks for your help with this.

Hi lttm

I have been looking to do something similar with overseas travel after applying. I can apply for citizenship on 13/05/18 and when I spoke to the helpline (huge wait, 100+ callers, so choose phone back option) they informed me that besides the fact that you must not exceed the 90 day limit for being out of the country in the preceding 12 months to your application, any travel at all can affect the date at which you can be considered. Added to this I was also informed if you travel out of the country once you have applied, this can also possibly affect the date for acceptance. I hope I've interpreted this correctly!

4 hours ago, Chris N Lora said:

I asked exactly the same thing, I am moving back to the UK ... he said it's not possible to do it in the UK it baffled me as I met all qualifying requirements when the application was lodged.

So you’re moving back to the UK and will forget progressing your citizenship application now? Is that a definite move back or just an option that is being researched?

Simon.

12 hours ago, Chris N Lora said:

I was required to speak to immigration today ....I was advised the 13 months for 75%. The 15 months for 90% is only a guide .... some are being done faster, it is dependent on the background checks. If all documentation is given prompt and there is no extra information required, ie overseas police checks etc.  then they are being done on a case by case merit ... so some can be done long before others... and that all applicants need to be patient. 

I'm confused why they need to do all these background checks and overseas police checks when they did such checks when applicants originally applied for their visa. Surely it would be a  simple matter of checking on a database for most of the checks required. If I head back to the UK is there an option to apply in the UK to the Australian High Commission and have the ceremony in the UK? Looking at all my options before I make a decision what to do for the future.

I'm shocked at what I'm reading here. I thought I'd be applying, sitting the test and having the ceremony all with a matter of months! It hardly took anytime at all for my Australian OH to get her British Citizenship sorted when we lived there! It would appear that in most cases you are looking at times around the 9 month mark. That's ridiculous. So from my eligibility date of 13/05/18 it means I'm not likely to sit the test until the end of the year and then a ceremony Feb/March 2019! I'm seriously thinking it's not worth it. Finding work in Brisbane has been extremely difficult. I may even head back to the UK and say goodbye to my life here and Australian partner! So disappointed how things have panned out.

Hi KTM, We used TorFX when we sold our house and emigrated to QLD in 2014. Everything went very smoothly. I understand your concerns re:huge amount of money (in excess of £500K), I had the same apprehensions. I had a trip back to the UK in late 2016 and used them again to transfer money over to the UK for the trip, no issues again. I intend to use them again when I return to the UK permanently.

'Work easy to find' - What is your line of work? Feel free to send me a private message. I'm keen to head back to the UK but require work to fund a roof over my head!

Cheers

Simon.

On 4/3/2017 at 3:40 PM, Amklive said:

HI Simon,

A number of reasons:

1) Capitalisation on the Sydney house prices - Think this will be as good as they get for a while and I want to sell now whilst the going is good (before interest rates increase). We've owned the same house for a few years now.

2) Strong AUD vs GBP - allowing us to maximise our take-home amount - I can only see the GBP getting stronger over the next 12 mths..........

3) Eldest is 11yo and Northern Ireland has excellent FREE Grammar schooling, and its the right time to move him and our 8yo home to minimise distruption.

4) The thought of being mortgage free at 42 in a really nice house with no school fees and both our salaries being pretty-much disposable appeals immensely.

What's made you think about moving back?

Al

 

 

Hi Al

I only moved over in October 2014, mainly for a lifestyle change. We settled in my OH's home town, where she was brought up for her first 22 years. I've struggled to get a job and hence disposable income is not in abundance and social interaction is non-existent. I used to work for a Global company in the UK and took redundancy after 23hrs. I've applied for hundreds of jobs and in all my time here I've only had one 12 month contract for 24hr pw that ended June last year. I've tried things like the local Mens Shed (woodworking is not what I'm looking for) and looked at different groups on Meetup (distance to meet ups an issue as the tend to be 55km away in Brisbane CBD). All this has lead to me feeling totally isolated, with my only mates 1000's of kms way in WA and SA (can't afford trips there).

I find country folk have a different mindset and Aussies in general don't seem to want to interact like in the UK, strong meaningful friendships are a myth. So in a nutshell, the lack of a job and rural living means purse strings are tight and no social interaction.....and my OH is happy as a pig in ****!

It's not been a lifestyle change for the better but it's certainly been a lifestyle change!

Simon.

Hi Al

Can't advise but I'm interested in your post as I'm thinking of doing the same.

Your reason to move back?

Simon.

Like a lot of posts, both Rachel and Ggs have very eloquently worded their replies to embody what is truly important to most, if not all of us.

This is so valid and well-written. Having been 'trapped' and miserable myself in the past in a failing marriage and, for the past 12 years or so, in what I like to see as a successful marriage I can fully relate to these sentiments. When we committed to marriage (my 2nd) it was with a single pact and that was that for each of us our goal was to make the other happy. We have never forgotten this and this simple pact makes it easy for us to compromise with joint decisions on all the important things.

 

Whether a couple actually 'marry' though is immaterial of course.

 

These thoughts had crossed my mind in relation to Simon's well-expressed posts but I doubt I could have encapsulated those thoughts as well as you have here.

 

Perhaps the hardest part can be determining the point at which the divide becomes unbridgeable. Many extol the virtue of relationship counselling which I have never considered personally as it seems fundamental to me that partners should have and retain the ability to communicate their innermost thoughts, concerns and wishes with their partner. If you are both able to do this and each of you place the other's happiness above your own then you have something worth keeping in my view.

Thanks for the advice on renting, I'll look into how much we could get in rental so I know what we can also afford to pay out in renting.

As far as the job goes, I actually already work in Brisbane CBD. My background is in the manufacturing of home and personal care products. I have a wide range of transportable skills and knowledge but unfortunately the 'natural fit' jobs are all South of Brisbane, like Yatala, which isn't feasible for a commute. With the current job market as it is I've ended up taking a basic level position on a 24hr a week basis for a 12 month contract. I commute 50kms each way by car or motorbike 4, sometimes 5 times a week due to the working hours being from 06:30 to midnight any day of the week, including public holidays. I'd love to perhaps have a night in the city after work but then I couldn't have a few drinks due to having to drive or ride back the 50kms home. Only last week I encountered a random breath test road block on the way home from work at 13:30, which seemed a strange time of day to have such a thing! On Saturday night I finished at 23:00hrs and the if I'd joined the guy going to watch the rugby at The Pig & Whistle it would mean heading home 01:30-02:00 in the morning! Ideally I need to be closer to a rail connection for social events.

Like you say, I'm already outside my usual career and continuing to look at all avenues for opportunities to provide the work/lifestyle balance that is of high priority to me. As far as the job market goes, it all seems doom and gloom at the moment with redundancies and restructuring announcements virtually every week. Even in the organisation I'm currently working for, there has been a major restructure in the last 18 months and even in the last 2 months they've announced further sites to close and all the distribution drivers are also going to be made redundant. Over 50% of the staff are part-time like myself. I took the position I have to get some aussie work history on my CV/Resume. My UK qualifications cannot be transposed into the aussie equivalents so are not internationally recognised.

I hope the RSL Lottery or Golden Casket comes in soon!

The tax implications may not be too bad. The first thing you do is get a Depreciation Report on the house from a qualified valuer. Then each year you can claim a set amount of "depreciation" off your tax. It works best if it's a new property - when I owned my investment property, my depreciation was so high that it didn't just offset the tax due on the rent, I got a refund on my regular tax as well! If the property is old, it may not be much - but every little helps. You can also claim all your expenses, like advertising for tenants, agent's fees, rates etc.

 

Of course, renting may feel like dead money, but then you'll have the rent coming in from the house.

 

On another note, it seems to me that your problems are made far, far worse by the job you've got. Have you thought about looking for a job in Brisbane instead? You'd have to settle for something more junior, or perhaps something outside your usual career altogether - but IMO that would be a small price to pay. I believe there's a train to Brisbane, the station is about 20 minutes from you and your total commute would be an hour or so. Then you'd have the great advantage of being IN Brisbane when you knock off work, and therefore it would be easy to stay on for the pub, clubs etc.

I was in there last Christmas getting the meats for the festivities and spent a considerable amount of money. I asked the young lad behind the counter for some streaky bacon (to make pigs in blankets). He didn't know what I meant so I told him it was the thinner part of the full rasher and went to look at the display cabinet whilst he sorted it. When I came back to the counter he informed me that his boss had said he couldn't do streaky bacon. I found this rather strange because you could have short cut, which is the other half! The boss was there but never uttered a word. I've not been back there since, but like you say, great sausages……..at a price!

On the plus side, good selection of Sausages in Dayboro

Jjb - I'm not saying you can't say what you have said. What I'm trying to point out is that just because you personally find it an attractive proposition as a place to live doesn't mean that another person has to feel the same way. There are positives and negatives to anywhere you live and in my current situation it appears to be more slanted to the negative side. If I'd already made my mind up then I wouldn't be open to suggestions, like your excellent one of the meetup website, or discussion either.

If if you're truely considering moving here you'd be more than welcome to come and stay to see if the reality fits your dream before making such a commitment, I wish I'd had such an opportunity! Who knows, you may even want to buy our property!

Well you had better move then. Simple.

 

 

 

Why can't I say this. It is true.

 

Doesn't help you much that is true.

 

But looks like you have made your mind up already. And nothing I will say will have any impact. So I may as well tell you that you are lucky to live there and I am envious.

 

End of story. Nothing else to say.

Hi Bungo

I've not suggested the majority or everyone has said they would love to live here, hence the 'So before people start saying'. If you look on pg4 when I've replied to Ggs I've mentioned that if we do anything in the immediate future it is likely to be looking at renting out our property and renting elsewhere.

It is a option, not one that you can do within 24hrs and it can be quite expensive too, hence why Ive asked for peoples help on the matter, so that I can consider all options (including the Coastguard Volunteer that buzzy-bee has mentioned). When I have spoken to my OH and mentioned areas that might be suitable for renting and providing more social interaction, quite rightly, she has pointed out that some of those areas would virtually double her commute. If we did that I could see the end result just being a reversal of who's unhappy! I'm also glad to Ggs for pointing out possible tax implications of renting out.

I think only one person has said they would love to live there. Most people have suggested you move, have you considered that?

I'll let Mims explain why they feel it is a horrible journey to get to and from Dayboro, I do appreciate what they are saying. I'f it's anything to do with using the Bruce, Gateway or Pacific Highways, or should I call them car parks, then you'll understand.

Coming home from work last week I had a Koala scurry across the road right in front of my car. I'f he/she had stopped I'd of killed them, I'd of been mortified if that had happened. If I'd been on my motorbike, it might have taken my off. Don't ride at dawn or dusk they say……if only I could! In the pitch dark of the early morning I regularly get tradies passing me well in excess of the limit and a couple of weeks a go, when going to work on my motorbike, I sped up to see what sort of speed the tradie had passed me was doing and I hit 150 and I wasn't even gaining on him/her! And then there's double white lines…….don't even get me started on that! These drivers don't appreciate that they have just got up and their senses and reaction times are not at their optimum.

To some it may seem an idyllic place to live and it is not without it's virtues and as it has already been said, attracts a lot of people with it's scenery, cafe's, winery close by, etc. Every person is different, has different circumstances, jobs, hobbies etc. My OH grew up on a pineapple farm less that 5kms from where we live and feels at home here. She's not one for socialising and hobbies but when I am reminded that as a kid she used to have her nose stuck in a book reading it whilst in the outdoor dunny, with a carpet snake peering down from the rafters, then it may answer a lot of questions!

The 2 restaurants don't open past 20:00hrs and are closed on Monday, the same for the pizza place and a similar closing time for the pub too. The roads around here are 100kph limits and given the average aussie drivers standard, it would be suicidal to even think about riding a push bike or walking along the roads around here. To beat the kamikaze tradies, and to get free on-street parking, I head out at 04:40hrs when I'm on early shift, having to arrive by 05:30 to get a parking space…….I don't start work until 06:30! There is a bus that goes from Dayboro to Strathpine in the morning and returns in the afternoon, once only a day! The nearest taxi service is in Samford, 25kms away. The nearest train link is either Petrie of Ferny Grove and both of those are 30+kms away.

All the clubs, volunteering groups, etc seem to be in the city and given the fact that I get up at 'daft o'clock' when I'm on early shift, it's not practicable to work, come home, go back out and drive for an hour each way to attend a club that starts after work hours, most probably 19:00hrs, to then drive home a couple of hours later and get in for 22:00 to get back up the following day for an early shift. Late shifts means it would be a 'no-show' anyway. The best I can hope for is a club/organisation that meets weekends!

By the way, I work weekends too, depending on my roster! Last night I worked 16:30-23:00 and got in at midnight. Talking to one of my colleagues and asking him if he was going to enjoy his favourite tipple of a single malt when he got in, I was informed 'No, I'm going to go and watch Australia v Wales at The Pig & Whistle' ……..hell was I envious! I don't want to 'live' in a pub, a lifetime of shift work has never been conducive to that, but as many will acknowledge, it's a great place to 'chew the fat' , make plans for hiking, camping trips, stop off after a motorbike ride etc etc…at least in the UK pubs anyway!

We went to New Farm Park yesterday for a relatives engagement party and speaking to people they were asking how I was finding it and whether I was settled. When I told them my woes, and bear in mind these are fully fledged Aussies ranging from early 20's to mid 50's in age, a common response was 'I can imagine…….I'd be pulling my hair out living there'! Perhaps that's the reason for my baldness! The other question one of the extended family asked my OH was 'What hobbies and pastimes do you have'? 'None really' came the reply……hmmmm!

With my OH having spent 12 years in the UK, 10 of those with me, it only seemed fair to give things a chance here and perhaps hence the reason I have gone along with her wishes. We do have a beautiful house, with a great view, it's just not for me. So before people start saying it looks wonderful and how envious they are of the views and how they'd live here at the drop of a hat, I'll point out that Everest Base Camp has wonderful views…..I'd love to see it, but I don't want to live there!

Thanks to everyone for your comments and helpful suggestions so far, please keep them coming.

Simon.

Ohhhh NO NO NO

 

Sorry not my intention at all!

 

Opps

 

SORRY OP

 

However, I have been looking into the area since reading this post (never heard of it prior) and honestly it looks like the perfect place for me personally to live. I am seriously considering finding a job in Brisbane and moving there.

 

And am keen to know what Mims means by "horrible drive" (i.e.) backroads with minimal street lights, heavily congested roads, kangaroos and wild stock roaming willy nilly across roads, pot holes, etc....