Booma

10 hours ago, Kathss56 said:

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/skilled-and-family-migration-falling-amid-tougher-visa-scrutiny-20180522-p4zgsv.html

 

still saying the Extra “checks” are the reason for the slow down in processing all sorts of visas!! Surely more integrated systems and technology should improve efficiency etc., 

It probably does speed things up with places like the UK but not so much with a lot of other countries where lots and lots of people are trying to come to oz from.

19 minutes ago, Rita Blyth said:

Thanks for the reply MaggieMay - this is what I'm struggling with...the fact that they have absolutely no bearing whatsoever and I suppose I want/need to someone to explain why these two half-siblings prevent us from sponsoring our daughter to stay here with the rest of her family. It doesn't make sense to me....

The remaining relative visa eligibility seems fairly clear and the half siblings existence mean she isn’t eligible for that visa because they are her relatives.  Even if she had been eligible for the remaining relative visa she would be old by the time it got issued.

You might be better speaking to a registered migration agent about if there is a visa she would meet eligibility for that is also practical.

It's just a holiday visa that lets you do some work while you holiday so it's pretty simple and fast ?

There's a few. Akubra, RM Williams and Drizabone all make good ones. My husband only buys from those 3.

16 minutes ago, VERYSTORMY said:

There isn't anything like enough commission houses in Perth for homeless people. We had a family who lived near us. The mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The dad had to quit work to care for her. She died a short time later, but by then the mortgage was in arrears and shortly after her death the bank took it. He went down to try and get help and, as I have seen first hand, he was handed a leaflet showing camp grounds in the area. So, they ended up in one of the camp sites in southern Mandurah. 

The sad twist in the take was a few months later, one of the little kids woke early and wanted to be nice for his dad and make him a cup of tea. So, tried to boil water in the tent on a camp stove. Tent caught fire and kids and dad burnt to death. 

The camp sites around Mandurah are full of homeless families. 

That story is freakishly similar to Brett Spies and his children that died when a gas cylinder exploded in their tent in Mandurah in 2011. It was in the news again not long ago because the Spies mother died earlier this year. The Spies family though were renting a house they didn't pay the rent on for approx 12 months and so were evicted and the children were teenagers. 

Your 20's are for exploring the world, new experience and making mistakes. I'd backpacked in oz and loved it so didn't hesitate to move here when my ozzie husband wanted to come home. I were surprised when I didn't settle. We ended up going back to uk only to realise after a few months that I didn't like living there at all and oz was really where we both wanted to be. It cost money going backwards and forwards of course but we got a wonderful life in oz in the end and with some hard graft we got back on our feet so I'm not sorry we did what we did.

You might go on holiday and decide UKs not for you anymore or you might decide it is and even change your mind again later or not. It doesn't really matter if it helps you work out what you really want ?

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

I'm surprised.  My ex-husband was a teacher in both the Scottish and Australian systems and felt the Scottish system was superior.   No argument about health care, although given you're not entitled to use most of the public system, you're not going to get the best chance to compare. 

The Scottish system used to be brilliant but a new curriculum was introduced in approx 2010 and it's been going downhill ever since. I was at a training course in Sydney not long ago and got chatting to 3 other teachers who migrated from Scotland in the last year or so. From what they were saying the new system there is a complete shambles and experienced teachers are leaving from all over.  One of those things that looks good in theory but doesn't actually work but Govt isn't listening to teachers so it's unlikely to get any better. Such a shame.

That must be so awful for you. I know your father and his wife are upset but they don't seem to be considering what you and your little family want at all. It's all about what they want and they seem very controlling. I would tell them if they don't stop trying to emotionally blackmail you that you won't be able to see them again before you go because it's to upsetting. 

Its a really horrible thing they are doing to you and them being upset isn't a good enough excuse. My parents were sad I was moving but they would never put what they want above what I want. I also don't agree with what some others have said about it being up to you to think about your father and his wife's care later on or that you have to make sure you do visits etc. Family is important to me but I was raised to believe parents are responsible for there children and not the other way around. Your husband and children are your main priority now and don't let anyone tell you any different or make you feel bad for the choices you make. 

9 hours ago, Sharpeys said:

Hi everyone. Not a new topic by any means, but would appreciate any views you may have...My wife and I are thinking about a move to Oz using CV143. We pass the eligibility test etc, our daughter is a citizen near Perth, having been out there nearly 10 years. We've weighed up the costs as best we can, and were thinking it would take around 2.5.to 3 years. However, with all the talk these days of immigration cuts, costs rising, and the Oz 2018 budget looming, are the times going to increase drastically? I've seen mention of 6 to 10 years waiting times, and the AOS going up next April anyway. We are both in our late 60's, fairly healthy, I've a new hip that is 11 years old, and my wife is on medication for a treatable condition, but physically fit. 

We know it is a risk, but wondered what you good people might think.

Thanks in advance

My parents just decided to apply now because they are worried about it getting harder and harder to get in to oz and they don't want to miss out on there chance. They love oz and found it very hard to leave last time they visited. There is a bunch of other parents posting in a thread on this site that would probably be helpful to you. They tend to stick to there main thread and don't tend to come out of it to post on any other threads much that I've seen.

It was interesting what Marisa said about her friend. My parents aren't the type who would let having to drive somewhere stop them from doing the school run if they wanted to do it and they would come to sports events when our boys are old enough to do sport and they would adapt to doing different things with the children and us as our family changed. If you are like my parents I can't see why it wouldn't work. But if you are set in your ways and want the family to revolve around doing the same things year after year that they do when the children are small it might not work out so well.

55 minutes ago, LKC said:

I never felt that in Aus.  Sure, we had a pool, but we could only use it from late November to March, and had to maintain it year round.  We were a short drive from the beach, but we never went because it wasn't something we enjoyed, and we were always too busy with work/school/other things anyway.  I don't miss those things at all.  Our lifestyle was the same as it would be anywhere.  Housework still needed to be done, we still had to go to work and school, and there was still the same amount of down time which was often filled with house maintenance etc (actually a bit less, because OH worked longer hours and had a longer commute).

We are going to Greece in July, and I am very much looking forwards to that because it will be different, and it will be a holiday from the every day stuff.

Sorry I didn't mean to touch a nerve with my comment. I'm sure you have a lovely life in Scotland. It just isn't the type of life I want to live.

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

TBH I often wonder why people still migrate to Australia at all nowadays.  

Lifestyle. In oz I've got a lifestyle I used to have to go on holiday to get.

Oz is so big and so diverse you could spend more than one lifetime travelling and still not see everything there is to see. Favourite places so far were the typical tourist places like the Whitsunday Islands, Uluru and just about anywhere in the NT but there is so many brilliant places to go it's almost impossible to pick. Sometimes we fly to places but the best holidays were when we drove because there is always interesting little spots to see on the way that you wouldn't know about from travel sites. 

When we do go overseas we tend to go to Asia or the pacific islands. My favourite countries so far were Japan, New Zealand and the outer islands of Fiji. I also like Singapore and Indonesia which has a lot more to offer than just Bali. Although Bali is very cheap and appeals to some people.

People in oz travel all over the world but one thing that's brilliant is you can have any type of holiday you want right here in oz. You don't have to leave the country to feel like you went somewhere different and interesting ?

17 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

I wasn't young.  I left the nest to move elsewhere in the UK at twenty, but I didn't go to Australia till I was over 30.  I still had no idea! 

I still think the parent should speak up. I guess it does depend on what kind of family you are.  I grew up in a typical Scottish Presbyterian family - fairly strict, non-demonstrative, no praise (we might get big-headed!).  My parents did a good job of raising me, I think, but because their emphasis was always on making us behave and correcting our mistakes, I always had the feeling us girls were far more of a burden than a blessing to them.  If my mum was heartbroken when I left, I wish she had said so - it might have made a huge difference to my relationshp with her as an adult.

If it had changed my decision, would that have been a bad thing?  Personally, I prefer my life in Australia - but these days, the idea that moving to Australia guarantees a "better life" is just utter rubbish.  Both countries have a great deal to offer, they're just different.

 

The thing about being a parent though Marisa is that you put your own wants and needs after your children's wants and needs. It's not even something good parents do consciously. 

4 hours ago, governedby nutters said:

You are a know it All, you check it out with Dutton' office,And stop shooting the Messenger. The facts stated on TV in QLD, if you become a burden on the Australian Health Service and are a dual citizen ,it would be cancelled and you would be deported.They  pictured a elderly  woman that was being sent back to the UK,and also stated a elderly Scotsman had been deported for the same reason,he had been here 10 years.Not my words .It was on the news on TV. So you say it's Rubbish.That's  your style , you and your click, think u know it all. Wake up Stupid. By the way i am  Zack,i lost my password, to get into the site,and they gave me a different username  not my fault.Although u and your click, would say i was being devious.You are the liar, i don't and never have spread rumours .It's more your style than mine, i just tell it as it is. You don't. Hope my spelling and grammar is up to yours and your clicks standards today????????????

I've been googling & all I can see about people living in oz for a long time is people on temp visa being sent away. the most interesting was the old man who were living in Cairns for years. he arrived on fake passport with fake papers & hid out up there so no right to be in oz at all not even temporarily ?

my ozzie relatives & lots of my ozzie friends are animal lovers but none of them let any animals in the house not even cats or little dogs. they seem to think it's dirty & animals belong outside. I didnt know lots of ozzies think that & i let my in laws dog inside once when i just met them for the first time. my mother in law nearly had a fit. I suppose the climate is generally better in oz than in uk so that might be why its not as common to have them inside. all the dogs seem to have shelters & blankets etc though.

my husbands uncle has a farm with working dogs & you arent allowed to pet them or anything & they sleep in big kennels. he loves them & looks after them really well but they dont get treated like pets & they know not to even come near the house.

5 minutes ago, The Pom Queen said:

It’s in the HEALTH section of the forum, I think health is a world wide subject and of interest to everyone.

I suppose its confusing because the health forum is listed in the life in oz section. i thought it was for stuff in oz like the health system or how things in oz are done or accessed etc as well.

15 minutes ago, dxboz said:

No difference - a bank cheque is same as cash - anyone can cash it

that's not correct. my husband is a builder & our solicitor called off a settlement on a house last week because the  people got our company name slightly wrong on the bank cheque they got to pay him. we couldnt of banked the cheque in our company account with the name not matching the account name.

20 minutes ago, Saurer Pfirsich said:

I don't think it's Australian enthusiasm that's at issue here, but rather the obsession within certain sections of the media with beating the New Zealanders and the British no matter what that grates with some. The British media are culpable of this as well of course - the BBC's obsession with 'British hopes' at Wimbledon or the Open Golf is often embarrassing  - but the Australian media take it further. Channel Nine received numerous complaints for their coverage of the last 2 Olympics for being excessively jingoistic and just focussing on Australian fortunes, to the extent that viewers were missing out on seeing athletes from other countries perform live.  

Of course, no one can compare to the Americans in this regard. I was in the States when the Athens '04 Olympics were on and you'd be forgiven for thinking that the American athletes were just competing against each other! There was a shockingly one-eyed, ignorant and dismissive attitude towards non-U.S. competitors, and the tub-thumping 'it's all about us' patriotism really grated after a while. It's great to be enthusiastic about your team's chances, but I'd argue that it's more important to be welcoming hosts and gracious in victory or defeat. 

yes i think all media is the same these days wherever they are from. it doesnt bother me though. I just ignore it.

7 minutes ago, Toots said:

 

A bit of decorum wouldn't go amiss.  

 

how very proper & british ? the old lady next door to us growing up used to say that all the time. usually muttered under her breath but load enough for us to hear when we were a bit older & playing out. she was a nice old thing but very proper & stiff upper lip no nonsense kind of thing ?

On 05/04/2018 at 20:01, Toots said:

Winning is good but it's the constant rah rah Australia I can't be doing with.  Needs to be toned down a bit.

ive been thinking on this comment from earlier. why do you think the ozzies should tone down there enthusiasm in there own country? 

19 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

I think a lot of the time it depends on how good a swimmer you are. 

We were at Bondi a few years ago. It was a big day and the patrol guys were trying to keep everyone in the flagged area.

Later on we went to the Icebergs pool bar where I had a swim and it was so rough half the pool was sectioned off as waves were coming over the edge.

Later we were sat on the balcony having drinks and some food and we watched a guy who had swum from the flagged area on the beach to almost the sea wall next to the pool. On his own too. Obviously a very good swimmer and looked pretty comfortable in the swell. Maybe he was one of the Bondi Rescue guys? I consider myself a decent swimmer but wouldn't have been keen to try that swim.

I agree. we don't even have patrolled beaches where we live but the locals swim safely all year round. when we moved to oz my husbands family spent a lot of time teaching me how to swim in rough seas & how to survive if i ever got into trouble in the sea or got stuck in a rip. i don't swim as well as they do & tend not to swim without them there but they made me practice so much i know i wouldnt panic now & they say its the panic that kills people.

2 hours ago, Gbye grey sky said:

As a case in point I watched the ladies shot putting in the heptthlon.  The difference in attitude and approach from the current leader, Katerina Johnson-Thompson, compared with the Aussie girls was very marked.  The English girl was making minimal effort whole the Aussies were giving it their all.

Clearly the lack of outdoor training and a desire not to encourage an injury are the only possible explanations.

making minimal effort is a insult to the spirit of competition. if you arent fit & ready to compete you should stay home.

when i were backpacking i was around cairns for a few weeks everyone kept saying about snakes & didnt see a single one. not that im complaining mind you ?

On 03/04/2018 at 22:01, ramot said:

Not sure how much I will bother to watch, have family members going to watch the gymnastics on the 6th.

What is really annoying me are the advertisements saying for example we must beat the Poms, or we (the Australians) are going all out for gold, or the netball team ad all about beating NZ.

Would be nice to hear more about the spirit of the games, and a bit less bragging, shouldn't mention the cricket!!! but it's a bit the same must be the winners.

funny how people see things differently. i thought it was more of a compliment to england & nz that whoever made the ads thought those counties might put up a bit of competition. 

33 here today with a lovely onshore breeze. spent the morning at the beach with the children who had a ball.  im so glad i only work casual now & get to enjoy a lifestyle we used to have to go on holiday to get.