JonnoM

Does anyone out there have experience of using deVere Australia to transfer their UK pension(s) into an offshore QROPS scheme?

I imagine that if a quarantine inspector finds rusty stuff then they are more inclined to look for other "dirty" stuff in your shipping that my contain soil residue. If they first things that they inspect are pristine (and smelling of disinfectant!) they would probably assume that everything else is similarly clean. I don't have any evidence to back this up, but that is how I would think if I was in their position!

Nice one Pookie, I did the same for the applications submitted the same month as me. Be warned though, it will - a) take over your life and b) cause huge feelings of injustice when you see people who submitted their applications weeks after you get their grants before you get yours :mad:

You have to love the irony :biglaugh:

Hi Dave, The migration booklet isn't very clear is it? It says - "In some cases, you will be able to undertake health examinations before you lodge your visa application. This will enable you to lodge a complete application, which may help to speed up processing of your application. This service is not available in all countries so you should check with the office outside Australia at which you will be lodging your application. Contact details are on page 11." I think that this was written on the good old days when processing times were significantly less than a year and there was little chance of the medical expiring before the visa was granted/activated. Rest assured that you don't need to have the medical done in advance and your understanding about the authorities advising when to get the police check and medical done is correct. In my case, the window during which I should have these done was clearly stated in the first mail from my CO acknowledging the receipt of my application. Hopefully this puts your mind at rest? Good luck with your application.

I have been contracting for 5 years and would never go back to a permanent job. IT security and risk is definitely one of the most sought after IT roles at present. The best route to getting contracts is through personal contacts and networking but, having obviously been out of the country for a while, this may not be an option for your husband to get his first contract. http://www.jobserve.com is one of the best websites job search websites and many new jobs reported every day. He should definitely make sure that his LinkedIN profile is up to date, clearly states that he is currently looking for a role and has a current CV attached. Getting the first contract was key for me, the rest came fairly easily after that. I will PM you a couple useful documents from the accountancy firm that does my company books. Good luck with your move back to the UK.

The most current information is on this thread http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/58449-summary-spouse-visa-processing-times-offshore-uk-please-add-your-stats.html

Hi Lorna, I don't think that anyone is intending to ridicule you here. Many people on this forum have extensive experience of the immigration system and how difficult it is to get anything other than a holiday visa for Australia nowadays; they are just pointing this out to you so that you don't have unrealistic expectations. The suggestion that you go out on a Working Holiday Visa is a good one. You can gain feel for the country and maybe get an idea as to whether you may be able to to gain the necessary skills required to get some other kind of longer-term visa at a later date. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. At the age of 22 without massive student debt, the world is your oyster :smile:

So Stacey, which queue will you join at immigration in Darwin? :smile:

I am planning on a large MoveCube UK to Sydney. Who have people used for insurance? I have seen suggestions that insurance can be a problem if you are self-packing.

I just read this thread from start to finish and it thread reads like a joyous story!! Congratulations on successfully navigating the immigration system :smile:

Validate the visas and eliminate the future expense, stress and uncertainty.....it's a "no-brainer"

Some very recent applicants such as CameronsDad were quoted 9-12 months but, to avoid disappointment, it's probably wise to assume worst case 14 months and anything better than that is a bonus. The PMV visa application process is relatively straightforward as basically all you have to do is prove that you 1. have a bona fide relationship and plan to get married within a certain timeframe 2. don't have a criminal record 3. are in reasonable health You just have to have to be willing to wait in a long queue, but us British are supposedly good at queuing aren't we? :smile:

I have been watching very closely over the past few weeks (for obvious reasons!) and this is the longest wait that I have seen. A full month longer than some at the beginning of the month! Anyway all's well that ends well. Many congratulations; the rest of your life starts today :smile::smile:

This site has lots of volunteering oportunities http://volunteeringwa.org.au This is something close to my heart http://www.duyfken.com/index with a variety of different volunteer jobs if you are interested? I have worked as volunteer sailing crew and done regular maintenance work on the James Craig tall ship in Sydney. The volunteers who do work for the Sydney Heritage Fleet are an amazing group of people and I am sure that the Duyfken guys in Freemantle are cut from the same cloth.