Cliffy43

I phone european and uk relatives constantly, on Skype mainly, but Messenger and voip landline with your internet company and most times it costs nothing. Can do it from mobile, tablet or even landline.

Make sure you have 100 point id check and sufficient proof of employment/income before you approach the financial institution, otherwise you could apply for a debit card to use.

It is possible you signed to be treated as a private patient in a public hospital. Maybe go back to the hospital and ask why they have billed you, that will give you a starting point to appeal.

Have you already consulted a Registered Migration Agent for help?

It's payable for so many weeks at the full rate, excluding some allowances, that you would be entitled to in Aus, but then drops to a figure calculated by the no. of years you have been here up to age 65 over 35 years, in my case 33/35 years × full rate. Can't remember how long before it reduced, but they told me in a letter when i notified them i was going. If you qualified for a small uk pension you can apply for a higher rate while you are in UK or Europe.

I hear of more tenants offering over the going rate, or paying up to 6 months in advance than negotiating down. There is always a shortage of good quality rentals and there seem to be many people keen to rent, but it does depend where you want to be. If you are further away from the city it may work.

Sorry, so the op is asking whether International fees are payable, I misunderstood that.

School fees are payable in all states, regardless of age. http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/parents/financial/Pages/parentpaymentfaqs.aspx With some visas full international fees are payable, not sure which ones they are.

My relatives have a codicil in their will which states explicitly what they wish to happen to their children if that happens. It is important where more than one country is involved.

I used to order lots when I could use the Uk site, but since they have opened the Au site I find the prices especially for childrens clothes, not good value and can't be bothered.

I am not sure you have a complete understanding of how medicare works. Briefly Private health insurance is a supplement which gives you a choice of being treated at a time, place and by whom you choose, if you need hospitalisation or surgery. Medicare covers visits ti doctors, some specialists, some medications and procedures at public hospitals. You cannot choose where or when you are seen or admitted and sometimes may wait years. For that reason you cannot compare them financially. It is not comparing like with like.

Medicare does not cover dental, nor does it cover optical except for eye examination. If any Uk passport holder has need of emergency care they will be covered by medicare in a public hospital under a reciprocal agreement. This does not apply to EU passport holder. You will need medical insurance to cover all your medical needs including prescriptions.

Several years ago I had a parcel returned to the PO that I used before it ever got through Customs. It was because there were contents in the parcel that I had not included on the description. I had to go to the PO, collect it, itemise the contents in a list I attached to the parcel and reposted it. No further charge, but such a lot of bother for a few items. They had obviously xrayed it and found undeclared items. When I spoke to Customs about it, they advised we should include everything on the declaration and they will decide whether it goes forward or not. Now I send less and less.

Surely one of the main points when making any large purchase is the validity of the warranty. It would be difficult to operate a Worldwide guarantee, even on small appliances. Also, new items shipped into Australia would generally be subject to local taxes. I also endorse AOL and they will price match with any retailer Australia wide. We had a great deal on a fridge a little while ago.

You definitely need ambulance cover, but that can be provided by the service provider, you don't have to join a fund. We have complete cover for all calls with SA Ambulance; some health cover provides cover for only emergency calls. The fee is generally around that quoted to you. My husband was referred for a cataract operation within the public system in Jan last year and it was done in March. I have several friends who have had similar wait times, through the Repat Hospital in SA. Perhaps you could ask for a referral to a public hospital with lesser wait times. Cataract surgery here is day surgery and often not rebateable. You can get insurance through not for profit funds, like HCF, which cover you for certain chosen services, and you can elect not to be covered for some, like obstetrics, that you will not need.

As long as you abide by the conditions of the visa, I think you will be ok. They do try to ensure you do not plan to stay or work without the appropriate visa, and as long as you have both a return ticket and proof of a permanent residence in you home country, you will be able to prove to Immigration that you are visiting friends. My daughter was in a similar position years ago when her fiancé, from overseas, came to visit her every school holidays (He is a teacher). He was queried, but never denied entry and they eventually married. He never obtained a spouse visa as he does not intend to reside here permanently and continues to return on visitor visas.

How long do you intend to stay? Do you have a permanent job to return to?

In our area, whether you are allowed one or two dogs depends on the size of your property. To keep three, you should live on a rural property and, as you say, you need to apply to the council for permission for the third dog. The property is inspected by the Council Ranger, to ensure that there is sufficient room, so you need to bear that in mind when looking for a property to rent. I would contact the dog ranger in perhaps one or two council areas where you might consider living and ask for advice. Their reply may give you some idea whether it is worth trying to bring three dogs, as it is a very expensive undertaking.

I suggest you contact a registered Immigration agent with your queries.

If the child was born before your friend became an Australian citizen, they do not automatically become Aust. citizens. You should advise them to contact a registered immigration agent to clarify the situation.

Thankyou Westly, I think we may do that. I will get some more information from my daughter about their intentions long term and then do as you suggest.

Does this apply for the offshore spouse visa as well? We were lead to believe differently, but that was a few years ago. Also, is it possible to apply for this offshore spouse/partner visa and then come to live here on a temporary basis (for about 12 months) within a few months. What visa would you get for entry? 600? . Is the spouse visa dependant at any stage on residency within Australia, or can the person granted it travel back and for an unlimited period, as his work is mainly overseas and he wants to continue that at present. His spouse and children are all Australian citizens. Thanks for your answers to all these questions, it is a great help in making the right decisions.

As she is from Sweden (Scandanavia), have you checked which Australian Embassy will deal with her offshore application. If she has to go overseas from Sweden, perhaps to Germany, to apply it may complicate the issue further.

I have spent a lot of time in Darwin over the last year as my daughter has moved there and I have been up four times, each time for about 3 weeks. I found it an interesting and different place, with many activities for all the family and things you cant experience anywhere else. Kakadu was just remarkable. I love the green lush vegetation, compared with SA. It was easy to drive around, no real traffic queues and the roads were good. However, the weather does have a large impact on how you feel up there, April/May and July were good and I could cope, almost enjoy the climate, September there were more days when the weather definitely affected energy levels and the late Oct/Nov trip was tough every day as the wet season was starting. The weather does impact on your every day life more than any other place I have lived. But you will never know until you experience it, so treat it like a big adventure and go ahead.

"You're wrong about the pension, Cliffy. You have to be in Australia to claim the pension, or in one of the countries with a reciprocal pension agreement. The UK is not one of those, so the OP would have to come back to Australia and remain resident for two years. Or wait until he's of pensionable age, claim and then he can leave the country." Yes, as the OP said they would be living off the Australian Aged Pension, I did assume they would be claiming it as residents and were planning to then move to UK to live in their retirement. It is a big move, and I would be unsure whether I would not retain a safety net here, just in case it didn't work out as they expected.