bryzee86

Hi folks, We've been here in Oz for 7 months now and it's nearly time for our first tax return! So, I have a question - do money transfers from the UK (i.e. the funds we sent over prior to our arrival, plus money that members of family have sent to us to support us) count as "Tax-deductable income"? If yes, I have another query. We have a joint bank account, so would we both need to report this, or just one of us? Finally, we arrived in Oz on 09/12/2013, so our time as resident for tax purposes at tax time will be 6 months and 22 days - does this count as 6 months residence or 7 months residence as far as ATO are concerned? Thanks in advance!

Hi, I think you would be fine. Get as many statements as you can, and also provide booking itineraries or boarding passes for your various holidays together. You can also write a declaration each, declaring your relationship, how you met, how the relationship has progressed etc. Also detail any gaps in the relationship so you're not missing any info out.

Hey, This is from the AHPRA site:

Hi, I'm afraid you simply HAVE to do a recognised English exam for ANMAC. This can be academic IELTS or the much more expensive OET.

Your 1st step is to do the academic (not general!) IELTS. Then apply to ANMAC, after first having your documents notarised. It will take ANMAC a few months to fully assess you and issue your LOD (Letter of Determination). The, and only then, can you put you Expression of Interest in for the Visa, and apply to register with AHPRA. Also, AHPRA are currently updating their procedures with regards to International nurse registrations. Therefore, you'll need to hold out anyway until they have been published. Hope that helps!

Actually yeah, good thinking. Which board are you applying to, acc?

Oh my god I am absolutely in love with kookaburras!

My bloody Mother-in-Law has practically harangued us into staying until after Christmas so she can see us for a bit longer, and now she's chosen to have elective surgery (with a 3 days hospital stay) over Christmas! So, we're left with the dilemma of do I go to my nanna's for Christmas and abandon my wife's Uncle (who lives on his own), or do I ignore my nanna in order to ensure that he isn't alone on Christmas Day!? Effing nightmare!

Hey, If you are applying to ahpra for the first time as an international nurse, you pay $160 application fee + $220 assessment fee, + the $160 registration fee for the current registration year. Total will be $540.

It's all subjective, innit? Like, loads of my friends absolutely love Brighton and couldn't see themselves living elsewhere, but the 2 years I lived there rank as the most unpleasant period of my adult life!

I spoke to Singapore today as well and, if you are going over on an unstamped PR visa and only have a one-way ticket, you can get 40kgs each (checked) baggage. You just turn up with it at the airport and they will validate it for you. The carry-on stays the same - 7kg each.

You can leave ON the date stated for expiry. If you end up leaving after that for any fault that's not your own (delays, natural disaster etc), then that's fine. As long as you book your flight to leave on or before 30th November.

Wonderful! We shall keep each other posted as to our progress then :-)

Hi Baz, thanks for that. Having always been more of an academic than vocational person, I've been putting this off for a few years now, but now is the right time to take this opportunity and run. Ta for the encouraging words.

Well, up until 30/09, we *were* living in Brighton, but we moved back up to Manchester to live with in-laws and save money. Good timing as we didn't have to trek quite as far, or pay quite as much, as we would have done darn sarf.

I work for an online gift company and customers are already FREAKING RIGHT OUT that their orders won't get to them by Christmas. The general public; Lord, give me strength...

Ah right okay. We were going to go for the Spire, but Bridgewater offered us a slightly earlier (by a day) appointment. We've front-loaded ours, so we're still itching to get our CO to see if it's all okay. Fingers crossed for you, and good luck rallying the whole family over from the Wirral!

That's all very well, Boof, but we don't want to hear about his pile cream...

Hi there! Where are you having them done? We had ours at the Bridgewater Hospital in Hulme. Sadly, you won't be told the result on the day (but, dependant on the Doctor, you may get an inkling as to anything that might worry them). You may have to wait for your case officer to be allocated - or to contact you if already allocated - to learn whether your medical has passed or what any issues might be. good luck!

Good evening all (and good morning to those of you already in Oz!). Allow me to introduce myself - I am Bryan, a 27-year-old Mancunian who has yo-yo'd up and down the UK for the last few years. I'm married to a seasoned PIO forumite (Joeybee), and it is on her 189 visa that I will be included as a dependant (when it finally comes...). We started thinking about the process of going elsewhere about a year ago, when we realised how much the NHS is being sent down the pan by the current lot in Westminster (Jo is a nurse). Therefore, Oz Came calling! We'll be living in Sydney after a short hop to Perth to see people we know, and I will probably get a job doing what I'm used to (admin-based office job or similar) when we first go over, but I would like to get a proper trade at long last (possibly Electrician or Telecommunications engineer) so that I can properly start afresh. Still, where better than in the 'Land of Plenty'?! I know it's not going to be an easy road - I'm not that naive - but I am looking forward to working hard to better our lives. Anyway, hi folks - I'm sure this place will come in plenty useful over the next few months. :yes: