Tulip1

You won’t get insurance on your mums car using an Australian license.  If you had a UK one you could but they do ask the question ‘is the driver a UK resident’  It’s the not living in the UK that is the issue, not just the license.  So, when the insurance  company asked that question/or it’s stated online, if you answer it correctly you wouldn’t be put on the policy.  If you answer it incorrectly (pretending you live there) the insurance is invalid and unfortunately it’s poor mum that will be in trouble as the policy holder is responsible for providing the correct information and ensuring the person driving her car has valid insurance. 

2 hours ago, Quoll said:

Every flight I've been on, for years now, give you a bottle of water once you've boarded. Then you can keep refilling it throughout the flight. I've not felt the need to buy water en route at all. They're dinky little bottles too - very handy for popping in your bag to go down town. 

Their dinky bottles of Shiraz are very nice too. 

15 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

I wasn't aware of that as it's something that (fortunately) I've never had to deal with, but I know these things can get very complicated. So in terms of obtaining permission, where does the jurisdiction lie? Is it with the court in Australia, the UK, or both?

I’m no expert and have never been through this either but from things I’ve read on here over the years I believe if the other parent gives permission (has to be official, someone can’t just says they were ok with it) then that’s the end of it and Australia home affairs will issue the visas.  If the ‘peaceful’ permission isn’t given then it’s a drawn out process through UK courts.  I think the children's wishes are also considered subject to their age.  I don’t think Australian courts get involved as the people concerned are not Australian and are habitually resident in the UK.

18 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

Thank you for sharing your story and the nice photos. It's great you're all settling in okay.

Sorry that the move has resulted in the end of your marriage, but the way you've described it sounds as though the decision to migrate was the catalyst rather than the cause. Your story is similar to a lot of new migrants in that they are finding the cost of living here a bit of a struggle, particularly in regards to housing. At least in nursing you have a good profession behind you, which I believe is much better paid over here than in the UK. Good luck with finding a suitable permanent position.

Apologies if this comes across as a bit nosey, but I'm surprised that your husband agreed to you moving with the girls. In most situations where only one person in the relationship wants to migrate (or in some cases return to the UK), the children are required by law to stay in their country of habitual residence. You mentioned you're currently going through divorce, so I assume you don't have sole custody yet? Just an observation based on what you've said, and in no way meant to be judgemental.

Wishing you all the best for your first Christmas down under! 

It’s a good question.  I assume the dad hasn’t agreed to it which is why the OP has to go to court to get permission as that wouldn’t be needed if the absent parent consented.  Even if the divorce had happened, there’s no such thing as custody in the UK anymore.  Courts can state who the kids reside with but both parents are seen as equal.  

Apply for police clearance now.  They will wait as long as you’ve applied within the timeframe given and evidence that to them.  As for medicals, I actually got the request for mine last November when I was on a 3 week holiday in Australia.  I did a very easy thing.  I got my medicals done at Bupa in Perth while on holiday.  Sure it took half a day out of my holiday but if you want something enough you will make it happen.   

I think your son needs to get some professional advice.   I think him getting a WHV may have been a mistake and that has cancelled his old PR.  Suggest he contacts a migrant agent, there are several on here that are excellent. 

20 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Everyone in Australia drives an automatic car.  Only about 3% of cars sold in Australia are manual transmission.  So when he gets to WA, chances are he'll have to do his driving test in an automatic because instructors won't have a manual car.

All the more reason to find a way to do test in the UK then.  He if returns to the UK he’d be stuck with only being allowed to drive an automatic. 

Is there nowhere in the UK he can do the test? Even if you have to drive a way to get to it? Assume you’re on cancellation lists/checking every day. 

11 hours ago, Adam 005 said:

Being a woman and a lovely forward thinking person she able to see the benefits and deal with the sacrifices and the emotions of the decision far better than me. 

There seems far less sacrifice on her part in terms of this move.  Of course she can see the benefits, she’s moving to be near her sister.  She’s also wanting you to move near her sister and take you and the kids away from parents and grandparents.    Now if you are really up for the move then all good, go for it.  But….it sounds like you’re hesitant.  She does of course have every right to want to be near her sister but I’m not sure her gain against you and your parents loss would be described as lovely.  As for your question on whether it’s selfish.  I think those that make the move have to have an element of selfishness to do it.  That doesn’t mean I think you shouldn’t as it’s your life, your choice.  But let’s be clear and honest.   No parent has hopes and dreams of their adult kids moving to the other side of the world, taking their grandkids with them.  Parents may be very supportive and genuinely happy for their kids that make that choice simply because that’s what nice parents do.  They want what their kids want and their kids happiness comes before their own.  However, in their hearts it’s the last thing they want and if you go your decision will hurt them.  You still should if you really want to and your parents will be happy for you while being sad for themselves. Don’t be swayed by the ‘it’s better for the kids’ as kids can thrive in either country. Yes the kids will get an opportunity to experience living in another country which is good but that will also come at the expense of not seeing their grandparents.  Ask yourself how do you think that will make them feel.  See it for what it is…..it’s better for your wife as she wants to be near her sister.  

3 hours ago, Sea breeze said:

Cornwall Is lovely but u haven’t lived there 

the winters are long and wet, the summer cuts u off so many tourists u don’t get to enjoy anything really 

traffic is getting terrible Newquay is like a giant building site 

one estate has another 25 years of building 5,000 houses but no new rds drs etc 

I agree with this and many don’t realise.  I have a very good friend who moved to Cornwall many years ago.  She saw it as the lovely life many imagine.  However, pretty much the whole of the summer was a nightmare as the roads were gridlocked, especially the seven weeks of school holidays.  There was no such thing as jumping in your car to pop toTescos, you could be an hour stuck in traffic driving a mile down the road.  You couldn’t go anywhere for the day without the hell of spending ages trying to find a parking space along with thousands of tourists.  The weather on the west coast can be rough and as you say, very wet in winter.  Also, like many tourist spots, much of it was dead during the winter and many things were closed down.  After two years they moved back to where they had left and never regretted the return.  I think places like Cornwall would be lovely if you could have a second home/holiday place there but I don’t think living there full time is a idillic as many think. 

42 minutes ago, Jay s said:

We relocated back to UK in July this year and now we want to return to Australia ( for obvious reasons!) England isn't the same and we find it depressing to see good hardworking people struggling . 

My son has an expired Australian child passport but not an Adult Australian passport.( He has a certificate of citizenship) and will be travelling on his British passport.

Will we encounter any problems at the airports?  

Possibly.  Why doesn’t he just get a new Australian passport.  Saves any issues and he’s then got a ten year passport to use ongoing. 

2 hours ago, Msmit said:

Side to each coin 

Not really.  One persons poor values doesn’t mean it’s ok to display the same values.  It might be a convenient excuse to do the dirty on another but it’s very poor to see an employer going through the extensive process of getting people a visa only for the employee to crap on them.  If those people didn’t like their working conditions in the three year build up they could have walked away.  

38 minutes ago, Rawp said:

My daughter has applied for a permanent partner visa but still not through. Hence my question re her partner. Tks.

 

5 hours ago, Parley said:

Must say i  am surprised any bank is willing to provide a 30 year mortgage which won't be paid off until the borrower is 83.

Don't they quiz you on how you will meet the repayments after retirement. I'm sure they don't think you will be teaching in your 80s.

It’s all about being able to afford the payments.  Whether that comes from a salary or a pension is irrelevant.  In fact for many, a pension is more secure.  You can lose a job/become too ill to work but many pensions such as final salary, annuities and UK state pensions are guaranteed for life. 

As Quoll says, your child would not get any help re studying fees nor would they be able to get any student loans (or the equivalent). Many have been caught out with that as with PR you get most of what is available to citizens and assume that includes uni help but it doesn’t. 

9 minutes ago, stevej said:

Sorry you misunderstood the children will both be 18 so no Hague convention issues. The conflict between them is all about this visa situation. One child wants to go. Neither me nor other have plans to. 

Apologies.  I’d noticed you’d said on two occasions they were dependant children so assumed younger.    

26 minutes ago, stevej said:

Thanks all

 

If things were to end up being incorrect what come back would we have with having written advice from another highly regarded MARN agent that we do not need to notify of the change. (I must stress there is no official change at this stage) this is fact finding mission to see what next steps would be. 

You’ve stated your relationship has broken down and will end in divorce.  You’ve also said she doesn’t communicate with you or see her children and she’s gone off to live her new life.  If there’s no official change to your relationship then you have a very unusual relationship.  Better to be honest.  Your relationship is over and you want to take the kids to Australia to live and you’re trying to find out for sure if you’ll be able to/get away with it.   That’s an understandable thing to think.  The other thing to think about is if she hadn’t given her consent for the kids to move over then she can get them straight back under The Hague convention.  I don’t think something written by an agent will get you anywhere, the rules are the rules.  I feel for your situation and very much understand why you want to go.  That’s not the same as pretending you can and all is ok when you can’t and it’s not.  Best of luck. 

1 hour ago, stevej said:

Again thank you for your reply and time. As stated above the information I have been given is direct from a MARN registered agent. The only bit I’m awaiting answer on is the issue of primary applicant doesn’t validate at all. 
 

I have checked VEVO and visas are still valid as there is no reason for them to be cancelled. The first entry date is not used as reason to cancel visa and the MARN agent has confirmed the relationship status is only an issue upto point of decision for grant is made. I have now had professional advice and awaiting answer to if primary doesn’t validate how that will affect things. A RRV is not required at this stage as we can still move over before sep next year and as long as we have strong ties would be granted a RRV even if only 3 month one for essential trips. 
 

thanks

 

Paul above is a highly regarded MARA agent.  You can be confident what he says is correct.   Perhaps take a look at your grant letter and challenge the person who gave you the incorrect answer.  

You say validate them within the five years but I think they’ve expired as you needed to validate them within 12 months.  Holders of PR visas were never stopped from entering Australia and that is what you would have been in that 12 months.  I would say you no longer have visas.  Even if you did as you have now ended the relationship with the main applicant your part of the application is invalid.  Pretty sure all that is correct but I’m no expert.  

18 hours ago, 123Family said:

Thinking about it all. I suppose my actual question is, is it financially ignorant to take out a (lowest as possible) mortgage for a (most likely) small home at our ages. Next year. Very small deposit. I imagine we'll be working until late 60's anyway, unless we receive a miraculous windfall.

I can’t see why.  All the time you’re renting you’re just paying someone else’s mortgage.  Might as well be paying your own.  If you keep renting you’ll be doing that for the rest of your life.  At least with buying you will one day own it.  

1 hour ago, hyhwe13 said:

I thought so too. It's a bit tricky in my case cos my business (in my country) is not subjected to tax so there are no taxation records.

 

Then very tricky I would think.  You definitely need to speak to an agent. 

26 minutes ago, hyhwe13 said:

yeah, I have read those. 

Vetassess asks me to submit "payment evidence showing regular income from self-employment, such as client invoices together with corresponding bank statements and/or official taxation records".

My cafe operates on cash basis. Do I submit cash invoice and bank statements (to show that I banked in the cash sales)? Do they need to see specific customer name on the invoices?

 

 

I suppose submitting your tax returns and your bank statements showing cash paid in would be a start (providing they marry up amount wise) but I’d assume only a start.  Cash paid into a bank account cannot usually be taken as income (in many scenarios) as you can’t prove it was income.  You might have sold a car or anything else or a friend/family member might have given you money as a gift or for you to borrow.  I’d suggest you get professional help on this from a migrant agent. 

36 minutes ago, Parley said:

But in somewhere cold a coat is only helpful if you're wearing it.

But it’s easy to put a coat on to make you more comfortable outside.  How do you make yourself comfortable in sticky hot weather. By dashing in and out air con buildings I’d imagine.   Really cold and really hot are equals I think.  Both unpleasant.  

My first entry date was a year from my recent visa grant and not from date of medicals/police clearance.  

4 hours ago, LesleyT said:

I have some news but I've been doing this timeline for a couple of months and I thought it might be interesting to some.

28/04/2017 - 864 visa application acknowledged

October 2018 - BVB granted

20/08/2022 - BVB granted

27/03/2023 - Request for further information

27/03/2023 - AFP check requested

31/03/2023 - BUPA medical

06/04/2023 - AoS application sent to Centrelink - the estimated action date was 17/05/2023

07/04/2023 -  UK police ceck requested by email because their website had been cyber attacked.

21/04/2023 - UK police check completed

24/04/2023 - AFP check completed

30/05/2023 - Request from Centrelink for the bank guarantee - to be done in 14 days

05/06/2023 - Bank guarantee and relevant documents uploaded to Centrelink  - luckily we had an acknowedgement

26/06/2023 - AoS rejected. The documents hadn't been submitted in the required time. They had. See above. We had to visit a Centrelink office becaue the phone line wouldn't work. After a struggle they agreed to help and acknowledged all the information was there, and on time.

29/06/2023 - Aos accepted

31/08/2023 - Request for 2nd VAC

31/08/2023 - 2nd VAC paid

01/09/2023 - 864 VISA GRANTED.

So it's been a long haul but here I am now with PR. Next step  citizenship I hope. 

I want to say huge thanks to Go Matilda for their help with my application, and an especially big thank you to Sarah who has held my hand, metaphorically, through these last nervous months. Good luck to everyone who is waiting.

Lesley

 

 

 

The team at Go Matilda are excellent.  Nothing was too much trouble for them when I was waiting for my visa.