Tulip1

I expect you’re right. I’d see it as a sign of a good and enjoyable retirement.

Sensible but not too sensible. I’ve every intention of spending and enjoying mine and should I live a long life it’s possible it may one day look a little desperate. Theres no point in being the richest man in the graveyard.

I’d say so yes. In the UK there has been talk for years of the state pension stopping/being changed but I’m sure in either country they’re not going to leave old people starving with no income. It might be named something different one day but those with no means get hand outs and I cannot see that stopping.

I assume you’ve reached out to a migrant agent. It seems you definitely need the help of a professional.

I would suggest you reach out to a migrant agent. There are several who post on this site and they are highly regarded. You could apply for a residency return visa but you’ve been away a long time. I believe you have to show ties to the country, a job offer for example. Or as you say, it may be you have to start again. Best to get the answers from professionals in that field, it’s too important to get wrong. Good luck.

How old is your mum?

12 years. This is shown on the home affairs website.

I agree with all that. However, a parent in their 50’s like these people (and me) will probably spend more on holidays (even my car parking at Heathrow is expensive) than the visa, subject to how often they visit of course. Yes the kids should also visit them and that certainly happens in my family. We even have ‘disputes’ over my airfares as they insist on paying/sharing the costs. The biggest thing though is does this couple want to move. I do get worried when. someone says my kids have moved and want me to follow them. That’s not right.

You pay the fee it was when you lodged the application. It was $43k when I lodged and that’s what I paid so whilst the fee will continue to rise, it’s irrelevant once you’ve lodged an application.

Perhaps not as many as you’d think. I have recently been granted a 143 parent visa and the cost in pounds was around £23k. I worked out that if I took a holiday out to Oz once a year to visit family I’d have spent that £23k in about 10/11 years (would be less as flight costs will continue to increase)

It’s not easy and you have a long road ahead of you. At your age the only visa I can think you could possibly look at is a 143 parent visa. This is subject to the balance of family test so you’re ok if your son is your only child. If not then you’ll need at least 50% of your children in Australia or more children in Australia than any other country. It’ll also need deep pockets as for the both of you you’re looking at nearly $100,000. Next is the waiting time that currently stands at 12 years and likely to increase. You cannot live in Australia on a bridging visa while waiting but subject to certain criteria, you can get a five year holiday visa - no working rights are on this and I believe your sponsor has to have lived in Australia for 4 years so won’t help you for a while. The other option once you reach your late 60’s is apply for an aged parent visa. You can live in Australia while you’re waiting for visa grant and the wait times are the same as the parent visa I mentioned earlier. It’s possible those aged visas/bridging visas to allow you to stay onshore could be demised in the coming years so not something you can rely on. If your son is so sure it will happen then he needs to tell you how as unfortunately it’s not that easy. Your wife having relatives won’t help. Best of luck.

I agree but I was responding to FirstWorldProblems who was explaining his position with what will be adult kids who can make their own decisions. He will likely be in a situation that his family will be split between two countries. Had he moved five years ago that wouldn’t be the case so the answer is move while the kids have no choice. It sounds tough and it is but if parents have decided to move the kids move with them. The parents are in charge. As for respecting their opinions, definitely. It probably wouldn’t change most parents minds if they’d made the decision but yes, respect them just the same. My comment on respecting their choices was in relation to the FirstWorldProblems saying his wife yelled oh no you will not to their daughter. If the daughter wants to remain in the UK as an adult that should be respected as it’s her choice. Had she been five years younger her feelings should still have been respected but she’d still be moving with her family.

I agree, do it while the kids are younger. When they are at an age you can force the move you stand a good chance of them settling and remaining. They may not remain but it’s your best chance. FirstWorldProblems, I don’t envy your situation. It’s very likely you and your wife will either end up remaining stuck in the UK or move leaving one or two adult kids behind. There’s nothing we can do about it when they are old enough to make their own decisions. It’s the same as someone’s adult child moving to another country as I guess you did and millions of others have (my kids included) You just have to respect their decisions, support them and be happy for them.

Today is a good day. I have received my 143 visa. Application February 2017 Request for medicals/police clearance/AoS November 2022 - all submitted Nov/Dec 22. Request for second payment last week and payment made. Visa granted 1st June. Grateful to Alan Collett and his team at Go Matilda. They have been fantastic. Excellence at its best. 

.

I did a similar thing. When my second one was only days old I got him all cosy sitting in his car seat in the hall ready to drive to pick my eldest up from playgroup. When I was stood waiting outside the playgroup for the doors to open the other mums were congratulating me and asking about my newborn. One said where is he and my heart sank as reality hit. He was still sitting in my hall. In habit I had just grabbed my car keys and walked out the door. He’s in his 30’s now and non the worse off.

It’s what we are born into. The NHS is free healthcare from the cradle to the grave. Pretty much everything medical is free. If something has always come free is can be a shock to pay for it. I guess it’s no different from sending kids to school for free. If parents (here and there) suddenly had to pay for that professional service when they’ve been reassured from the start it was free it would come as a shock. Some here do have private medical insurance and some that are able do pay for things to speed it up. Many believe they do pay for that professional service through their taxes.

I lodged my application in Feb 2017. In Nov 2022 I was asked for medical, police clearance and AoS. All this was submitted in Nov/Dec 2022 including AoS approval letter 22 Dec. I am still waiting for 2nd Vac payment request. I hoping I’m part of the 1000 mentioned. You may have a while to go yet.

It’s usually a lot less than six months. When my mums house was left empty following her moving into a care home, the insurance company agreed to keep the policy on (at a higher premier) until the house was sold providing someone went into the property and checked every room at least once every seven days. I had to sign something to say that would be done. It was easy for me to pop in once a week on my way home from work but that wouldn’t be the case for someone living in a different country. It’s all about risk. Imagine the damage that tiny leak could do if it went unnoticed for six months or that about broken window letting in the rain and a bunch of squatters.

No, still waiting. Everything submitted in December. It’s very frustrating as my lodgement date was Feb 2017 and many March applicants have already been granted their visas. My application is straightforward and medicals/police checks all perfect. My agent has sent a chasing email, it’s just a case of waiting.

Did you not consider keeping in the 143 queue and staying onshore on a 870 while waiting. You might at this stage still have had about another six years to go if you’d have hung in there but getting PR in six years time sounds much better than never getting PR, especially as there’s options to be onshore while waiting.

What ‘temporary’ visa are you looking to get for yourself. Your daughter getting a student visa will certainly be a good start but please don’t think it automatically leads her to permanent residence as that’s not the case. I honestly think you need to speak to a migrant agent to clarify what options you may have. Best of luck.

You need to allow about 8 months I believe. Assume you are certain that both you and your daughter can get a visa. There’s a lot more to it than getting a job offer.

Good to check the waiting times in your area but also good to check if they actually meet those targets. I hear so often about operations being cancelled/delayed. I wonder if those stats are so readily available.