Canada2Australia

On 04/06/2022 at 19:49, Quoll said:

I have a friend who is doing just that at the moment  - $500!!! Eek! 

Yeah, $533 in total. Very steep, but the cost will be exponentially steeper if I can't get on that plane. It's the lesser of two expensive evils, IMO.

I'm going to pay the priority service fee to have it expedited. Hopefully there won't be any dramas with that.

Hi all, quick question. I am a dual citizen (Canada and Australia) with plans to travel back home at the end of July. I've applied for my passport this week but have just found out that the wait times are through the roof and now I'm concerned I may not get my passport in time. Can I still travel out of the country on my Canadian passport, and then re-enter Australia with my Citizenship Certificate to show proof that I am a citizen? I'm getting a bit desperate.

Thanks in Advance

I just checked and it does indeed say that; insanity. When I was a non-citizen, it took all of 10 minutes after applying to approve my ETA, in 2015. My mother is planning on coming out next year. I can't believe the backlog is so large that it would take 20 months to grant ETA.

I just checked and it does indeed say that; insanity. 

I would have never thought time on a tourist visa counted towards the four year golden rule. That seems like a fairly large loophole to allow many more people to gain citizenship on a far less stringent pathway than most of us had to follow.

Does anyone know what happens to your ImmiAccount once you are granted citizenship? Does it stay active indefinitely or does it get shut down fairly quickly?

On 13/09/2021 at 19:47, Ben12345 said:

That’s the problem. There’s no equity in there so I doubt they would allow this. They would lose money. 

As mentioned, that would be irrelevant to a bank. 

Had my ceremony on Friday. Nice to finally be out of the immigration process.

Not sure what go is in the UK, but in Canada people who are on the cusp of foreclosure with regards to mortgage payments have an option with something call 'Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure'. This option allows the mortgagor to hand over the Land Title of the property to the mortgagee in exchange for being forgiven of the mortgage debt. In essence, you turn over ownership of your property to the bank and walk away from all your property-related debt. The only thing you lose is the equity you payed into the property. There is also little to no effect on your credit rating for going this route, so you are not punished for doing so. End of story. It's a last resort but far better than going through foreclosure or bankruptcy. 

If the UK has this option and it works similarly to how it works in Canada, you should seriously consider going that route if you are in that bad of a situation.

43 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

Don't know much about Canadas' history, or America come to that. 

How long do we have to dwell on it though. Every nation on Earth has had periods in history where things were terrible for different people at different times.

England must have been pretty ruthless to run a lot of the nations they did. England itself was invaded by Vikings. How far do we go back?

No, move on I reckon.

Canadian indigenous history is almost a carbon copy of Australia's due to both being large sparsely populated Commonwealth colonial countries, governed almost identically. The US had some similarities but far more differences and did a bit better in dealing with their native people IMO, although their Black and Hispanic issues more then negate any of the aforementioned positives.

As I've mentioned before, it's only a matter of time before we start to hear similar stories of residential school atrocities from right here in Australia, I'm confident of this, sadly. The graves just haven't been located yet.

And yes, we will have to eventually just put it behind us and move on. We can't keep saying 'I'm forever' as that will only encourage further racial divide. Personally, I'm sick of it. 

5 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

You might feel guilty and blame mismanagement, I don't. Sometime they have to take responsibilty for their kids, their property, the law and move forward.

The longer they get handouts, treated favourably in so many areas they are never going to move on. On top of that we have to thank them at every event, anywhere for letting us use their land then say sorry again.

Oh, trust me, the guilt that I've felt has diminished over time and I fully agree about taking ownership of one's life.

The problem in Canada right now is, because of the whole residential school mass unmarked graves of aboriginal children killed (in the 1000s now with many more likely to be uncovered as time goes by), there is some sense that the government f'ed up and needs to take ownership for the lives of those children in their care. As does certain segments of the Catholic Church.

Apart from that, yup, First Nations people have the power to change their lives in the 21st century of they have the will. If they do not, that is on them and no one else.

13 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

The elephant in the room is the problems in Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Perth are mostly caused by the same types.

Yup, First Nations. Same as in certain areas back home, although what I've witnessed in the NT takes those issues to a while other, much more severe level. All part of colonial government mismanagement over the past 200ish years.

5 minutes ago, ramot said:

We thought we might split the year between Australia and UK when retired, but decided against. While we were expats for 10 years, I had split my time between 2 countries, children in one, husband in other, constantly adjusting between both,  neither felt  home, so decided one place had to be home when retired, it’s also probably an expensive option. Do you own a property in either? do you rent it out when away? Our compromise was to go back to UK pre covid most years for about 3 months, the main reason being our only grandchildren are there. Honestly 18 years later, our life is here in Australia not in England. Yes we still have friends and family there, but 2 of our children followed us here, and we have more family here unexpectedly than in UK  as all the African side of my family have moved here over the years. If it wasn’t for our son and grandsons we would hardly ever go back, 18 years is a long time to continually split a third of your life between 2 countries, the novelty of  travelling and the expense wears thin.

Obviously everyone’s circumstances are different, but as someone who has actually had the experience I wouldn’t recommend it. 

My difference is almost all of my family and friends will stay in Winnipeg, and Canada in general. So I will always have people to visit and live life with over there. Here, I will never make the kinds of friends I have back home, and I've accepted that harsh reality. I moved here too late in my life to be able to do so. But it will always be a dream of mine to live equality in both countries.

On 01/09/2021 at 16:36, Antipodista said:

 

I know people who adored Australia, would never leave, but still called their country of origin “home”. 

This is pretty much me (although I may leave down the track, completely unsure), and always will be. I love Australia, but I will never love it or any other country as much as Canada. Full stop. It's something I've discovered about myself after several years of living here. I guess I'm more patriotic towards my home country than I thought!

I will always be Canadian first and foremost.

On 09/08/2021 at 18:03, Parley said:

Melbourne is the best place to live in Australia.

Coastal regional Queensland.......paradise.

My dream retirement would be to spend six months here and six months in Canada. That would make me the happiest clam in the world. Unfortunately, economics come into play and seemingly dash my hopes of that ever happening......unless I win the lottery or stumble upon an insanely large inheritance from a relative I've clearly never met!

3 hours ago, Blue Flu said:

It's not that I think Perth is bad. Many locals here perceive it as bad though. I'd say disappointing what is happening on various levels. I have  Lived in Darwin in the nineties so know it. Impossible to compare. Darwin is more 'relaxed' I think, in a Darwin sort of way, which to many a thinking is more 'slack' than relaxed. Plenty of' non enlightened' at least at that time anyway. Crime to match. I was going to write should try Alice Springs. There's a place now. Doubt if ever experienced more crime over a short duration of months than there. 

I escaped from Darwin October 11, 2019. Lived there for four years. Very different place than from the 90s clearly. It's an overpriced, overrated, crime ridden ******** now. The outback up there is gorgeous but Darwin itself is a socio-economic disaster. Alice Springs is worse. Tennant Creek is the pinnacle of hell. If you value a decent quality of life without worrying about being a victim a some form of serious crime, you would reconsider a move anywhere out there, but do what you must. I'll take Perth over the NT any day, thanks.

So happy I moved

On 09/09/2021 at 14:21, Blue Flu said:

I've no idea obviously if a drug issue. Just as likely to be something else. But the fact remains Perth has serious drug issues. Perth has violence issues late at night. Nothing new there. Few out and about, hence an easy target if cross paths with the wrong person/people. Yes the soccer player looks to have been in the station, only two minutes prior, speaking with a mate over the phone. He was hit from behind, for no apparent reason. Sadly not as rare as some would prefer to believe. 

There is an underbelly to Perth, besides the anti social behavior which is substantial , one around drug issues that are very prevalent if not always overt. It is not being tackled. 

But with regards to train social issues, I used to catch the last train to the city after work for a few years ending in 2009, I think it was. I witnessed countless issues of or more potential violence during that time. Sitting there minding your own business was no guarantee of not being targeted. I found it worse than London, due to lack of people around and the train stations being void of people and surrounds late at night. What you witnessed pretty normal really.

If you think Perth is bad, try Darwin.

On 04/09/2021 at 19:35, Red Rose said:

Toots, I respect your right to critique my view 100%. I am only expressing a personal view on a topic specifically about Perth where the OP has asked for a view on Perth. I don't think I have expressed that view disrespectfully or said anything personal about any poster. 

I am not really sure what you are looking for here other for me to censor my views, which is fine. I shan't say anything more on the topic and apologies if I have upset anyone! 

 

There is also the option of not coming into this thread and reading the negative reviews if it bothers someone that much.

Isn't the intended point of this thread to debate the good and bad points of Perth? Wouldn't one assume that several points, pro and con, would end up being repeated ad nauseum? That is the expectation I have for any type of discussion that encourages debate, like it or lump it.

2 hours ago, ezaa said:

Do you have recommended agents?

He IS a highly recommended agent.

2 hours ago, Athens07 said:

Yes they don’t sent an email. They sent only a letter via post office and update the status in your immi account without notification. Unfortunately I wrote on 28th of may @Adelaide but still waiting . Your state? 

QLD

I wrote my citizenship test on May 26, passed, and had been waiting for approval. I just happened to check my immi account today and saw that my application had been approved on July 17. I did not receive any kind of notification that approval had been granted. 

So for all who are waiting for an email to let them know their application has been approved, don't hold your breath as you may not get one. Keep checking your immi account as your first port of call for a change in application status.

Well, glad I beat the that deadline.

I now believe that the regional areas take much longer to 'approve' than the more built up urban areas, based on what I am reading here. Most people in the big cities seem to have their status advance d to 'approved' almost immediately after completing the test. But in the more regional areas? It appears to be a matter of months, which is unfortunate. Such a large disparity and lack of efficiency between regional and urban Australia.

Voyons, c'est la vie je suppose.