Island

Thanks for all your comments, very interesting points of view. 

Quoll - yes of course, the boys could end up in different parts of the world so in the end hubbie and I will just decided where we want to live.

My husband I were both at uni in the UK and so understand the differences but knowing my son, the Australian option is still preferable for him.  I have three nieces currently at different uni's in the UK and the culture is still massively focused around drinking... great if you are into that.  Sadly, they have both decided that although holidaying in Europe is wonderful, they don't live living in England. They hate the weather, the dark winter days and they miss the surf.  And we get that!! I'm pretty sure everyone who has looked through posts on this website knows, its such an individual choice and your feelings of 'home' are so deep - and for them home is oz.

Has anyone researched the difference in University contact hours (face to face teaching) between same courses here v's Oz? I've asked the questions, so will post back if the uni's get back to me..

Thanks all

HI All, thanks for your messages. My son is just about to do his Alevels and yes still planning on returning to Oz for University.  He's going in July after his exams, to look at JCU and UQ to do Marine Bio/ Zoology degree.  He will spend a few months in Oz alone to see how he feels about living on the other side of the world to us... we are staying another three years now as waiting for younger son to finish school and then one extra year after that to tie up house sales, finances etc.  My husband and I are still so happy to be in the UK and enjoy all the Euro travel (& all our family too) but at the end of the day want to live in the same country as our kids in the long term.  

Thank you so much for the info about residency and qualifying for CSP at Uni.  That's very helpful.  His course is a CSP course luckily.  Are you aware of any stipulations around qualifying for HECS help loan to pay his student contribution?  Does he have to be resident for a certain amount of time prior?

Thank you Jess

Thank you so much for all your advice - decision made, will be keeping savings here in UK and just hope that in two years we are lucky with exchange rates. Now just need to decide whether to save on cash platform such as insignis or ask an FA to put funds in government gilt bond for two years. Anyone have an opinion on this?

Thanks for this - do you mean if that interest is my only worldwide income (i have a job in the UK) or do you mean if that interest is the only income i make in australia? Thanks Jess

Hi, we are Australian citizens but have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years. I have 2 questions!

I still have an AU bank account.

We are returning to live in australia in the next few years and would like to transfer some funds to a high interest cash platform now as the exchange rate seems pretty good. In the UK we use Insignis. Just wondering if anyone knows of a similar platform in Australia? 

Any problem with doing this from overseas? 

Second question, can you recommend a company that gives brilliant advice regarding tax implications of selling property whilst living overseas vs when we are back...

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks so much for your message - it was two years ago I wrote that - my boys are. now 16 and 18 years - the older one is thinking of going back for Uni next year after he finishes Alevels - they are having a great life of travel and diversity in europe but the pull of australia is still great and they still feel very Australian.  Did your kids move back first - and then you followed beanbear - did you tell them at the time you would follow in a few years? Did you move back to the same part of oz?  For my own part, I'm loving life in Bristol so much - love the woods, love the village life, love my job and the kids school and being in Europe - all the travel and the cold weather too (menapause!!) but I understand the pull for them and definitely want them to follow their dreams and return for uni if they still want to...and we will follow at some point...

Hi Ken, 

Thank you so much this is really very helpful.  Really appreciate it.

Can you also explain if freelance/ part time works qualifies as full time work if you have worked enough hours?

Does the HRMC need to know all the cases that apply to us, or can we just choose one - ie case 4 starting to have a home in the UK ONLY... and stick with that.

I'm having trouble working out if the other one's apply as I was a casual teacher and husband freelance too so not easy to work out days worked etc.

Thanks, Jess

Hi Tulip,

Sure - our parents! My mum has dementia..

Yes life was very good, Australia was very very good to us - beautiful home, great jobs, great lifestyle, happy kids, great friends.  But ageing parents meant we felt quite torn and would spend all our holidays back in the UK.  Although its been financially disastrous for us, I am still glad we've come back mid covid as we've seen loads of my family so its been totally worth it - I know we would have been miserable feeling stuck in Oz, however perfect life was.  And nothing is forever, we are all dual citizens. And no doubt we will all head back in the next couple of years.  I moved around a lot as a kid so find it easy to get my head around. Not so great for my kids probably.  To be honest I think I underestimated the sense of belonging they have to Oz, and also the peace of mind that financial security gives to us as adults with responsibilities (ugh!). 

Hi Ken

Wow - this is very helpful, thank you so much.

The only reason I'd want to be classified as uk citizen for whole year is because it sounded a bit simpler!!

I've looked at the HMRC website questions about split year - and I seem to qualify for 3 cases.

4. starting to have a home in the UK & 6.partner of someone ceasing work overseas & 8. starting to have a home in the UK (again!)

IT IS SO CONFUSING!!!

Do I need to tell HMRC I think I qualify because of those three cases?

I do not understand the tables at all... what on earth is this on about??

Thanks so much for feedback - esp yours firstworldproblem!

Tulip and Quoll - you might well be right, but I think you underestimate the power of an amazing sun drenched, sea soaked aussie childhood!  They are pretty adamant that is where they belong!

HI, 

We are dual citizens, both kids born in Australia and lived all their lives there, until now.

Moved our 14 and 16 year old back to the UK recently - however they both want to go back to Oz for uni and rest of lives!

I know if we left Oz & tried to move to the UK for uni - they'd need to be here THREE YEARS prior to qualify as home students.

I believe that is not true in Australia, and the boys can return after living overseas and still be home students.

Can anyone confirm?

Has anyone experience with getting into Australian universities with A'levels? 

No doubt we shall move back with them

Hi,

I'm finding it hard to work this out given that the Australian and UK tax years are different.

In 2018, 2019, 2020. We lived in Australia.

In September 2020 we moved to the UK.

So for the Australian tax year I was only an Australian resident between 1st July - 16th September = only 2.5 months so presume I'd just be a UK resident for tax purposes in Australia??

But as the tax year in the UK is April - April = in the UK I think they would class me as split year resident as I have spent 197 days this tax year in the UK!

PLEASE HELP!!! Surely I can't be split year if Australia would just classify me as UK resident?

Thanks, Jess

Hi, i've been in this same situation and can confirm that you can NOT change to a different mortgage provider however you can do a product transfer within the same mortgage company.

I've used transferwise/ wise many times and have been very happy - have set up with an app, easy to use etc. they did check where funds were coming from due to money laundering..

HI All thanks for your replies, I emailed DFAT directly through the website - and they replied and said the email I had received was genuine.  I am really shocked to be honest, was so sure it was a scam.  To me it looked like a scam and sounded a bit like a scam  - saying 'you will need to pay immidiately' raised alarm bells. Also I've just heard so many stories of aussies desperate to get home and thousands stranded etc- so again alarm bells when I get an offer to get back next month after only applying to DFAT a week earlier.  How sad that I'm so paranoid, bad experiences in the past I guess.  Sorry if I worried anyone 

Hi, seems to be quite a few people here who are well versed with pension/ IHT etc for people with dual citizenship.  Please can anyone give me a run down of what you have learnt?

We have lived in Oz for about 17 working years and UK for about 5.  We have 2 teenagers, born and raised in Oz - we are currently living in UK but kids are desperate to go back.

Any ideas about living in Oz and having investment flats in the UK? Good or bad idea?

So less or no IHT in Australia?

Most of our super is in Oz - but presume can still access it if living in the UK?

State pension very minimal for us in the UK, not sure if we'd qualify for it in Australia.

Any other pearls of wisdom would be greatly appreciated as I'm pretty clueless on this type of thing

thanks

Thanks for all your replies - there are warnings on the dfat website that these scams are occurring - so I'm 99% sure it is in fact a scam.  Have emailed them and will post reply once I get it..

There are reports that Australians overseas are being contacted by someone claiming to be from DFAT, offering flights and requesting credit card information. DFAT will never request payment over the phone.

HI, 

I registered for DFAT residents wishing to return home to oz.

Then i got an email saying there are qantas flights in May, follow the link and you have to pay immidiately.

At first I was pretty excited that flights are up and running again - but on second thoughts, think this is probably a scam - what do you think?

Email address it comes from is 

Consular.LhLh@dfat.gov.au

How do we get a quarantine slot booked? Do we book our dog in before we know if we can fly (London - Sydney)?? Thanks for any advice...

Thank you for your replies - for Australian citizens trying to get home - are you just required to book your flight and then hope you don't get bumped off or do you also need to contact Australian Embassy, request permission to return etc??  I'm guessing trying to fly pets back is an absolute nightmare at the moment??

Hi Newy

I haven't read all the other posts but we moved from Sydney to Bristol in September 2020.  We had lived in Oz for 16 years, our kids are totally Australian. Definitely biggest mistake ever! wish we could turn back the clocks. I love my family and friends in the UK, we are renting an amazing farmhouse, we have two dogs, beautiful countryside etc. I go for gorgeous walks every day. But my kids have been home schooling for weeks and weeks and there is no end in sight. In my opinion the UK has never been in worse shape, politically, financially, mental health wise, it's terrible. Terrrrrrible!!! I can cope. My husband has creative fulfilling work, he can cope. My dogs can cope. My kids ARE coping, but this is not a life to wish for, it is not a life in which your kids will be thriving. We are a close family and get outside loads and are trying our best to make the most of it, but it is no substitute for the life we, or more importantly, THEY would be having if we were still in oz now. I would say don't rush back. Wait and see what will happen next with Covid. The uk is not well equipped to deal with pandemics. Its just not. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions, but I've realised that my own happiness and desire to move back, means nothing when I look at my kids life and realise I'm not doing the best by them. If you have a good life in oz, just wait till this mess is sorted and then the decision will be so much easier!!

Hi, I haven't been on the forum for awhile...

Is the general experience of people trying to get back to Australia during Covid an absolute impossible nightmare or are people actually getting home?

Just wondering if there is any point even trying to book flights for later in the year or do we just need to expect to keep getting bumped off, cancelled & rejected??

We are Australian citizens...

Thanks for your advice/ expertise and experience!

YES thanks we all made it back safely and have a new fluffy addition to the family to top it all off - I miss Oz especially as summer is coming and we are still in lockdown here however, England is definitely the best place to have a dog in the whole world!! The woods and countryside and everywhere allowing off the lead walks is just a dream!

Just a quick update - we finally got our dog home - we swapped companies and went to Dogtainers. The rest of the family flew back to UK as planned, I delayed my flight another 2 weeks till I knew I had doggie on a flight - then flew back, with him flying a week later.  Not easy, super stressful.  He arrived smelling like piss and fear but after a few days chasing squirrels and revelling in leash free country life - he's happier than ever!  Good luck everyone, this must be the hardest time ever to travel.