Amber Snowball

I don’t have that double authentication set up so log in without it. It does keep telling to set it up but I ignore it. I’m not sure if you can deselect that option once it is in place though so good idea on the sim. I was on a pay as you go sim in Australia so no international roaming option on it, it just didn’t work outside of Australia and then I lost the whole phone on the flight back to the uk anyway!

Just to say, you can change addresses for most Australian government departments on the my.gov.au site and it’s helpful as they can contact you on there but the only one you can’t change online from overseas is medicare and if there is an Australian address they will send your new card there when it’s due. You have to phone them to put a uk address in and that’s a pain at the best of times much less with a large time difference so if possible try and change that medicare address whilst you are in Australia, could you use a relatives address? Or if you speak to them they might suspend your account or something maybe. I gave up and just put my sons Australian address in the end. The ato and Centrelink etc all accepted an overseas address on the online portal.

@Lavers I’m still rolling about the threat to bite your nose off, still lol when I think about it! Sometimes you need some distance from people! Certainly safer and protects your potential modelling career!

Oh goodness! This sounds awful and my instinctive response reading it was you’d be better off further away, it sounds stifling and good for you making a conscious decision not to put that sort of pressure on your own children. I worked with a woman who banned her children from ever living more than 20 minutes away from her. What’s that about? To have the person who should love you unconditionally say they don’t care about your happiness and threatening suicide is emotional blackmail in the extreme and comes under coercive control when we look at domestic violence, as you would know, but we often don’t recognise it when it’s happening to us. I hope the visa works out for you and stay strong, it’s your life and your immediate family unit who matter the most. If the australia thing doesn’t happen maybe a bit of a move further away anyway.

I used them aus to uk, sorry. I think it took about 9 weeks from collection to delivery and the driver helped me at both ends with loading and unloading. Yes a pared down existence at each end! From memory they told me on my quote what the customs charge would be as a minimum depending upon whether customs decided they needed to do more checks etc. You can track your cube whilst it sails across and I contacted them about some query or another and they were very responsive. Mark a space out on your floor for the size of cube you are using and then stack your boxes into it so you know what will fit and if you’ll have some extra space. Best piece of advice I had. Good luck and happy travels! edit: delivery to address is included in the price/quote unless you suddenly want it to go somewhere different or very rural or something.

I’ll second this. They were very good.

Deffo no Australian state pension if outside of Australia. It’s a means tested benefit not a universal right. Different to the uk. Yes super has to remain in Australia until preservation age when you can claim it if you retire then. I think with the car you have to get the speedo changed to mph and something about having certain fog lights I think. Used cars are increasing in price here like in Australia, so not sure if that would make it more or less worthwhile.

Excellent. in 2018 is was hellish and I only managed to get it done with the help of the thread on here and others finding work arounds. It was a nightmare. If attachments were too big, it didn’t lodge, but didn’t tell you it hadn’t worked, there were 2 email addresses that seemed to be in use and they didn’t necessarily work. It was gradually improving so good news it’s now working properly.

The TOR form was new 4 years ago and was a total ball ache. I think it has improved so hopefully not too much hassle. I listed a lot of things I didn’t end up taking and it was fine, better to have them on the list and not take them than the other way around!

Hi, I moved back to the uk in 2018 and didn’t get financial help. I moved at the end of June. I completed my final Australian tax return when it was due indicating it would be my final one. Then paid no tax on my paye in the uk for a few months as I used my annual allowance there and then just fell into the uk system from there. You don’t pay tax on savings or in my case a house sale, only earnings. I cancelled any insurances on my Australian superannuation. You will need to complete a Transfer of Residence form (TOR). Just so you aren’t charged vat on your belongings and this includes any pets so you have to list them. It’s process heavy but just do it bit by bit. There’s lots of info on the site and a few have moved back recently so will help I’m sure.

I don’t think in the role requires seperate registration like it does in Victoria from memory. I know of a HV who worked as a child and family nurse in Perth, so it’s not impossible. I would think your midwifery knowledge would be an advantage as well. The only thing might be that those roles are probably quite desirable so competition can be tough especially as you won’t have the mystical “Australian experience “. But once you get that first job you will become a member of that club and it gets easier. Good luck!

I can recommend movecube if, as marissa says you’re moving smaller things. I had a large cube for less than $2000 from memory, that was 2018. Have a look at their website, I thought they were excellent. There are varying wait times for benefits. Universal credit is the new catch all benefit, so you apply for that and you get paid whichever ‘parts’ you are eligible for. I wouldn’t expect to get very much straight off, probably at least 3 months for most things, but not all so check. The gov.uk website will have the details. There are benefit calculator sites as well, where you can put your details in and it will work it all out for you before you actually apply. turn2us or entitledto are a couple of them. Also be aware they aren’t necessarily very quick processing applications either. There are lots of job vacancies in some sectors so depending upon what you do so hopefully you won’t need benefits. DWP are not a fluffy government department by any stretch. Good luck!

I can’t say for sure but surely if you withdraw an eoi that’s it, it’s gone. Another question for Paul maybe! All the best with your application.

I have an account with ME bank and they have no problems with my UK mobile number. My biggest issue was I can’t change my medicare address to overseas so I used my son’s address in Oz as they sent a new card recently. ATO and another one on the gov.au website were fine with my uk address but not medicare. GP will need evidence of uk address to register you. Usually a utility bill or council tax bill. The receptionist will tell you what they accept. It’s worth getting a statement of no claims for insurance if you can. Admiral in the uk accept overseas no claims, a couple of others do as well.

The only point in your statement I would contest is car rego. My rego in the uk is £170, which is quite an expensive band here. In Australia it was nearly $800 from memory, that’s in Victoria, don’t know if other states vary.

@paulhand has responded above with some thoughts and I recommend if you are going to speak to an agent consider paul as he gives a lot of time and advice on the forum and is appropriately registered and has a good reputation on this site. sorry I know nothing about visas these days but paul does! good luck with your journey, others may also be along to assist and offer opinions and insights once australia wakes up.

I don’t know what area of health you are in but yes treatment of staff in the nhs is largely rubbish. Not to say there aren’t poor employers in Australia as well, I certainly had a few! I’m not in Australia any more but my impression is that their healthcare systems have suffered as well. All these things probably area specific in both countries. I currently have a great employer in the nhs. That said, sponsorship, no children, willing spouse, go for it. Why wouldn’t you? It will give you both a break, always a bit of a bounce. You might love it and look to try and stay or you might decide not for you and leave. Who cares. Life is for living! All the best with it, get on that plane!

Oh goodness, what a dilemma. Sorry I don’t have any words of wisdom particularly but you can’t force the older children really. Where will they live if they remain in the uk? How will they support themselves? How do you feel about leaving them? The 15yo whilst yes you can force them with you and they might settle over time when they get to Australia, how will you feel if they don’t and high tail it back to the uk as soon as yr12 in school is finished? I don’t know what to say to you really. I looked quickly at your previous posts and it looks like you were in Australia previously, were the children with you and settled then? I wish you the best of luck with your decision and only you know what’s right for you and your family. Other people love a bit of high moral judgement so I wouldn’t pay attention to them particularly. I returned to the uk in 2018 leaving my son in Australia but he was 24, so much older and an easier decision for me. I must admit reading your post made me feel sick for you, nightmare scenario. Sending hugs, not that they help in a practical sense but y’know solidarity and all that!

Oh my life! 4th move! You’re either amazing or stark, staring mad! Good luck with it all! Rather you than me, it’s exhausting.

Excellent news! Much easier.

I accidentally gave my British passport to Aus immigration on the way out of Australia and when she checked it she said I have another passport and asked me for it, so presumably as I had to apply for citizenship rather than being born there the system had linked my documents. I’m always impressed by how linked all the Australian government depts are in terms of who is where, doing what!

Yonks ago when I shipped my dog to Oz they did blood tests, worm and flea from memory. Shipping my diabetic cat to the uk in 2018 it was pretty much the same. They don’t seem to get bogged down in detailed health. It’s not like the medical for people where there’s a potential cost to the Australian taxpayer and your vet can assess him so you take on the risk of the flight for him. I would be optimistic he will be fine.

I genuinely don’t know but I wouldn’t have thought so. Unless it’s likely to cause him an issue during the flight. They want to know he’s safe to fly and not a health hazard to local animals. He hasn’t got mange, which is diagnosable, so can’t see an issue but others might know different. he’ll be fine.

I have replied but my post is hidden awaiting approval. It might be because I have quoted you and you have sworn a bit! @faastwalker

welcome. Well that sounds like it’s been a bit of a mare! Would you be able to maintain a good relationship with your boys if you moved? That’s very important I would think. Otherwise my sympathies, it’s really hard feeling like you are existing rather than living.