GeeBee

My mortgage is with natwest who were always very flexible but not the best rate. I applied for consent to let online before I left for Aus and they granted it no problem and have continued to extend it for a couple of years. They know I’m in Australia. When my two year fixed rate mortgage expired they had a very simple online process for extending the mortgage with them, which I did for 5 years. Again, such low effort approaches don’t result in the best interest rates but I couldn’t see how I could get another mortgage through another provider… So I didn’t change providers. No proof of income was required because my mortgage was already with the bank.

When I left the UK and moved to Aus I was called by numerous people asking to do various things with my UK pension. How they got wind of my situation and my contact details I could never work out. But anyone cold calling me about such matters I always assumed was kind of Jordan Belfort trying to rip me off. At least one of those companies that did call is no longer in business. I don’t know anything about AHR Wealth management but I have seen their adverts clogging up my linkedin feed recently. If you’re looking for some assistance with important matters such as these I always think it’s better to seek out these companies (via referrals if possible), rather than let them find you. Try to find some companies you can compare with, if you haven’t already.

Hi all. Adding another related question to this: I’m a Uk citizen on a 482 temporary skills shortage visa in Aus. I rent a property in the UK, income from which is within the personal tax allowance so I didn’t pay any tax on it last year. As a temporary resident I didn’t declare the income on my ATO return. I have just applied for PR through employee sponsored PMSOL occupation. PMSOL applications are processing much quicker than other visas and for this I realise how lucky we are to be in this situation. However with the tax in mind, if my PR is finalised before 1st July am I correct in thinking the entire of last years rent would be liable for Aus tax? But if my PR comes through after 1st July it won’t (until next year’s tax return)? Thanks.

Thanks both. Any thoughts on the of use certified copies dated a few of years ago (2018)? For example, in my TSS application, I had included a certified copy of our birth certificates (in addition to a passport and UK drivers licence) as additional proof of ID. I do not have the physical birth certificates with us in Australia so could not take to a JP for an up to date certification. I do have a digital scan (not certified) though. For this example, the question would be whether to use the 2018 certified document or the plain scan? i.e Is anyone aware of any issue around the date a document was certified?

Hi all, I'm collating supporting documentation for our 186 visa application. When I prepared our 482 TSS visa application a couple of years ago I had a UK solicitor certify a whole raft of documents to be 'better safe than sorry' and the application sailed through. Now when I read this link below it seems to be suggesting quite clearly that documents only need to be certified if you're submitting a paper application, rather than online. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/applying-online-or-on-paper/on-paper Statutory Declarations excluded, are people no longer certifying supporting documents in online visa applications (or maybe they never did)? Thanks ---- Visa: 186 - Employee Sponsored - Direct Entry (onshore) Occupation - Nurse (Critical Care) Applicants: 2 - including de facto partner Skills Assessment submitted: 25/01/2021 Skills Assessment: Non-certified docs requested: 5/3/21 (re-sent 8/3/21) Skills Assessment Approved: 12/3/21 Employee Labour Market Testing complete: 30/3/2021 Employer Nomination Submitted: [in progress]

Regarding early access to super, how would you guys interpret the comments in bold? That it’s available to all temporary visa holders or just those that have been stood down. Thanks Temporary Skilled visa holders There are around 139,000 temporary skilled visa holders, on either a 2 year or 4 year visa. They were provided the visa to fill a skills shortage – a shortage that may still be present when the crisis has passed. Consequently, those visa holders who have been stood down, but not laid off, will maintain their visa validity and businesses will have the opportunity to extend their visa as per normal arrangements. Businesses will also be able to reduce the hours of the visa holder without the person being in breach of their visa condition. These visa holders will also be able to access up to $10,000 of their superannuation this financial year. Those visa holders who have been laid off due to coronavirus should leave the country in line with existing visa conditions if they are unable to secure a new sponsor...

Thanks both. I think first thing I’ll do is ask the uni to write a letter explaining why it can’t be changed. I’ll word it for them and ask for it on University headed paper. my drivers licence, CV, reference letters and even my signature on all docs is a legible shortened version of my name. I’ll get that letter written and signed by a Jp too and submit it, as suggested. thanks

Hi, Im just starting to collate my documentation for a skills assessment for a 190 visa. I’ve requested copies of my academic transcriptfrom my old university but on receiving it I see the name on my student record is a shortened version (preferred name) and excludes my middle name. The name therefore doesn’t therefore match my passport and birth certificate. I’ve asked for a name change and the transcript and to be reissued but the university said they no longer user the system so can’t retrospectively change names for this period Could anyone advise if this is likely to be a problem in my skills assessment or subsequent visa application? thanks

Thanks Nicky. Useful bit of info that. I Had thought it was more than a little underhanded to give so little opportunity to claim back the super at the end of a temporary visa.

thanks guys. Some further info I’m considering: Note my tax figures above are incorrect. DASP taxes are 35% or 65%, not 45% If you’re on a temporary visa and you permanently leave Australia you have 6 months to withdraw all your super through DASP (minus 35% tax for 457 and TSS/482 visas or 65% if you’ve earned on a working holiday visa at any point) . If you don’t withdraw it within 6 months the ATO will take *all of it*. So this is all only a consideration if you transitioning to a permanent resident from a temporary visa. As Collie and Marissa mention above, As a UK citizen it looks like the inland revenue do tax you on foreign pensions, so how much would depend how much you’re withdrawing and earning in the UK at the time. Personally I’m on a 482 visa. DASP tax would be 35%. UK tax you could limit to 20% if you don’t withdraw too much at once. Investing in getting PR and leaving the super where it is until retirement sounds like lowers tax, Covers the cost of the PR plus it’ll earn interest. depends how much is in the super though Worth noting if someone’s ever been on a working holiday visa (and perhaps now on a 457 or 482) all of the super gets taxed at 65% through DASP, even the money earned on the 457/482. In which case it’a more likely to be cheaper to just pay for a PR visa using the money you’d be paying in tax through DASP However, a key point Marissa points out is if the super earned while on a temporary visa may always be subject to DASP tax, so I’ll check up on that as that means it’s be taxed twice. Also I don’t yet know what options are for withdrawing super at retirement so I’ll look into that too.

Hi all, Currently enjoying life in Aus on a TSS visa, 1 year in. Our current plans are to move back to the Uk after a couple more years, to try for a kid. I’ve toyed with the idea of applying for a 190 PR visa to keep our options open but realistically if we did go to back and have a child (not guaranteed, I know) I can’t see us returning before the travel component of the PR expires. It feels a fair chance therefore its a waste of money and effort. I had a thought regarding superannuation though: when leaving on a temporary visa I can claim back my super minus 45% tax. However this tax is already not far off the cost of applying for PR at the moment and will increase over however longer we stay in Aus. Babies and life choices aside and looking at the financials alone, I’m wondering if one reason for me to apply for PR is to lock in the super as a small investment until I retire and be able to claim it without being taxed. I would have to assume that my PR would expire before I retire and that I settle in the UK in later life. If this happened Would the super still be available via an Australian bank account and tax free? Obviously there’s other benefits to applying to PR but is there logic is this approach from the financials? thanks

Thanks Raul, So - following a quick google - if the sponsor nomination is refused I'd have to withdraw the application and try and claim a refund on the basis of that. Refund not guaranteed, but it is quoted as a reason as to why a refund may be given (no timescales provided). Only thing I'm unsure of is whether the sponsor would get a second shot at the nomination if they make a mistake or whether it'll just be refused straight away. I think I'm going to ask to be forwarded the LMT evidence before paying. If in doubt then wait for the nomination to be approved. The sponsor is a large organisation but I think I'm only have these concerns due to the recent changes and the fact they don't seem up to speed across all the departments I'm in touch with.

Hi, We're currently awaiting for our sponsor to conclude Labour Market Testing, submit a nomination for our TSS visa and provide us with the TRN for our visa application (assuming job is still there). Due to sponsor's internal processes not keeping up with recent changes to the Labour Market Testing requirements, the sponsor has had to re-advertise the job because the original wasn't online for long enough; they realised this before they submitted the nomination. Our plan was to submit our visa (all ready to go) as soon as the nomination TRN is received but I'm now wondering what happens if the sponsor makes another admin error and the LMT isn't right? Would the nomination get refused and if so would our visa be automatically refused and we lose our fee? Not sure whether to wait for the nomination approval before submitting the visa, but would be yet more delays. However I have visions of the sponsor submitting the LMT evidence with the nomination only for it to be bounced back and re-run for a third time and then for the job to go and we've already paid our application fee. Thanks

How long does the AHPRA registration last for? My GF is about to fly over to 'present in person' to confirm identity. I presumed it'd expire after 12 months unless renewed but I'm not found this written anywhere. Thanks

My GF arranged for the docs to be notorised and can't remember off the top of my head exactly which documents (I don't want to give you duff info - best to check the instructions). We paid for a notary public to notorise them. It was a couple of hundred quid I think. Rip off. Either AHPRA or the job agency had told us to get the AHPRA docs notoriased rather than certified by a solicitor. However for most of out visa application docs we had them certified by a friend who's a solicitor. You've taken a different approach to us. We posted the application in advance but we have to fly out to confirm identity. I'd suggest you read up on everything any any differences between applying in Australia compared to the from abroad. I'd definitely see if you can confirm you've met the ID check requirements when you're there in person.

Ok so just to update this thread: We decided to have a go at getting a 457 visa in before the TSS, purely on the cost saving though we were assuming processing time would be longer in tge end due to the 457 back log. After a mad rush we got everything together our side for the end of feb, only for the employer to be unable to submit the signed nomination form because the Labour Market Testing, required for nurses even on the 457, had not conculded. Given they noted the need for LMT in late Jan it couldve been completed in time but we'll wait and see how long it takes. Of course there is the risk the job may go. Ahpra reg is principle was received about a week ago with the expected 3 months to present in person. We asked for an extention, they said no. If the job still goes ahead we,ll ask again in a couple if months. We are expecting to send my GF out to Oz for a week in may to complete the Aphra registration. We figure even if the job falls through, haviing Ahpra reg for a year will make finding another nursing job easier. So now we wait for LMT to conclude and apply for the TSS visa if there is still a job at the end of it. theyre gonna have to process at least some tss visas while going through the 457 backlog because theyll need to check the process works. Thats my thinking anyway.

Sorry I can't find the link but I read on a news article published about 3 days ago (through a Google news search) that if a 457 nomination has been submitted but the visa has not, the nomination will be cancelled and refunded (to the employer). However if the 457 visa has also been submitted by the sponsored applicant when the TSS comes in it'll be processed as per 457 rules. The webpage (or a similar one, also published 3 days ago) said the introduction of the TSS visa is expected within the first 2 weeks of March. I'm presuming there'll be no notice and the 457 options on the online visa system will just disappear one day and be replaced by the TSS options. I assuming this but maybe others have seen visa changes come in and can further advise on any final notification of change which may come through (i.e. the day before). Seems unlikely though.

Thanks both. I had a chat with some migration agents and employment agencies for nurses at an exhibition. Even they had conflicting information on the process but some things are a little clearer. I'm now of the understanding it's not the AHPRA registration we're waiting to come through to apply for the visa, but the employers visa nomination form (which we had received but sent back a couple of weeks ago as it had errors). We've dropped a note to all parties just to make clear that if the nomination and our visa isn't submitted by the end of the month there will be considerably higher fees for everyone when we apply for the TSS. This probably isn't feasible but if there's a chance we may as well do it. My understanding is that if we submit the initial application and pay the 457 fee, we upload the supporting documents after straight after. Anything not quite ready will be uploaded over the following week or two in March (so long as it's not essential for the application). But if we miss the deadline, we just apply for the TSS and take the financial hit. AHPRA time limits With regards to the AHPRA registration in principle and the 3 months limit to confirm identity: It sounds like it is what it is. A trip to Australia to confirm the identity is probably going to be due. What's disappointing is that nobody has raised this and it was probably always on the cards. It seems that unless you're lucky and your visa comes in within 3 months of the AHPRA registration in principle, anyone applying for AHPRA should budget and plan holidays to make this (pretty ridiculous) trip to Australia to confirm identity. One agent said a lady flew to Australia to do this and was told 3 weeks later the form had been filled in wrong and she had to fly out and do it all again! The AHPRA time limit used to be 12 months, which gave plenty of time to complete the AHRPA and then visa processes sequentially. The 3 month limit just breaks the process and you have to work around it. A migration agent gave some good advice: She said don't think of the process is logical. The reason it doesn't seem to make sense is because it's not logical. You're [we're] not doing anything wrong, you just need to work through it as best as you can. All the above is just my current understanding of the process (which seems to change weekly) so please correct me if I'm wrong.

Well, I've managed to find the following link which refers to the 3 months deadline from Registration in Principle for APHRA. Seems you get refunded for a withdrawal but I may contact them to ask if we can delay the registration somehow, to buy us more time. I don't imagine they get that request very often. http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-and-Endorsement/International/Application-outcomes.aspx#principle If you have met all registration requirements, but only provided the minimum proof of identity evidence with your application (because you were not living in Australia at that time), the NMBA will provide you with a letter providing in principle approval for registration, valid for three months, and detailing the outstanding proof of identity requirements. This does not mean that you are registered. Final registration will be subject to you providing the outstanding proof of identity requirements to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) in person at your local AHPRA office. ... If you are granted in principle registration and do not provide the identification requirements in person at an AHPRA office within the required three months, we will take it that you have withdrawn your application under section 80(5) of the National Law.

Hi all, First post. I’ve been trawling various forums for some clarifications on our situation but I just can’t confirm, so I wondered if you can help. My GF is a registered Nurse and has been offered a job arranged through an employment agent (I’m defacto partner). We’re continually hitting delays. Mainly, I think, due to poor comms on the process. Timeline: Sept 2017 - My GF was interviewed and verbally offered a job. - We started the APHRA (Nursing Registration – notoriously slow) paperwork, as requested. Nov 2017 - We had to chase the letter of offer and in Nov 2017 it turned out there were forms to be filled in as a pre-requisite for the offer which we weren’t told about. 1st delay! - We sent APHRA docs off and the employer’s docs, as requested. Jan 2018 - APHRA asked for more docs. Provided later in the month. 2nd Delay! - I realised GF still hadn’t received a letter of offer and asked agent to chase employer. - Employer drafted the offer letter and the 457 visa nomination form but said Labour Market Testing has now probably expired and would need to be re-run (job re-advertised locally). 3rd Delay Feb 2018 - Nomination form received but with errors, so we’ve sent back for corrections. - Nomination form also made reference to 457 Visa and we will not submit the visa app before TSS comes in, presumably requiring new nomination templates which can’t be produced until 1 March (4th delay) Neither recruitment agent or employer really seem to be acknowledging the impact of TSS visa introduction and on the agency’s advice we have not applied for the 457 visa until APHRA comes through. Recently I saw facebook posts from an old friend (doctor) who this week turned up in Sydney to work on a 457. She cited APHRA delays and can’t start work yet but entered on a tourist visa. She also noted she already has her 457 visa though. I’ve since been digging around forums to find if our order of processing is wrong. Questions Why might the agency tell us to wait for APHRA before applying for a visa, if it could have been applied for in tandem? Now both us and the employer will have to pay increased fees for the TSS visa. I’ve since noted forum posts about APHRA’s ‘present [ID] in person’ deadline (in Australia) of 3 months from receiving APHRA ‘registration in principle’. Based on 457 processing times it seems highly unlikely a 457 or TSS visa will be granted within 3 months of our APHRA registration in principle, which I expect to come through in a couple of months. This seems to mean we either have to re-apply with APHRA (more delays) or the GF will have to fly to Australia just to present her ID in person (more cost). Neither agent or employer have made any reference to this. Am I missing something obvious here? Any advice is much appreciated.