Jon the Hat

Tax rates in the UK have not been continually reduced since the 80s. Admittedly the stupid high tax rates of the 70s are fortunately no more, but there was the introduction of the higher rate, the removal of the tax free allowance over 100k and the never ending creep of threshold reductions.

I will also benefit, but I am also smart enough to recognize that in addition to lots of hard work over many years, I also benefitted from being born white, in an prosperous part of a developed western country with high education standards, went to a school that encouraged us to believe we could go to university, to parents who believe in hard work and making the most of your opportunities. I also had a great group of friends at school who helped me stay on the right side of doing too many stupid things, and have been fortunate in being in the right place at the right time career wise. Lots of people don't get these starts in life, and it is no bad thing to pay a bit more tax to help boost them up.

They don't need to scrap it, but it would be better to lower the threshold of the higher rate to ensure the lower paid do better without handing $10,000 tax cut to those earning over $200k.

Have the baddies gone?

Yes I think so.

Taxing the illegal activities would make one complicit no? Hard to justify. Also illegally earned money is often laundered, which does tend to attract tax.

If one of the couple is earning in that range and the point is to encourage their partner to work it makes sense. It also likely pays for itself in tax revenues from the worker and the childcare employees.

It is quicker in a lot of cases to commute from the home counties then across London though. At least it was until the Elizabeth line, might be better now. Same in Sydney I guess, all road/trains/trams lead to the CBD.

Hot? It always sodding rains when I visit Sydney!

Yes that does take some getting used to, especially if you have a child who will only eat a tub of fruit if it has strawberries in it...

There is a document category showing a medical check booking (I forget what it is called). If you really cannot make it happen in 28 days (which I would recommend even if you have to do it at lunch or something) then make a booking for the medical when you can attend, upload that and attach a note explaining your situation. Perhaps an email from work saying you are not permitted time off in your first month.

There are hotels you can book for a couple of hours, much nicer than the lounge.

I would say it is worth being ambitious when you arrive, as there is a shortage of talent at the moment. I was prepared to take a step backwards, but in the end with a little patience I got a role at a higher level in a new industry which ticked all the boxes for my next career step.

Congratulations! PSS were fine for us, and the company they used this end, the Key Moving Solutions were helpful with storage etc and splitting the delivery. It is usually recommended to use letton Percival for insurance.

On this we can absolutely agree, and once it has been bought they should be taxed so much for leaving it empty they are all but obliged to rent it out.

It's a fair point, but then again how much time have you spent in the UK recently?

If you can, try to imagine being stuck in the UK forever, your visa plans gone. How does that feel? If it feels shit, then move. you can always move back, but the chance to come to Aus might never come again.

Absolutely container costs are back to normal levels, so anyone with a quote from a couple of months ago should be asking for a requote.

If $198 is putting you off, migration is not likely to be for you.

I was 45 and my wife 49. All going well so far apart from expected dramas with teenager.

One is probably the mean, one the median.

According to the news this week, the average is actually $150K.

There is a lot more to NSW than Sydney though - NSW is about 4 times larger than the UK. Lots of people live in other places. Depends what you do of course. It is bloody hard making new friends without working I think - maybe find your football team's local supporters club or something?

Sydney can be quite overwhelming I think, maybe try heading up the coast, or over to Melbourne or Adelaide? Yes I can imagine it can feel pretty lonely. hard enough coming with family to support.

Where are you? Australia is a pretty varied place, and I don't think in any of them are the best bits near the airport. Maybe get out and about a bit, you might find somewhere you prefer. It is pretty hard while you are not in work though to feel in any way established.