Ausvisitor

The issue here is that whilst you have to keep returning home until you have a visa, your intention is that these visits aren't holidays they are recurring visits related to your major visa application. No one would see this as a genuine holiday maker being asked to do a little work whilst on vacation by their employer at home

I agree Sydney is expensive but the person asking is a Doctor so I imagine the cost won't be as much of a limiting factor as it usually is

The reality is if you were coming for 6 months and not coming back again you probably will not be caught working from home, but not being caught and not being allowed are very different things. If you had no interest in getting a "long-term" visa you may be able to "slide under the radar", but as a long-term visa applicant you will get caught easily when asked for work history, pay-slips and references as part of your main visa application - any half switched on immigration worked will discern that you spent most of the year in Australia, yet seem to have been employed for the whole year It really isn't worth the risk. No other MARA agent will tell you any different (unless they aren't telling you the truth). To be clear, there is no issue with you doing work in Australia for a UK company if you have a visa that allows you too.... I'd be talking to @paulhand @wrussell or one of the other MARA agents on here

Yes but only if you are already at a decent level in a second language that is on the list. Learning a new language to the required level is a little over the top for just 5 points.

The visa tells you what you can and cannot do. If you have a visa that says you cannot work whilst in Australia on this visa that is exactly what it means. You cannot work at all in Australia. If you want to work (even from home for your UK employer) you need a visa with work right attached to it. I'm sure many chance it, but If you are caught you will never get a proper visa as you will be on a blacklist

You can "buy" a year of NI contributions for up to 6 years after your retirement date. So whether he could purchase them depends on if he already has a full year for the years he was 61,62,63,64 (the one's before are too far back and the contribution element stops at 65 so you can't buy that year either). The Pension service will be able to help, however I do know that if you buy them now you won't get the lump sum you mention because you didn't qualify for it (you didn't have enough contributions) and you only start to build up the lump sum repayment (for deferred pension) from your state pension age or your qualification date (whichever is later) - in your Dad's case the qualification date would be later (Otherwise everyone would do this as waiting 12 months and then buying 6 years would be covered by the rebate from the state pension for not drawing it for a year)

You can add them as additional documents if you need to submit them. Not all cases need them, for instance mine didn't (different VISA) but I know other people who did have to supply some financial details during the process.

They have access to a bunch of other stuff as well as the things you mention. They can determine through government records where their Medicaid card is registered to, who their employer is, where they are registered for task etc. A bit like the UK and school catchment areas if you try to game the system to look like you are in region when you are not they will find out. They always have the final option of just going to the address and knocking on the door...

If you take a 491 state sponsorship it is a requirement you remain in a regional location. It's only the 190 where location is a moral undertaking

Possibly, but there are way more spaces on the skilled state nominated quotas than the family nominated quota so if you can up your points you may be better applying for a skilled nomination in your own right without the family additions (unless the 491 works very differently to the old 489)

I don't understand why they wouldn't want an assessment. Yes the entire submission from start to end if handled by an agent will incur £2k+ in professional fees but the initial "do we stand a chance" conversation will be just a few pounds/dollars and in some cases even free. Surely it's worth the price of a mediocre night out in the pub to gain some clarity on the potential ways to proceed. I can understand why people may not want to commit to thousands of pounds in agent fees (although I found it worth every penny and more) but to not take any at all seems counter productive

As soon as you start worrying it's taking a while... It's as though they spend their time on here working out which case to process next

It's roughly about 5-6 months from submitting that people have been asked for meds and PCC. If you've front loaded everything you should get an answer in that sort of time.

It is difficult in the waiting, and as you are seeing it's hard to see others get what you want quicker than you are. Keep the faith and hopefully it will come

Congratulations - things just happen when they happen in the immigration timeframe! Enjoy your life in Australia