Ausvisitor

On 18/07/2023 at 19:22, Jen130 said:

Have you got any idea which is the best visa to apply without sponsor I am not able to find any only point based stream but however i only come to 60 points but we need 65. Any advice on visa to apply without sponsorship

How old are you? I'm guessing coming close to 45 as otherwise in cyber you'd smash the points requirements

Do you have a degree? You almost certainly won't pass the cyber skills test without one (even if you can prove you can easily do the job).

Similarly once here cyber is pretty much "sewed up" as a market by the tier 1 and tier 2 consultancies and they won't hire without a degree.

We would need a lot more detail about your age/quals to be able to give anything more meaningful 

I run a practice in one of the big 4 doing cyber stuff so I've got a pretty good handle on the market

29 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Unfortunately, Barclays will do it for you! 

Only if you tell them! 

Given the OPs other half has family in the UK they could just set their settings to email/online only and use the family members address (obviously tell them).

So long as you aren't talking about huge amounts of cash being left in the UK no-one will notice 

On 05/06/2023 at 23:57, JoM1987 said:

Hello,

My partner and I have moved from the 'maybe we'd like to go to Australia' fluffy conversations of the last SIX years to a more definite plan to emigrate to Perth in 2025 (we have two small kids and I'd prefer them both to be school aged before we go). We've not looked into visa agents as yet.

I wondered if anyone could advise on what would be a better option for visas - my husband is a project manager and civil engineer by background. His company have offices in Oz so we may be able to get him moved internally and the company to sponsor the visa. I'm a clinical psychologist (autism specialist). I think both jobs are consistently on the skills shortage list. Would it be better to apply for the visas off our own backs or attempt to get sponsorship from partner's company?

Equally we both ideally would work 4 days a week spread over 5 days to cover school drop offs and pick ups. Is the culture generally OK with this in Oz?

Thank you!

 

Four day weeks are very much in the new and why think it might work but we won't be the first to give it a go stage in corporate Australia

When you move over you will be at the "bottom of the pile" in terms of desirability for roles (as you won't have local references or experience) so whilst after being here 12-24 months you can probably easily get a 4 day week job or heavily WFH with make your own hours, the first couple of years you might be making your search much harder opting for that approach 

The simple "work-around" is to use a family UK address as yours.

Yes technically it breaks their policy (but policy isn't law) and so if they did find out (and how would they?) the most they could do is close your account and they are doing that anyway so you would only be in the same position.

What this all does suggest though is that you certainly shouldn't be switching correspondence addresses to an overseas one with the banks anymore 

On 05/06/2023 at 17:55, Alan Collett said:

I follow the old adage, s/he who asserts must prove.

So where are the regulations that are driving this?

Until I see anything to the contrary I surmise this is internal policies, or compliance putting it in the too hard basket.

Why can Wise open an account for non residents with a UK sort code and account number when the High St banks are moving in the opposite direction?

Best regards.

I'm pretty sure there is no legislation stopping non residents holding a UK bank account.

If it was these premium expat accounts would also be impossible to open under the legislation.

They do have requirements under AML and KYC to have proof of address and notify HMRC of tax and addresses of account holders. They also need to take tax off interest (if you earn enough) and that's complex when you are non-resident.

So from my research I understand that whilst it isn't against the law, the regulations around AML, KYC and HMRC compliance make it complex and expensive to administer these accounts, and so they don't offer them.

Like everything once one bank decided not to do it, the others follow suit quickly and that is how we end up with all of them having policies (which are just made up internal rules) banning the opening (and now it appears holding) of a UK account if non resident (unless you are paying enough to make the effort worth their while)

NOTE: Australia is just as bad with the non resident banking policies so this isn't just the UK making expat lives difficult 

7 hours ago, Quoll said:

Would they have needed disability support in childhood???

Neither did, it's just a populistic statement to win favour with others.

No one is saying that citizens shouldn't get support from their country, they absolutely should, it's when people expect countries that have no obligation to also provide support that it is wrong

2 hours ago, Quoll said:

General rule of thumb is that if a child has a disability which is significant enough to attract disability support then they wont get a visa and vice versa, if you get a visa you are unlikely to get any additional support

Which seems fair enough, it's one thing for a country to support their own citizens but an entirely elevated level of altruism to spend money to support someone who is only a guest in the country.

I know it's a tough message, but Australia like any other country has a duty to it's citizens and residents to spend its money wisely and providing NDIS dollars to someone who isn't yet a permanent resident seems too much 

On 01/06/2023 at 07:10, Raul Senise said:

Visa lodgement fees do not attract GST, irrespective of where you lodge. 

There is some part of the process that does though, maybe skills assessment?

Or am I completely confused

On 26/05/2023 at 21:10, calNgary said:

Have all your paperwork ready to go (or on USB). You will need copies of driving licences, passports, any paid up utility bills/ mortgage, any rental refernces you may have from prvious rentals (even holiday lets) and of course a copy of your letter of employment stating salary and / or a copy of a healthy bank account.

 It is good to have a covering letter explaining your new to the country hence lack of Australian rental history etc etc..

   Hope this helps

       Cal x

Our rental journey wasn't straight forward...

We moved over without jobs, so no income/contract

We didn't rent in the UK and we had paid of our mortgage 6 years earlier so no proof of regular mortgage paying either.

In the end we showed the agent proof we had plenty of cash (we had the proceeds from selling a £600k house and a bunch of other stuff in the accounts) and got to know them well.

As others have said they want an easy life, someone with the money to pay the rent easily and easy to get on with works for an agent

However no amount of buddying-up or cash in the bank will get you over the need to be able to show 100 points of identification and without AUS citizenship that will require you having an AUS driving licence, TFN and bank account before you start applying (coupled with your foreign passport and visa) - so make sure you've got those things setup as immediate things to sort on landing.

4 hours ago, benj1980 said:

You won't get a medical next week, it'll give yourself a few weeks to burn off a bit more (and an incentive!) As others have said it isn't a major concern unless there are related issues. If theyre suggesting get medicals done, maybe it'll be a quick process?!

Historically the request for medicals (it not pre-supplied) seemed to be around 8 weeks before a grant came through.

That was pre-covid though and the world is different now so it might not mean anything at all

8 hours ago, Marisawright said:

He must make the basic 65 points, that's not negotiable. And to be honest, if he's only got 65 points, I wouldn't fancy his chances even for the 190.   

Are you aware he can take the English test, even though he's a native speaker?  It's actually not an easy test, even if you speak English, but if he can get a decent score, it's a good way to increase his points. 

To prove his employment, tax records are the first step but again, an agent will advise about all of that (and also about how to take the English test).

Yes the full fee is payable no matter where or when you apply.

Being totally pedantic, the fee is actually higher if applying on shore as GST is applicable - but if applying offshore it isn't (so that's 10% for GST)

The weight won't be an issue unless its causing another issue, and if it is that won't clear up in a few weeks so stop worrying and get on with the medical 

You mention you've enjoyed the cosmopolitan lifestyle in London.

If that's what you are after the closest will be Sydney or Melbourne, and even they are nowhere near London in that regard. 

Not having a go at Aussie cities or bigging up London, it's just a fact. There are more 1000+ seater theatres in London than the whole of Australia for instance.

Brisbane is more like a crowded Sheffield, nice people, enough to do to keep you busy but it's not a Mecca for culture.

That said it is lovely but if you are hoping to switch house but retain lifestyle then I'm not sure that place actually exists over here, but there are great places that are different 

4 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Hi, qualified secondary teacher here. Agent put in EOI last Friday and we were invited to apply the following Wednesday. 189 on 65 points. 
Don’t necessarily listen to anyone except a registered agent when they say you won’t get invited. The agents know what’s actually happening now with visas. Most other people it’s just conjecture. 
Same for what people are saying about teaching jobs. I’d only listen to those on the ground at the moment applying for jobs. I have been told on this forum that the best I’ll likely do for a job is some part time language tutoring. Given that I’ve been a small company director, a high school teacher/manager and also have qualifications and experience in the civil service and digital learning, I highly doubt I’ll be settling for a few hours tuition. I have had a job since I was 14 and that’s unlikely to change because I’m moving. 
Good luck with the process and I really hope you got your invite, my agent said it was really just nurses and teachers who got the nod. 

Great news.

Only thing I would add is set your expectations well and you won't be disappointed.

I'm not a teacher but otherwise have a similar sort of storied background to yours in terms of leadership and senior roles.

The one thing I noticed moving here (been here 16 months), was that whilst Aussies like to hear about your overseas success, they also have a "it's very different here though" base setting.

Once you've shown competence though you get over that, I guess what I'm saying is if you expect to walk into a place and be headteacher (or whatever we call them nowadays) you'll probably be disappointed, if you are willing to show them your abilities then no reason why that role won't be yours 12 months later.

I think sometimes this forum does take the doom and gloom too far, but it's usually done with good intentions and the reality is that many people have had that bad experience when coming here, but many more haven't 

I have transferred over $500k in the last 3 months with WISE. 

Better rates than anubfx broker or mainstream bank I talked to.

It's all here, and very quick.

Transferred to WISE from both Nationwide and Santander accounts so it is certainly possible from a good UK bank.

@Waz05 has painted a pretty good picture.

I think they may have underplayed the cost of migration by the time you add in skills assessment, language tests, medicals, police checks and visa fees, for a family of 4 it's going to be nearer 8-10k

That isn't the expensive but though, it's the other stuff.

Flights, temp accommodation for 6-8 weeks and living expenses.

By the time I got my first paycheck in Oz (which was 2 months after landing) we had spent nearly £15k on all that stuff over and above just getting the visa. 

(We also bought a car and deposits for rental property but I haven't included those costs in the figure)

One qualification point, was your degree 4 years with classroom time (or 3 plus year long PGCE)?

Australia doesn't recognise the "on-the-job" entry to teaching that the UK does so if you don't have 4 years at uni and classroom teaching experience as part of those 4 years you won't pass the skills and registration bodies tests

1 hour ago, Cheery Thistle said:

My best advice is don’t come on to this forum looking for life advice. 
There are a lot of negative noras on here who feel trapped in Australia and don’t realise how grim the UK is becoming.  A lot of the main contributors are of a certain age, moved decades ago and don’t have much (if any) recent experience of the moving process. They will mostly tell you to stay put. (Sorry guys but this is the impression you give I’m afraid, you know who you are!). 
Only you know if this might be a good move for you. Perhaps it might be an idea to seek out families at a similar age and stage who have recently moved? You yourself can’t seem to find any particular benefit to making the move, so why are you considering it? Although you say there is no particular pull to Aus, the fact you are on here in the first place suggests there is a niggle somewhere. Maybe you need to put your finger on exactly what that niggle is? 

Having read your response and the shade you cast on some members, I think it's safe to say your user name is 50% dead on accurate and 50% a work of fiction.

You don't need the Spanish consulate, you need the Spanish police service.

Google them and search their website for criminal background check. Speaking Spanish will help you here.

Ultimately it sounds like the OP has a decent life and has a lot of ties to the UK (his partner more than him but still many ties)

If one of you isn't up for the move it will always be an issue, I guess it depends on are you unhappy in the UK ?

@Marisawright often comments that in reality the UK and AUS are both first world countries with pros and cons, AUS is not the land of opportunity it was in the 1960s for affluent UK people anymore.

It's a tough decision, however given you have kids and your partner sounds like she might be a Brit I'd be tempted to get over to AUS while the kids are young and wait out the time for your other half to get her citizenship in AUS, that way you get to trial living in AUS and if you do decide to return to the UK, you will all have AUS citizenship and UK citizenship to be able to move at will....

22 hours ago, Bulya said:

You aren’t.  Govt finance isn’t run like a household budget.  

You do realise that governments spend tax take don't you...

You probably also realise that tax take is the amount they charge their citizens (customers) for being in the country (the product)

It would be abhorrent if products had differing prices based on how much cash you had in your pocket, why is tax seen as different?

And whilst government spending isn't the same as a household budget, the money they spend it money they've taken from actual people, so they do in fact spend my money so I am paying for it (I get no choice on what they spend it on but it still your and my money they are spending)

You say your wife is a contractor and working for UK companies while in TAS.

Is she doing that through an AUS employment/business model or through a UK limited company.

Because if she is still invoicing through her UK company she won't be classed by the bank as working in AUS and so that 12 months will drag on and on

I guess my issue is that people are very keen to have equality with money they haven't earned.

It's easy to say the government should spend on "this or that" if in reality you are not the one paying for it

On 12/05/2023 at 23:55, DrDougster said:

To support people less fortunate.

Your suggestion wouldn't be fairer, it would be treating people the same. That approach would be inherently sexist and increase inequity across society so, yeah, I'd say it would be unfair. Popular with people who think "stars" sexually assaulting women was/is acceptable, but unfair nonetheless.

What on earth could be fairer than treating people the same? Surely that is absolute definition of fairness

Equally someone with half a brain should be able to separate a taxation system from a misguided sense of entitlement (your statement about assault), the fact you conflate the two, well I'll leave you to consider what that might mean !

In the UK a few (not many at all) credit cards do something called a super balance transfer, this basically allows you to draw the money down to a bank account rather than pay off another credit card.

There are minimum amounts you can do and you can only do it once per card but it goes on as a balance transfer rate not a cash advance.

They are rare though and I don't know if Australia has anything similar

11 hours ago, Marisawright said:

I suppose these days, you'd put the properties on AirBnB. There are plenty of agencies now, who will handle AirBnB bookings, maintenance etc. for you. 

However, I don't think I'd want to do it either.   The result of @Ausvisitor's idea would be that all three of the houses wouldn't be homes, they'd be impersonal AirBnB rentals that I happen to own.  It wouldn't be worth getting my personal stuff out of storage for the three or four months I was in each one.  

I think, if I really wanted to live a nomadic retirement, I'd have 3 small apartments, not houses, and split my personal treasures between all three.  Then perhaps I could afford not to rent them out at all, and all three would feel like home.  Apartments would be more secure than a house if they're left empty for 3 or 4 months every year.

I suppose some might do it that way, we won't we will leave the homes "ready to return to" and just lock up and leave.

Family could use the holiday property in Europe but there is no way we are renting out houses on airbnb