Ausvisitor

3 hours ago, Bluey128 said:

Yes, we did not expect this in a million years. The amount of sterling recommendations is what swayed us to go with them.

Can I ask what you mean about working with a RMA directly? All the guys at DUC are RMA's including the lady dealing with us

 

The team at DUC aren't RMAs - they have a number of RMA on retention as advisors but the majority of the people you interact with at DUC are just paid case handlers that turn the cogs

It may be that yours was a qualified RMA if so that makes their mistake even more unforgivable

It's heartbreaking and you have to feel for them.

However it does backup many of the posts on here reminding people that temporary (or provisional) visas are just that and that the dream can end at anytime (even decades later) if you don't get that PR hurdle over and done with.

8 minutes ago, wrussell said:

Consult one of the RMAs who posts on this forum and in general deal directly with a RMA, not an organisation that retains the services of a RMA as a consultant.

I totally agree with you statement, but I do have sympathy with the OP.

They engaged DUC who are generally talked about as offering a decent service on these forums and generally they have a decent reputation.

In their position I would have assumed if that many are saying they do a good job then they must be ok.

I guess you just don't expect people you've paid to do a job to screw up like this.

I'm always glad I chose to work with an RMA directly - but I was seriously considering DUC when we did our paperwork because they appear to be reputable and dependable 

If Raul is saying you don't need any cash proof for a 482 then I'm sure that's right (he'd definitely know more than me there).

What I can say is don't underestimate how much the costs will be until that first pay check, whilst there isn't a requirement to show cash available, it's still a good idea to come over with 3 months worth of living expenses in your pocket to get you going and see you over the first few weeks when everyone will find a way to take a few dollars of the newbie.... 

6 hours ago, can1983 said:

I did a similar thing, as a director of the company we paid my wife a salary for 2 years whilst she was on maternity and working part time hours.

Ended up avoiding all personnel tax but it was a unique set of circumstances i suppose

we used our uk accountant to help close the company from australia.

It is quite a long process to wind up and strike off but not expensive

Thanks for that.

Does that mean you just kept reporting an accounting loss for those two years as I assume no new revenue was going into the accounts?

That might be an option 

We have a company in the UK (that is basically dormant since moving to AUS in Jan).

There is a positive bank balance in the company (enough to be worth not just leaving it there) and wondered what is the best (least tax) way to extract that.

The income in the company has had all UK corp tax paid on it (so it is profit) so wondering what the best way to wind it up and minimise the taxation due in UK and AUS on the disbursement

Will most likely need some actual help doing it but just looking at options right now to work out how to proceed

Or leave it with your sister and get her to buy a few Christmas pressies or birthday pressies for your other UK relatives in your behalf to use up the cash.

I don't really think there is any substitute for doing the "hard yards" and looking for yourself once there.

Yes Airbnb isn't cheap but for 4-6 weeks it is probably comparable to the rental price on a property and the services of an agent to find the place for you.

The real problem with getting someone else to choose is they might pick a dog of a property and you are stuck with it for 12 months.

Also don't underestimate how long it will take to find a rental especially without a job contract, it will take at least 4 weeks before move in date (unless you are looking just for a room share property) so plan on a month in temp accom at least (we were 6 weeks and that was moving quickly according to everyone else I've spoken to)

7 hours ago, Biggashm said:

Thanks for your reply,we won't be able to meet the two year requirement due to covid.thats what were concerned about.

I don't think that is correct. You got a grant in May 2019, so the expiry of you travel portion is May 2024.

The borders were fully open to PR holders in February this year (we know that is when we came over) which would have given 2 years and 4 months on shore if you'd come then.

So what you mean to say is we haven't done our 2 years on shore because we failed to make decisions that enabled that, not because of COVID.

I wish people would stop using COVID as an excuse to cover up their own decisions 

40 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Have you lived there?  Australians love running Canberra down but actually I wouldn't mind living there.  

When I was working in Sydney, I frequently had to visit Canberra for fitout projects. I did a lot of fitout projects in various offices in Sydney, too.   Fitout projects always create inconvenience for the staff in the office.   The difference in courtesy, understanding and friendliness between the Sydney and Canberra office staff was very marked, in favour of the Canberrans.

Never lived there, been there quite a bit and it seems totally soulless 

On 17/07/2022 at 15:45, Marisawright said:

I haven't looked at how REISA does it, that's why I was wondering what criteria they used.  However, if they do use "inner, middle and outer zones", then the comparison between cities becomes utterly useless for cities that are different sizes, for any real practical purpose.

Let's say I'm thinking of moving from Canberra to Melbourne and I think, "ooh, the rents are cheaper".  However, when I make the move, I discover that a "middle ring" house in Melbourne is further from the city than an "outer ring" house in Canberra, and therefore in reality, life will be more expensive.  If I want to get a cheaper house, I'll have to go further away in Melbourne, which would compare in commuting distance to living out in the country around Canberra.  

Of course I don't know if that's true, but unless there is a  comparison site somewhere that shows comparative rents based on distance, i.e. within 10km from the CBD, within 20km from the CBD, within 30km from the CBD etc, then I can't make a fair and realistic comparison of like properties with like properties.

This is an example of what I mean, only this is for buying property:

https://metropole.com.au/these-are-the-most-affordable-suburbs-within-10km-of-each-cbd/

Everyone is forgetting in this that Canberra is a complete hellhole and people should be paid to live there not have to pay to opt into that purgatory 

6 hours ago, JayManx said:

The agent is one that my friend recommended after research, it did include medicals for the four of us, police checks, skillselect and anything else. 

 

What figure would you guys expect to pay and could you put me in the direction of any other agents please? 

 

Thanks for the help guys  

Still seems really high, ours was £9.5k all in for 3 people, all adults (as our kid turned 18 while in process).

We also paid for expedited skills assessments and some very expensive police checks as we had lived in Canada, US and two other countries as well as the UK in the last ten years.

I think someone is taking their Christmas bonus early at your expense if that £20k is correct. Most agents charge around £2k to £2.5k for their part in the process so if yours is charging much more than that for their work then you should switch and quickly 

Canada can do it because autism support (except for very basic help) is a private paid for service by the family/patient

I must be missing some thing as I can't see why someone holding a 190 visa would be bothering with a different visa, both require 4 years before becoming a citizen so why switch?

1 hour ago, MuscleSprout said:

Yes, of course - I understand that.  I meant that I couldn't set up as an aus sole trader until I get my perm visa.  As an aside, I wonder where the line is drawn now that remote working is so much more common?  If I was on holiday and my UK employer expected me to answer emails or attend the odd meeting etc whilst I'm away then surely that's acceptable?

The line is drawn at intent. If you have moved over here and intend to reside you can't use the "I'm on holiday and my boss asked a question" excuse.

In reality the line is on proportionality. If you really are just taking a 5 minute call or reviewing one email because it's urgent in a week of otherwise ordinary tourist activities then that wouldn't be seen as work by anyone. Actually giving another company tax advise as you would if you had been in the UK is most definitely working and you can't do that until you have a visa with work permissions attached to it.

6 minutes ago, NewtoAustralia said:

Yor post tells more about how you see other people then anything else. Everything is not black or white, by judging other´s you judge yourself.

True, I did feel like maybe I'd over shared after I typed it.

I do wish you luck, people do grow into themselves over time despite past mistakes. 

Despite my flippant comment the rest of the post was intended to be helpful (and I should have stopped at 2 paragraphs ). You will need some professional help to navigate the process as, like me, people (immigration officer) will just see the crime and make judgements without considering the person.

Good luck with the application, if you can get here you won't regret it.

3 hours ago, Wannabe Aussie said:

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience trying to get a skill assessment for work experience completed using an umbrella company?

Basically I have 5 years experience contracting within the financial sector in the UK on various projects. However I have always operated through an umbrella company rather than opening up a limited company.

If I have all contracts and evidence of projects I have worked on over the years will this be sufficient evidence to provide to the skills assessing authority? 

Thanks 

Karl 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had similar, although mine was my own company.

Your tax returns are useful as they prove you have been employed and the tax you've paid.

However the umbrella reference will almost certainly not be enough as they won't be able to comment on your role and daily activities 

You will need (as I did) documentation from key personnel in each contract role or if all else fails a signed affidavit.

You have no chance if you do the process yourself, you will need to engage an agent to help here.

Even then, the statute in most countries to consider a custodial sentence served is 10 years with no re-offence, so you would have been looking at 2025, but your "minor offence" probably pushes this back to 2030

Interesting is your choice of words, to most people an offence is an offence, only to habitual offenders is there a need to grade the severity of an actual offence

Unless we are talking many glasses, and assuming that's all you want to transport, by the time you pay someone to wrap them and transport them, and pay to replace the one or two that will inevitably get damaged, I'm sure it won't have been much more expensive to replace.

We had really good Waterford crystal in the UK, sold it/gave it all away (many 100s of pieces) and when we moved over replaced with much more contemporary riedel plain crystal glasses (the ones Virgin Atlantic and Emirates use in upper/first). 

So much nicer than the cut crystal we left behind and really easy to replace if you do damage one

When we came over we needed accomodation for 6 weeks before moving into our rental. We were perfect rental candidates, no specific location need, only one bed, no real budget constraint and no animals. We were looking in Sydney so not TAS but the issue around availability seems common everywhere right now.

Probably the most important question for you is you say 2 dogs, now 2 well behaved schitzu are very different to 2 boisterous full grown dobermans (you get the picture).I'm not sure anyone would be keen to rent a property in good condition for just a month to a family with 2 large dogs, for a year or longer with a good deposit then maybe but too much risk for a small rental return 

5 hours ago, Caio said:

Hi guys, need advice on which pathway to follow:

I'm currently working as a Mechanical Engineer in Australia. However, that is my first working experience after my Bachelors Degree. 

Apart from this, I'm also a Mechanical Engineering Technician with 3 years of working experience offshore. 

I'm in doubt of which ANZSCO I use for the visa.

Mechanical Engineer 233512

1. 186DE: Probably not eligible due to the 3 years working experience after graduation.
2. 189: Eligible but low EOI score.
3. 190: Eligible but low EOI score. 
4. 482 Medium Term: Probably not eligible due to the 2 years working experience after graduation.
5. 494: Probably not eligible due to 3 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation.

Mechanical Engineering Technician 312512

1. 190: Eligible and higher score compering with Mechanical Engineer.
2. 482 Short Term: Eligible. However, short term does not offer pathway to PR. I would need to ask my company to change my function from Engineer to Technician.
3. 494: Eligible. Pathway to PR after 3 years. However, I would need to ask my company to change my function from Engineer to Technician. 

Seeking for any advices. I am planning to see a migrant agent but want to explore my options before spending any money.

The difference between Engineer and Technician is just a few letters and easy to achieve in the short term.

However, the difference between Engineer and Technician is about $30k a year, are you ready to give that up and have to prove you are worth the promotion to engineer later?

They seem legit enough, but I can't see why you'd waste your time with them when services like Wise money transfer exist and give near perfect exchange fees without having to email for a quote.

Whilst the company you quote say they've helped 30,000 people move money abroad, Wise do this sort of number in a day so have a lot more experience.

If Wise wasn't effectively market rates with a tiny service fee I might be tempted to look around but honestly unless you are talking millions of pounds being moved, the difference is likely to be miniscule

44 minutes ago, Parley said:

It seems to be changing now though. The government is relaxing laws about vaccine mandates so i think in a year or so no one will care or ask.

That could well be true. 

In a similar vein to the OP, I don't want to start a discussion here (as it will descend it an unending argument) but if the OP really doesn't want the jab (as opposed to can't have it), the maybe AUS isn't the right country to migrate to.

I say this not as a "why won't you have it" way, just on a factual statement. AUS is much more jab-positive than the UK, almost all mid/large size companies have "must be jabbed" employment clauses in their contracts, and many small companies do. It is really hard to get by without COVID vaccine over here.

Of course when all said and done it is the OP's choice, but it's good to know what you are going to experience if you do try to get employment here without vaccination.

Whatever you decide, it shouldn't affect your ability to pass (or not) the immigration medical

12 hours ago, JetBlast said:

If I hadn't filled out the paperwork and notified them I would have received nothing.

You would have, but without the filing it generally takes about 3 years for them to work through the backlog.

Nowadays it's much quicker and they are working through backlogs from the last decade or so, many people are getting cheques for past overpayments sent back to them.

That said I am looking forward to hitting submit on my final UK tax return and my first AUS one in the next few weeks.

The UK owes me £5,700 in overpaid tax for last year and the AUD authorities about $13,500 for 21/22 tax year.

Kerching ! ! !