Jibba

I work as a senior mental health nurse in a public community mental health team in Victoria. I work 4 days a week and have a caseload of around 18-22. All adults of working age. There is a crossover between both youth services and aged care services. Aged care services are well known for refusing to accept referrals from adult services, despite obvious care needs - as long as the client is still being actively case managed. The work is relatively flexible and depending on the team, you can very much feel like 'your own boss' but there also is a big focus on team based approaches too, which helps to lighten the pressure. Definitely look into salary packaging / salary sacrificing. You essentially sacrifice an amount of money each fortnight towards mortgage / rent / bills. With this you get paid your salary with the nominated amount taken out or sacrificed. You then go on the lower tax bracket as a result. A day later that sacrificed amount gets paid back into your account untaxed. It's only for public health service workers, not the private sector (and emergency services). It's truly great and I always summarise it to my British friends as a way we're "legally allowed to beat the taxman". Overall work life balance is great. They very much factor personal leave into your allowances - there's no shaming culture like there tends to be in the UK when you take a sick day or some carer's leave. The pay is significantly better too but the cost of living is very high here at the moment. Still, I have always lived very comfortably here and I doubt I would be if I was working for the NHS right now.

Thanks to all the replies, especially for the email from NicF. They replied very quickly and sent this: So I think my best option is to apply for a standard renewal. Hopefully it arrives by mid July. If not I’ll apply for an emergency travel document which will cover me for this trip. Am I correct in thinking that the ETD is issued from the Melbourne embassy and gets organised within days of the application?

https://www.ukabroad.net/british-passport-emergency-travel-documents-requirements/ According to this site, I could also apply for a standard renewal now then apply for an emergency document if I don’t get my passport back in time. That would cover me for a year. I’d just need to not change any travel plans for my current trip. Costly but manageable.

Thanks for the reply. Does the emergency passport extend beyond 21 days? And can I use an emergency document for a route which is already booked? I have the main return flight from Melbourne to London and seperate flights between London - Finland and then Finland - Spain one way then one way back from Spain to England. I’m thinking if I can get my Mum to attend an appointment in the London embassy to get a new passport for me before I arrive then I won’t need to worry about onward trips within Europe. The big problem is trying to actually book a passport renewal appt at the embassy in London. Currently there are no available appointments and not even a calendar showing - just an automated response saying there’s nothing available! Does anyone know how I can actually speak with someone from the embassy in Melbourne? I tried calling with no joy and emailed - australia.enquiries@fcdo.gov.uk though I’m not sure they’re the right department. Thanks.

Hi folks, I'm travelling to the UK, Spain and Finland for roughly 5.5 weeks in mid July until mid August this year. My British passport expires on the 22nd August, which is only 1 day after we'd land back to Australia from this trip. I haven't allowed for the full 11 weeks it may take to have my new passport delivered and even though it's a good 6 weeks, I don't like the idea of sending my current passport away and then my new one not returning in time before I have to fly. I do have PR though, so would Border Force be able to access my visa and allow me to fly if I also got an emergency travel document? Is it worth me applying for an emergency travel document anyway or am I correct in thinking that will only last 21 days (less time than the holiday)? Should I just fly outbound with my current passport and organise a new passport in London in the embassy and if so can this process be expedited as I'd be applying for a simple renewal onshore in England? Can I just turn up at the British embassy in Melbourne? I tried calling them but the number provided and the website both ended up being dead ends. Any tips or other suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Sorry but this just isn't true. I have a friend who was able to fly back to Finland with an exemption (his third attempt and only after his mother had died) and both flights were virtually empty in both economy and business class. He was only offered business class and it cost him a small fortune. It's quite disturbing that people seem so willing to accept, what actually seems to verge in the realms of civil rights abuse - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-08/australians-trying-to-leave-could-make-legal-challenge-covid/100273572 - quote taken from <this article: Surely there needs to be a more compassionate and less concrete way of managing this? Surely if you can prove that you are now fully vaccinated and provide say 2-3 negative tests in the lead up to both your outbound and return flights, this should allow for at least some freedom of movement to visit loved ones? The risk of spreading Covid by a fully vaccinated person who has tested negative and by common sense would understand the need to wear a mask and take precautions is quite low. Compare that to the far more risky and damaging impact these types of hard line and concrete restrictions are having on the population's mental health and wellbeing. A vaccination / negative test 'passport' system needs to be rolled out IMO. And a final thought, does it not seem odd to people that the only two countries in the world that require such a strictly enforced exemption to leave the country right now are Australia and North Korea? Just saying.

Ok, thanks folks. So I just need to wait for the next window which is early March in order to submit my ROI. I have my EOI ready. I may have to add an IELTS to the mix to get my points bumped up. As you asked Monster, my 186 was declined over a mere technicality which was a mistake on the part of my employer for nominating me too early. I believe this shouldn't exclude me from getting a 190. At least my lawyer didn't think it would. I'm not using a lawyer ongoing as the costs were too much on top of the lost 10,000. I'll ask for her help again closer to the time of (hopeful) visa nomination.

Hi all, I'm a Senior Registered Mental Health Nurse, originally from Brighton, England and currently living in Melbourne. I had my 186 visa declined due to a technicality late last year with over $10,000 thrown down the drain but that's another story! I'm now in the process of applying for a 190 State visa and my migration lawyer thinks I have a good chance of getting nominated. I've completed an EOI, and I was under the impression that I then wait for the State of Victoria to contact me (if they want to nominate me) and they do this by viewing my EOI in Skillselect. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought that the State then may choose to select me via the Skillselect page and if they do it triggers an invitation to apply for a visa? However, I have just now registered an account on LiveinMelbourne and I am confused with the Registration of Interest (ROI). Is this something in addition to the EOI and if so how do I actually complete an ROI? The LiveinMelbourne page won't let me and seems about as helpful as the Immigration website i.e it takes you round and round in circles like one endlessly frustrating feedback loop. I cannot find the link to complete a Registration of Interest. Is this because the only way to apply for an ROI is during the tiny monthly windows of opportunity i.e is it only possible to even find the link to register an ROI during the next window 2/3 - 8/3? Or is it that an ROI can only be completed once my EOI has been selected by Victoria from Skillselect? Any assistance would be much appreciated. James

Sorry I seemed to have confused everyone by essentially hijacking this thread! I’m not the original poster with the eye issues. I’m in a similar boat in that I want to apply for the same business visa with reduced hours. I’ve not yet signed any contract for this visa and we’re in the first stages of application.

I’m not trying to be sly or scam the system in any way! I just want to know if the 186 visa allows someone to work part time at 4 days per week or not?! You’re saying you declare your intention to work (full time) in the nominated occupation but where does it say you have to work full time from the immigration site? Thanks.

Thanks for the info. However, I’m not trying to reduce my hours whilst I’m on the 457 or bridging visa. I want them reduced to 4 days per week only once I’m granted the business sponsorship. I’m essentially hoping to ask for a different contract with the business, which I think will be granted by my employer...but only if the visa allows it?!

Hi Maggie, do you have any links from the immi website which state this to be the case? I can't seem to find anything which says this. I'm currently on a 457 and hoping to get sponsored on a business visa, also in the hope that I can do so part time at 30 hours per week. Thanks in advance.