Ausimi

Im thinking to cash an Isa and move it now as the rate is the best I’ve seen this year… is that a good move? Or do I wait a bit longer? 

The rate at the moment is good…

is there a limit on how much can you transfer whir wise ? 

11 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Have you looked into it?  Do they charge per document or is it cheaper if you get them done all at once?  

You have to balance the cost of getting the documents certified against being unemployed for many weeks after you arrive.  Of course, if you''re happy to spend your first couple of months in Oz having a holiday, it won't be a problem to wait. 

Good point! 
It is a bit overwhelming planning the move and with COVID all the uncertainty is making it quite difficult, but yes perhaps I should get it done here! 
thanks 

1 hour ago, Searchingforsun said:

I think you have to apply for limited reg and complete the practice supervision part once in Australia? I am waiting for my visa (currently sat on further assessment stage) , then apply for limited reg with ahpra ASAP, then have to present in person within 3 months (I think). 

Yes that’s what I understood the process is, i am a bit stuck with certifying the document as here in the Uk it needs to be paid for and it’s a lot of them,  as my visa doesn’t depends on the job, I thought I will wait to get there and certified them with a friend who meet the criteria to do it for free. 

Hi there

im an OT moving from UK to Perth in March, I have PR.

im planning to register with APHRA as soon as I get there, then find a job. 
has anyone registered recently? Is there anything I should be doing from UK before getting there? I got all my documents ready (I thing).

any advice really welcome! 

We are getting ready as it seems this time is is really happening… we should arrive in Perth end of March, when should I start looking for flats to rent? 
we have a friend who has offered to de the viewings and will liaise with state agents… 

On 07/01/2022 at 09:33, emmajane0429 said:

oh wow how stressful for you! i'm keeping everything crossed for February borders opening and i think they just have to open up now, its been so so long. Where abouts are you going to? are you all arranged with a place to stay etc...?

We are going to Perth! We hope to stay with friends for few days/weeks and then fingers crossed find a rental place… it is all a bit adventurous and improvised although we have “planned” the move for few years now! But with covid everything has to be last minute! We just can’t continue to put our lives on hold! 

We booked direct flights to Perth for March, we have been trying for a year to move there! (Two flights cancelled last year in October and November) Hopefully borders fully open in February. 
We also started to de clutter and deciding what to take, I have given notice in my job… for such a big move, it does feel quite improvised and lots of last minute decisions! It is crazy! 

How easy is to get a mortgage? How much deposit do you usually need? 
I’m aware it would much depends on individual circumstances, but generally speaking? 
 

here in UK we always had the idea of selling the glumly 3 bedroom terrace and buying a 5 bedroom detached with a swimming pool near the beach!!! I guess those days are over!!!

21 hours ago, Canbush said:

Hi

Yes - finally made it!  We were repatriated to Howard Springs on 13th April, then had a couple of days in Darwin to enjoy the first of the season's Mindl Beach markets, then got into Perth 2 weeks ago.  Just to be absolutely safe before seeing elderly family here we then spent 10 more days self-isolating at a friends property in the Perth Hills.  Very, very happy to be back at last. Now just beginning the long haul of job hunting so we can rebuild our finances after the last year of struggles.

Completely recommend Howard Springs and DFAT flight.  Brilliantly managed, and much happier going that route than ending up in a quarantine hotel as we originally were going to do.  The flights from Darwin to Perth were discounted by Qantas as part of the repatriation deal - half price.  We also got our International baggage allowance for the internal flight, so were able to carry 60KG between us as hold luggage which saved a fair bit. Similarly, PCR tests are included in the flight cost.  The quarantine cost was A$5000 for the two of us, but they provide arrangements to pay it off at your own rate over 12 months which helps a lot.  Howard Springs is about to transfer to the NT Governments management, but hopefully everything will stay the same - couldn't fault it, and loved the food!

The problem with both Singapore and Qatar is the uncertainty.  We got cancelled at 5 days notice by Singapore and having given back our tenancy faced having nowhere to live.  There was no offer of alternative flights, even at a higher price.  We subsequently found out they'd simply moved the flight day from a Tuesday to a Saturday, so I feel they should have given us first option on the new flight day.  So I doubt I'll be using Singapore Airlines again unless I absolutely have to.  We were so lucky to get a DFAT flight that left a week later than our bounced Singapore flight or we'd have been in real trouble finding somewhere to stay with the lockdown still in place.

Best of luck getting home.  Try and get your vaccine jabs all done beforehand - its a bit chaotic here at the moment and we still have our second jab to arrange.

Pete

 

 

 

 

Thanks Pete! That’s very encouraging! 
Luckily we are fully vaccinated! 

just need to start making things happen, figure out the order, (pack, rent out the house, send stuff to Australia, sort out bank accounts here, pensions, sell 2 cars,) and by the sound of it, just get ready to go, whenever it’s possible! I just wouldn’t want to leave loose ends! 

Our flights with Quantas haven’t been cancelled yet! So still a bit of hope things might be ok for November! But really thanks, I can see there are other options and it is possible! 

11 hours ago, Cots said:

I agree with the above. If you’re going at some point then just go for it! 

We decided in Feb and were here by May, house sold and packed up, my husband’s business was dissolved, 2 cars sold and 12 suitcases packed  

Wow! And that’s how it’s done! 
This gives me hope and positive thoughts! Thanks! 

I understand what you are saying, it’s all a good point! 
Under normal circumstances I would 100% agree with you, on this weird times, I think repatriation could be a real possibility if your plans get disrupted by airlines or border changes, and you are facing being homeless as you were ready to go!

I think due to the exceptionally difficult circumstances COVID has put all of us in, making such a big move (which under normal circumstances it’s quite complex and stressful) can get desperate very quickly due to the unpredictability of the flights and the constant changes in the immigration rules. 

On 01/05/2021 at 07:00, Canbush said:

Hi.

we only took up the DFAT offer when our commercials got cancelled and we were faced with becoming homeless in the UK.  The flights cost us £1200 each, and then there is A$2500 each quarantine cost at Howard Springs, but you can spread the repayments over 12 months.  Flights are only from London as far as I am aware.

We were bound for Perth so very fortunate with the DFAT flights.  With the WA cap just reduced to 500 per week I have no doubt we would have been bounced again from commercial flights.

Pete

 

Hi Pete

i was just wondering if you have finally made it to Perth now? 
how did you get from Howard Springs to Perth? I’m assuming that is an extra cost to factor in your budget! 
We are making the same trip London-Perth but we won’t be ready to leave until earliest October! we have booked flights with Quantas for November but we are expecting to be cancelled any moment! So, I am between buying new tickets with either Singapore or Qatar or join the queue for a DFAT flight. 
What would be your view? 

Do you think if you get offered a repatriation flight, that’s it! No cancellations? No changes?. 
the only think is, it sounds like you need to be packed and ready to go because they give you a short notice! 

3 hours ago, Cots said:

I totally understand, we did have some epic fail moments, like walking through security checks at the airport with bags full of liquids we had to down a bottle of water from a flask with the threat of a full body search at the end. All because I was too stressed to think about what we’d packed and where! We sold our home on the 23rd April, the movers packed our stuff that day but we rented the house back for another week before staying at a premier inn for 4 nights. We then flew to London and stayed in the Ibis the night before our flight. By this time I didn’t know what was where: We were 7 kilos over our baggage allowance at a cost of £43 per kilo but at that point I was so delighted we’d passed the check in process I’d have paid it twice! 
 

Due to all the space on the flight it was stress free.

Wow that sounds epic! I’m very glad it’s all done and now you can start enjoying the new chapter! 

59 minutes ago, Cots said:

The trip was long, particularly as we started our journey in the Channel Islands, and included lots of form filling in and waiting around but there was loads of room on the flights for us all to spread out. The flight did not change at any point and left as scheduled. I met people who did have their flights changed and had  to fly into a different Australian airport to the one they had booked but either way got here. There were a few families on the flight just like us.

Quarantine  is pants, particularly for my youngest who is soon to be 7, but we’re managing! We got an exercise bike delivered to pass the time!

It must be such a relief to finally be there, for me it feels like a huge steep mountain to climb in front of me! 
we are also flying with a five years old! But I have so much to worry about getting ready to go that getting there and starting a new life there, is not on my radar of preoccupations at the moment! 

-marisawright/ That sounds quite straight forward and a good plan b in case everything else goes wrong! 

 

3 hours ago, MacGyver said:

Does this apply to you?:

I think the two options are to try and secure a flight with a different airline, or delay (if this doesn't impact your visa) until mid 2022 when their might (emphasis on might) be slightly looser border arrangements.

Personally I'd try to move as soon as possible with any airline that's flying, given the uncertainty around borders throughout 2022, covid variants and a very slow vaccine uptake by the Australian public.

Thanks for the info! 

1 hour ago, paulhand said:

Register with DFAT and they will email you when repatriation flights are released. The last set from London took weeks to fill, so there seems to be no unfilled demand from the UK at the moment. 

Thank you! That’s a good idea, I haven’t really look into how those flights work and if one of those will be a possibility for us! 

I need to give 2 months notice at work, we are renting out our house, and haven’t done anything about that! I just feel we won’t be ready before September time, so with those flights can you choose when to go? 
 

1 hour ago, Cots said:

I’d agree with the above;  the borders are open for those who have the right visa.  We’ve just made the j journey ourselves along with other families that I got chatting to on the flight.  

How was your trip? I’m glad you made it! I hope you have a non too difficult quarantine time!

it's good to know that people is travelling despite the uncertainty!

did you get your flight cancelled many times?

Such an interesting point! If we were ready we should try to go now! Or at least ditch the fixed date to consider other options! 
thanks for your view! 
it is complicated with a house to rent out and jobs to give notice to…. But still it is time to re think! 
 

Hi 

with the recent announcement of the borders closed until 2022 and Quantas pushing its flights to December, we are expecting our flight London-Perth direct, to be cancelled. 
 

I am wondering what to do???

1. My PR visa entry limit is mid November, do we buy new tickets with an airline that is actually flying? And which one? 

2. do we apply for repatriation flight? How does it work?  My husband is Australian and we are relocating from UK with a 4 year old who needs to start school in January.

3. Do we just accept the fact that we  are not going to  get there until mid 2022 and continue living in Limbo here? We don’t feel we can faced an other long winter! 

any thoughts really appreciate!

47 minutes ago, Ken said:

For Australian Tax Purposes your Capital Gain on an asset for an immigrant will normally be the difference between its value when you took up residency in Australia (as a Permanent Resident) and its value when you sold it. If however you lived in the property before moving to OZ you can claim the private residence exemption for up to six years after you ceased to live there. Up to because you can only have one private residence at a time, If you've bought a new property to live in it's normally best to treat that as your private residence. Your mortgage isn't part of the equation as to whether or not you've made a profit on the sale.

 that’s not too bad then...  thanks really appreciate the info! 

5 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Why do you say that?   The rental from the UK property is treated exactly the same as rental from an Australian property would be.    So how much tax you pay will depend on how much you're earning and how you handle your tax affairs.  

As for capital gains, your primary residence is tax free for six years, so there will be no Australian capital gains to pay if they sell it before then.  Even if they hang onto it, you don't pay capital gains if you don't make a profit!  

Thank you guys! This is all a new world for me! 
 When you say “make profit” what does it mean? The equity after paying off the mortgage? Because our mortgage is very small so almos all the sale value is ours. 
it’s a small house.

8 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Don't stress about tax.  You will have a bit of a headache for the first few years until you sell your UK property, because you'll have to do a tax return in both countries.  However, unless you're a whizz with numbers there is no point in even trying to do it yourself.  Best advice is to contact @Alan Collett or @Ken and pay them to do them for you.  It is a cost, but it's likely to cost you more if you DIY and get it wrong. Plus, their fee is tax deductible the following year.

Once you've sold the property and your only income is an Australian pay cheque, the whole thing gets a lot simpler.  Australians make a big deal about claiming deductions but in reality, most people can't claim much at all so it's not worth getting your knickers in a knot over.   Once you get to that point, you'll find you can do it online yourself.

As for your NHS pension:  get professional advice.  You can lose a truckload of cash transferring a UK pension over to Australia, so you may end up just leaving it sitting there, and you'll get a pension from it when you retire.  

Thank you! That’s good advice, I haven’t decide if I want to sell in the Uk, is it worth to have a small income from here?

re. Pensions what would be a good place to ask advice?