Rachel Verdonkschot

Hi Quoll my father is a Dutch citizen however has been a permanent resident in Australia since 1980 and considers it his home. The upheaval of selling everything he owns and is familiar with wouldn't be an option for him unfortunately which is why he would like to remain in Australia in his own home for as long as possible. It may be that he will have to consider supported accommodation in the future if the carer visa isn't an option for us.

Hi Parley thanks for your response. At the moment my father has a cleaner come in once a fortnight and a gardener every 8 weeks. Unfortunately he can't communicate verbally or by written word and gets easily confused but has managed to live independently and would like to be in a position to continue to do so with our support and is why we are exploring the option of a carer visa however it is becoming apparent that this may not be a possibility.

Thank you for this information and this is obviously a concern for us.

Hi Marisa, that was my understanding that if a carer visa is granted it is a permanent visa that would allow you to live and work in Australia. Thanks for clarifying the situation with parent visas. I wasn't aware that the waiting time was so long. Is this due to the sheer numbers of applicants? I have just retired from nearly 30 years service with the Police here and my husband is self-employed so we wouldn't be looking at working or buying a property as my father's house is big enough for us to live there with him and be on immediate hand to offer support/care. It is of concern that neither of us would be entitled to Medicare given the length of the processing times and as you say it is not something to be undertaken lightly which is why we are trying to make an informed choice about whether it is a viable option for us.

Hi Tulip1. Thanks for your response. Yes, my husband and I would be very willing to do this and would not have to worry about finances if we were able to take up this option. Trying to make sense of the possible visa options for us is an absolute minefield and it seems so unfair that parents of Australian citizens/residents can obtain visas to be with their children/grandchildren but a child cannot obtain a visa to be with their parent. The apparent processing time is 7 years which undoubtedly wouldn't be an option for us.....

Oh Crikey!! That is a long processing time and it is good to know this information which I wasn't aware of and more than likely makes it an impossible option for us given that my father is 83 and not in the best of health.

Hi Toots. Thanks for your response. Unfortunately returning to the UK wouldn't be an option for him due to the familiarity of his surroundings and his house being on one level. We considered this option after he had his stroke in 2015 (whilst travelling in Spain) and he wanted to return to Australia following his recuperation in the UK.

Thank you very much for your response Marisa. From what I have read I knew that it would be extremely difficult, but maybe possible. I will take a look at your recommendations for migration agents.

Hi. Does anyone have any experience of applying for the carer's visa? My 83 year old father is an Australian resident and lives alone. He has no other family members in Australia and following a stroke in 2015 he can't communicate verbally or by written word. My husband and I visit with him every year and we have just returned from a recent visit with him during which he has indicated that he would like us to move to Australia to look after him on a permanent basis due to numerous health issues. I am aware that he would need a BUPA medical assessment as part of the application process but I am unsure how I would facilitate this from the UK and that we would have to prove that he has no access to care currently Does anyone have any experience in relation to this aspect and what we would have to prove to satisfy the visa requirements? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.