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Hi All, This is my current situation: * Im Aus Citizen and married, no children. * I want to bring my MOTHER via Parent 143 visa * Im the ONLY child she has ( No other children ). * My mother is divorced from my Biological Father, * She got re-married and got Divorced from that one too ( No children from that marriage ) but my STEP FATHER has THREE Children which are over 18 years of age (and not dependent ), and not living with them. they are all in different countries other than Australia and USA (where my mother lives currently) Question 1: Since Im the only child that my mother have, and she had NO Connection with her former partners step children , and since she is divorced now, I shouldn't have any issues with family balance test ? Question 2: Do I even need to state those children's details in my mother application ? I mean she has no connection and she has no details of them either Question 3: In Form 47PA Application Question 57, Part H : "MEMBERS OF THE FAMLY UNIT AGED 18 YEARS AND OVER", I dont have to p=include my details here do we, Since Im he sponsor ?And we dont have to include my mothers former partners children ( they are over 22 yeas old and not dependent ) Thanks in advanced FYI : https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/contributory-aged-parent-864/balance-of-family-test A stepchild is: your current partner's child, or your former partner's child who is under 18 years of age and in relation to whom you have guardianship, custody or a parenting order in force under the Family Law Act 1975. Stepchildren born from polygamous or concurrent relationships are not counted in the balance of family test

Hi I need some advice please. I have been resident in Australia for nearly six years now and got my citizenship last year. My brother has just got his PR and will be moving to Oz with his partner next year. My sister is still in the UK. We would now like to bring my parents across to Oz as well on an Aged Parents Visa but I am a bit worried about the Balance of Family test and when it is applied. My brother's partner is an astronomer and could work anywhere in the world. What happens if they get an attractive job offer from another country and decide to move there whilst my parents are in Oz on a bridging visa and still waiting for their PR visa to get approved? Does that mean we would no longer fulfil the BoF requirement? Does my brother have to remain in Oz until my parent's visa is approved? Thanks Sebastian

Help and advice please! My parents desparately want to come live in Australia...I have lived here for 5 years and married to Australian...I have permanent residency. the issue is I am my mum's only child BUT my dad has three other children from a pervious marriage who he rarely has contact with... ( all grown up with families and moved on) They are aged 73 yrs and 63 years....is there any advice on how if possible can they come to Australia?? ( as they seem to fail balance of family test) thank you in advance!! :err:??

Hi All We've been investigating a move to Oz, but NZ has also come up a couple of times in our dicussions. The impression we always had (based on nothing solid whatsoever) is that there is a better work/life balance in Oz compared to NZ - is this true? We wanting to move for lots of reasons but these include more time together as a family so it's an important consideration. Any replies appreciated!

Hi all not been on here for awhile read posts often and they have been v informative and helpful. We went to an expo in leeds and OH was verbally offered job with liebherr. We went to london following week and he had an interview and was offered job with them in singleton area nsw..i have sister who lives in sydney so position was great. We now have formal offer from them and i cant make the income outgoings figures balance. They have told us that their fitters enjoy a good lifestyle with a good work life balance ! The hours are v family friendly i cant argue with that and with the benefits that come with PR ie lower tax lower medication fees and free schooling for our 3 kids it would be economically ok but we have got to survive at least 2 years on a 457 before they are willing to sponsor us should we at that point want to stay. Expected income is between 80-90k inc average overtime hours so have done all my sums on 85k pa, school fees are 15000 pa for public school 6000 for a christian school but we are not church goers and i would struggle to send them to one. outgoings as follows per month.. (some are estimates some are from posts on here/my sister or research i have done.) Rent 1600 (4 bed in rutherford area around 350pw) med ins 263 (inc dental ambulance optical) me meds 140 (im diabetic on an insulin pump) food 1000 elec 100 rego and ins 120 (for 2 cars) mobiles 60 broad band 100 tv 40 total pm 4223 per annum 50,676 fuel 800 plus school fees at 15,000pa=65,676 income at 85,000 minus tax of 25,480 and medicare levy = 58,245 leaves us minus 7431! Have i been too pesimistic with my figures? We really want to move to oz id go anywhere but being in same state as my sister was the icing on the cake.. cant see how we can go?! how do people do it?!? There is the possibility of a job in perth with them fifo so alot more money but OH worried about heat at mine sites and affect being away for 2 weeks at a time will have on our family. We dont really know much about perth either which doesnt help. Anyone else on here been offered work with or are working for liebherr?!? Thanks for reading any advice will be greatfully received..mrs henderson.:v_SPIN:

I put up a thread earlier about the most absurd thing you have ever seen in Australia, it was hopefully a light hearted one, and thanks for the replies, but in order for balance to be maintained, 'What Is The Most Remarkable Thing You Have Ever Seen? My list could go on for pages but if I HAD to pick a couple it would be The Outback,:notworthy: and my first Tiger Shark. Always fascinated by nature, and the outback to me sums up the 'real' Australia, and what can I say about the Tiger Shark, yep, Great Whites are spectacular, but to me the Tiger epitomizes everything about these wonderful creatures, awesome is all,:notworthy:. Cheers Tony.:wink:

Ive got a bit of debt on a credit card in the UK, and Im over here on a 457 for the next few years. Im finding paying it off is hard, as once Ive transferred the payment over to the UK account and paid the £9 fee, and then lost out on the exhcange rate, by the time the payment is made its a fractiuon of what it could be. Is there any Bank over here that would offer to do a Balance Transfer from a UK credit card to an AU one, so I can pay off the balance directly in Dollars? (and if theres one that would do a 6/12 month interest free it would be even better!) Thanks,.

my wife is going to apply for 485 dependant. she is back home. how much bank balance do i have to show while applying for her visa?

Hey guys, I have read other balance of family issues but just wanted to raise issue and hope for a way out. We are 3 siblings, one in each country - AUS, CANADA and USA. therefore I do not pass the BOF test to help my mom to move here to Australia even though is is completely dependant on me. Is there any way out in this situation? Thanks SS

Hi all, I'm just after a bit of background info. on eligibility for Aged Parent Visa, please. Scenario - a UK mother (retired) has 3 children - two living in Aus, 1 living in UK. One child has had PR since 1990 and been Aus citizen since 1993. Second child has NZ passport (for 4 yrs) and has been living, working and buying a house in Aus (for over 2 yrs) but doesn't have PR yet. Third child is in UK. Would the parent qualify for BOF or would second child have to obtain PR first? If second child doesn't have to have PR, could he also be the sponsor? Many thanks, Kazza

Hi, I was hoping someone could help me? I am an Australian Citizen and my wife is a UK citizen with permanent residency in Australia. We are trying to get my mother and father in law over here permanently but my wife has 2 brothers back in the UK, so my in laws do not pass the balance of family test. I was wondering whether anyone knows if a child who is in prison is excluded from the balance of family test and if not, whether there is any other option for my in laws to migrate out here? They don't have a lot of money. Selling their house would probably give them $500,000 but I've read that they need double that for the investment visa. My father in law is 63 and mother in law is 60. Both are retired. Thanks in advance, Kieron

hi there, new to this forum and would like some expert advice from Gill. My mother does not meet the family balance test. I'm i right in thinking that the only alternative for her permently to live in oz would be the retirement investors visa (i know this would be for a period of 4 years). mum could most probably meet the $500,000, which i think i'm right in assuming would be ok as we would be on the sunshine coast (hubby is an ozzie, kids have citizenship, and i'm currently in the process of applying for a spouse visa). with the $500,000 do they invest the money on your behalf and then when the visa is up you get it back? feeling totally thick when reading the eligibility etc... any info or help Gill would be great

Women feeling hemmed in by work hours | The Australian

Hi this is 1 of 4 posts regarding a visa for my parents to join me in Australia. There seems to be lots of options but none of which fit very well! Basic info is I've been in Australia on a permanent resident visa for 5 years, but have 2 brothers in the uk so the parent visas aren't possible at the moment. My parents are 55 which makes permanent working visas very difficult. One brother would love to move out here but is short of formal qualifications. Instead of training in the uk to get enough points it would seem sensible to me to train here on a student visa and then you don't need to worry about the converstion of qulifications etc. If he did this does anyone know when he would pass the balance of family test? Also, I thought I read somehwere (but can't find now - too much information!) that the balance of family test is determined at the date of submission and not reevaluated when you finally get to the front of the que. This would seem sensible (which counts for nothing I'm sure!) as things could easliy change in the length of time it takes.... Thanks for any help

we're in the very early stages of everything but one potential snag is the mother in law possibly moving in the future as she has remarried, i understand all the children of her spouse count towards the balance of family test. If her current spouse dies (sorry to be morbid) do his children (from a previous marriage) still count in this equation? thanks

Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - News Some (particularly subclass 495 - ie SIR - visaholders) might be interested ... Best regards.

My hubby and I are considering returning back to Devon in about 18 months. I say thinking because we have turned into to people that seem to change their minds about everythink since we have been here! I would go back tomorrow if I could but we will stick it out to get citienship first. It isn't just friends and family, it's people with a sense of humour, people that can drive properly, people that don't party in their garages until the early hours, shopping at Woolworths or Coles (which I hate), but it is freedom of having people to rely on and genuinely help. i miss walking my dogs in a park - off the lead. Being able to holiday with dogs. Football. Not having to drive everywhere. Jogging at night. Not happy and I hope it hurries up and passes. Hubby feels the same which helps...

Hi Guys I was just looking at the contributory parent visas, for my parents, and the conditions. Does anyone know if the "balance of family test" apply to all parent visas. We are going on a business owner 163 visa (temp 4 year) and i am concerned that my parents are going to miss my kids soooooooo much. They are the only grandchildren they have seen grow up (they have others but they are miles and miles away). They are 73 and 75, have 4 kids (only i will be in oz) own their own house and are keen to "give it a go" in Australia. Is there a way i can get them there??? Or can they visit for say 6 months at a time?? Paul

Our agent has advised us to apply for a contributory parent visa but we feel we may fail the balance of family test. we were married Jul 05. My wife has two children age 20 & 22 and both born is Aus. The oldest child lives in Aus and the younger child lives in the UK. I have two children aged 19 & 21. Our agent says that my children are not counted for the test because they were over 18 at the time of our marriage. Does anyone have any experience of this ? :?