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Hi guys, I am currently living in Australia on a bridging visa A, with my immediate family who are Australian residents. Long story short : My parents and 3 little brothers moved here 7 years ago whilst I was at university and due to me being classed as independent (I was 23) I was removed from their visa (skilled work). I then applied for a remaining relative visa (onshore) to which gave me a 50 year wait time for my visa (with no working rights as I entered Australia on a holiday visa). I am now 27, and have found a partner (Australian citizen). We tick a lot of the boxes required to apply for a partner visa, however we recently approached a few visa agents regarding the application. We have had two responses, one said yes all good we can apply. The other said, due to my current application and bridging visa, I won’t be able to apply. I contacted immigration and the woman I spoke to pretty much read off the website and couldn’t answer the simplest of questions (she suggested I contact a visa agent ) I’m just looking for someone who might have been in a similar situation, or someone who has experience in this field. Apologies if I’ve not included enough info for you guys to advise me! Thanks in advance! Jack

hello i'm planning on moving back 'home' after 20 years living in england with my UK husband and half mancunian/half australian 4 year old daughter! i'm not moving back to perth where i'm from - hoping to go to sydney or melbourne. we're finding it a pretty daunting prospect - and that's with me knowing the country fairly well, so I do empathise with all the other expats moving to a new place. i just wondered whether anyone knew of a forum for expats returning to australia at all - or if anyone is in the same position to me. what i'm most worried about is settling in to australian society. australia has changed massively since i last lived there and i really have no idea what its like to live there now. i worry that i will be in a limbo - not really being australian or english anymore. anyone gone through the same doubting process? cheers

Hi all, My partner and I will have been living together for 12 months in July and want to apply for the Partner Visa (de facto). I'm Spanish and he is Australian and we are living in the UK. We don't know whether to apply offshore or move to Australia and apply from there. We both have stable jobs but we both feel we are not progressing and want better opportunities in Australia. We are concerned about the difficulty for me to get a qualified job (graphic designer) while I'm on a Bridging Visa. We would like to move around January 2020 to Australia. His UK visa expires in November so he would have to renew it if we decide to apply offshore. Our options are: A) Apply in July for 309 visa and pay for his visa in the UK with the potential risk of having to stay in the UK for over another year. B) Move to Australia when his visa expires and I'll go there on a tourist visa – eVisitor subclass 651 which doesn't have the condition of no further stay – with the risk of not getting work rights on the bridging visa when I apply for the 802 partner visa on shore. I read it is possible to ask for the right to work but I don't think it is guaranteed. Most of the jobs offers that I'm seeing right now require Australian citizenship, permanent residency or rights to work on an ongoing basis. I'm not sure if the bridging visa or even the temporary partner visa would satisfy this requirements. Which route is best to take? Thanks!

Hi there, We are a couple both 21 years old and are moving back to the UK from Perth hopefully in August. We have made our decision together and are both looking forward to moving. We'd love to keep this positive and hear lots of positive stories about anyone else moving back to the UK from Australia! As this is the first time we are moving without parents or anyone else we are looking for some advice or tips on making the move easier for us. We're not too sure where to start with the process so would love any help with any part of of it, please and thank you!! When is the best time to ship your belongings over, how early? Are there any shipping companies you would recommend? We don't have much stuff to ship over, maybe one large bedroom full?. How far in advance do you book your tickets? Last minute or when you decide on a date? Any preferred airlines with baggage allowance/price etc? Is there any point in looking for jobs now and applying or waiting until we are over there? What reasons do you have for moving back? What has made you go back to the home land? We appreciate any help or positive support from anyone, so thank you in advance! Abby and Robert

Me and my partner are applying for a skills visa. Both of us have wanted skills, my partner is the main person applying for the visa and I am going on his partner. We have been together for 6 years, we haven’t lived together and we don’t have a joint bank account. We currently live between our parents houses as we are saving to emigrate. We have evidence through photos, flight tickets, statements from friends. What is needed to ensure the visa will be granted? What else can we submit as evidence? Has anyone applied for a visa in a similar situation who could help? thanks!

Hi, My sister has been living in Oz now for two years and has just been notified that she will be getting her residency through shortly which is excellent news!. My parents are now planning to apply for the Contributory Aged Parent visa via my sisters sponsorship (they are over 65 and in good health etc) and, once they receive that, I am planning to apply for the remaining relative visa through sponsorship from my Sister (I will have no other family outside Oz). I have a question regarding the visa payments for the Contributory Aged Parent Visa i.e what gets paid and when?. We have been told conflicting information that the large payment needs to be paid up front but others have said that this is paid at the end and then residency is granted approx 6 weeks after receipt of the final payment - could someone who is going through this please confirm? Also does anyone know the average times from start to finish for receiving the CPV/remaining relative visas? It would be good to managed expectations. From what I have read on here, we could reasonably expect both my mum and dad and myself to be all resident within two years? Any other thoughts/issues would be welcome - this is my first post so apologies if it has been covered off elsewhere. Many thanks! Frizzy

Hi, My partner and I are planning on starting a WHV at the end of September, likely beginning in Sydney. Has anyone got any experience/advice for travelling with a partner to Oz on a WHV? Particularly in regards to accommodation or jobs. We are not keen on staying in hostels, at least, not with other people. Is it common for WHV people to rent? Is it affordable in Sydney, or other places? What sort of pricing can we expect? We have yet to send out CVs and find jobs, and I predict that where we will want to live will depend on where we are working. But any advice now would help! Thanks

Hello, We are a couple in our late twenties looking to emigrate to Australia, we are marrying this summer and would move as soon as possible (visa allowing!) We have no kids and no mortgage so we are footloose with plenty of savings. We are unsure of what to do to get the ball rolling with visas. Our occupations are Management accountant (on SOL) & primary school teacher. We would be looking to live over there indefinitely so looking at a decent length of visa. We have tried to make sense of the immigration website visas but think we need a sponsor for SOL job to apply for any of them so we need some advice on that. We also need advice on what visa to get for primary teacher. Furthermore are we ok to start applying as a non-married couple then continuing as a married couple? If you have any advice please reply, in the meantime, good luck if you are currently in the process and happy belated easter to all!

Hi. I'm currently on 457 visa and my husband is my dependent, but last week he was offered his own 457 visa. Could he accept it and move to his own visa? And what if one of us lose the job, could I apply to join his visa and vice versa? I know it sounds very messy, but I would love to have 2 visas and feel safer. Last year I had trouble at work and felt trapped as I couldn't leave without finding another sponsor. Just by knowing we have each other's visas to rely on life gets a little lighter.

Hi everyone, Myself and my partner, 23 and 27 are currently looking for regional work to qualify for or 2nd year visa. If anyone knows of a farm in regional WA that require helping hands please let me know. Thanks Lauren

Hi Everyone, My wife and I are moving to Sydney in May. We were wondering if there were any tips anyone could share with us. We are moving from New York - I'm a Brit, my wife is Peruvian-American. Anything we should be prepared for? Obviously, we have done some research and know that the cost of living is high in Sydney, but we were looking for any other tips people had. Where should we meet people to make friends? What things might surprise us about living in Sydney? What clubs do people join? Are there things/places we should avoid? Any etiquette points we should be aware of? Any help is much appreciated! Best, Robin

Hi All My husband and I are a young minded child free 40ish couple. We immigrated to Australia about ten years ago and have recently moved from Gosford back to Manly Vale. We love getting out and about and would like to meet other couples to socialise with. You know, the usual going out eating/drinking/listening to live music/walks, etc. So if you fancy meeting up for a drink or two :biggrin:, please get in touch. Thanks Sharon

Hi me and my partner are moving to Perth on 11th April. We are looking to house share as soon as possible really. We are from the uk between 25 - 30 year old. We are both easy to get along with and own property back in the uk so keeping a house clean and paying bills on time will not be a problem. i have heard that Fremantle is a lovely area so we would preferably like to be around that area however would live anywhere near Osborne park (partners work). Hope to hear soon!

Hi My boyfriend and I are both 36 originally from the UK and live in Randwick. We both love the outdoor life style and really enjoy going off camping or heading down to the Royal National Park for the weekend. We are pretty active (Kayaking, beach volley ball) and love getting out there and getting involved in all Sydney has to offer. Love to hear from others with similar interests. Lisa

Hi Poms, I have just been offered a Job in Sydney for $50K plus supper, I realise I would struggle on my own but my girlfriend should be able to earn something similar. I know it depends on your life style but we are quite comfortable here in the UK with no kids, on a combined salary of £50K in the Midlands. Any thoughts and coments would be greatly appreciated as ive got to make a decision soon!:err:

Hi All Apologies to post a topic on here which has clearly been done to death! I've gone through loads of the forum threads and called a few of the recommended companies (thanks so much to all the info everyone has posted). We are moving to Brisbane in late December, and are sending a 20 foot container with roughly 800 cubic feet in it. I had 2 questions..: 1) I've narrowed it down to John Masons, Global Moving Systems and Altantic International (friends recently used Atlantic - but they are at least £600 more expensive than the other 2!!). I can't seem to find any reviews on Global Moving Systems and just wondered if anyone had used these guys? They seem to offer the most competitive deal and the man who came around to do the survey was extremely helpful. 2) Insurance via the shipping company or direct through an insurance company, from what I've read it's cheaper and more efficient to go to via an insurance company, can anyone recommend one they have used recently? 3) One of the companies said we would be ok to take our indoor wicker furniture (it's a solid wood chest of drawers with a very small wicker patter detail on the front of the drawer - from homebase and is treated). Just wanted to check if anyone got hit with huge costs for cleaning of any treated indoor furniture with wicker? Thanks for reading, and again apologies for exhausting a question which has been hugely asked over the years! I'm very nervous about the shipping company we choose due to the personal effects being taken (as I'm sure most are)! Thanks Laurie

Hi. We are currently in Sydney on a 457. Hubby has spoken to his company and they have agreed to sponsor him for PR. So, we have to start getting paperwork together for his TRA, we will most likely use an agent for the visa application, but I would like to get a head start and start to get the TRA sorted out. So I have a couple of stupid questions (although I have been assured on more than one occasion since we got here that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask!). I am unsure which of the pathways applies to my hubby. He has a degree, then he had to do a pre-registration year under the supervision of a qualified member of staff, and he also had to sit some professional examinations in order to qualify. He has worked in various places doing the same work for 15 years, all full time except the three years at uni which were part time (Saturday and Sunday work - his degree was full-time three years). I am thinking that pathway C is the one (1800 hours of formal training, a traineeship which I guess would be his pre-reg year, and then at least five years working). He is registered to practice here, the Aus registration board view his qualification as an equivalent to the Aus one. Secondly, is it a matter of obtaining very detailed references from his past and present employers? I presume that the information required would need to detail what he did/does day to day, including all of the equipment used etc and how it is/was used. Are we able to write the references and just send them to his employers for reading through and signing? How far back in his employment history should we go? There is one employer who we don't really want to contact (and actually I believe she is living in Spain somewhere now so would have no idea where to contact her anyway). She employed him to help her start up her new business, then on the day his three month probationary period ended she sacked him without good reason. On the same day, another person who she knew personally who was trained in the same job as dh, but had had to give three months notice started working for her. He took legal advice and raised a grievance against her for constructive dismissal (she employed hubs as a stop gap until this other person could start). She settled before we got to court. That was back in early 2001. Would I need to go this far back, and if so then can we sign a statutory declaration or something instead of contacting her? Finally, the thing I think I am most stressed out about is that dh took a two month break from work whilst we moved here. He had to do this because he had to sell his business at the end of a month (something to do with the accounts), so his last day at work was the 31st December 08. We had to do it this month becuase we had originally booked flights to Oz for the end of Jan (meaning he couldn't sell at the end of Jan). As it happened, because the visas hadn't been granted by mid-Jan, we postponed the flights to 16th Feb. Once we got here on the 18th he had about two and a half weeks off before he started work - sort of a holiday and to allow us to get over jet-lag and get the kids settled, sort out cars etc. I am worried that this two month or so break from work might affect our application in some way. Sorry for the huge post, but I have trawled through trying to find the answers to my questions for ages, but can't find the specific info I need. Thanks!

Hello all, My boyfriend (25) and I (24) moved to Brisbane from Edinburgh at the end of August and are looking to meet new people. We are used to having a big circle of friends, are very social and would love to get out and about in the Brisbane area. My boyfriend has already started work, while I am currently looking. Would be great to meet up with someone in a similar situation as job hunting sucks, :jiggy: Look forward to hearing from y'all. Mhairi and Stephen

Hi were a couple aged 26 and 29 from yorkshire, been here 2 months and not met anyone, we need to meet fellow poms so please please get in touch!

Hi guys, my partner Jim (24) and is moving to Australia next week (i'm an aussie) and we are looking for some new friends to hang out with on the Gold Coast. :jiggy:

I am 22 years old and my boyfriend is 23, we are currently living in the East of Melbourne. We are in Australia on a working holiday visa and are both working full time at the moment. We are both graduates from the UK and love to travel, we have both explored a vast amount of South East Asia and quite alot of Ausralia. We both love to socialise however due to the nature of our jobs we are finding it hard to meet people to hang out with, (drinks, dinner, cinema). So..... if anyone is out there in a similar situation please get in touch!:biggrin:

Hi We moved to Brisbane a couple of weeks ago. So far we love the place but we we are living in a serviced apartment in city centre until we find a home and so are feeling like we in a bit of a half way house just now. We would love to meet up with some people to see Brisbane with or hang out with. Any tips for meeting new folk or feeling more at home are really welcome Thanks!

I'm sorry but I think 11 is too young for a little boy to decide he wants to become a girl:no: A LESBIAN couple in California who say their 11-year-old son Tommy wants to be a girl named Tammy are giving their child hormone blockers that delay the onset of puberty, so that he can have more time to decide if he wants to change his gender. The couple's supporters say the Hormone Blocking Therapy has only minor side effects and is appropriate for a child who is unsure of his gender. "This is definitely a changing landscape for transgender youth," said Joel Baum, director of education and training for Gender Spectrum, a California-based non-profit group. "This is about giving kids and their families the opportunity to make the right decision." But critics of the treatment say 11-year-olds are not old enough to make life-altering decisions about changing their gender, and parents should not be encouraging them.

Hi, Myself and my wife and two children are seriously considering a move to Australia, I am an qualified accountant (ACCA) and my wife is primary school teacher, our kids are 3 and 1. We are at the very begining of the thought process and are looking for a couple of pointers on how to start. Is it possible to get a job in the UK to work in Australia or do we have to go through the migration route? What is a rough cost of migration. Any points will be appreciated. Thanks

And they are going to share it with all their friends........ but would you put your name all over the media about it ?? Me thinks they will get a few unwanted phone calls:eek: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8358841/158m-lottery-winners-to-make-friends-millionaires