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Hi folks I have just joined your forum. Could someone tell me if we apply for an aged parent visa 804 can we ship our goods before getting it approved? We have asked the customs to clarify this issue but their answers don't seem to match our questions. We have to apply while in Australia for this visa so would be in Aus while it's being processed. We have two children who live in Australia and have residency there. Apparently you get a bridging visa while you wait but that could take anything from 10 to 30 years!!! I'm 60 MMM the mind boggles. I think this is not as easy as it looks. I would be really grateful for any advice. Many thanks a very confused Mum.

Hi PomsinOZ! We are moving to Perth from Manchester at the start of december and could do with some recommendations for shipping companies. We've had a bunch of quotes done, but it is proving hard to settle on a firm as they all seem to offer a relatively comparable service (albeit with some differences around their use of sub-contractors / preferred partners etc in Australia), and all come out of the online reviews with a pretty similar write-up in online reviews (good sales experience, tricky to claim if stuff got broken etc). What would be useful is any recommendations from those of you who have moved recently and had a great experience... Can you help?

Hey all, My husband and I have just made the decision, after six month deliberation, to move to Cairns . It's all pretty exciting. Our situation is that I'm a complete Pom but Nick, though born in Devon, emigrated to Cairns when his was 10. He moved back at 23 to marry me (very sweet, I know) and now, after seven years and a baby (Jeremy, 10 months, also very sweet), it's time to go back. Nick's a dual citizen so Jeremy can claim citizenship by decent. I just need a spousal visa which is pricey but seems straight forward. So the count down begins! Obviously lots of research needs doing and we're very aware that although Nick has lived in Cairns previously, he hasn't for 9 years now (he spent his last two years in Oz at the JCU Townville campus) and a lot can change in that time. We're in Cairns in August for my sister-in-law's wedding so will some reacquainting then. I do have a couple of burning questions though, any responses will be gratefully received. Firstly, how did you tell you friends and family you were moving? We're facing a mix of elation from those living in Oz and real sadness for those to be left behind. We haven't told any of them yet as we're going to see how we feel in August just to doubly make sure it's the right thing for us (we're sitting at 90% currently). We don't want to upset anyone/raise any hopes if it's not going to happen. Secondly, we've got about 18 months to sort through all our stuff and answer the big question, to ship or not to ship? What's the general consensus? We might buy some Aussie plugs while we're out there and have re-wiring party as a leaving thing (oh yes, we know how to have a good time). Lastly, but probably the most complex, house buying. Will we need to live in Australia for a bit first to build up a credit rating or can we just dive on in? Is there any possibility of buying before we arrive? We have my in-laws (one of which is a carpenter-builder) who can check out properties for us. Or is that just far too complicated to even consider? Great to be a part of this community! I've already picked up so many useful bits.

Hi everyone, sorry for the really general post! We've just got the good news that our move / visa is all systems go :arghh: so last night we booked a Movecube to take some of our worldly possessions with us. Does anyone who has used this service before have any hints, tips or pearls of wisdom they could offer in terms of what to do? We're taking things like a couple of chest of drawers, toys, pictures, books, kitchen utensils, etc. We've got a really condensed period of time when we'll be leaving our jobs, moving out of our rented property and the Movecube turning up so I don't want to waste any of it. Thanks!

Hi all, I'm leaving Sydney Australia to return to Essex this Sunday. I've left a lot of planning to the last minute and the main thing I need to arrange is my shipping. I don't have much probably only 3-4 standard boxes worth, mostly clothes, personal items and a few kitchen bits. Since I don't have much to move I was wondering if it will be better if I simply post the boxes home since it seems cheaper and they'll arrive much sooner. Has anyone had experince with posting large boxes to the UK? Can anyone recommend a shipping company that won't charge $700 or upwards for a few boxes that won't arrive for 7-10 weeks? Any help you can provide would be very much appreciated. Thank

Does anyone know how stringent AQIS will be about bikes being shipped into Melbourne via sole use container. I've had all 4 of our bikes jet washed and there is no mud or dirt on them other than greasy old chains & cogs. Obviously the grease is a mixture of dirt & grease, so will the AQIS peeps be sending me a cleaning bill? Thanks in advance for any prior knowledge being shared here. Darius

Plan ahead by moving overseas with the experts! Moving to Australia is not without its ups and downs. To make sure you stay ahead of the game, it pays to be well informed. Everyone wants to start their new life down under with as much money as possible and there are a number of things you can do to ensure you make the most of your funds. Key topics always discussed on the forum include moving your possessions, shipping your car, transferring your money into your new Australian bank account and getting a mortgage. Poms in Oz is hosting a live webchat with leading experts in banking, currency exchange, financial/pensions advice, international removals and vehicle importation. The chat event will take place on Tuesday 21st August 2012 from 20:00-22:00 (UK Time). National Australia Bank, Moneycorp, PSS International Removals, Vista Financial Services and Iron Lady Imports will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about your move. To participate, click on the 'chat' menu option at the top of the page. Clicking on chat will launch the chat software. There will different 'rooms' for each of the different companies. Unregistered guests can participate by following this link - Chat with Industry Experts, then, once the chat software has loaded, tick the 'Guest' option at the top of the chat window, then choose a username and click 'Login' and enter the 'Moneycorp, NAB, PSS, Vista Financial Services or Iron Lady Imports' chat rooms. National Australia Bank [img2=right]http://www.pomsinoz.com/images/chat-nab.png[/img2] Royce Hort will talk about the Australian Banking system providing you with some insights as to what is different between the UK and Australia. He will also talk about how straight forward it is to open an Australian Bank account before you leave home and some of the services you should consider. Moneycorp [img2=right]http://www.pomsinoz.com/images/newmc.gif[/img2] Whether you are moving to Australia, or living there already, John Kinghorn will bring you the latest updates on the Aussie dollar and provide insight into the key factors influencing market movements. Exchange rates are constantly fluctuating and transferring your funds at the right time, via the right channel, can make a big difference to the amount of money you actually end up with. PSS International Removals [img2=right]http://www.pomsinoz.com/images/chat-pss.png[/img2] One of the key ingredients when you are moving overseas is the planning of your removal. Liam Witham will be on hand to offer advice and answer any questions you may have regarding the packing and shipping of your household effects, including what items you can ship to Australia, Australian Customs procedures and AQIS. Vista Financial Services [img2=right]http://www.pomsinoz.com/images/vista-financial.png[/img2] Andrew Williams is both a UK qualified and Australian practising Financial Adviser and Mortgage Consultant specialising in advising UK expats in Australia on the transition and development of their financial affairs. From assisting clients with securing their first Australian mortgage through to working with them to understand whether transferring their UK Pensions is in their interests, Andrew is able to help answer your questions and concerns on a wide range of financial planning matters. Iron Lady Imports [img2=right]http://www.pomsinoz.com/images/banners/ironlady.jpg[/img2] Iron Lady Imports is a small, Australian-based business that specialises in arranging transportation of vehicles from anywhere in the world to any port in Australia. For a fixed brokerage fee, we can help arrange your vehicle's import approval paperwork, shipping, customs clearance and registration in Australia. Aside from our fee, all other costs are invoiced to you directly - no hidden markups! We're also happy to advise you if it's worth bringing your car over before you start (that part's free!).