Search the Community

Bob at PetAir http://www.petairuk.com/ has teamed up with Pomsinoz to bring you all the ins and outs on shipping your loved ones to the other side of the world. As Bob is a qualified vet I am sure he will also be happy to answer any other worries or concerns you may have during this process. Bob can also explain all the latest updates in regards to the rabies vaccination etc. To ask Bob a question please visit his forum at http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/shipping-pets-ask-pet-air/

Wasn't sure where to put this so figured here was an okay fit. We made it to Perth after 24 hours of travel, 3 flights and a lot of crazy spoiling in first class which was cheaper than economy by the time we got to booking our flights (I know, what a strange world currently!) It was crazy expensive but the extra space on the flights was worth it. Quarantine is going okay so far but dont quote me on that in a week haha (it's our first full day in quarantine). We got a good night's sleep and the room is decent if a bit small. My partner has an rrv and I am going to be applying onshore for a defacto partner visa in the next few days. We are lucky to have been able to get to this point and we are very happy to be here. Border staff were great, don't be shy about talking to them about your trip and your reasons for going etc. They're used to seeing tired travelers! I am happy to talk about the process and what its like in quarantine etc. I have seen a few posts questioning the process. It is going to be different from state to state and hotel to hotel so some of my experiences won't be as helpful or shouldn't be taken as going to or not going to happen. A few faq things: Yes you get fed in quarantine. You get 3 meals a day at a cost to yourself as part of the quarantine package you pay for. Though if you're in a self catering unit I don't know how that works as I am not in one. Yes you can order food and groceries in but they will not usually be delivered to you until they do a run up to your floor so be sure to time it with the meal or drop off runs. This also varies per state and area and hotel I believe so check your check in paperwork. No you cannot have visitors or meet up with other guests in the hallways. It's called quarantine for a reason hehe. No you don't get a choice of room or hotel etc. You will be assigned a place and taken to it upon arrival after some security checks etc. I hope this helps and puts some minds at rest. I will try and answer any questions but please remember that my experience will be different to yours and the rules will change or be a bit different state to state hotel to hotel.

Hello, I will land in Sydney on the 4th of January. The rules are that I should do a test within 24 hours and another one on or after 6 days. Does that mean I can do the second test on the 9th of January?

Hi everyone, We fly to Perth on the 8th of November with Singapore Airlines. I was wondering if anyone had travelled recently and could just confirm this checklist I have to make sure I haven't missed anything before our flight. Been a long time waiting to travel and had a recent scare with the introduction of VTL flights as we was on one, and our kids obviously aren't vaccinated (3 and 5) had to change the first leg after a few days of struggle, only to be then told they can now go on the flight with a vaccinated adult was very frustrating and we have ended up with a longer stop over at Singapore. Anyway here is what I have let me know if you think I have missed anything TIA: Visa Exemption PCR tests (48 hours for Singapore) Australian Travel declaration G2G pass for WA Have i missed anything for transiting through Singapore I have read everything and I'm sure I haven't but just wanted someone else's experience thanks !

Hello, I am emigrating to Perth from the Uk (via Singapore) in a few days and have filled in my Australia travel declaration online. someone from work in Perth has mentioned I might have to fill in a G2G pass too? I’ve been on the site and started filling it in and it seems a little strange that I might need to fill this in too. The documents with my flights only asked to still out the Australia travel Declaration. anybody any experience of this?

Wondering if anyone has any insight on booking flights from the UK via airlines other than those that fly from the UK to Australia, namely Singapore, Qatar, Etihad and Emirates (https://uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/CAOTA.html) The prices are quite high for the above airlines and there are other routes on Skyscanner or Kayak via the US or Malaysia for example. Some posts here mention people getting bumped and when rebooking having to wait in transit for a lot longer than the initial booking. Instead of that I was thinking about booking something transiting via the US with United, Delta, AA (https://usa.embassy.gov.au/news/covid19-stay-informed) or transiting via KL, Malaysia (https://malaysia.highcommission.gov.au/klpr/covid19.html#transit_malaysia) The prices are a fair bit less than the carriers from the UK, with some journeys of under 30 hours which we're willing to do, and there's probably a similar chance of being bumped, but presumably as long as we start the journey in the UK, they can't bump us mid-travel and strand us in an airport like Tom Hanks in The Terminal? Am thinking through different scenarios to cover bases.

So following a horrific phone call back in March regarding my mum's health I was granted exemption to leave Oz to return to the UK. Thank goodness she is recovering and I am currently living with her and supporting her in that journey. I however left behind my job (who have so kindly let me continue working remotely), my partner and my home. I was granted my 820 visa a couple of days before leaving the country also. My question is, as my mum continues to recover i'm beginning to think about my return to Oz. I always knew it would be incredibly hard but I wonder if anyone has managed it and how hard it was? From what I gather as an 820 holder I don't need exemption to get back in it's just getting flights that's the impossible part? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, my visa and travel exemption has just come through and my company want me to travel before the beginning of June (late notice, I know) with my wife and 2 kids. we’re moving from Aberdeen to Perth. some of the options for flights that aren’t ridiculous prices are via Singapore but I’ve found it very difficult to understand the transit rules. Those flights would be going via Aberdeen - Amsterdam - Singapore - Perth. I couldn’t tell for sure but is there some rule that you can only transit through Singapore from the Uk if you’re on the Singapore Airways LHR-Singapore flight? all very confusing!

Hey guys, hope everyone is well and to anyone affected by Covid our thoughts are with you all. I used to be a member of this site back in 2010 ish, we moved to Oz in 2014 and not needed to log in until now. I have since completely forgot my login details so I created a new account. This was BY FAR the best resource tool for us when we was going through the stages back in 2009 when we began our search down the rabbit hole. We now have a podcast here in Perth, WA called Expats 'n' Cork Hats. We are on iTunes, Spotify, Google podcasts and all the others too. If you want to be a guest on our show we would REALLY LOVE to have you on to discuss everything about your journey. You may be here in Oz wanting to go home, or you may be still in the UK thinking about coming here... Whatever your circumstances we would love to talk to you. We have done a few recordings now via Skype, it keeps it personal and intimate. We don't show the video, we just use it for the audio so don't worry, no one will see you. So, if you want to share your story to help or inspire others, please get in touch. Mark Rogers (One half of Expats 'n' Cork Hats).

Hi, both myself and my partner have Skilled - Nominated (subclass 190) Visa's. We haven't made the move to Oz yet, but my question is related to coming and going from and to Australia in terms of spending some months of the year in Oz and some in England. The reason we are looking into this initially is due to ageing parents in the UK who we would like to be there for, along with business commitments. We both understand that long term coming and going between the 2 would be expensive and impractical, but we weren't sure if there were any rules in place. I have read somewhere that you need to show your commitment (understandably) to settling in Oz by spending a good chunk of your time there, would anyone know what those percentages or months of the year would need to be? I appreciate anyone's help or comments. Colin

Hello everyone! I am planning to take 2 flights with my two lovely cats. I did some research and Stefanplast Gulliver Touring carrier looks like a decent choice. It can even be split in two parts to give some personal space for each cat. It seems to be very big though. https://www.stefanplast.it/en-us/products/pet/pet-carriers/gulliver-touring/gulliver-touring-cm-80/gulliver-touring-cm-80 Our vet said that cats feel safer in smaller spaces, so now I am a bit worried this carrier is slightly too big. Has anyone ever transported 2 cats in our carrier before ? What’s the best way to do it? Cats live together and get along well. Thank you all!

Hi everyone! I live in the UK and I got my Bengal kitty (Shaki) in the UK also. I bought her as a domestic pet a couple of years ago. I decided to move back to Russia, and then to Canada. I was advised that in order for me to travel with Shaki I would require a pedigree certificate proving that my cat is F5 Bengal. I have a copy of my cat's mother’s TICA certificate and a copy of a sales receipt indicating my cat’s microchip and that the mother cat's owner was also the seller. I also have my cat’s first vet’s certificate of vaccination that shows my cat’s microchip number and previous owner’s details. I only have a name of Shaki’s father as the previous owners are not in touch with the owners of my cat’s father anymore. To the best of my knowledge he is also a pedigree F5 Bengal cat. Shaki is from an unregistered litter and was sold to me under condition of never using her for breeding. She is currently neutered. Can someone, please, please, please, advise how to act in such situation as I cannot move back to Russia without my cat?

We have recently started a business in Australia and want to head over to recruit a team based in Sydney and train them along with opening an office. We haven't applied for a visa as of yet, but planning on travelling over on a tourist visa for business purposes. Do anyone know if we would qualify for a travel exemption as we are creating jobs and business in NSW.

Hi need some guidance. My travel facility on my PR189 visa expires in Nov2020. Although I am planning to fly down to Australia after sometime late Aug2020 when the virus situation is expected to be under control. However, I just heard some news that some flights will put a hold on all flying to Australia. And also few middle eastern flights have been asked to limit the economy passenger to a very small number and so prices are now sky rocketted. Any one with travel plans soon, please share / advise, if no flights then hiw do we plan to travel to be within the due date.

Hey there! I would really love some clarification on a couple things please.. have a tricky situation and next to no straight answers My partner is in Australia on a Philippines passport currently on his student 500 visa which expires on the 15th of March.. and allows travel. We are intending on extending his stay in Australia with the post graduate 485 visa after this.. HOWEVER, before he planned on applying for the 485 visa we booked a holiday to Bali for two weeks which he was then intending on going home.. things have now changed and we have a bit of tricky navigation to get there first.. His visa expires the 15th of March, we intend to leave for Bali the 13th of March BUT his course doesn't finish until the 10th of March meaning we cannot apply for the 485 visa and bridging visa B until successful course completion.. this gives us a tiny 3 day window between visa application submission and a 5 day window between submission and visa expiry.. My main question is, can he leave the country on his student visa and then have the bridging visa approved while in Bali or should we wait and change travel arrangements until bvb is all approved? If anyone knows how the system generally works that would be amazing!! Thankyou!

Hi all, I wonder if anyone can help me... I am on my second 417 visa which is due to expire October of this year. I'm currently working in Melbourne and living with my partner who is an Australian citizen. I'm planning on applying for the 189 visa as a secondary school teacher and have calculated that I have 85 points. I have completed my skills assessment and IELTS test and am ready to send off my expression of interest. However I did have a few concerns about the process; 1. When completing the expression of interest I was asked about my relationship status, I am not sure whether I classify as "never married" or as having a "de facto partner", my partner and I met over a year ago and having been living together for about 3 months now. I wasn't sure if this counted as de facto as I have read a number of conflicting things, e.g. for some purposes you're de facto as soon as you start living together, others its 12 months or 24 months. As I'm applying for 189 visa this doesn't make a difference for the points I'll receive as now you get the extra 10 points regardless of whether you're single or with an Australian PR/citizen, what I'm concerned about is the 8515 condition that will probably be attached to my visa if I state that I'm single (8515 - You must not marry or enter into a de facto relationship before entering Australia. We might cancel your visa if we find out you were engaged, married or in a de facto relationship before we granted you the visa but did not tell us.), or if I state de facto and am then asked for evidence that we've lived together for 12 months, which we wouldn't have. Just trying to fill out the form honestly but very unsure. 2. I'm planning on visiting the UK twice this year in April and July and my other concern was that if I get invited to apply then I have 60 days to lodge my application so it could end up that I've had to do this before my trips, and I'm aware that the visa itself could take between 4 and 11 months to be processed. When I applied for my second WHV after completing my farm work I was told that if I was in Australia when I applied then I would have to be in Australia when it was granted, I got a bridging visa A which also stated that I couldn't return to Australia if I left. I understand that the bridging visa only activates when your current visa expires, my 417 WHV doesn't expire until October 2020. So my question is...If I lodge my 189 application before the trips, can I still travel to the UK in April and July? I'll still have a valid 417 visa for this period, but would the Australian government require me to remain here until my visa has been processed? My original plan was to do everything ASAP because I really need to get the application lodged before my current visa expires so that I can get the bridging visa to stay here rather than having to return to the UK lodge form outside Australia. I thought that the process would be very long, I assumed that it would take ages for the skills assessment to be ready (this was done pretty quickly) and be a minimum of 3-4 month wait for your EOI to render an invitation, but form recent forums there have been some teachers with 70-75 points that say they got invitations within a month, some just 24 hours after submitting an invitation. I prefer to get things done sooner rather than later but I don't want to jeopardise either trip as its been nearly two years since I've seen my family and I'm not keen to wait until after the visa has been processed, but on the other hand it would make life very difficult if it did take longer and I didn't get it done before my current visa is up in October! I've spent the last few days scouring forums and reading the information on the government website but couldn't find anything similar to my situation and am still unsure as I know that the immigration department can be very strict and pedantic. Thanks so much to anyone that took the time to read (I'm quite thorough and a bit of a worrier!), really hope someone can help or offer some words of experience or wisdom! Cheers, Soph

Hi all!!! I'm very excited because I got the invitation for the ceremony in September (City of Sydney Council). The issue? Well... I'm going overseas for 2 weeks in October as my sister is visiting after 3 years. I informed immigration as soon as I bought the tickets, about 2 months ago. The trip is about 10 days after the ceremony. My question? Would there be an issue if I don't get the passport on time or should I just reject the invitation and wait for the next invitation to a ceremony? I called immigration and they couldn't give me a straight answer. Have a great weekend!

Hi all I am due to make the move to Australia in October and currently looking at the best ways to maximise our money on flights/ build airline points as my partner and I and my Mum and Dad will be flying to and from Aus as much as we can to see one another. Does anyone have any tips/ guidance as to how you do it?

Hi all, Just a bit of advice really for a couple that have just had to move back to the UK. We have recently just tried our hand at a skills assessment for VETASSESS knocked back on a technicality and have had to come home because our visa has run out, while things are in motion. From looking at some of the other poor folk on here it could be any time or never! Any who, I have been outside of the UK for 3 and a half years now and although I have driven vehicles in Australia, but they have all been company vehicles. The problem I am having is the UK no claims bonus, which I now appear to have lost because I haven't had UK cover for over 2 years!? Has anyone else been in this position!? Do you just have to suck it up, or is there a more cheaper option!? I haven't seen quotes like this since I was 19, I'm now 32! Apologies if there's a similar thread, I just couldn't see any, and the insurance companies are being as clear as mud (as ever).

Dear Experts / Friends, Good day. We have a situation and kindly seeking some advise 1. We've applied for Citizenship application ~8 months back. As per the current processing times, looks like it will take ~23 months 2. We're a family of 3 and our PR (189) expired (I mean the expiry date) few months back and hence need to apply for RRV as we have a need to travel out of Australia for a very brief time (Personal and not business related). Question Is the travel fine? (~2 months). Hope the travel doesn't affect the citizenship application Thanks!

Hello so I've recently lodged a citizenship application and one of the pages required me to fill out any possible future travel, with exact dates (which I assumed was for emergency/urgent travel that was deemed absolutely necessary). I've heard rumours of how "you're not allowed to leave Australia in the timeframe between your application lodgement and the response date (AKA the date when they organise the test)". I wanted to know if this was true? - The Department of Immigration site isn't too clear and only stipulates that you can't travel before your ceremony, as your PR will be cancelled thus requiring you to return to Aus on a RRV (correct me if I'm wrong). It's been over 4 years since I left England, I'm becoming very homesick and 10-14 months is an awfully long time.

I’m hoping to go to Australia this year for 2 weeks. I’m limiting myself to 2 weeks because I’m still currently studying at uni so can’t come out for an extended period of time. I have been to Australia before, back in 2013 was my first time, and although I’m willing to go out to Australia for 2 weeks on my own, it would be good if there is anyone of a similar age (I’m 23) that fancies jetting off and is someone who I can get to know before hand. I ask as currently none of my friends are up for it and it’s pretty daunting to go solo. Thanks

Hello all. Been living in Newcastle for a while now, and decided to move with the family down to Sydney. For reasons beyond my control (like, HIS SIZE), my doggo is going to have to travel alone in a pet taxi, since I don't know anyone who's willing to have his car seats ruined by that furball, and the truck that's moving our stuff says it would be unsafe for him to be locked up with the cargo. Do any of you know about any pet taxi that's willing to travel that long? And a trustworthy one, at that. I'm very afraid of what might happen to him, he's so big and dumb that anyone might snatch him away without resistance, quite docile the mutt. I wouldn't want to have to give him away just because of not being able to move him down there, but still, there's that possibilty. Here's the big old mutt!

Hi, I've been on a 457 visa for almost 2 years now. I would really like to go back home for 2 or 3 months. Probably would be on holidays for 3 or 4 weeks and the rest working from there for my employer in Australia. My migration agent has told me that leaving the country for more than 4 consecutive weeks could be risky and ignite questions from immigration. Does anyone have any experience in this? Immigration website is quite vague, just says that I can travel in and out of Australia as much as I want and that if I cease work with my employer for more than 90 consecutive days my visa will be cancelled. I work on the computer and my boss is cool with me being out of the office for a couple of months, as she understands how homesick I am and how important it is for me to be with my family. SO I wouldn't be ceasing employment. I have already done this about a year and a half ago. Back then I had no idea I was taking any risk, and when I got back I got asked a lot of questions by immigration at the airport, but they eventually let me through and that was the end of it. I am aware though that immigration seems to be getting more and more complicated, and that they might be on the lookout for excuses to get people out. If anyone has had any similar experiences I would appreciate you sharing :) Thanks!

Hi, ive been a member on here for a while now and I'm seriously considering travelling to Australia. I'm willing to go alone however it would of course be lovely to have a travel companion and gain a new friendship! if anybody is interested in going to Australia from the UK please message me so we can discuss! im from Cheshire, UK. thanks