Dreams 1024 Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 Any feedback would be greatly appreciated ...... Due to my marriage breakdown I find myself alone here in the U.K. with 2 young children (9 & 5yrs). My brother emigrated to Oz 8 years ago & is now a Australian citizen & my parents emigrated 2 years ago on a Contributory Parent Visa & have permanent residency. They are unable to return to U.K. as their finances are currently tied up in Oz. I have no immediate family here in the U.K. & am desperate to join my family over in Oz with my children. Unfortunately I don’t qualify for a skilled visa but having spoken with a migration agent, they have suggested the Last Remaining Relative visa. I could go over on a holiday visa then once there, transfer over to a bridging visa whilst the LRR is granted. I am aware that the processing time on this is around 50 years!! I have been informed that I would have work rights on the bridging visa but would not be entitled to any ‘Medicare’, only emergency care if we should need it. Holiday insurance from the U.K. would cover the holiday visa period but does anyone have experience or suggestions for cover on the bridging visa. I presume I could take out ‘Private’ cover. Anyone have thoughts on this please.. Obviously this is a major concern as having 2 children & although you hope that you never need hospital care, no one can predict the future. On a separate thought, does anyone know if I could transfer a holiday visa over to a student visa & hope I could train in something for the skills in demand?? Feeling a little lost & hopeless at the moment & want to jump on that plane ASAP!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tab Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 Best of luck however my big worry is wouldn't you need legal consent from the children's father to take your children. Personally I would go but am a real take life by the horns and go for it kind of person Am just in the process of trying to get visas for my 3 little darlings so I can go back to oz. Sending loads of good wishes x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreams 1024 Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 Got the legal consent in place Life is far too short to give up on your dreams but the ‘medical’ care is a concern as I would be devastated if we had to return to U.K. for any treatment as we’d be in the same boat as before as having no family or even a home to stay in! Thanks for your comment & loads of luck to you on your journey x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tab Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I'm pretty sure Medicare is a reciprocal agreement and would cover all emergencies. I am sure you can all get Medicare cards my understanding is that you would pay for non essential dentistry optician etc. Glad you've got parental responsibility sorted good luck again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreams 1024 Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 Thanks again. I think I’m more concerned about possible long term health issues. What if we ever needed long term treatment, rehabilitation etc?? I know it seems a little paranoid but if I’m going to have to wait 50+yrs for the visa to be processed, it’s all to be thought about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 You might also want to check the status of your children on such a bridging visa. Would they be considered as international students for example? You don’t say which state you are heading for but some charge fees for temporary visas too. Have you consulted a migration agent to discuss your visa strategy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 First, yes, it is about 56 years and I would not be surprised to see it ceased at some point - this has been done before retrospective, which means those in Australia on bridging visas have to leave. Second, health and other benefits. You would get reciprocal health care, as would your children. However, as pointed out, this is not full healthcare or anything like. You would also not have access to any other benefits and not would your children. This will include education, for which they would be regarded as international students. Third, healthcare back in the UK. Not that simple anymore. A lot of NHS services would not be available unless they were back resident for 6 months. Likewise, they couldn't just come back to go to university. If they did they would be treated as international students unless resident for three years prior to applying. A student visa is possible, but very risky and hard. Costs would be very high and you would only be allowed to wok 20 hours per week during term times and you would need to be aware that there is every chance you would need to return at the end of the visa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 A better option might be for you to train and get experience in a skill which is likely to be required by Australia and get yourself PR. I can’t imagine that living in limbo with your kids, forking out at least $20,000 pa for their education plus any medical costs until the visa is granted (or removed, in which case you’d all have to leave) - by which time they’re likely to be grandparents - is going to be an attractive proposition. Longer term planning for a more secure future might be a more sensible option. Moreover, if you rock up on a holiday visa and Immigration believe that you’re not going to leave, you run the risk of being put on the next plane home and banned for 3 years anyway. Lying to Immigration is never a good idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) Your biggest problem on the bridging visa is that private insurance isn't the same as the UK. In the UK, you pay your premium and then everything is covered. In Australia, it's more like car insurance - there's always an "excess" (in this case it's called a "gap"). So for instance, a routine operation might cost $2,000, but private insurance may only cover half of it. I'm not sure if you would be eligible for prescriptions on Medicare or if you'd have to pay full price. As others have said, if you needed an operation, you can't just hop on a plane and go back to the UK for it, either. Once you're no longer resident in the UK, you're not covered by the NHS any more, even if you are a British citizen. You'd have to go back and prove you've set up home permanently again first. Likewise education - if your children want to go to university, you 'll have to pay full international fees in Australia, because you're not resident - but you're not resident in the UK either, so you'd be slugged international fees there too. It might mean university education becomes out of reach for your kids. I think you'd have to go back and live in the UK for three years before they could enrol at a UK university as a UK student. Another thing to check is that you may have to get an international health insurance policy instead of the usual domestic one, because you won't be classed as an Australian resident. They are more expensive. Another thing to consider is benefits - as a single mother, you may be entitled to some assistance in the UK, whereas as a non-resident of Australia, you'd be entitled to nothing. Student visa - you would be paying international student fees for the duration of your course, and only allowed to work 20 hours a week, so you'd be in a very deep hole of debt by the time you were finished, even without children in tow. At the end of the course, you might still not qualify for a visa, as many visas require you to have a few years' experience after completion of the course - which you won't be able to do. I know it's tempting to be close to your family at such a time, but you also have to think about the long-term financial security of your family. Whether you went for the bridging visa or the student visa, you'd be letting yourself in for high costs which could leave you in considerable debt, not to mention the stress and uncertainty of not knowing the outcome. I honestly think you'd be better to go and have a holiday with your family, get your head together and make up your mind to stick it out in the UK until you are able to find a more permanent way to migrate. Edited July 3, 2018 by Marisawright 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibiscusDreams Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 My understanding is that the Last Remaining Relative visa has effectively been withdrawn in all but name - which is a shame, as for people in your situation it is a humanitarian issue and not relevant to a large number of people so it's hardly a "loophole" visa - but the immigration issue in Australia is every bit as a toxic and vitriolic as in the UK. All of us immigrants are just footballs used by politicians to show how tough and manly they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Your parents finances may be currently tied up in Australia but they're not tied up forever. They can return at some point to be with you if they really want to. As others have said try and find another route if you wish to go there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) On 03/07/2018 at 07:19, Dreams 1024 said: Any feedback would be greatly appreciated ...... Due to my marriage breakdown I find myself alone here in the U.K. with 2 young children (9 & 5yrs). My brother emigrated to Oz 8 years ago & is now a Australian citizen & my parents emigrated 2 years ago on a Contributory Parent Visa & have permanent residency. They are unable to return to U.K. as their finances are currently tied up in Oz. I have no immediate family here in the U.K. & am desperate to join my family over in Oz with my children. Unfortunately I don’t qualify for a skilled visa but having spoken with a migration agent, they have suggested the Last Remaining Relative visa. I could go over on a holiday visa then once there, transfer over to a bridging visa whilst the LRR is granted. I am aware that the processing time on this is around 50 years!! I have been informed that I would have work rights on the bridging visa but would not be entitled to any ‘Medicare’, only emergency care if we should need it. Holiday insurance from the U.K. would cover the holiday visa period but does anyone have experience or suggestions for cover on the bridging visa. I presume I could take out ‘Private’ cover. Anyone have thoughts on this please.. Obviously this is a major concern as having 2 children & although you hope that you never need hospital care, no one can predict the future. On a separate thought, does anyone know if I could transfer a holiday visa over to a student visa & hope I could train in something for the skills in demand?? Feeling a little lost & hopeless at the moment & want to jump on that plane ASAP!! You should really look at obtaining professional advice as you are looking at a massive undertaking and I do not believe that all of the advice you have been given is correct. Although the remaining relative visa may be a strategy to get you to Australia quickly, it would not have any realistic chance of resulting in a visa, due to the long processing time. Realistically, you would need a plan B to remain in Australia permanently. Edited July 3, 2018 by Raul Senise 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouDYorkie Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 Got the legal consent in place [emoji106] Life is far too short to give up on your dreams but the ‘medical’ care is a concern as I would be devastated if we had to return to U.K. for any treatment as we’d be in the same boat as before as having no family or even a home to stay in! Thanks for your comment & loads of luck to you on your journey xIn theory you wouldn’t be able to return to the UK seeking treatment if you were living and working in Australia. Although you may be from the UK, you are supposed to be resident (have an address etc) in the UK in order to get NHS treatment.It falls under medical tourism.Whether you will actually get treatment for anything other than emergency services varies depending on how much checking the hospital/dentist does I guess. Link: https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/movingabroad/Pages/Introduction.aspx# Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Raul Senise said: You should really look at obtaining professional advice as you are looking at a massive undertaking and I do not believe that all of the advice you have been given is correct. So, considering that most people are warning her the Last Remaining Relative and Student Visa options are both expensive and unwise, are you saying we're wrong in that opinion? Edited July 3, 2018 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 7 minutes ago, Marisawright said: So, considering that most people are warning her the Last Remaining Relative and Student Visa options are both expensive and unwise, are you saying we're wrong in that opinion? Not at all. I specifically quoted her first post and my comments were specifically in regards the information contained in that post. Why are you trying to cause disharmony? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 2 hours ago, Raul Senise said: Not at all. I specifically quoted her first post and my comments were specifically in regards the information contained in that post. Why are you trying to cause disharmony? Not trying to create disharmony, just clarifying. Although you quoted her post, your reply appears after several posts warning her not to proceed, so it could be read as saying those posts are not correct. I hope she will consider consulting an agent such as yourself to discover whether a Plan B could possibly exist, since it doesn't seem to me that either of her current options are practical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 3 hours ago, Marisawright said: Not trying to create disharmony, just clarifying. Although you quoted her post, your reply appears after several posts warning her not to proceed, so it could be read as saying those posts are not correct. I hope she will consider consulting an agent such as yourself to discover whether a Plan B could possibly exist, since it doesn't seem to me that either of her current options are practical. Or it could be read that he is responding directly to her post and has quite possibly not even read the other posts at that point. Not sure why you felt the need to question what he was saying as it was perfectly obvious what he was responding to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanblb Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Hi my last remaining relative visa took seven years from applying but I did stay in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Yes but you applied in 2011? The queue has grown considerably since then I’m afraid due to cutting the number of visas in this category drastically. It probably takes more than 7 years to get a queue date now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrets Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 (edited) 12 hours ago, Marisawright said: So, considering that most people are warning her the Last Remaining Relative and Student Visa options are both expensive and unwise, are you saying we're wrong in that opinion? The difference between "don't believe all advice" and "most people's advice" can be key at visa time (adlib gap filling) Edited July 4, 2018 by Ferrets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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