juju Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Hello everyone , I wonder if someone can help ... we are looking at applying for an aged parent visa and I know it has to be made onshore. We would then return to uk to wait for the visa to come through (which I know may take a few years) and during that time sell our home etc etc My question is ... whilst we are back in the uk once we’ve applied for and are waiting the visa , can we still go on holidays to Australia to visit our children during this waiting period ? Any advice would be great thank you juju Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 (edited) As far as I know 864 visas applicants are given bridging visas to remain in Australia. You would have to apply for a separate visa to leave Australia and apparently immi need a good reason to grant it so you wouldn’t be able to pop backwards and forwards with 864 visa. Or you could apply for 143 visa - that would allow you to pop over for visits but you couldn’t stay till visa was granted whereas you do with 864 Edited March 12, 2019 by LindaH27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juju Posted March 12, 2019 Author Share Posted March 12, 2019 Thanks very much for the reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juju Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 If you stay in Australia while waiting for an 864 visa what sort of health care would you be entitled to if any ? As it seems you are discouraged from going back to the uk to wait for this visa then what do you do re health care ? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 If you’re from UK you would get some reciprocal health care but it only really covers new problems not pre existing. Wouldn’t cover ambulances elective surgery or anything like that so you would have to take out private health insurance which for a couple could be expensive. You would have also to be fully self funding for most things Be aware that immi don't really like people going over on a tourist visa then applying for on shore visa so some tourist visas may have a condition attached saying no further stay etc so you wouldn’t be able then to apply Australia is currently looking at reducing 99 different visas to just 10 ! Because immigration of older people is a very hot topic over there as they are concerned about potential future costs for care/ medicines etc and because there are very large numbers of people on bridging visas they are also looking at that too. New Zealand stopped allowing parent immigration 2-3 years ago for that reason and Australia could decide to stop any visa they wanted - they’ve already done it for some visas in the past There is also the risk that after a long wait/stay in Australia you could fail the medical and would have to leave. It’s not always how bad your health is it’s whether the care/medication required would exceed $30-40000 and then you would need to start all over again in Uk for accommodation nhs welfare benefits etc Im not trying to put you off but although it’s a popular option it does have risks and pitfalls and you really need to dig out as much info as you can. It may be best to use an agent in these cases. 864 have only just started to move a little bit. They were stuck in limbo for about 2 years and apparently immi are putting them on the same processing timeline as 143 To be able to apply for 864 you need to be over 65 years old and it’s increasing to 67 years over the coming months / years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juju Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 Thanks LindaH27, very helpful although it seems such a minefield. All our children are citizens and live in Australia.... in your opinion would the 143 be a better option ? My husband is 65 and I am 61. We realise we’d need health insurance etc another option we’ve been looking at is just to do 6 months there and six months back in the uk, I’m assuming that is what a lot of people must do and would be acceptable to immi? I really appreciate your replies x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Hi juju First can I just say I’m not an agent just another parent waiting - patiently or not! Everything I say has been learnt over a long period of time both from this forum and others but obviously not as good as an agent! Ok age wise this is from immi website - your age for 864 has to fit the criteria for the Australian aged pension - I think but not sure that only one of you has to meet that criteria Period within which a person was born Pension age Date pension age changes From 1 July 1952 to 31 December 1953 65 years and 6 months 1 July 2017 From 1 January 1954 to 30 June 1955 66 years 1 July 2019 From 1 July 1955 to 31 December 1956 66 years and 6 months 1 July 2021 From 1 January 1957 onwards 67 years 1 July 2023 So the age limit is changing to 66 from this July! It’s obviously a very personal choice! I’m now 68 so older than you (applied June 2017) and decided to go for 143 for various reasons. It would give me time to sort out things in UK first and in the possible event of my failing a medical I would still have my home, my friends and NHS. I didn’t want to burn my boats then find there was a medical problem which meant I had to return to UK to try and start again from nothing - only older ! None of us knows what lies ahead health wise!! Whilst waiting I do spend most UK winters in Australia and it works out well. I get away from the horrible dark UK winters then come back to spring and summer. Another option is to get the free 651visa this is valid for a year but only for 3 months per visit - but if you have funds and fancy a holiday, a pop over to Bali or somewhere else at the end of three months would allow you to re-enter for a further 3 months visit and so on. It usually says must not enter Australia after a certain date ( a year later from start date in grant) but if you leave and re enter just before that date it’s possible you would then get a further 3 months! Again only my thoughts/ interpretations so do please check yourself to avoid any problems as I haven’t actually tried that myself but believe others here have Immi website has a lot of information and is a good starting point https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/contributory-aged-parent-864#Eligibility It’s a pull down menu option. You could also check out the 143 pages as well. Hope this helps! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 21 hours ago, juju said: We are looking at applying for an aged parent visa and I know it has to be made onshore. We would then return to uk to wait for the visa to come through (which I know may take a few years) and during that time sell our home etc etc When you apply for a visa onshore, the expectation is that you will then remain in Australia. Every time you wish to go overseas, you have to apply for special permission (a BVB) which will allow you to take a short trip overseas. In a nutshell, if you are planning to wait in the UK for the visa to come through, then the only way to do that is to apply for the offshore visa (the 143). During the waiting period, you can still visit Australia each year (on an ordinary tourist visa). The other alternative is to sell up first, then arrive in Australia, apply for the 864, and stay. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I don’t see the sense of applying for an onshore 864 if you want to spend most of your time waiting in the UK for the visa grant. You would need to apply for BV B every time you wanted to leave here, I don’t know how many times a year you can get one, but I think they have a limited time allowed out of the country. Also as mentioned some visitor visas have no further stay as a condition. The 143 makes much more sense if you will be spending more time in UK. Also I doubt you could spend 6 months away from Australia on a regular basis. I seem to remember another poster suggesting this, and came across major problems with being eligible for both the NHS and Medicare. They were intending to alternate each one, but if you are out of the UK for over 3 months you are supposed to canx your NHS and re apply each time on your return. In Reference to the time scale for the processing of the 864, it has been suggested that it is being aligned to the same time length as the 143. However we applied originally for the 864 in March 2017,and although there was hardly any movement for 18 months, it is now up to December 2016, so only 3 months behind our lodgement date. So still looks as though processing might be quicker. I honestly don’t recommend living 6 months at a time in 2 countries. I had to live between 2 countries for 10 years due to family circumstances. You no sooner get used to one life, before breaking back in to the other. It’s very unsettling and also very expensive keeping 2 households running. Our grandchildren are in UK and we go back for about 3 months most years and rent. Again it’s not cheap and 6 months would be far too expensive. We would never stay with our son either for that length of time. Not fair to anyone. Not intending to sound negative but trying to give sensible advice based on experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juju Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 Thanks so much LindaH27 and ramot for your replies. We won't be ready to go for another three or four years so was just trying to this of the best plan. we wouldn't stay with our children for that length of time either, but really appreciate listening to how you have both gone about it. It seems quite a daunting task but helps knowing others are in a similar position. Thank you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juju Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 Linda, when you spend the winters in Australia do you go on a 600 visa and then re apply each year for another one? Huge thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Juju no I go on the free 651 - the one that allows 3 months visit at a time. I don’t spend 6 months away in one go because as @ramot said it can cause various problems and also I don’t like leaving my home unoccupied for that length of time - home insurance (buildings/contents) usually only covers a maximum of 60 days unoccupancy - it’s a struggle to find one that covers 90 days sometimes! You do need this as you’re away during winter when there’s more potential for things to go wrong!! You will also find it harder and more expensive to get travel insurance for 6 months too - again a necessity as just imagine worst case scenario - you needed to be medically repatriated - would cost you thousands!! I usually leave UK beginning December and come back beginning March - I think 3 months is counted as 90 days for this visa so I usually stay for 12 weeks (84 days) to ensure there’s no problems. In the past people who have an application in for 143 have been able to get a three year 600 visa which allows 12 months stay at a time then 6 months out of Australia before they can return. This however now appears in jeopardy as the new temporary parent visa seems to be replacing this This may be an option if you want to go now ( although it seems you’re looking at 3-4 years before entry anyway. ) This new visa costs $ 5000 each and allows you to stay in Australia for 3 years or $10000 each for 5 years but you have to be entirely self funding, can’t work and have to have private health insurance and is limited to 15000 applications a year. You can renew it but cannot stay beyond a total of 10 years and it does not lead to permanent residency. Full regulations haven’t been published yet It does seem as though your best bet is 143 ( to allow visits back and forth) if you’re not looking to migrate there for a few years - if so I would advise getting it in soon to lock in the current 2nd Vac as there’s always a chance they could decide to increase the 2nd Vac charge - it’s been done in the past and apparently there’s talk in certain circles that it may need to greatly increase to what they consider a parent “could” potentially cost for the remainder of their life - which is over $130,000 I believe!! Any increases in all visa charges usually take place at beginning of July - the start of Australia's financial year Hope this has helped you to make a decision - one way or another! Good luck! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juju Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 Thanks so much Linda, this has all been very helpful and I really appreciate your time in replying. So good to 'chat' to someone in a similar position, shame you don't live round the corner! Kind regards, Juju 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Ah well on a forum we are all just “round the corner ”! This forum is supportive and helpful. I’ve learnt a lot over the last couple of years! Maybe you could let us know what you decide in the end. Best wishes whatever you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I was thinking similar to something Ramot said (she mentioned just getting settled with one life) For me when I make the move over I want to feel settled. I will join various clubs and make a new social life. I certainly wouldn’t want to have to leave that every six months. I also think most of us would make less of an effort to integrate if we were only stopping for 6 months at a time. There is also likely to come a time you cannot fly back and forth, then you’re stuck. Best to look st s permenant option if you see yourself there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH27 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 Juju come and join us in the parent thread - 788 pages long so far! Plenty of help and info there. you'll need to jump to the end if you don't fancy ploughing through it all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juju Posted March 13, 2019 Author Share Posted March 13, 2019 6 minutes ago, LindaH27 said: Juju come and join us in the parent thread - 788 pages long so far! Plenty of help and info there. you'll need to jump to the end if you don't fancy ploughing through it all Thanks Linda ! I will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieRoo Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 It is important to make your application as soon as you can as I think we will soon see many changes to the parent visa system and pricing. The common consensus is that any changes will not be retrospective, so better to lock-in now. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deniangel Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 On 13/03/2019 at 21:30, ramot said: I don’t see the sense of applying for an onshore 864 if you want to spend most of your time waiting in the UK for the visa grant. You would need to apply for BV B every time you wanted to leave here, I don’t know how many times a year you can get one, but I think they have a limited time allowed out of the country. Also as mentioned some visitor visas have no further stay as a condition. The 143 makes much more sense if you will be spending more time in UK. Also I doubt you could spend 6 months away from Australia on a regular basis. I seem to remember another poster suggesting this, and came across major problems with being eligible for both the NHS and Medicare. They were intending to alternate each one, but if you are out of the UK for over 3 months you are supposed to canx your NHS and re apply each time on your return. In Reference to the time scale for the processing of the 864, it has been suggested that it is being aligned to the same time length as the 143. However we applied originally for the 864 in March 2017,and although there was hardly any movement for 18 months, it is now up to December 2016, so only 3 months behind our lodgement date. So still looks as though processing might be quicker. I honestly don’t recommend living 6 months at a time in 2 countries. I had to live between 2 countries for 10 years due to family circumstances. You no sooner get used to one life, before breaking back in to the other. It’s very unsettling and also very expensive keeping 2 households running. Our grandchildren are in UK and we go back for about 3 months most years and rent. Again it’s not cheap and 6 months would be far too expensive. We would never stay with our son either for that length of time. Not fair to anyone. Not intending to sound negative but trying to give sensible advice based on experience. Hi Ramot, I was just wondering where did you find out about the processing time for the visa 864 (you mentioned that it is now up to December 2016)? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 36 minutes ago, Deniangel said: Hi Ramot, I was just wondering where did you find out about the processing time for the visa 864 (you mentioned that it is now up to December 2016)? Thanks in advance Send an email to parents@homeaffairs.gov.au. I put 864 in the subject no message is needed. The reply is instant giving dates for the parent visas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deniangel Posted April 4, 2019 Share Posted April 4, 2019 1 hour ago, ramot said: Send an email to parents@homeaffairs.gov.au. I put 864 in the subject no message is needed. The reply is instant giving dates for the parent visas. Thank you so much, Ramot. I really appreciate your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.