Moving back home to UK

[Marisawright]

51 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

I wish I did not have dual citizenship then I could leave Australia (flights permitting) without having to seek special permission from a country where I was not born.

Even if you didn't have dual citizenship, you'd still be a permanent resident of Australia, so it would make no difference.  To be allowed to leave, you need to prove you are "usually resident' in another country. 

[Loopylu]

On 02/06/2020 at 14:16, Marisawright said:

Even if you didn't have dual citizenship, you'd still be a permanent resident of Australia, so it would make no difference.  To be allowed to leave, you need to prove you are "usually resident' in another country. 

Thanks for reminding me that I have essentially been transported for the term of my natural life... It is an abuse of human rights not to set a sunset date on when the travel restrictions will be revisited.  Other countries give dates when they will review such draconian laws.

[Quoll]

17 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

Thanks for reminding me that I have essentially been transported for the term of my natural life... It is an abuse of human rights not to set a sunset date on when the travel restrictions will be revisited.  Other countries give dates when they will review such draconian laws.

Nah, dont be so down.  Get your Australian passport so you can leave, apply for an exemption to travel on the grounds that you are moving to another country permanently then flex your wings and fly.  It'll all be good, you're not incarcerated here.

[Marisawright]

31 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

Thanks for reminding me that I have essentially been transported for the term of my natural life... It is an abuse of human rights not to set a sunset date on when the travel restrictions will be revisited.  Other countries give dates when they will review such draconian laws.

Surely it’s more honest to say “we’re not sure when this pandemic will be over” than to set an arbitrary date? It’s not forever anyway 

[Loopylu]

22 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Nah, dont be so down.  Get your Australian passport so you can leave, apply for an exemption to travel on the grounds that you are moving to another country permanently then flex your wings and fly.  It'll all be good, you're not incarcerated here.

I do feel very down.  My parents (78 and 75) were due to arrive on 12th June but are now thinking that we will have to wait another year until we see them again.  That will be 2.5 years until I last saw them. We usually see each other once a year.  There is no guarantee that all of us will be alive then....I have a Welsh friend who lives nearby whose mother died suddenly in her 60s. I can't just leave Australia as I have 2 x19 year olds at Uni and a 15 year old at school. As a mother, their education is more important than my homesickness and need to see my parents. My Aussie husband and I do intend to return permanently to the UK once our parental responsibilities are at an end but now is not the right time.

 

[Loopylu]

14 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Surely it’s more honest to say “we’re not sure when this pandemic will be over” than to set an arbitrary date? It’s not forever anyway 

As a lawyer who has volunteered in my spare time to assist asylum seekers, I have a very dim view of the LNP government.  If you read academic articles on human rights, the Australian approach of not giving any timelines for reviewing freedom of movement laws is an abuse of human rights. Manus and Nauru where people have been detained up to 7 years shows they have form in this area. 

[Quoll]

11 hours ago, Loopylu said:

I do feel very down.  My parents (78 and 75) were due to arrive on 12th June but are now thinking that we will have to wait another year until we see them again.  That will be 2.5 years until I last saw them. We usually see each other once a year.  There is no guarantee that all of us will be alive then....I have a Welsh friend who lives nearby whose mother died suddenly in her 60s. I can't just leave Australia as I have 2 x19 year olds at Uni and a 15 year old at school. As a mother, their education is more important than my homesickness and need to see my parents. My Aussie husband and I do intend to return permanently to the UK once our parental responsibilities are at an end but now is not the right time.

 

Ah, yes, trapped by kids, education, finances etc. Not the government’s fault in this case then. You may never find the “right” time. By the time your kids have all finished Uni some of them might be shacked up and producing babies, then your finances might be better in Aus for the longer term. Yup, sucks being in a place you don’t want to be.

[Tulip1]

It’s not the Australian governments fault that a pandemic has spread across the world at such an alarming rate that many countries have had to close their borders.  It’s clearly not that easy for them to come up with a date that they can open them, no one knows when the pandemic will be under control. The only thing they can do is monitor and review the situation which I’ve no doubt is happening.  I get that you’re upset that you wont be seeing your parents this month as planned. I’m sure millions across the world are in that same situation.  It is harder as they’re getting older but for now, you are safe and they are safe, that’s a good thing. I was due to fly out to see my family in Oz a few months ago and couldn’t. Nothing I can do about it.  I know it won’t happen this year now, just hoping it will next year.  I certainly don’t put any blame on Australia. It is what it is, sometimes shit happens. 

Edited June 5, 2020 by Tulip1

[ramot]

I am in the reverse situation. We are the same age as your parents, goodness knows when we will be allowed or even feel confident about flying back to UK to see our only 2 grandchildren.

I think it would be madness to fly anywhere at the moment let alone UK where there is still such a high infection rate.

That’s just how it is at the moment. It doesn’t even occur to me to blame the government, that’s absolutely pointless, as it implies that the government is

a)    responsible for the epidemic 

b).   The only government taking sensible precautions to keep the country as free of the virus as possible

Accept the current situation and look forward to the day when you safely see your parents again. That’s the situation many many of us are in.who live apart from our families.

 

Edited June 5, 2020 by ramot

[Marisawright]

14 hours ago, Loopylu said:

As a lawyer who has volunteered in my spare time to assist asylum seekers, I have a very dim view of the LNP government. 

I have a dim view of them too, and I have been reluctantly impressed by how they've handled the pandemic.  In fact, I felt the opposite to you - when countries around the world were lying to their citizens and saying "we'll need to have restrictions for a month",  the Australian govt were saying, "restrictions will have to go on for at least six months" - and they were right. 

It's not the government's fault that your parents can't visit you.  Even if the government lifted the restrictions tomorrow, there is no way I would want my elderly parents to get on a flight during this pandemic.  Covid-19 is so rampant in the UK, I'd be worried about them just getting to the airport.  Then imagine the crowds at the airports at both ends and during the stopover, and being cooped up in close proximity to other passengers for 24 hours.  The risk of infection would be enormous. 

I know you're in a horrible situation with terrible homesickness.   Maybe it would help to have a chat with a counsellor - not because they can do anything about it, but because it can sometimes be an enormous help to have an impartial person to talk to.   You can have a telehealth appointment. 

 

[Loopylu]

I am not terribly homesick and I am not clinically depressed.  I have been there and this is so not the same. The feeling is more akin to being convicted of a crime I didn't commit and being incarcerated indefinitely. 

What frustrates me about the Australian government's approach to the international lockdown is the fact that they are not giving any guidance whatsoever on when international travel may restart.  Just smug/glib comments about "you won't be going abroad on holiday this year" as though an overseas holiday is the only possible reason why a person in Australia might want to leave the country. 

Living in Brisbane, we can't even escape Qld and go to northern NSW for a road trip holiday as we had originally planned to do during these coming winter school holidays (with my parents) or go to any other State for that matter. And being told that I should be road-tripping in a State that I am already very bored with adds injury to insult.  

The plan is for my parents to try to come same time next year so I will try to look forward to that. 

Thanks for all your comments as it does help. 

 

 

[ramot]

6 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

I am not terribly homesick and I am not clinically depressed.  I have been there and this is so not the same. The feeling is more akin to being convicted of a crime I didn't commit and being incarcerated indefinitely. 

What frustrates me about the Australian government's approach to the international lockdown is the fact that they are not giving any guidance whatsoever on when international travel may restart.  Just smug/glib comments about "you won't be going abroad on holiday this year" as though an overseas holiday is the only possible reason why a person in Australia might want to leave the country. 

Living in Brisbane, we can't even escape Qld and go to northern NSW for a road trip holiday as we had originally planned to do during these coming winter school holidays (with my parents) or go to any other State for that matter. And being told that I should be road-tripping in a State that I am already very bored with adds injury to insult.  

The plan is for my parents to try to come same time next year so I will try to look forward to that. 

Thanks for all your comments as it does help. 

 

 

Sorry but you sound very low, and it’s a bit ridiculous to put all the blame on the government and Qld. We are all in the same position. I am also in Qld, my daughter is in Sydney, can’t visit her. My cousin is in north NSW and can’t visit her new granddaughter in Brisbane. I even haven’t been to see yet, as am in the vulnerable age group. It’s just what it is at the moment, we all have to accept it and cope. Might seem minor, but we have been in self isolation now for weeks. 2 friends have died, not from the virus,  and we can’t attend their funerals. we have to accept that apart from going on a walk, everything we have been a part of is canceled, our single friends are having it really tough, but we aren’t complaining or moaning, because it’s not for ever, and again as someone in the vulnerable age group, when I look at other countries death rate in my age group, thank goodness I live here. I prefer to put up with the inconvenience than dead.

If you are really so low, perhaps it might be an idea to see a Dr. that’s the advice I would give my daughter as I would be worried about her.

[Drumbeat]

29 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

I am not terribly homesick and I am not clinically depressed.  I have been there and this is so not the same. The feeling is more akin to being convicted of a crime I didn't commit and being incarcerated indefinitely. 

What frustrates me about the Australian government's approach to the international lockdown is the fact that they are not giving any guidance whatsoever on when international travel may restart.  Just smug/glib comments about "you won't be going abroad on holiday this year" as though an overseas holiday is the only possible reason why a person in Australia might want to leave the country. 

Living in Brisbane, we can't even escape Qld and go to northern NSW for a road trip holiday as we had originally planned to do during these coming winter school holidays (with my parents) or go to any other State for that matter. And being told that I should be road-tripping in a State that I am already very bored with adds injury to insult.  

The plan is for my parents to try to come same time next year so I will try to look forward to that. 

Thanks for all your comments as it does help. 

 

 

Every Australian resident is in the same boat, thousands of us have had to cancel our holidays but the boarder closures were made for a reason and they've achieved the desired result. I have family in the UK and USA who have much more rigorous isolation measures enforced so right now we all just have to suck it up and be grateful we haven't suffered the enormous death rates of other countries.

[Toots]

32 minutes ago, Loopylu said:

I am not terribly homesick and I am not clinically depressed.  I have been there and this is so not the same. The feeling is more akin to being convicted of a crime I didn't commit and being incarcerated indefinitely. 

What frustrates me about the Australian government's approach to the international lockdown is the fact that they are not giving any guidance whatsoever on when international travel may restart.  Just smug/glib comments about "you won't be going abroad on holiday this year" as though an overseas holiday is the only possible reason why a person in Australia might want to leave the country. 

Living in Brisbane, we can't even escape Qld and go to northern NSW for a road trip holiday as we had originally planned to do during these coming winter school holidays (with my parents) or go to any other State for that matter. And being told that I should be road-tripping in a State that I am already very bored with adds injury to insult.  

The plan is for my parents to try to come same time next year so I will try to look forward to that. 

Thanks for all your comments as it does help. 

 

 

It's probably the feeling of being trapped and helpless to do anything about it that you find a bit suffocating and frustrating.  Most people on this forum know by now that I am apolitical but this current government here are trying their best and it has worked.  I did read somewhere that the few flights that are arriving in Australia have had Covid-19 confirmed passengers on board which isn't too good at all.  I am in Tasmania and now we can travel all over the island which wasn't the case until very recently.  Of course we can't travel to anywhere else in Australia - not that we were planning to.  Thankfully I am never bored here - lots to do and see but I can see where you are coming from.

[Parley]

18 hours ago, Loopylu said:

I do feel very down.  My parents (78 and 75) were due to arrive on 12th June but are now thinking that we will have to wait another year until we see them again.  That will be 2.5 years until I last saw them. We usually see each other once a year.  There is no guarantee that all of us will be alive then....I have a Welsh friend who lives nearby whose mother died suddenly in her 60s. I can't just leave Australia as I have 2 x19 year olds at Uni and a 15 year old at school. As a mother, their education is more important than my homesickness and need to see my parents. My Aussie husband and I do intend to return permanently to the UK once our parental responsibilities are at an end but now is not the right time.

 

So given they are extremely high risk of dying of Covid, why would you want them to take the risk ?

[Gary H]

You can leave to UK if you want to, relocation for work or to care for a family member is enough you will get permission. We also want to leave (know we can) but have decided to sit it out in Australia for a while, I'm off the opinion its the best place to be right now. We will review in Sept then again in December, Can't wait to leave and start over back in Uk but the reality is right now its a mess. I couldn't see my parents anyhow as both vulnerable, setting up again is very difficult with all the restrictions. I have a good friend who arrived end of March and they are effectively holed up in a bedsit in somerset with the kids out of work all COVID related. Nobody saw this pandemic coming and that includes the government.

Edited June 6, 2020 by Gary H

[Tulip1]

‘The feeling is more akin to being convicted of a crime I didn't commit and being incarcerated indefinitely‘

I wonder if you are feeling lower than you realise as I can’t imagine many people feel like this. Many feel fed up with restrictions due to Covid but understand and accept it’s not for ever, just an unfortunate year of some inconvenience and sacrifice. The government have given guidance about when international travel may start. From my understanding, they’ve said it is likely to be open from 15th December, to safe countries (subject to change) As the U.K. stands right now, I’d say it’s reasonable to assume that wouldn’t include us but six months is a long time and things could be so much better by then. It’s ok to feel a bit down you can’t see your parents but as parley has said, surely you wouldn’t want them to fly out even if the government announced today they could. 

[Home and Happy]

On 02/06/2020 at 04:23, Loopylu said:

I wish I did not have dual citizenship then I could leave Australia (flights permitting) without having to seek special permission from a country where I was not born.

Yes, agree.  We never wanted to take their citizenship as we saw it could one day become a ball and chain for us.

Once you’ve got 2nd citizenship of a foreign country, you have lifelong obligations to that country.

You don’t want that hanging round your neck if you are living back home in U.K. 

[Marisawright]

26 minutes ago, Home and Happy said:

Yes, agree.  We never wanted to take their citizenship as we saw it could one day become a ball and chain for us.

Once you’ve got 2nd citizenship of a foreign country, you have lifelong obligations to that country.

You don’t want that hanging round your neck if you are living back home in U.K. 

Rubbish.  You always have the option to renounce citizenship if you really don't want it.   The only "obligation" is to vote, and you don't have to do that if you're not legally resident.  You could also get called up if there was a war and they decided to conscript people, but once you're past a certain age, you're safe from that too.  There are no tax obligations to being a citizen.

[Nemesis]

6 hours ago, Home and Happy said:

Yes, agree.  We never wanted to take their citizenship as we saw it could one day become a ball and chain for us.

Once you’ve got 2nd citizenship of a foreign country, you have lifelong obligations to that country.

You don’t want that hanging round your neck if you are living back home in U.K. 

There are no lifelong obligations  - just relinquish your citizenship. Very cheap and easy.

[Toots]

10 hours ago, Home and Happy said:

Yes, agree.  We never wanted to take their citizenship as we saw it could one day become a ball and chain for us.

Once you’ve got 2nd citizenship of a foreign country, you have lifelong obligations to that country.

You don’t want that hanging round your neck if you are living back home in U.K. 

You really do come out with some daft comments.  

[Paul1Perth]

On 06/06/2020 at 10:24, Loopylu said:

I am not terribly homesick and I am not clinically depressed.  I have been there and this is so not the same. The feeling is more akin to being convicted of a crime I didn't commit and being incarcerated indefinitely. 

What frustrates me about the Australian government's approach to the international lockdown is the fact that they are not giving any guidance whatsoever on when international travel may restart.  Just smug/glib comments about "you won't be going abroad on holiday this year" as though an overseas holiday is the only possible reason why a person in Australia might want to leave the country. 

Living in Brisbane, we can't even escape Qld and go to northern NSW for a road trip holiday as we had originally planned to do during these coming winter school holidays (with my parents) or go to any other State for that matter. And being told that I should be road-tripping in a State that I am already very bored with adds injury to insult.  

The plan is for my parents to try to come same time next year so I will try to look forward to that. 

Thanks for all your comments as it does help. 

 

 

You're bored with the whole of Queensland which his an amazingly large and diverse place?

There's a thousand places you could visit, from rainforests to fantastic beachside suburbs and cities like Brisbane.

Are you sure you've tried it all?

[Nemesis]

19 hours ago, Paul1Perth said:

You're bored with the whole of Queensland which his an amazingly large and diverse place?

There's a thousand places you could visit, from rainforests to fantastic beachside suburbs and cities like Brisbane.

Are you sure you've tried it all?

if you don't like high rises, beaches, or huge expanses of desert its very easy to be bored with Queensland. Give me somewhere with old buildings and ancient towns and I wouldn't be bored. But Queensland? Sick and tired of the government telling me I should visit bits of it. Its up to me to holiday where I want and enjoy what I want. No amount of cajouling by some politician could make Queensland anything other than boring. 

[Loopylu]

19 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

if you don't like high rises, beaches, or huge expanses of desert its very easy to be bored with Queensland. Give me somewhere with old buildings and ancient towns and I wouldn't be bored. But Queensland? Sick and tired of the government telling me I should visit bits of it. Its up to me to holiday where I want and enjoy what I want. No amount of cajouling by some politician could make Queensland anything other than boring. 

Nemesis- you have captured my sentiments exactly!  You've seen one rain forest, you've seen them all, ditto with the beaches and endless open spaces that all look the same.  Where I lived in the UK, I only had to drive a few miles to see a different landscape, different architecture etc.  It was never too hot (or too cold) to go for a long walk in countryside and the access across ancient footpaths beats the sterile boardwalks available in Qld.  I enjoyed my memberships of English Heritage and the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust but nothing much similar here. 

[Marisawright]

On 12/06/2020 at 07:51, Loopylu said:

Nemesis- you have captured my sentiments exactly!  You've seen one rain forest, you've seen them all, ditto with the beaches and endless open spaces that all look the same.

 

I love Queensland in the wintertime, when the skies are blue but the temperature is pleasant.   I can walk beside the sea for hours, if I have good company.  But I find bushwalks somewhat boring, because the vegetation looks the same for miles, and the wildlife isn't active during the day (except the creepy-crawlies, which I hate), so there's nothing much to see.   I'm also a magnet for mosquitos, which doesn't help.   I would go to Queensland to visit the Barrier Reef again, but there's nowhere else I feel the need to see a second time.

Everyone is different and there's nothing wrong with preferring another lifestyle.