Lee Blowers Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 We are hoping to move back to the uk around july this year 2021 !!! With all the border closures etc do you think it will be possibly to get a flight home ??? We have been in Brisbane for 14 year's but we always planned on returning home for good & reconnect with family !! We know the government is given exemptions for uk residents needling to get home for emergencies etc What about uk residents wanting to return home this year ?? How will it work ? Any help would be much appreciated Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 (edited) 33 minutes ago, Lee Blowers said: We know the government is given exemptions for uk residents needling to get home for emergencies etc What about uk residents wanting to return home this year ?? How will it work ? As a PR holder, you will need to apply for a travel exemption to leave. If you are leaving for good, it won't be refused. You just need to make sure you do it correctly. You'll need to apply online and attach a Commonwealth Statutory Declaration stating you're leaving Australia for good. You'll need to attach proof that you're going, e.g. proof that you've put your house on the market, proof that you've booked a removal company to ship your stuff. The category you apply under is "application for travel exemption on the basis that you intend to be absent from Australia for more than three months." https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/leaving-australia#toc-4 https://www.ag.gov.au/legal-system/publications/commonwealth-statutory-declaration-form Remember to get the Stat Dec witnessed by a Justice of the Peace (your local library will tell you where to find one). Notice that being a UK citizen isn't relevant, unless you can prove you're already legally resident in the UK (which currently you are not). Edited January 20, 2021 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 (edited) You are completely mad. Wait another year until this lockdown nonsense is over. Edited January 20, 2021 by Jon the Hat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesBax1980 Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 12 hours ago, Lee Blowers said: We are hoping to move back to the uk around july this year 2021 !!! With all the border closures etc do you think it will be possibly to get a flight home ??? We have been in Brisbane for 14 year's but we always planned on returning home for good & reconnect with family !! We know the government is given exemptions for uk residents needling to get home for emergencies etc What about uk residents wanting to return home this year ?? How will it work ? Any help would be much appreciated Lee Hi! Is there a reason that it has to be in July? Things aren't great here at the moment and I wouldn't come back until things are as back to normal as they can be. If you have the choice of course. If it was me I would wait until we were through another winter to see how we cope and to see if this continues. I would give an arm and a leg to be back in OZ right now with little restrictions ... I'm looking out of the window, it's torrential rain and the only place we are allowed is the supermarket or for our daily walk (er no thanks!). 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted January 21, 2021 Share Posted January 21, 2021 I would have thought that after fourteen years here, another year would not be too onerous, especially as the UK has been in lock down for a number of months whilst Queensland, (touch wood) has been almost untouched. If you are not already citizens, it would be an excellent time to apply for it now. If we get through the pandemic and return to "normality" then you might be able to go to and from the UK without restrictions. Going back to "live", as opposed to on holiday, is sometimes a difficult experience. I've gone through it three times, UK to OZ, OZ to UK, UK to OZ, and each time it's take me a few months to settle in. But that was during "normal" times. Now, it seems like voluntarily going into prison. Is that too harsh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmitegirl Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Hi, I just posted this a reply on another thread....some of it might be relevant to you.... In my opinion, as long as you are Brit Citizens I think you'll be fine to get back in the country at the boarder - as long as: 1. You provide a negative covid test (I believe they are now being strict and checking all arrivals now, although you'll by given a £500 fine if you don't provide it) 2. Flights are going ahead as scheduled ( I saw that Emirates cancelled flights to/from Oz but these have been re-instated - not sure what that was about?!?) 3. Self -isolate for 10 days on arrival as travel corridors have been suspended. I believe you can do this at home or home a family members home. There are rumours of starting oz-style hotel quarantine for all arrivals but I can't see this being enforced for a few weeks at least as it would take a huge amount of organisation. Although they closed the schools overnight so not much notice for anyone in that case. So I'd say just be prepared for the possibility of having to hotel quarantine (for only 10 days though if you test negative). I don't think they'll ever ban all flights or stop citizens from entering. Even Oz hasn't done that and their level of general restrictions were much harsher than here. Sorry if I've got any facts wrong, it's hard to keep up with the rules as they keep changing and media reports are not always as accurate as they should be so add to the confusion. Don't get me wrong the situation in the UK is not good, Oz is much "safer". However, the perception of the UK situation in Oz is perhaps not entirely realistic. You get the impression that everyone has covid and we are all in constant fear and dropping like flies. In my experience, it's just not like that at all (although I'm living in a semi-rural area). Life is still going on and we are coping (admitted some areas are better than others), there is light at the end of the tunnel but I have no doubt covid is here to stay and we just have to be prepared to live with these constantly changing restrictions in the UK just like in Oz. Fingers crossed for you, I know how stressful it is. I was checking airline, covid stats and government websites daily in the weeks before we left and was worried about being stranded en route. Fingers crossed that the covid situation improves in Oz, the UK and globally! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmitegirl Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Just to add that my travel experience was good and as others have said it has taken 6 weeks to settle but I settled in much quicker returning "home" than moving to Oz despite the restrictions in place. It has been hard but I'm still glad I moved, ideally I would have waited until Easter/Summer but I'd already postponed once and for family and work reasons I couldn't wait any longer. Also, I shipped a moving cube which has been "stuck" in Hong Kong for the past month with no idea when it will be shipped on so I'll be waiting for that for a while yet. Just in case you want to ship things back be prepared for it to take more than the estimated time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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