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Can I work in both UK and Aus with 189 visa?


cricha200

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Hi There,

 

I am a qualified social worker in the UK (Scotland) and looking to apply for the 189 visa specifically. I was wondering though if anyone has experience / if it can be the case working in both Aus for say 9-10 months out of the year, and working in the UK the rest? I understand that with the 189 PR is granted, but wondering if that entails moving to an Aussie passport or keep my UK one? I can't find anything online to indicate this.

 

Additionally, I am wondering if anyone has experience in owning property here in the UK and living on a 189 visa in Aus - how does this work r.e tax etc? 

 

Any help is much appreciated! - Cassie

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2 hours ago, cricha200 said:

I understand that with the 189 PR is granted, but wondering if that entails moving to an Aussie passport or keep my UK one? I can't find anything online to indicate this.

You don't get an Aussie passport until you become a citizen - that's generally a good 5 years away from when you get the visa ... 

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2 hours ago, paulhand said:

You don't get an Aussie passport until you become a citizen - that's generally a good 5 years away from when you get the visa ... 

Perfect thanks Paul, that’s good to know! Reason being I know Oz won’t be a forever thing for me, but definitely for a 5-10 year thing

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7 hours ago, cricha200 said:

Ahh really? I did think as much tbh but was hoping maybe not. Have you experience in this? My thoughts were on renting my property here in the UK.

Yes, the tax implications can be confusing and you may end up being out of pocket. There are also capital gains implications for both tax jurisdictions when and if you decide to sell.

Not to mention the nigh impossibility of finding a lender that will remortgage if you're trying to do it whilst is Oz

Plus the nightmare of trying to manage a rental from halfway around the world. 

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13 minutes ago, DukeNinja said:

Yes, the tax implications can be confusing and you may end up being out of pocket. There are also capital gains implications for both tax jurisdictions when and if you decide to sell.

Not to mention the nigh impossibility of finding a lender that will remortgage if you're trying to do it whilst is Oz

Plus the nightmare of trying to manage a rental from halfway around the world. 

i hear you! sounds all very complicated really. What kind of specialist would you recommend to talk this over with? Would an accountant cut it / a tax specialist? 

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11 hours ago, cricha200 said:

I am a qualified social worker in the UK (Scotland) and looking to apply for the 189 visa specifically. I was wondering though if anyone has experience / if it can be the case working in both Aus for say 9-10 months out of the year, and working in the UK the rest? I understand that with the 189 PR is granted, but wondering if that entails moving to an Aussie passport or keep my UK one? I can't find anything online to indicate this.

Additionally, I am wondering if anyone has experience in owning property here in the UK and living on a 189 visa in Aus - how does this work r.e tax etc? 

Working in two countries

Once you have your 189 skilled visa, there is no obligation to work as a social worker or even to work at all.   So there is nothing to stop you working in both countries if you wish. It will be a bit of a tax headache but that is easily solved by using a tax agent to do your taxes.  It doesn't cost a fortune. Just make sure you use someone like Alan who knows the tax rules for both countries.  They can overlap and someone who only knows the British system or only knows the Aussie one, can make mistakes through ignorance than could cost you dear!

You do pay tax in both countries, BUT you don't end up paying double tax, because there is a double taxation agreement and they offset each other.

Passports

The 189 gives you the right to live in Australia, not citizenship - so no Aussie passport unless you decide you want to be a citizen (which you can't do until you've been a resident for four+ years). Even then, you don't need to hand in your UK passport.  Many of us hold both passports. 

Just be aware that on a 189, your right to live in Australia isn't permanent (which is why getting citizenship is a good idea if you want to stay long-term).  I won't go into it now, but make sure you look into the ins and outs once you've got the visa. 

Owning property in the UK and living in Australia

Lots of people do it.  Again, it's a tax headache if you try to DIY, but you get the same tax agent to look after the tax returns for you - then it's a dawdle!  If you're planning to return to the property eventually, then it's probably the best option for you.  

You'll hear horror stories about bad tenants, and anyone can be unlucky - but it depends on the property and who looks after it.  Take a look around the suburb and see how other rental properties in the area are looked after - that will give you some idea of the kind of tenant you're likely to get. Prepare the property as if you were going to live in it, that way you'll attract a top-drawer tenant.  Do thorough research into local letting agents before choosing the one you want to manage it. 

Edited by Marisawright
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7 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Working in two countries

Once you have your 189 skilled visa, there is no obligation to work as a social worker or even to work at all.   So there is nothing to stop you working in both countries if you wish. It will be a bit of a tax headache but that is easily solved by using a tax agent to do your taxes.  It doesn't cost a fortune. Just make sure you use someone like Alan who knows the tax rules for both countries.  They can overlap and someone who only knows the British system or only knows the Aussie one, can make mistakes through ignorance than could cost you dear!

You do pay tax in both countries, BUT you don't end up paying double tax, because there is a double taxation agreement and they offset each other.

Passports

The 189 gives you the right to live in Australia, not citizenship - so no Aussie passport unless you decide you want to be a citizen (which you can't do until you've been a resident for four+ years). Even then, you don't need to hand in your UK passport.  Many of us hold both passports. 

Just be aware that on a 189, your right to live in Australia isn't permanent (which is why getting citizenship is a good idea if you want to stay long-term).  I won't go into it now, but make sure you look into the ins and outs once you've got the visa. 

Owning property in the UK and living in Australia

Lots of people do it.  Again, it's a tax headache if you try to DIY, but you get the same tax agent to look after the tax returns for you - then it's a dawdle!  If you're planning to return to the property eventually, then it's probably the best option for you.  

You'll hear horror stories about bad tenants, and anyone can be unlucky - but it depends on the property and who looks after it.  Take a look around the suburb and see how other rental properties in the area are looked after - that will give you some idea of the kind of tenant you're likely to get. Prepare the property as if you were going to live in it, that way you'll attract a top-drawer tenant.  Do thorough research into local letting agents before choosing the one you want to manage it. 

Hi Marisa,

Thankyou so much for taking the time to go through each of my points - much appreciated.

You are the second person to recommend discussing with Alan so i have dropped him an email to scope things out. Thanks for the clarification on passports and points for thought regarding renting property here in the UK.

 

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7 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Just curious, why are you thinking of coming for a few years only?

For me, I just feel "home is home", and I have a large family here with ageing parents. However, I am 27y.o and want to make the most of my 'better years' of life, and build myself professionally and have the life experiences I want that being in that corner of the world will offer me. That said, I have only lived / worked in Oz on a working holiday visa, which restricted my work options to NGO and not statutory social work which is my preference. So whilst I am minded to split my time between the two, who knows, that might change once I find the right job and the right state.  

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1 hour ago, cricha200 said:

You are the second person to recommend discussing with Alan...

 

There are lots of good tax people who know the British system and lots who know the Australian one, but very few who work across both systems.  Alan is one of those few, which is why his name crops up so often.  

He's also a migration agent so you could consider using him to get your visa application done.  I don't know if he offers discounts for bulk!

Edited by Marisawright
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1 hour ago, cricha200 said:

For me, I just feel "home is home", and I have a large family here with ageing parents. However, I am 27y.o and want to make the most of my 'better years' of life, and build myself professionally and have the life experiences I want that being in that corner of the world will offer me. 

Sounds good.  I would urge you to get things moving asap, because being a social worker right now, you have an advantage, and it would be a shame to lose that. 

Currently, visa processing is almost at a standstill EXCEPT for occupations that are on the Priority list for Covid - and Social Worker is one of those occupations.  It means that in the current emergency, your application will be processed much faster and you may need fewer points to get a place.  

Applying now doesn't mean you have to move now.  Once you get your visa, you just need to fly over to Australia for a short visit to activate it, and then it's valid for almost 5 years. So you can take your time to plan for and make your move. 

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17 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

There are lots of good tax people who know the British system and lots who know the Australian one, but very few who work across both systems.  Alan is one of those few, which is why his name crops up so often.  

He's also a migration agent so you could consider using him to get your visa application done.  I don't know if he offers discounts for bulk!

Perfect, sounds like the most sensible option! Thanks so much for your help here.

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9 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Sounds good.  I would urge you to get things moving asap, because being a social worker right now, you have an advantage, and it would be a shame to lose that. 

Currently, visa processing is almost at a standstill EXCEPT for occupations that are on the Priority list for Covid - and Social Worker is one of those occupations.  It means that in the current emergency, your application will be processed much faster and you may need fewer points to get a place.  

Applying now doesn't mean you have to move now.  Once you get your visa, you just need to fly over to Australia for a short visit to activate it, and then it's valid for almost 5 years. So you can take your time to plan for and make your move. 

100%...particularly as the skills assessment alone takes 5-7 months. When I was there during COVID beginning, there became a massive demand for social workers particularly in mental health as the pandemic went on. I predict this will be ongoing for quite some time, hence being on the priority list. Fortune is for sure in my favour!

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It's a good point! For me, my preference actually lies in doing agency work, i.e taking fixed contracts here and there, as I find it helps me develop more professionally, do different roles, learn from different people etc. As you rightly said, doing this leave very little in the way of public entitlements in the system which is a huge downfall. However, given the current state of things in the UK and pension ages increasing constantly, this leaves me thinking my entitlements would be quite low anyway, and I might as well make the most of my life pre dependence on public entitlements (if that makes sense). I suppose I am quite the millennial thinker.

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