Visiting parent query

[MacGyver]

Hi,

Today we awoke to the devastating news that my partners mother may be able to take early retirement in the next few years and she is interested in spending 6 months each year with us in Australia.

She is a US citizen and has one daughter in the US and one in Australia (my partner). Would we be correct in thinking the best way for her to spend 6 months visiting each year would be to apply for Tourist visa 600 as opposed to a more expensive and complicated parent visa, or making use of 2x ETAs each year with a necessary short trip out the country to renew this after 3 months?

This is all post Covid considerations (a couple of years time) so not too concerned with current tourist visa restrictions.

If she went down the 600 visa route each year, is she able to do this every year, essentially forever, as long as she meets the visa requirements (health, finance etc), or is there a limitation to how many times she can pursue a 6 month visit this way?

Final question, does anyone know of any good support groups/counselling to cope with living with your mother in law for 6 months every year, forever?

[Marisawright]

If you go for a parent visa, she would eventually be able to stay all year round...

[ramot]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

Hi,

Today we awoke to the devastating news that my partners mother may be able to take early retirement in the next few years and she is interested in spending 6 months each year with us in Australia.

She is a US citizen and has one daughter in the US and one in Australia (my partner). Would we be correct in thinking the best way for her to spend 6 months visiting each year would be to apply for Tourist visa 600 as opposed to a more expensive and complicated parent visa, or making use of 2x ETAs each year with a necessary short trip out the country to renew this after 3 months?

This is all post Covid considerations (a couple of years time) so not too concerned with current tourist visa restrictions.

If she went down the 600 visa route each year, is she able to do this every year, essentially forever, as long as she meets the visa requirements (health, finance etc), or is there a limitation to how many times she can pursue a 6 month visit this way?

Final question, does anyone know of any good support groups/counselling to cope with living with your mother in law for 6 months every year, forever?

Some of us are lovely!? Not sure I would want to live in my SIL’s pocket for 6 months, possibly not fair to anyone? You should both have your own space somehow to keep  sane.Can’t help with visa, but might consider setting up a counseling service for a fee.

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by ramot

[MacGyver]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

If you go for a parent visa, she would eventually be able to stay all year round...

One step at a time marissa 

We did actually wonder if tourist visas were a good short term option, with a parent visa (contributory offshore parent visa??) processing in the background for the next 10 years. I imagine we’ll have a chat to one of the agents on here but just getting a rough idea for now 

[Toots]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

Hi,

Today we awoke to the devastating news that my partners mother may be able to take early retirement in the next few years and she is interested in spending 6 months each year with us in Australia.

She is a US citizen and has one daughter in the US and one in Australia (my partner). Would we be correct in thinking the best way for her to spend 6 months visiting each year would be to apply for Tourist visa 600 as opposed to a more expensive and complicated parent visa, or making use of 2x ETAs each year with a necessary short trip out the country to renew this after 3 months?

This is all post Covid considerations (a couple of years time) so not too concerned with current tourist visa restrictions.

If she went down the 600 visa route each year, is she able to do this every year, essentially forever, as long as she meets the visa requirements (health, finance etc), or is there a limitation to how many times she can pursue a 6 month visit this way?

Final question, does anyone know of any good support groups/counselling to cope with living with your mother in law for 6 months every year, forever?

Have you met your partner's mother?  Just wondering why the news of her maybe coming to Australia for 6 months every year is devastating.    PIO member Quoll's parents came for 6 months at a time I believe  .....................  they had their own granny flat though.  

[MacGyver]

34 minutes ago, ramot said:

Some of us are lovely!? Not sure I would want to live in my SIL’s pocket for 6 months, possibly not fair to anyone? You should both have your own space somehow to keep  sane.Can’t help with visa, but might consider setting up a counseling service for a fee.

 

We would be happy to have her, she’s a lovely lady. We are thinking a granny flat so everyone can have some privacy might be a good solution. Early stages of discussion and planning at the moment.

[MacGyver]

1 minute ago, Toots said:

Have you met your partner's mother?  Just wondering why the news of her maybe coming to Australia for 6 months every year is devastating.    PIO member Quoll's parents came for 6 months at a time I believe  .....................  they had their own granny flat though.  

Hi Toots, I just posted at exactly the same time as you. Yes we’ve have her stay with us for a month each year and she’s lovely. We think a granny flat would be a good solution but wanted to consider the best short and long term visa strategy 

[Marisawright]

24 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

We did actually wonder if tourist visas were a good short term option, with a parent visa (contributory offshore parent visa??) processing in the background for the next 10 years.

That seems like a sensible solution, although how old would she be by then?  A shame to invest in a parent visa and then find she's not up to the long journeys any more by that time.

[Tulip1]

8 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

Hi Toots, I just posted at exactly the same time as you. Yes we’ve have her stay with us for a month each year and she’s lovely. We think a granny flat would be a good solution but wanted to consider the best short and long term visa strategy 

Glad you like her.  I have to say it’s putting a lot on someone to say I’ll be staying with you for six months every year. I personally wouldn’t dream of doing that.  My grown up kids have their own space and I would never invade it like that but we are all different.  It perhaps depends on how independent someone is too. Quolls parents from memory had a granny flat and embraced a life of their own social activities so it worked great. If on the other hand you’d feel you had to include them in much of your social life then that’s a lot on you.  I’ll maybe move there one day on a parent visa but I’d not be expecting to live with my kids.  I’ve always had a great relationship with my parents (just mum left now) but I will be honest, them living with me would never have been an option.   If you’re perfectly happy about it though it’s all good. If you’re not or have doubts  stop it before it starts. Happy planning and good luck.

[Tulip1]

9 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

That seems like a sensible solution, although how old would she be by then?  A shame to invest in a parent visa and then find she's not up to the long journeys any more by that time.

The initial fee is low (a few grand) so it’s probably worth getting in the queue anyway. If it goes wrong it’s not a huge loss. That’s actually what I did.  I had/have no wild desire to move to Australia but knowing my kids were there I thought I’d one day perhaps feel different. I decided to join the queue and make a decision when the time came to either pay the high fee or pull out. I thought I was more likely to stick with it which I am going to do because I don’t need to move out straight away, I can still spend some years deciding when. 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Tulip1

[paulhand]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

One step at a time marissa 

We did actually wonder if tourist visas were a good short term option, with a parent visa (contributory offshore parent visa??) processing in the background for the next 10 years. I imagine we’ll have a chat to one of the agents on here but just getting a rough idea for now 

This sounds like a pragmatic solution in your circumstances. If she is in the parent queue you should be able to get a long term visitor visa that allows a maximum of 12 months stay in any 18 ... 

[MacGyver]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

That seems like a sensible solution, although how old would she be by then?  A shame to invest in a parent visa and then find she's not up to the long journeys any more by that time.

She would only be in her early 70s by that time. 70 is the new 50 so she should be fine (hopefully).

[MacGyver]

24 minutes ago, paulhand said:

This sounds like a pragmatic solution in your circumstances. If she is in the parent queue you should be able to get a long term visitor visa that allows a maximum of 12 months stay in any 18 ... 

Thanks paul that’s good to know. I may contact you in the near future for a (paid) in depth discussion, once we’ve held more conversations with her.

[MacGyver]

1 hour ago, Tulip1 said:

The initial fee is low (a few grand) so it’s probably worth getting in the queue anyway. If it goes wrong it’s not a huge loss. That’s actually what I did.  I had/have no wild desire to move to Australia but knowing my kids were there I thought I’d one day perhaps feel different. I decided to join the queue and make a decision when the time came to either pay the high fee or pull out. I thought I was more likely to stick with it which I am going to do because I don’t need to move out straight away, I can still spend some years deciding when. 

I didn’t know the fee was paid in instalments for this visa, which is very good to know. I’ve only just started reading about it today but thought it was $47k straight off the bat!

[newjez]

5 hours ago, MacGyver said:

Today we awoke to the devastating news that my partners mother may be able to take early retirement in the next few years and she is interested in spending 6 months each year with us in Australia

I laughed at that.

Actually I live with my mother in law, and she is brilliant at keeping my wife under control by proxy, so I don't need to get involved in any conflicts. Plus she loves sport, so I watch sports with her on her very comfortable lounge suite.

[newjez]

3 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

Glad you like her.  I have to say it’s putting a lot on someone to say I’ll be staying with you for six months every year. I personally wouldn’t dream of doing that.

When we get to that age we will offer them the money, but they will have the responsibility of looking after us. A bit king Lear, but their choice and it will give them a good start.

[calNgary]

3 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

Glad you like her.  I have to say it’s putting a lot on someone to say I’ll be staying with you for six months every year. I personally wouldn’t dream of doing that.  My grown up kids have their own space and I would never invade it like that but we are all different.  It perhaps depends on how independent someone is too. Quolls parents from memory had a granny flat and embraced a life of their own social activities so it worked great. If on the other hand you’d feel you had to include them in much of your social life then that’s a lot on you.  I’ll maybe move there one day on a parent visa but I’d not be expecting to live with my kids.  I’ve always had a great relationship with my parents (just mum left now) but I will be honest, them living with me would never have been an option.   If you’re perfectly happy about it though it’s all good. If you’re not or have doubts  stop it before it starts. Happy planning and good luck.

My In laws are like you and just wouldnt do it, but i would happily happily have them here all year round if they would. Of course in a granny flat or something to give each other their own space, but i am a bit of a more the merrier and like a full house, unlike my hubby is who the total opposite,lol.

 Cal x

[Tulip1]

3 hours ago, MacGyver said:

I didn’t know the fee was paid in instalments for this visa, which is very good to know. I’ve only just started reading about it today but thought it was $47k straight off the bat!

No, just a small instalment to lodge the application and the 2nd instalment at the very end (visa usually granted within a day or two of last instalment) I sometimes wonder if many don’t know that or it doesn’t cross their minds. I often see on here parents about to embark on the 143 journey and have kids that have been there several years, often with citizenship so you know it’s been sometime.  They are shocked at the queue lengths and I often think why didn’t you just lodge an application some years ago and forget about it like I did.  

[Marisawright]

9 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

 I sometimes wonder if many don’t know that or it doesn’t cross their minds. I often see on here parents about to embark on the 143 journey and have kids that have been there several years, often with citizenship so you know it’s been sometime.  They are shocked at the queue lengths and I often think why didn’t you just lodge an application some years ago and forget about it like I did.  

I'm sure it's because they have no idea, and why should they?  Everyone knows that a visa is something you apply for when you want to travel.   Knowing how slow government departments can be, they might think it would take a few months to process, but years?  I think that would be a surprise to most people.

I also think a lot of people migrate with the idea it'll be easy to bring their parents and other family members later.  I don't know where that idea comes from - like a lot of things, it may be from stories of aunties and uncles and family friends who did it 30 or 40 years ago. 

I see it on here with skilled visas too.  There was a doctor last week, I think, who posted to say, "I'd like to migrate to Australia in March 2022, when should I start the process?" 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Marisawright

[Tulip1]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

I'm sure it's because they have no idea, and why should they?  Everyone knows that a visa is something you apply for when you want to travel.   Knowing how slow government departments can be, they might think it would take a few months to process, but years?  I think that would be a surprise to most people.

I also think a lot of people migrate with the idea it'll be easy to bring their parents and other family members later.  I don't know where that idea comes from - like a lot of things, it may be from stories of aunties and uncles and family friends who did it 30 or 40 years ago. 

I see it on here with skilled visas too.  There was a doctor last week, I think, who posted to say, "I'd like to migrate to Australia in March 2022, when should I start the process?" 

Perhaps I’m unusual then as I looked into what would be possible and what would be involved many years before I’d have had any intention of possibly moving over. I am an organised planner though which isn’t always a good thing.  Sure people know a visa is something you may have to apply for when you want to travel but that’s for your annual holiday.  It’s not possible to just move to any country we fancy and I don’t think most people would be surprised at that. I get what you say about people thinking family can just be easy add ons and that was probably much easier a long time ago.  We see it on here often, people saying they have an uncle over there or something with an assumption that will cut the deal.  I know many won’t think to look into the process in advance.  I just think it’s a shame they didn’t as many would be saved much heartache if they had of.  Some would have been caught out too as I remember when the contributory parent visa first came in there wasn’t a queue, it was a very quick process. Fast forward to now and it’s a different matter.  You’re right that the years it does take now would be a surprise to most, it’s gone crazy. 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Tulip1

[Paul1Perth]

Just tell her she's dreaming and a month is tops for a visit.

My in laws came for a month when we got the house, then my parents. Then my inlaws rang and told my wife they were thinking of coming for 3 months. We had a chat and agreed that a month was long enough and we would tell our respective parents. 

My wifes Dad is a nice guy and I get on well with her parents, probably better than my wife copes, she gets a bit stressed. 

Anyway, my eldest was about 4 at the time and heard our conversation. He answered the phone when his Grandad rang and he loved a chat so we left him chatting. The conversation got on to them coming for 3 months and my son said that's fine by me Grandad but I don't think Paul's too happy.

They never mentioned coming for 3 months again. They cruised over and back 3 times, sailed into Sydney once and came over on the India Pacific, so they found ways to make a longer holiday of it.

Only way I'd consider in-laws or my parents or any relative for that matter, no matter how well you get on, is for them to have their own place.

[Toots]

7 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

Just tell her she's dreaming and a month is tops for a visit.

My in laws came for a month when we got the house, then my parents. Then my inlaws rang and told my wife they were thinking of coming for 3 months. We had a chat and agreed that a month was long enough and we would tell our respective parents. 

My wifes Dad is a nice guy and I get on well with her parents, probably better than my wife copes, she gets a bit stressed. 

Anyway, my eldest was about 4 at the time and heard our conversation. He answered the phone when his Grandad rang and he loved a chat so we left him chatting. The conversation got on to them coming for 3 months and my son said that's fine by me Grandad but I don't think Paul's too happy.

They never mentioned coming for 3 months again. They cruised over and back 3 times, sailed into Sydney once and came over on the India Pacific, so they found ways to make a longer holiday of it.

Only way I'd consider in-laws or my parents or any relative for that matter, no matter how well you get on, is for them to have their own place.

[palaceboy1]

On 15/02/2021 at 07:35, Paul1Perth said:

Just tell her she's dreaming and a month is tops for a visit.

My in laws came for a month when we got the house, then my parents. Then my inlaws rang and told my wife they were thinking of coming for 3 months. We had a chat and agreed that a month was long enough and we would tell our respective parents. 

My wifes Dad is a nice guy and I get on well with her parents, probably better than my wife copes, she gets a bit stressed. 

Anyway, my eldest was about 4 at the time and heard our conversation. He answered the phone when his Grandad rang and he loved a chat so we left him chatting. The conversation got on to them coming for 3 months and my son said that's fine by me Grandad but I don't think Paul's too happy.

They never mentioned coming for 3 months again. They cruised over and back 3 times, sailed into Sydney once and came over on the India Pacific, so they found ways to make a longer holiday of it.

Only way I'd consider in-laws or my parents or any relative for that matter, no matter how well you get on, is for them to have their own place.

Maybe house swops is the way to go . We have done ten in Australia between one month and six months includes car as well and free

 

 

[DrDougster]

On 13/02/2021 at 14:25, MacGyver said:

Hi,

Today we awoke to the devastating news that my partners mother may be able to take early retirement in the next few years and she is interested in spending 6 months each year with us in Australia.

She is a US citizen and has one daughter in the US and one in Australia (my partner). Would we be correct in thinking the best way for her to spend 6 months visiting each year would be to apply for Tourist visa 600 as opposed to a more expensive and complicated parent visa, or making use of 2x ETAs each year with a necessary short trip out the country to renew this after 3 months?

This is all post Covid considerations (a couple of years time) so not too concerned with current tourist visa restrictions.

If she went down the 600 visa route each year, is she able to do this every year, essentially forever, as long as she meets the visa requirements (health, finance etc), or is there a limitation to how many times she can pursue a 6 month visit this way?

Final question, does anyone know of any good support groups/counselling to cope with living with your mother in law for 6 months every year, forever?

Trip to Bunnings for 2shovels, 10m polythene and a reciprocating saw?

[Graham Fletcher]

My significant other is a non-resident and only comes over on Tourist visas. She stays for two or three months then goes home for a month or two. The three year visa allows her as many visits as she wants. It's not how it's supposed to work but it cost about $300 including the medical rather than $7000+ for the partner visa!

I plan to retire in a few years and move to her home country so it makes no sense paying out thousands when you don't have to - she has no intention of working here so it's simple. And a Tourist visa takes weeks to obtain rather than months or years!