UK Citizen & Australian partner emigration...

[Ollie2212]

Hi guys!

So myself and my partner have been planning to move to Australia (Brisbane) for a while now and I was hoping we could get some advice and clarification from people who have been through the process themselves. She is an Australian citizen from Tasmania and has been with me in the UK for the last couple of years (unsure if this would strengthen our application in any way?) We would like to move there permanently although from what I understand, this will be achieved through a series of short-term visas followed by a final application further down the road. The plan would be for me to apply for the initial one-year working holiday visa, followed by the second, third, and eventually final one. 

The research I've done has led to a number of questions. Firstly, it states that I would only be able to work in one place for 6 months. Our plan involved trying to secure a job offer before arrival, or find a job immediately upon arrival (this would be Hospitality.) Is it correct that I would only be able to work for 6 months? If so, how would this impact rental property managers' view of our finance? Will it be as simple as 5 months in, start applying for a different bar/restaurant for work? 

In relation to the above, we also planned on renting a property somewhere nice with the intention of staying for at least 3 years. We don't want to travel around and "backpack". We want to arrive and set up home somewhere. Is it likely we would be able to find somewhere online beforehand, and if so, what kind of things would they require to secure tenancy? For example, proof of funds, a guarantor, or an upfront deposit/ advanced payment of rent. I understand a lot of places tend to be on 12-month contracts, but if my visa permits a 12-month stay, would this be okay?

I have also seen information regarding a change in the "specified work" situation. I understand that most visa applicants will have to do a mandatory 3 months of specified work but there is supposed to be some sort of a change recently for British nationals. Can anyone provide more info?

Any advice that would help us best prepare before submitting this initial visa application would be greatly appreciated. As said we would like to arrive in Brisbane and work full time with the intention of staying for the indefinite future.

 

Thanks!

Ollie.

[Quoll]

If she's your partner why would you not apply for a partner visa? Then you could stay where you want and work where you want. Seems silly to faff about with WHV and hope you might one day be allowed to stay. All the other stuff is irrelevant until you get a visa. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Quoll

[Tulip1]

 I’m surprised you haven’t lodged a partner visa, especially as you say you’ve been planning the move for a while.  This takes several months to get but would give you everything you need in terms of not worrying about getting a WHV.  I’d get on with the partner visa ASAP which will make everything else much easier.  If you’d rather not do it all yourself, there are several excellent migrant agents on this site.  Best of luck.  

[Ollie2212]

The reason I haven’t considered the partner visa is because despite us debating this for a long time, it hasn’t been something we’ve been certain on until recently. She is now only left with a year on her UK visa (which I guess she could extended), however  it does state it could take up to 32 months, and there’s is also an $8000 cost, so even if it was approved quickly, it would take a majority chunk of our savings which we need to prove we can live their and use for rental costs etc. The plan was to use the holiday visa as a way of getting us over there faster & cheaper, and then get saving for a partner visa when we’ve settled there. There is of course, also the chance that I find in my first year that it isn’t for me, in which case we haven’t spend an additional $8000 on something that didn’t work out. 

[wrussell]

 You are barking up the wrong tree!

If you go to my website pinoyau.com and use the contact form, I shall put you on the right bus, tram, plane...

[Tulip1]

12 minutes ago, Ollie2212 said:

The reason I haven’t considered the partner visa is because despite us debating this for a long time, it hasn’t been something we’ve been certain on until recently. She is now only left with a year on her UK visa (which I guess she could extended), however  it does state it could take up to 32 months, and there’s is also an $8000 cost, so even if it was approved quickly, it would take a majority chunk of our savings which we need to prove we can live their and use for rental costs etc. The plan was to use the holiday visa as a way of getting us over there faster & cheaper, and then get saving for a partner visa when we’ve settled there. There is of course, also the chance that I find in my first year that it isn’t for me, in which case we haven’t spend an additional $8000 on something that didn’t work out. 

I would take wrussells’s advice and contact him if I was you.  

[Ollie2212]

Just after some general advice on the questions above, not to commit to a migration agent right now…

[JMcKie]

I would apply for the partner visa as suggested above. I applied for my 309 and it was approved within 7 months. I also had a similar situation where my Aussie partner didn't have more than a year left on her UK visa either. I would also highly recommend using an agent to help with the process, they make things much easier from personal experience.

[Ollie2212]

Like I say the only reason we are wary of that  option, is it is a large financial commitment for something that we may not enjoy. If I were to first go on a one year holiday visa and decided within that year that I didn’t like living their, we would simply return to the UK. If we did love that first year (which I’m sure we would!), we could then commit to a partner visa.

[rammygirl]

Get some basic advice. A partner visa can be lodged onshore if you come, this will give you a bridging visa with full work rights until the main visa is granted. Obviously your personal circumstances need to be assessed but ……

The bridging visa only comes into effect when your current visa runs out so you could be better coming on a short term visit visa rather than a WHV.

Edited August 21, 2022 by rammygirl

[Ollie2212]

So does it not make sense to initially go for a one year holiday visa to see if I like it as opposed to spending $8000 on somewhere I may chose to leave after 6 months?
 

If anyone can give answers on my initial questions regarding funds/guranteed/upfront payments needed to secure rent, as well as my question about the essential work on a WHV it would be greatly appreciated

Thanks guys 

[Jon the Hat]

7 minutes ago, Ollie2212 said:

So does it not make sense to initially go for a one year holiday visa to see if I like it as opposed to spending $8000 on somewhere I may chose to leave after 6 months?
 

If anyone can give answers on my initial questions regarding funds/guranteed/upfront payments needed to secure rent, as well as my question about the essential work on a WHV it would be greatly appreciated

Thanks guys 

In my recent experience you can either provide proof of funds or employment. They will however also want to know your visa status, and given the current competitive rental market you might be at a disadvantage not having a longer term visa.  It is generally advised not to sign anything on a rental until you have actually seen it - agents famously use old and manipulated photos to make things look better than they are.  Also a decent agent would not let you a decent property without meeting you so you can almost guarantee it is a bad idea unless you are paying a fortune though a relocation agent etc.  Find yourself an air bnb for a few weeks and look around.  Hospitality if crying out for workers at the moment.

One more note - if your partner is close to getting UK citizenship it is worth sticking it out for a year or two to get it - as partner visa in the UK is harder to get including you proving you earn enough to provide for her.

[Ollie2212]

I had a little look at what you said about a bridging visa. So would that mean I initially apply for the First year working visa, then if during that year we decide it’s where we want to stay long term, we apply for the Partner visa, followed by the bridging visa, which would allow me to stay and work until the partner visa is applied?

 

Apologies for all the questions! 

[Ollie2212]

6 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

In my recent experience you can either provide proof of funds or employment. They will however also want to know your visa status, and given the current competitive rental market you might be at a disadvantage not having a longer term visa.  It is generally advised not to sign anything on a rental until you have actually seen it - agents famously use old and manipulated photos to make things look better than they are.  Also a decent agent would not let you a decent property without meeting you so you can almost guarantee it is a bad idea unless you are paying a fortune though a relocation agent etc.  Find yourself an air bnb for a few weeks and look around.  Hospitality if crying out for workers at the moment.

One more note - if your partner is close to getting UK citizenship it is worth sticking it out for a year or two to get it - as partner visa in the UK is harder to get including you proving you earn enough to provide for her.

Thank you for the information! There is then the possibility of staying with her family upon arrival for a few months. Then if we decide we want to stay long term, apply for a partner visa and then it sounds like we will have an easier job of securing a rental?

[Marisawright]

5 hours ago, Ollie2212 said:

So myself and my partner have been planning to move to Australia (Brisbane).... She is an Australian citizen from Tasmania and has been with me in the UK for the last couple of years (unsure if this would strengthen our application in any way?) ..... The plan would be for me to apply for the initial one-year working holiday visa.... 

Having read your responses, I think your strategy is the right one.  No point spending all that money on a partner visa unless you're sure you're going to stay.  Especially as it's so easy and quick to get the one-year Working Holiday Visa (WHV).  

HOWEVER you have a much bigger problem. If you decide Australia isn't for you, where will you go?  Your Aussie partner won't be able to get a visa for the UK.  The partner visa for the UK is totally different and you MUST meet the financial requirements.  That means you must have a job offer in the UK paying at least £18,600 a year before you can even apply.  As it's so incredibly difficult to get a job offer in the UK while you're overseas, you'll probably have to return to the UK on your own and find a job first. You'll also have to prove you have a home to live in.

Therefore, I'd look into what the possibilities are for your Aussie partner to get a UK partner visa of some kind now, while you've got a job and a home to stay in. Once that's settled, even if it takes another year or two, it's worth it because it will mean you have the security of being able to return if you want to.

[Quoll]

In the scheme of things, $8k is going to be a drop in the ocean and more than compensation for the run around you will get trying to live there on temporary visas (career work on WHV can be hard to come by and if you can manage on a  hospitality type income it wont be lush).  I agree with Marisawright, get your partner's UK citizenship sorted before you think about moving on if you can, because for her to return could be impossible which would certainly stymie your chances of returning if you find you dont like it.

[Ollie2212]

1 minute ago, Marisawright said:

Having read your responses, I think your strategy is the right one.  No point spending all that money on a partner visa unless you're sure you're going to stay.  Especially as it's so easy and quick to get the one-year Working Holiday Visa (WHV).  

HOWEVER you have a much bigger problem. If you decide Australia isn't for you, where will you go?  Your Aussie partner won't be able to get a visa for the UK.  The partner visa for the UK is totally different and you MUST meet the financial requirements.  That means you must have a job offer in the UK paying at least £18,600 a year before you can even apply.  As it's so incredibly difficult to get a job offer in the UK while you're overseas, you'll probably have to return to the UK on your own and find a job first. You'll also have to prove you have a home to live in.

Therefore, I'd look into what the possibilities are for your Aussie partner to get a UK partner visa of some kind now, while you've got a job and a home to stay in. Once that's settled, even if it takes another year or two, it's worth it because it will mean you have the security of being able to return if you want to.

Thank you for the information. That is certainly something to discus and have a think about. Another thing I’ve come across online but can’t find much information about…some people have said that when you apply for a working holiday visa, you must state that you don’t intend to stay indefinitely. If you were then to go on at a later date and apply for a partner visa; it may seem as if you were lying on your original application. Obviously this is not the case. I have absolutely no idea whether or not I would intend to stay, and I wouldn’t know how I felt about it without first going for a year on a working holiday. Do you think they would really look badly upon it if we ended up applying for a Partner visa, or is this something we could make clear when we first apply?

thanks!

[Ollie2212]

1 minute ago, Quoll said:

In the scheme of things, $8k is going to be a drop in the ocean and more than compensation for the run around you will get trying to live there on temporary visas (career work on WHV can be hard to come by and if you can manage on a  hospitality type income it wont be lush).  I agree with Marisawright, get your partner's UK citizenship sorted before you think about moving on if you can, because for her to return could be impossible which would certainly stymie your chances of returning if you find you dont like it.

The UK citizenship is certainly something that needs to be looked at and thank you for bringing it up. I still think when the time comes, I would rather go initially on a working visa and if need be stay with her family if working/renting would really be that difficult. Would it be an issue applying for partner visa while visiting on a holiday visa if we decided to stay long term?

[Ollie2212]

(does anyone happen to know, if she could just as easily apply to return to the UK on another working visa as she is now, if things didn’t work out in aus, or would she have to be a UK resident to return)
 

I’ve realised very quickly how tricky this seems to be. It’s very clear that the first thing we need to do is try and sort her UK Citizenship. Now whether that works out or not, she can move back to Australia and work and live freely as a citizen. I on the other hand seen to have two options. Commit to a big cost in the form of a Partner visa (this would make it much easier to work/rent/stay long term etc.) but if I don’t enjoy it there, I’m moving back to the UK single and $8000 down. Or…move on a working visa, expect stay with her family and not be guaranteed work, but at least get to check out the country and see if I enjoy it. If not, I again move back to the UK single and alone, but not $8000 down. If I did like it there, I could then apply for the partner visa, and we could settle down properly.

 

does this sound about right?

again thank you for everyone’s advice so far. It’s very overwhelming trying to sift through conflicting information on Google.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Ollie2212

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Ollie2212 said:

when you apply for a working holiday visa, you must state that you don’t intend to stay indefinitely. If you were then to go on at a later date and apply for a partner visa; it may seem as if you were lying on your original application.

You don't need to worry about that.  It's not an uncommon thing to happen.  

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Ollie2212 said:

The UK citizenship is certainly something that needs to be looked at and thank you for bringing it up. I still think when the time comes, I would rather go initially on a working visa and if need be stay with her family if working/renting would really be that difficult. Would it be an issue applying for partner visa while visiting on a holiday visa if we decided to stay long term?

I can't see why anyone would suggest going on a tourist visa, if you're eligible for a WHV.   The WHV gives you much more time to get the money together AND you can work easily, even with the 6 month-per-employer limitation.   It also lets you test out how you feel about Australia for a year before you have to make a decision.  Whereas if you go on a tourist visa  you've only got a couple of months and that's not enough.

I think you are worrying too much about not finding work.  I've had two nieces here on WHVs and they were both working full-time for most of their year (and by the way, they worked in their career).  Ditto for rentals. It's not like you are both temp visa holders, which might put a landlord off.  Just apply with your partner as main applicant.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Marisawright

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Ollie2212 said:

does anyone happen to know, if she could just as easily apply to return to the UK on another working visa as she is now, if things didn’t work out in aus, or would she have to be a UK resident to return

We can't answer that because we don't know what kind of visa your girlfriend has.  If she is eligible to get another working visa for the UK and her occupation is in great demand, then she should be fine to return to the UK on a working visa.  But if, for instance, she's in the UK on a WHV then she can't get a second one. There are thousands of Brits with foreign partners, stuck overseas because they can't get a visa for their partner, so it's important to check it out.

[JMcKie]

I can only speak from personal experience, but the lifestyle differences between the UK and Australia are chalk and cheese. Unless you get homesick which is the cause for many people moving back to the UK, Australia is a great place to live. I agree with @Marisawright in that you should apply for a WHV and then start working, within your first few months you will get a feel for living in Australia and be able to make a more informed decision then.

Edited August 22, 2022 by JMcKie
rewording

[Tulip1]

5 hours ago, Ollie2212 said:

Thank you for the information. That is certainly something to discus and have a think about. Another thing I’ve come across online but can’t find much information about…some people have said that when you apply for a working holiday visa, you must state that you don’t intend to stay indefinitely. If you were then to go on at a later date and apply for a partner visa; it may seem as if you were lying on your original application. Obviously this is not the case. I have absolutely no idea whether or not I would intend to stay, and I wouldn’t know how I felt about it without first going for a year on a working holiday. Do you think they would really look badly upon it if we ended up applying for a Partner visa, or is this something we could make clear when we first apply?

thanks!

All your unanswered questions and new ones popping up.  For such an important life changing event, isn’t it worth spending a few hundred  dollars on an initial consultation with an expert.  You’d spend more than that getting a few fillings at the dentist.  Wrussell is a well regarded agent on this site.  If he says you’re barking up the wrong tree I’d say it’s safe to assume there’s better options.  Even down to you answering questions correctly if you go for the WHV.  It’s surely not worth stuffing up an idea that you have had for sometime and want to make happen.  I doubt he will help with your rental issues but they’re not big issues.  You either stay with family for a while or get an Airbnb or similar.  

[Ollie2212]

Of course we will consult with a professional nearer the time. For now, I don’t think it hurts to ask some questions…this forum alone has raised a lot of thoughts that I can now take to a professional consultant, that can only be a good thing. Anyway, I am strongly leaning towards the Working holiday visa. Life is far too short, and I am far too young to be worrying so much about a big commitment like a partner visa. I want to go get there asap and have some fun. If it all goes well, I have the opportunity to apply for a Partner visa, if not, life goes on! 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Ollie2212