Over 45 options for medics

[Sausage]

My wife and I both work in healthcare, with her being a consultant doctor. 

We have spent lots of time in Australia over the years, and we have long hoped to emigrate, however it hasn't been possible so far due to family commitments. 

This will sound morbid - but we plan on waiting until my mother in law dies (the main cause of our family commitments!)  before we make the move, and due to progression of illnesses she has it looks like that will happen in the next few years. That will take us both beyond the age of 45.

I think for our situation (doctors in general) there is presently a path to permanent migration with 2 possible exemptions from the 45 year age limit if I'm reading it correctly .  First being we could move to a regional area under a 482 visa for 2 years, then apply for 186 visa with the regional part providing the exemption.  Secondly, any job my wife gets will exceed the Fair work high income threshold, looks like any worker who has a job paying over the threshold for 2 years can also apply for a 186 visa (seemingly without the regional aspect applying?)

I'm wondering if anyone has experience of using these exemptions, and can give their experience?

 

Obviously its not ideal - we would be moving under a temporary visa with no guarantee of the exemptions still being available at the time of applying, and no guarantee of our health being good at that time etc.... But by the same token If we apply for a permanent visa now, we would possibly not be able to move before it expires.  Its a case of making the best of it.

[paulhand]

40 minutes ago, Sausage said:

My wife and I both work in healthcare, with her being a consultant doctor. 

We have spent lots of time in Australia over the years, and we have long hoped to emigrate, however it hasn't been possible so far due to family commitments. 

This will sound morbid - but we plan on waiting until my mother in law dies (the main cause of our family commitments!)  before we make the move, and due to progression of illnesses she has it looks like that will happen in the next few years. That will take us both beyond the age of 45.

I think for our situation (doctors in general) there is presently a path to permanent migration with 2 possible exemptions from the 45 year age limit if I'm reading it correctly .  First being we could move to a regional area under a 482 visa for 2 years, then apply for 186 visa with the regional part providing the exemption.  Secondly, any job my wife gets will exceed the Fair work high income threshold, looks like any worker who has a job paying over the threshold for 2 years can also apply for a 186 visa (seemingly without the regional aspect applying?)

I'm wondering if anyone has experience of using these exemptions, and can give their experience?

 

Obviously its not ideal - we would be moving under a temporary visa with no guarantee of the exemptions still being available at the time of applying, and no guarantee of our health being good at that time etc.... But by the same token If we apply for a permanent visa now, we would possibly not be able to move before it expires.  Its a case of making the best of it.

I suggest that you get some professional advice on your options as these are complex scenarios. Any permanent visa granted now would offer you 5 years in which to make a move.

[Steve Elliott]

As Paul suggested, I would seek out some professional advice.

As a Migration agent I have worked with many families and individuals who, having confirmed their visa eligibility and made the decision to migrate, were not ready to make the physical move at that point of time, but still wanted to lock in their migration pathway with a view to physically making the move maybe 2-5 years down the track. 

Australian migration rules could be likened to a Sushi train. You see something you want but miss it first time round. You then have to hope it's still there on the next loop, hoping it hasn't been removed by another customer and if it has, will the Sushi chef be making anymore. It may sound silly but that's pretty much how it works, except with the visa system, sometimes the train can stop without notice, only to restart with a new menu with many items totally removed and some items changed beyond recognition. 

One way to approach such uncertainty might be to examine your potential eligibility for all (if more than one) and formulate the most suitable migration plan. Even if not ready to move, you will have a "business plan" which you can execute. This might look like what I refer to as a call option. In other words, all possible options are considered, and risks assessed to determine an agreed strategy in full knowledge and expectation that the odd curve ball might be encountered along the journey. At the end of the day, if your circumstances are such that a move to Australia is no longer on the cards, at worst, you will have lost some money, but at least you had the option. It's a little like paying your insurance premium when you don't make a claim!

The benefit of this approach is you would be walking through an open doorway. If you wait until you are physically ready to move, that doorway may have closed. If you walk through the open doorway, and it slams shut afterwards, it doesn't matter as you will already be on your way (metaphorically).

What is critical is that you fully understand all the possible options, risks and associated costs of your potential pathways, so that you can make a fully informed decision.