Maz Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 We are currently applying for 176 visas and my parents (both aged 65) are planning to come too (i am an only child). We were under the impression that they could initially come out shortly after us on long term temporary visas until their own parent visas were granted. After talking to poms friends tonight, they informed us that the only way to do it is if they get a contributory parent visa which costs around £38,000!! as the current waiting time for parent visas is about 17 years!! After they sell their house here in UK they will have around £100,000 to hopefully buy a small property in oz with a few thousand extra to cover travel & expenses. If they have to pay £38k to get visas then they wont have enough money to buy property. Due to the state of bad house prices in UK, we are going to loose a lot of money on our own property and therefore probably wont be able to buy somewhere big enough for my parents to live with us (not an ideal situation for either partys anyway). Desperately need advice on any ideas or solutions, can't stand the thought of having to tell them they can't afford to come :no: Maz x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuju Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Hi maz, I am in the same boat as you & paddling fast for answers, my parents have sold their villa in spain (they live there) and what with the fee to put down here on the visa & also the euro & pound not so go, its getting harder. Some one said to me that my dad could come in under a student visa (even though he is 70 something) and then he could do a 6 month or year course of which he would have to pay for & could also extend if he wanted, then he could teach that subject & apply for migration that way Havent really looked into this but could be an idea stuju :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Darwin's coming too Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hi My folks are looking at contributory parent visa too, this visa still takes 18months to process so lots of parents travel on long term tourist visa (12mths) while they wait for application to be processed. My parents & I had a suprise when we realised the $32,000 is PER applicant not per application. Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Thanks for your comments folks. Lisa, we too got a shock when we realised it was per person and not per application. Still havn't decided what to do yet but need to come up with something, can't bear to give parents the bad news! They were originally going to do the Aged Parent visa as Sara02 mentioned but didn't know the length of the waiting list. Still keeping fingers crossed someone on here has some advice:notworthy: Maz x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rickard Family Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Is it not true, that as well as having to get the visa an aged parent 65+ also has to have a large sum of money in the bank to provide for therselves and not get any help from the state. My parents are interested as they might be loosing 2 sons, 2 daughter inlaws and 8 granchildren down to Oz, leaving 1 son 1 daughter inlaw and 1 granchild in England. Does anyone know the cost and time scale to get the parents visas, if not they said they will travel down in our container!!!!!:eek:Clinton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hi All Please all start by reading Booklet 3 (Parent migration) and the details about the various Parent and Contributory Parent visas: Parent Migration Booklet Family - Visas & Immigration Currently the 2nd Instalment for Contrubutory and Contributory Aged Parents is $32,725.00 per parent, not per application or per couple. There is a quota of 6,500 visas available per year and the wait is currently around 2 years for new applications. In addition to the 2nd Instalments Contributory and Contributory Aged Parents also have to arrange for a Bond to be deposited with the Commonwealth Bank, which is held for 10 years. Provided that certain Benefits have not been claimed from Centrelink (social security) during he 10 years then the Bond will be returned in full at the end of 10 years. The amount of the Bond is currently $10,000 for the main applicant and $4,000 for his/her spouse/partner. When can they apply? They can apply as soon as: 1. They can meet the Balance of Family Test; and 2. The child who will Sponsor the Parents' application has Permanent Residency in Oz and his/her lifestyle in Oz has become settled, stable and secure. Time spent in Oz on any sort of temporary visa is included in the question of whether or not the Sponsoring child has become fully settled in to his/her own new life in Oz. What can they do during the wait for visa processing? Onshore applicants for Contributory Aged Parent visas will automatically be given Bridging Visas during the waitng period. Offshore Parents who have applied for Contributory Parent 143 or 173 visas are welcome to spend the waiting period in Oz as well, though they are required to go offshore for a week or so in order that the visas can be granted. A week in any of Bali, Singapore, Fiji or Auckland are the most usual destinations for this week offshore. The offshore Parents can get long stay tourist visas as long as they understand that they cannot work in Australia whilst they are on tourist visas: Tourist Visa (Subclass 676) Younger Parents who want to be able to work part time in Oz are eligible for Student visas instead if they wish. These provide a right to work part time. Parents who cannot afford Contributory or Contributory Aged Parent visas have the option of considering non-contributory Parent or Aged Parent visas instead, which are very much cheaper and the wait for them is nothing like 17 years! The current wait is about 8 or 9 years in reality. The drills are exactly the same as above - they merely continue for longer and the main risk is that the health of one of the Parents could change for the worse during the lengthy wait - but that can and does sometimes happen with Contributory and Contributory Parent applicants as well. If the Parents are British, then whether they are in Oz on Bridging visas, Tourist visas or Student visas they are entitled to the visitor level of Medicare which is provided under the reciprocal health care agreement with the UK and Oz: Visitors to Australia - Medicare Australia If anyone has a query about a specific situation, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail. You can do that by clicking on my user-name and selecting the e-mail option. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz Posted February 3, 2009 Author Share Posted February 3, 2009 Gill - You are a true godsend!!!! Maz x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Wellburn Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Hi Everyone Great post from gill Book 3 is a great place to start. The processing estimate for the parent visa can change every year as it is dependent on the quota. Late last year immigration increased the quota for parent visa and so what was a 15+ year waiting period dropped to 7+. What I'm saying is be cautious you could get three years into your waiting period and the government could change the quota. This is why the Contributory Parent Visa can be a better option, be it a expensive option. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cherylf Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 We applied for Mum & Dad in December 2007 and even now, February 2009, they haven't even been allocated a case officer. We're on the point of going back home, we're fed up with waiting - first we were told 6 months, but each time we phone DIAC the visa gets further and further away. Got a sneaky feeling they might be secretly relieved if we came home - Oz isn't all we thought it would be.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 Hi Cherylf, Sorry to hear that, must be very frustrating and downheartening. Can your parents go just now on a temp visa while they are waiting? Where abouts in Oz are you and in what way is it different than you expected? Maz x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gollywobbler Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 We applied for Mum & Dad in December 2007 and even now, February 2009, they haven't even been allocated a case officer. We're on the point of going back home, we're fed up with waiting - first we were told 6 months, but each time we phone DIAC the visa gets further and further away. Got a sneaky feeling they might be secretly relieved if we came home - Oz isn't all we thought it would be.... Hi Cheryl This is your other post today, on another thread, which I think is also relevant: Yes, they keep moving the goalposts. When we emigrated here in August 2007 it was on the understanding that my parents' contributory visa would be completed within 6-9 months (as it was then) or we wouldn't have come. It's now February 2009 and they haven't even been allocated a case officer yet. There are always more people in the queue than anticipated so we keep getting knocked back. Had we known we were going to wait so long before seeing them again we would have stayed in the UK. But the Government will still take our $62K in fees. Once 'in the system' they should see the application through within the original time span. This waiting is awful for families. My mother has a Contributory Parent 143 visa so I do know what the waiting feels like. Can you tell me a little more about the background, please? You moved to Oz in August 2007, you say, and then you made a CPV application for your parents in December 2007. Who is acting as their Sponsor? Do you have a sibling who was already living in Oz by the time you moved there and your sibling is sponsoring Mum & Dad? If you are the Sponsor then did you remember to provide the POPC with a shed load of additional, voluntary evidence to prove that your own life in Oz had become fully "settled" within the space of four short months only? Assuming that you are OK on the idea that the Sponsor needs to be "settled", please keep an eye on the news section of the Go Matilda forum, which is here: Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - News A Poms in Oz member called Steve (user name sandch) is running an excellent CPV tracker tool, which is here: CPV key dates tracker If your Parents are not already on it but you would like to add them, please contact Steve via this link: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/members/sandch.html There are also two lively CPV threads on here and on British Expats respectively: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/32394-contributary-parent-visa-64.html the ALL NEW SPARKLY contributory parents visa thread!!! - Page 106 : British Expat Discussion Forum To bring you up to speed on the processing timeline to save you from having to plod through too much material the situation is that at the beginning of October 2008 the POPC said that they thought they would have CPVs available during the 2008/9 Program year for everyone who applied before about mid-October 2007. The plan was to focus on granting all the CPVs available as fast as possible and then, said the POPC, once they can't grant any more visas until after 1st July 2009 they will make a start on contacting the next batch of applicants - the ones whose visas will be among the first to be granted during the 2009/10 Program year. When sandch enquired fairly recently he was told that he should hear from a CO in about April 2009 so as to get the meds & pccs done, the Assurance of Support into place, give Steve (sandch) time to arrange to send the 2nd Instalment and so on in plenty of time before 30th June 2009. Your Parents applied a little later than Steve but they will probably hear from a CO at about the same time as he does or not long afterwards. There has been a minor further development since then in as much as the POPC have now told Alan Collett (Go Matilda) that they are beginning to see cases where the CPV applicants are adversely affected by the global slowdown and so they cannot come up with their 2nd Instalments. A few extra people who were not originally expected to get their CPVs during the current program year might now do so. The POPC won't simply waste the visas. They will make sure that all 6,500 are granted for 2008/9. So all the indications are that your Parents should be offered their CPVs sometime between August & December 2009. Are they retired? If so, are they ready to leave the UK and head out to Oz? Emotionally it is far, FAR less draining if the Parents do the waiting in Oz. My mother flew to Oz 3 weeks after we had sent off her CPV application and came back to the UK a month before it was granted. She didn't really feel that it was an agonising wait because she was where she wanted to be anyway. Loads and LOADS of other CPV applicants are doing/have done/intend to do the same thing. Tourist Visa (Subclass 676) Remember that CPV applicants have to be outside Oz when the CPV is granted. However they do NOT have to return to the UK. My Mum came back to the UK beforehand but that was our own choice. She was in Perth and we knew that she could have simply gone to Bali or Singapore for a few days instead but that was not the way we wanted to do it. LOADS of other parents do simply spend a few days in any of Bali, Singapore, Auckland or Fiji instead, though. If they ask for a 12 month stay on a tourist visa and explain that they are waiting for CPVs they will be given a 12 month stay in Oz with no bother at all, by the way. Does this help? If not, I'm here if you have any queries or you just want to rant. It is very important for the children to have a stack of moral support as well as their Parents in my recollection. Best wishes Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest OldiesRUs Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Hey Gill -good to see you are still being wonderful with the advice. For all of you just about to set off in the minefield that is the Parent trap, oops, sorry visa, you will find the wonderful Gill always on hand with the best advice and support. We depart for Aus on 2 March. During the frustrating 14 months we were waiting for our visa, PIO and particularly Gill were my saviour. It is long, expensive and frustrating, but oh so worth it. Two more weeks and my grandson is going to get to know his real grandmother. Not the sobbing mess that clings onto him at Sydney airport (both arriving and leaving) Good luck everyone. Jean:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cherylf Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Hi Maz, they won't come out on anything other than a permanent visa. If for any reason they are refused, they'll have sold their house (renting's not an option) and they won't have anything to go back to. We're in Perth, but living here is different from being here on holiday. Yes, we have a lovely house that we'd never have had in the UK, but the cost of living compared to the UK is massive (I spend 50% more on my shopping bills here), our mortgage is far more, so are our utility bills (and electric is going up 200% over the next 3 years), the crime rate is colossal, child abuse/neglect is always in the papers, hoons and graffiti louts are a huge problem, it's dark very early, we're beset by flies all summer, health care is prohibitive so that we've not seen a dentist since we arrived and are reluctant to see a doctor unless we have to, driving standards are appalling, and people don't give a thought as to how many folk they wake up by screaming in the street/playing loud music in the small hours, poor quality goods which break just after the guarantee runs out. Plus we have cat laws which mean I'm supposed to somehow prevent my cats from visiting other gardens. Never had any of that back home! So don't know how mum & dad will cope with all that, coming from a relatively quiet area where they've lived their entire lives. So if they do hear soon about their visa application being looked at I will need to decide whether it's worth spending $63K and then all going home some time soon or shelve it until we know for sure if we're going to stay, but apparently you can't put an application 'on ice'. At least if we could have got our citizenship this year (under the original rules) we would have had the option of going home for a while then returning if we wanted, but I'm not waiting another two years for that option. Indecisive times! :unsure: A lot of moans, I know, but people really should think very carefully and not burn all their boats in the UK before they've lived here for several months at least and are SURE they want to stay. Also, bear in mind that the Australian government have moved the goalposts regarding citizenship and you now have to wait four years, not two, before you can apply. So that alone doesn't make you feel very welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cherylf Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Sorry Golly, just seen your post now. Yeah they are retired but they have 2 dogs they are bringing and won't come even for a holiday cos they won't trust them to a kennels for a couple of weeks!!!!! I'm their sponsor but their only other child is here too and everyone here is working in key jobs and well 'settled' so I don't think that will be a problem. They want to come on a permanent visa or not at all; we've tried so often to persuade them to rent their place out and 'try' Oz for 6 months but the expense of getting the dogs out here and back is prohibitive. I just wish the DIAC would give us a date for allocation of a C/O then stick to it, instead of telling us July, then December, then February, now it's April....I'd just as well applied for an ordinary visa for them and saved a great deal of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KALINDA Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I personally think it would be a BIG mistake if they immigrated to Perth without ever having been there! As you so rightly mentioned the reality of living in Oz - east or west is very different from being on holiday here. We arrived here in Oz just two years ago on a CPV visa and live in NSW where we have settled remarkably well considering the huge upheaval. It is so very different to our life back in Devon and we are so glad we did two visits to the area before making the big decision. We are both in our 60s and are enjoying living close to our son, daughter-in-law and our little grandson who is to be joined by a new sibling in May. We wouldn't have missed this experience for the world and my heart aches for the parents who are unable for some reason or another to join their family once they have come to Oz. Having said that it is a HUGE change in your life but if looked at as an adventure in the twilight years is to be enjoyed. We made a few sacrifices to come here - the big one on my part was leaving our 12 year border collie behind. We Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KALINDA Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 We were fortunate to leave her with good friends who she knew and was comfortable with and that helped. Don't give up on your Australian dream yet - have you thought of other areas of Australia or do you have to stay in Perth? Good luck with whatever you decide with your parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cherylf Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I'm so glad it worked for you, Kalinda. I just wish they'd come for a visit first. My sister's actually in UK now on a visit - she's going to persuade them (or try to) that it's the sensible thing to do. Good luck for the new baby in May! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KALINDA Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Hope the gentle persuasion works with your parents! I really do think it is important to come here first before making such a life-changing decision especially as you sound as though you are not particularly 100% sure yourself. If we can help in any way by 'talking' to your parents on this forum using then we are happy to oblige. Can use a private message if they would prefer that but I am sure there are a few folks on here who can give some good advice too. Good Luck! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sassy123 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 im in the same boat...would love to move to oz to be with my dd..but my oh and i are selfemployed and have no quals he is 46 im 43 any ideas how i could get a visa? or study to get one? thanks sas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lisaandnigel Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Hi Maz, they won't come out on anything other than a permanent visa. If for any reason they are refused, they'll have sold their house (renting's not an option) and they won't have anything to go back to. We're in Perth, but living here is different from being here on holiday. Yes, we have a lovely house that we'd never have had in the UK, but the cost of living compared to the UK is massive (I spend 50% more on my shopping bills here), our mortgage is far more, so are our utility bills (and electric is going up 200% over the next 3 years), the crime rate is colossal, child abuse/neglect is always in the papers, hoons and graffiti louts are a huge problem, it's dark very early, we're beset by flies all summer, health care is prohibitive so that we've not seen a dentist since we arrived and are reluctant to see a doctor unless we have to, driving standards are appalling, and people don't give a thought as to how many folk they wake up by screaming in the street/playing loud music in the small hours, poor quality goods which break just after the guarantee runs out. Plus we have cat laws which mean I'm supposed to somehow prevent my cats from visiting other gardens. Never had any of that back home! So don't know how mum & dad will cope with all that, coming from a relatively quiet area where they've lived their entire lives. So if they do hear soon about their visa application being looked at I will need to decide whether it's worth spending $63K and then all going home some time soon or shelve it until we know for sure if we're going to stay, but apparently you can't put an application 'on ice'. At least if we could have got our citizenship this year (under the original rules) we would have had the option of going home for a while then returning if we wanted, but I'm not waiting another two years for that option. Indecisive times! :unsure: A lot of moans, I know, but people really should think very carefully and not burn all their boats in the UK before they've lived here for several months at least and are SURE they want to stay. Also, bear in mind that the Australian government have moved the goalposts regarding citizenship and you now have to wait four years, not two, before you can apply. So that alone doesn't make you feel very welcome. hi just read your post and it sounds very shocking. where abouts in perth are you ? we are aiming for willetton in august, lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KALINDA Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Have you looked at the Contributory Parent Visa? If you have 50% of your children in Oz that would be a start to your investigations. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cherylf Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Dunno Sassy. My son & his partner are the same, no qualifications but happy to do anything. There must be a way. I think he will need to get the all-important bits of paper before they stand a chance. Just heard that my mum & dad are in the next ten applications to be allocated a case officer! Big decisions ahead!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cherylf Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Hi Lisa. No, don't worry. I just think we picked the wrong spot. We are in Ellenbrook near the Swan Valley, and while it is aesthetically beautiful, it has a very high proportion of young families and teenagers, and we are situated quite near Maccers and the petrol station. Willeton I think is quieter. And people still say to me that the reasons we left the UK for in the first place are still there. We should really have rented for a year then bought. Easy to say in retrospect. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andromeda9 Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 ok here goes,most, not all of the residential caravan parks here are really good,very social,two or three bedroom units with own garden and veranda,can be bought or rented, doesn't suit everyone,worth a look on Google, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.