Roberta2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Re advice on coming out on the Contributory Parents' Visa. I have just caught up with this. Sound advice. Obviously, selling the house is the most important decision many people have to make. But if you put it on the market as soon as you apply for your visa, what if you don't pass the medical and you have sold the house? Best Robyn Regards Robyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maisiedaisy Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Re advice on coming out on the Contributory Parents' Visa. I have just caught up with this. Sound advice. Obviously, selling the house is the most important decision many people have to make. But if you put it on the market as soon as you apply for your visa, what if you don't pass the medical and you have sold the house? Best Robyn Regards Robyn Hi Roberta2 - then I guess, if the medical is failed you would still have the money for the 2nd vac and would have to look around and buy again! A big pain of course but for some of us selling is the only way to pay the 2nd vac. It's a leap of faith but one we have to try to be able to live the rest of our lives with our family ! Kindest regards Maisie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi Roberta2 - then I guess, if the medical is failed you would still have the money for the 2nd vac and would have to look around and buy again! A big pain of course but for some of us selling is the only way to pay the 2nd vac. It's a leap of faith but one we have to try to be able to live the rest of our lives with our family ! Kindest regards Maisie Hi, Or, option 3.......we took out a mortgage to cover the VAC so we had the money on standby. Just as well as our visa was granted late 2012 and the house still hasn't sold. The stress this visa application has caused is nothing compared to the stress of trying to sell a house in the northwest of England! Good luck ! Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Yes, my daughter in law's parents will presumably be trying to sell a house in the West Midlands. Taking out a mortgage on the house is a thought...obviously, you have to have the money on standby. Anyway, thanks for the info. My son is coming back here permanently in October, with his English partner and two babies. My DIL's only sibling also wants to come out, though of course he will have to make it under his own steam. My instinct is that her parents should apply as soon as they possibly can. Presumably this will be once my DIL has been here for two years and has permanent residency. Her father had a triple bypass recently. He has gone back to work, but.... I think he is 60. Her mother is 57, retired but in good health. They are coming here for a look-see this Christmas. The lure of the two grandchildren should be sufficient, but I do hope it's not too hot. Need more aircon! Cheers Robyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi Roberta2 - then I guess, if the medical is failed you would still have the money for the 2nd vac and would have to look around and buy again! A big pain of course but for some of us selling is the only way to pay the 2nd vac. It's a leap of faith but one we have to try to be able to live the rest of our lives with our family ! Kindest regards Maisie Hi Maisie I totally agree with your comments and we are in the same position. As previously stated it is a hard "catch 22" situation, but we have no option but to put our place on the market in the Spring and if we sell quickly then will have to rent then if we fail the medical (which is possible) will have to buy again or continue renting. All extremely stressful but the gamble we take to get a healthier lifestyle in a much better weather climate where our health will improve and be with our son is one we feel we have to take now or we'll never know and may regret it for the rest of our lives if we don't take the gamble. Best wishes Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi,Or, option 3.......we took out a mortgage to cover the VAC so we had the money on standby. Just as well as our visa was granted late 2012 and the house still hasn't sold. The stress this visa application has caused is nothing compared to the stress of trying to sell a house in the northwest of England! Good luck ! Val Hi Val I echo your sentiments entirely, see my reply to Maisie. Hope you sell soon! Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Advice to future retirees in Australia is that it takes around $40,000 for a single person to retire comfortably here. That assumes you own your own home. Of course, a lot depends on your lifestyle. We have the highest labour costs in the world now. My electrician (in Brisbane) charges $88.00 per hour and that is pretty standard. I have a handyman who charges $50 an hour and that's about the best you can hope for. The Commonwealth Seniors Health card is means tested. Currently, it is not available to a single person if he/she earns more than about $50,000 a year. I know this because my father recently died, and my mother's income is probably now going to be too high for her to be eligible for the Senior's Health card any more. Not that it matters - she is now in residential aged care and is bulk billed. Some doctors will bulk bill Medicare to those holding the Senior's health card. But many will not. They are not obliged to do so. And yes, your UK state pension will be frozen forever, and you have to wait ten years before becoming eligible for the Australian pension. (This is a federal, not state, matter.) The pension is also means tested, and I think the means testing is going to be tightened further, especially for those on part pensions who currently get a lot of benefits, while being allowed to hold property worth millions of dollars. You also have to think about aged care, which has just become a lot more expensive for most people. See the My Aged Care website. Dentistry is certainly expensive. You can shop around for the best deals on private health insurance, which will pay for some of it, depending on your level of "extras" coverage. Queensland does NOT offer any concessions on dental coverage that I am aware of. My mother, 90, recently had a serious dental problem and the "gap" on her top level private insurance was several hundred dollars. Residents of aged care homes do get free checkups, but have to pay themselves for any dental work. It is certainly a big hole in our health system which no government is now likely to be able or willing to fix. Vet bills are also high. Routine annual shots for one of my dogs just cost over $200. You can get pet insurance, but it won't cover routine stuff. Some things are about to get considerably cheaper as the result of recent free trade agreements with Japan and South Korea. Cars, electronics etc. As to the exchange rate, that's obviously difficult to predict. I have decided to wait until the result of the Greek elections this weekend before buying pounds for my trip to the UK this year - it will probably send all the European currencies into a tailspin, at least for a while. But in general, the Australian dollar (which floats, of course) is closely tied to commodity prices, especially iron ore and coal. Those seem likely to be subdued for some time, so a much lower Australian dollar seems on the cards. Best, Robyn Hi Robyn Thanks for the informative and to the point information. At first glance it came across as very negative but after reading it through a few times, along with your later posts, I can understand the points you are making. The waiting and planning are all very stressful already and your post does keep our feet firmly on the ground - even if we don't want them to be!! Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest geordie joe Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi MaisieI totally agree with your comments and we are in the same position. As previously stated it is a hard "catch 22" situation, but we have no option but to put our place on the market in the Spring and if we sell quickly then will have to rent then if we fail the medical (which is possible) will have to buy again or continue renting. All extremely stressful but the gamble we take to get a healthier lifestyle in a much better weather climate where our health will improve and be with our son is one we feel we have to take now or we'll never know and may regret it for the rest of our lives if we don't take the gamble. Best wishes Steve Great sentiment Steve regarding taking the plunge or regretting it for the rest of your lives, it's no good lying on your death bed thinking if only. I'm sure everyone of us who have taken or are taking the plunge have tried to cover every angle and will still have worries and doubts even if and when we make it to the other side of the world to be with our family. We in fact put our house on the market at the same time as we applied for the visa last July and found ourselves in a state of shock when it sold in 10 days. We are now renting and should we fail the medical we will buy somewhere else. Whilst it's stressful thinking what if the visa isn't granted, we are relieved we won't be tied to the UK with our property. I know that must be so difficult for Val having the visa granted and still waiting to sell. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Frankly, we are so pleased we sold our house (like another postee within a week or two, yes quite a surprise) and now in a rental. We have just had a removal company visit, and it is so much easier when most of the stuff you don't want to keep has already been disposed of. I found this, long after I have been saying "if we don't go, we will always wonder?" I think it is particularly relevant to a lot of us. So, here it is. I PREFER TO REGRET WHAT I DID DO, rather than what I didn't. Great isn't it? Agree about the possible health improvements as well, my OH can't wait to leave the cold weather behind. All being well we should be out in Perth by this March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Frankly, we are so pleased we sold our house (like another postee within a week or two, yes quite a surprise) and now in a rental. We have just had a removal company visit, and it is so much easier when most of the stuff you don't want to keep has already been disposed of. I found this, long after I have been saying "if we don't go, we will always wonder?" I think it is particularly relevant to a lot of us. So, here it is. I PREFER TO REGRET WHAT I DID DO, rather than what I didn't. Great isn't it? Agree about the possible health improvements as well, my OH can't wait to leave the cold weather behind. All being well we should be out in Perth by this March. Hi Carob Yes I like that quote and it is very relevant to our feelings. Interesting comments about the house sale and the events that have followed and I hope that we can emulate your progress. We're visiting our son in Perth in may into June. Regards Steve Edited January 20, 2015 by Steve2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Great sentiment Steve regarding taking the plunge or regretting it for the rest of your lives, it's no good lying on your death bed thinking if only. I'm sure everyone of us who have taken or are taking the plunge have tried to cover every angle and will still have worries and doubts even if and when we make it to the other side of the world to be with our family. We in fact put our house on the market at the same time as we applied for the visa last July and found ourselves in a state of shock when it sold in 10 days. We are now renting and should we fail the medical we will buy somewhere else. Whilst it's stressful thinking what if the visa isn't granted, we are relieved we won't be tied to the UK with our property. I know that must be so difficult for Val having the visa granted and still waiting to sell. Joe Thanks Joe. We've pretty much decided to put our house on the market in the Spring. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry001 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi Has anyone views on which removal companies they would recommend and which to avoid dealing with Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 HiHas anyone views on which removal companies they would recommend and which to avoid dealing with Cheers Hi, from memory I think I'm correct saying that we aren't allowed to name names........ unless it just that we're not allowed to post negative comments whilst naming names.....if you know what I mean. I think if you look in the shipping section there may be recommendations but I'm sure someone with experience would PM you with details if you ask. I know I asked for the name of a company to avoid via private message last year when we'd had an offer (which fell through) and we got some shippers in to give us quotes. There was a vast difference in the 2 quotes we did get incidentally. Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi ValI echo your sentiments entirely, see my reply to Maisie. Hope you sell soon! Regards Steve Hi Steve, I have decided not to get stressed anymore. The house next door has now sold and whilst I'm a bit miffed they didn't buy mine, I can see why they went for the very much cheaper one next door as it needs lots doing to it and they can choose their own preferences. New Year, new attitude! If we sell soon great, if not, thats ok too. We are still working so we have more time to save and spend precious time with my parents. Cheers, Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maisiedaisy Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thanks Joe.We've pretty much decided to put our house on the market in the Spring. Cheers Steve Good luck with the house sale Steve I hope it sells quickly for you. Our house has been up for sale since last February and so will be talking about dropping the price at the end of this month or next!! Kindest regards maisie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maisiedaisy Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi Steve,I have decided not to get stressed anymore. The house next door has now sold and whilst I'm a bit miffed they didn't buy mine, I can see why they went for the very much cheaper one next door as it needs lots doing to it and they can choose their own preferences. New Year, new attitude! If we sell soon great, if not, thats ok too. We are still working so we have more time to save and spend precious time with my parents. Cheers, Val Hi Vava I'll still be keeping everything crossed for a sale for you :smile: maisie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 To Steve: I meet a lot of Brits these days, especially around Northlakes/Mango Hill, north of Brisbane. Ditto South Africans. I am told there is a type of visa that requires people to live for some years 30ks outside the CBD, and Northlakes is that distance. Don't know anything about that. The ones I meet seem pretty happy to be here. Especially in what passes for our winter! Re the Australian health system, I have seen reports on this site and elsewhere that I think are too negative. Admittedly, dentistry is a black hole (pun intended.) Lots of people now go off to Thailand for things such as root canal, implants and seem to do OK. My SIL's brother is about to do this. My recent experiences with my aged parents have been very positive, re the hospitals in Queensland, especially Prince Charles, which is public. My daughter had her first baby in Royal Women's. All went very well, and the only charge was for the car park. fee. Some doctors will bulk bill. My neighbour gets bulk billed, for example, though he has a very decent income and no concession cards. The doctor just seems to like him! The doctors at Northlakes, where there are a lot of retirement villages, all seem to bulk bill. It's very hit and miss. I stick with my doctor out of habit, I guess, and because she's a very good doctor and misses nothing. It costs me about $37 out of pocket for a short visit. Luckily, I don't have to go very often, just do routine grease and maintenance. But you can shop around. Some things are free to those over 65 - annual flu shots for example. If you have something seriously wrong with you, you will be put on the A list and waiting times here for surgery etc are not too bad, even in public hospitals. If you have something which is a problem but not life-threatening -e.g. hernia, need for knee replacement - waiting times can be fairly long. As for food shopping, my mother always shopped at Aldis, and bought shares in Coles and Woolworths. (Now she's a bit worried that Aldi's success is putting downward pressure on her Woolies' shares...) There are plenty of ways to save money on groceries. Aldis is about 20% cheaper than the Big Two, but of course has a limited range. On aged care, I should add that the vast majority of people in residential aged care are pensioners. They pay 85% of their pension for their care. Just about everything is provided for them, so they should be able to manage, even without help from relatives. Nursing homes have to reserve a percentage of their places for pensioners - about 12% I think. Standards of aged care have been improved greatly in recent years, after some much-publicized horror stories. The biggest problem for pensioners is that they don't have as much choice about where they go, compared with those who can pay their way. Again, this varies a lot from place to place, and whether you get lucky or not. I got my mother into a very good facility near here a few months ago. She, having scrimped and saved for decades on modest incomes - no superannuation etc- can afford to pay the top rate. (Currently over $6,000 per month!!) After being told there was no chance at this home, suddenly I was informed that a place had just come up. Later, I tried to quiz the accountant about how we had got in. She told me it was purely on the basis of need, and Mum's latest ACAT. yeah, right.... Best, Robyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeman Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) I would just like to add one other word of caution/advice re following your offspring to Australia. In this day and age of the upwardly mobile, mobile being the operative word, it might be an idea to have a conversation with them as to whether they are going to stay settled where they are. Or if not would you be prepared to uproot again and follow them? And what if it's somewhere you don't like? Moving house here is extremely expensive, and due to stamp duty, settlement fees and removal costs etc you stand to lose quite a lot. We have been in Australia in WA for nearly 4 years and due partly to the exchange rate and the fact family might relocate within Perth due to s-i-l's job had not bought a house here yet. We really now want to buy and settle as we feel we have been in limbo long enough, but DD has now informed us she doesn't want us to buy a house in WA as they 'probably will move over East at some point'. Where or when is anybody's guess and will depend on s-I-law's job prospects. We are now considering our options. Edited January 21, 2015 by Bridgeman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Indeed. Job security isn't what it used to be, including in the public service, and often people have to move to find jobs, even if they would prefer not to. My son in law took his family off to Singapore not because he wanted to, but because he thought he might be out of a job if he did not. Western Australia's mining boom having ended, a lot of people there are having to move to the East coast to find work. NSW seems to be where jobs are easiest to find, but housing prices are among the world's least affordable. But it also depends on the alternative. My son's in laws naturally don't want to be stranded on the other side of the world when their grandchildren come here. And who would look after them in their old age? They don't have extended family in their home town. Their only other child also wants to come out, in time. They have visited Australia as tourists, albeit a long time ago, and liked what they saw. So the rest of us will just have to help them. My son knows that he will have to stay put in Brisbane. He simply won't be able to house this extended family in Sydney, whatever fancy salary he is offered. The sale of his partner's parents' house will not fund the most modest dwelling even in Brisbane if a large chunk has to go to funding their visa fee, as presumably it will. If they can sell it at all, that is....The property market in the West Midlands does not seem to be exactly booming. I have had this conversation with him already!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Absolutely, good points well made. I'm currently dropping huge hints suggesting to my daughter that they consider looking at houses with dual living. We would then be able to "buy in" with them but have our own space; eg kitchen, front door etc. We'll be on hand to do some child minding as they both have unsocial hours jobs and later, they'll be on hand should we need some help as we get older. I think they are mulling it over........... Finding out that our house isn't worth what we assumed when this process began had really had a huge impact on what we could potentially afford when we finally get there and thats if we sell in the near future. We have had it on the market for over 12 months on and off. To be honest, had we known what the future was to hold, we probably wouldn't have started filling in all those forms back in 2010 when we heard the words "we're having a baby!". Food for thought folks! Good luck, Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerskybird Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I don't read the page every day but read the email with the thread. Ive found these posts very interesting. My son has just been on the Sunshine Coast for two years so I am now going to apply for my 143 visa so considering using an agent or not. i live in the northwest of England so houses don't sell too well. what would make them refuse an application because of the medical? I don't have any problems but wonder about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 whoops- not sure if I am posting twice. But in relation to dual living arrangements, you need to seek legal advice. If you put your money into a granny flat or other dual living arrangement, the title to the land will not be in your name, and you could be collateral damage in case of a divorce. I have seen this happen. There may be ways to protect your interests, which is why you need to see a lawyer. You also need to consider what might happen if you need in future to go into residential aged care. You won't have a house to sell to fund your accommodation costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 whoops- not sure if I am posting twice. But in relation to dual living arrangements, you need to seek legal advice. If you put your money into a granny flat or other dual living arrangement, the title to the land will not be in your name, and you could be collateral damage in case of a divorce. I have seen this happen. There may be ways to protect your interests, which is why you need to see a lawyer. You also need to consider what might happen if you need in future to go into residential aged care. You won't have a house to sell to fund your accommodation costs. Hi there, Yes we are aware that there are some legal implications and we aren't yet even in the early planning stages. Our daughter and son in law haven't even agreed that dual living is what they want. Son in law already knows the pitfalls as his parents built a granny flat for his grandparents and its all gone wrong and nobody is speaking to each other. Not an ideal situation so lots to consider. We could always buy a tent in the event of not being able to afford anything, at least we'll be warm most of the time.......its snowed here overnight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I don't read the page every day but read the email with the thread. Ive found these posts very interesting. My son has just been on the Sunshine Coast for two years so I am now going to apply for my 143 visa so considering using an agent or not. i live in the northwest of England so houses don't sell too well. what would make them refuse an application because of the medical? I don't have any problems but wonder about it. Hi From what I have found out the primary concern they have is if there are any health concerns that would end up in costing them money in dealing with your medical needs; cancer, some eye conditions, some arthritic problems and any long term illnesses and conditions. If you do have specific medical issues I would advise you to discuss them with an agent or an emigration lawyer such as George Lombard. Hope this helps. Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Hello. I've seen mention on here regarding the Seniors Health Card. Have had a look at what I think is the government site, but am not sure whether you must have been in Australia for ten years before applying for one. They talk about residency; so does that mean there is entitlement to the Card if you are on the 143 cont parent visa, which is for permanent residency. Bit confused, sure someone out there will know the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.