Steve2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) 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 Thank you and I hope that you sell soon for the right price Regards Steve Edited January 21, 2015 by Steve2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerskybird Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 HiFrom 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 Thanks. I don't have any of those problems at the moment but it would be terrible to apply and then develop them later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thanks. I don't have any of those problems at the moment but it would be terrible to apply and then develop them later. You're welcome. This isn't an exhaustive list and even if any applicant does have any of them I believe all cases are dealt with and assessed individually so any forum member who may read this shouldn't let this deter them from applying without seeking advice, it would be awful to not apply and then later find that their individual circumstances would not have stopped the application from being successful, better to spend the money and know for certain than to be forever wondering "what if"!! All the best Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 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 Val Like the positive attitude, I know from experience that it's not easy being on the market so long and that was without the carrot of moving down under - we're dreading going on the market again and with so much riding on it! All the best Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vava Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thanks Steve, I don't know how they do it in Oz but my friend put his house near Brisbane on the market last week, open house on Saturday, 3 further viewings on Sunday and two families fighting over it on Monday morning. He got way over the asking price and he has no garden to speak of! Just have to keep on buying a lottery ticket on a Saturday! Hope it goes very quick for you! Regards, Val Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Am not sure, but I would think you would need to be in Australia for ten years, when you become eligible for the pension. You can't get both the Seniors Health Card and the pension. The Seniors Health card is meant for self funded retirees whose taxable incomes are fairly low. (As an anomaly, the incomes of those retired on public service pensions - both state and federal - are not taxed, so you can be on quite a high income and still get the Health card. Am not sure how much longer this one can last....) The way I read it for those on Contributing Parent or Aged Parent visas, the only social security you can access for ten years is Medicare, which you get on arrival. Others will be more expert on this than I... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 On health matters generally, there is always a debate here about the "need" for private health insurance. As previously mentioned, if you don't take out private insurance, you still have to pay the Medicare levy. When you do take out private insurance, you have options as to what coverage and premiums you want. All rather complicated. I changed mine recently, with the help of various comparison websites, but still found it hard to compare apples with apples. Some people just take a punt and rely on the public system. Others simply can't afford private insurance. It is currently a subject of debate between me and my 90 year old mother, who is now in a high care nursing home. She is self funded retiree, not a pensioner. She gets frequent visits from her doctor, as required, and he bulk bills. This is the case with all patients in nursing homes. There is a free dental service, in that patients get a free checkup every six months. But only a checkup. The podiatrist comes, but she has to pay for that. My mother pays $188 a month for top level private health insurance. Medibank, which has just been privatised. Her premiums are "reduced" because she has been paying for decades. So does she still need it? Probably. She was recently in serious danger of osteonecrosis of the jaw (literally dead jaw) because she had been on Fosamax for a long time for osteoarthritis. (Her then G.P was clueless.) This was pretty serious, and she had to go to a specialist doctor who did manage to fix it, to our great relief. I can't remember the bill - about $1,500 I think - and she did get about half of that back. Had this specialist been on an "approved" list for her particular health fund, she would have got more back. But we didn't care - we were just relieved to get attention in timely fashion from one of the best specialists in town. She's now off Fosamax, and we hope this problem won't recur. But she still needs specialist eye and hearing treatment. She may need new hearing aids soonish -about $7,000. Not sure how much of that she will get back. Pensioners do get free hearing aids, but I am told they are far from the best available. Since Mum has scrimped and saved all her life, I naturally want the best available because her hearing is a big problem for her. Deaf as a beetle, actually.... Best Robyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlynisMarrington Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 You're welcome.This isn't an exhaustive list and even if any applicant does have any of them I believe all cases are dealt with and assessed individually so any forum member who may read this shouldn't let this deter them from applying without seeking advice, it would be awful to not apply and then later find that their individual circumstances would not have stopped the application from being successful, better to spend the money and know for certain than to be forever wondering "what if"!! All the best Steve Hi Steve, I was advised to continue with my application as I was diagnosed with cancer three weeks after the 1st VAC was paid. Just keeping my fingers crossed. I have been told that I may be told to reapply at a later date. Glyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliew1499 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi All Sorry it's time for a rant. What on earth is IMMI up to? Been trying to get a reply to the test email for a week now and nothing happening. I know we are told by them that there are delays and they ask us to be patient, but please we have lives to organise and we need to be kept in the loop as to how they are progressing with our applications........ I was hoping to hear that they have at long last started acknowledgements on 143’s for June 14. in common with a lot of other applicants we need to plan to market our house and until we get the acknowledgement letter giving an indication of what months medicals are due we don't know what to do. We live in rural southwest of England and selling down here is very much a seasonal thing so we could miss out on the Spring summer season and have to wait for next year instead. tricky one as our home also gives us an income that we need to live on so can't afford to rent for too long. Any parents out there that have applied in May 14 and been given a proposed date for medicals? At this rate I won't be passing any mental health test they might give! Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeman Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) 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. Yes, you can apply for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card when you have been a permanent resident in Australia for 2 years, and you need to be over 65 and it is means tested. It is useful as you get discounted prescriptions (around $6 I think - not sure as I have only just got mine). You can also get discounts at the pharmacy off most other things. You can also get bulk billed at some doctors and get discounts of things like water, rates etc although this does vary from state to state. It is confusing as there is also a Health Card which is issued by Centrelink, which gives entitlement to a lot more, but you need to be on a pension for this I think. As soon as you become a permanent resident in Australia, you can apply for the relevant state Seniors card (there are conditions which again varies from state to state, for example in WA you need to be over 60 and working less than 20 hrs a week.) Again what you can get varies, in WA we get free travel on all Transperth uses, trains and ferries, a small discount on electricity, rates etc. We also get discounts in cafes, shops and other businesses. It's worth checking out the seniors card information for the state you are going to settle in. Edited January 22, 2015 by Bridgeman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 It's summer here. School is still out, many people are still on holidays and we are all watching the tennis..and cricket... Not all that long ago, the prime minister used to run the country from his caravan. Robyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi All Sorry it's time for a rant. What on earth is IMMI up to? Been trying to get a reply to the test email for a week now and nothing happening. I know we are told by them that there are delays and they ask us to be patient, but please we have lives to organise and we need to be kept in the loop as to how they are progressing with our applications........ I was hoping to hear that they have at long last started acknowledgements on 143’s for June 14. in common with a lot of other applicants we need to plan to market our house and until we get the acknowledgement letter giving an indication of what months medicals are due we don't know what to do. We live in rural southwest of England and selling down here is very much a seasonal thing so we could miss out on the Spring summer season and have to wait for next year instead. tricky one as our home also gives us an income that we need to live on so can't afford to rent for too long. Any parents out there that have applied in May 14 and been given a proposed date for medicals? At this rate I won't be passing any mental health test they might give! Julie Hi Julie I think your "rant" is fully justified and I believe you "rant" on many of our behalves! When you consider the high cost of the CPV 143 we get very little "customer service" for our money in these relatively early stages, let's just hope it improves when we get down to the nitty gritty of our applications. As many of us have mentioned in various posts, this is all very stressful and anything immi can do to make it less so should be encouraged. I hope that someone can give us all some information soon, I've been unable to get a reply to the "test" email as well so I assume they have forgotten to set the auto reply. Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freesia Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 My application date was June 13 & the medical & police check was requested for October 14. There was no communication from them until June 14. (Except the usual acknowledgements). Given that we know the rough waiting time for the 143 (18m plus) it's perhaps best not to expect to hear anything further for the first year, then you won't be disappointed. My only gripe with DIBP is why it takes 18m + to process in the first place, but it is what it is unfortunately! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliew1499 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Medicals in October 14 is what we are hoping for but with the huge amount of applications that they received in May and June this may be totally unrealistic. Sorry, but don't have confidence that they can keep to their 18 month schedule. Hat ready to eat if they do! Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freesia Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Haha I did say 18+........ However mine is ready to grant at 19months , so that's pretty spot on at the moment at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny&Em Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Hi. Mum and dad applied for a 143 offshore. Are they allowed to visit during this application process? I.e holiday visa and stay for 12 months, travel overseas for a couple of weeks then reapply for another holiday visa until the 143 is approved. thanyou in advance. Their agent told them they could do a bridging visa 6 months ago. After rechecking this week it seems not hence the above question. lastly, just read that you need to be offshore for the 143 to be granted. How do you know when it's going to be granted to make sure your offshore. Edited January 22, 2015 by Danny&Em Last question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Yes, you can apply for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card when you have been a permanent resident in Australia for 2 years, and you need to be over 65 and it is means tested. It is useful as you get discounted prescriptions (around $6 I think - not sure as I have only just got mine). You can also get discounts at the pharmacy off most other things. You can also get bulk billed at some doctors and get discounts of things like water, rates etc although this does vary from state to state. It is confusing as there is also a Health Card which is issued by Centrelink, which gives entitlement to a lot more, but you need to be on a pension for this I think. As soon as you become a permanent resident in Australia, you can apply for the relevant state Seniors card (there are conditions which again varies from state to state, for example in WA you need to be over 60 and working less than 20 hrs a week.) Again what you can get varies, in WA we get free travel on all Transperth uses, trains and ferries, a small discount on electricity, rates etc. We also get discounts in cafes, shops and other businesses. It's worth checking out the seniors card information for the state you are going to settle in. thanks for the information, didn't know there were two cards with similar names, wonder which one I was looking at!! We are well over 65, and won't be working ? and receiving pensions, going out on a 143, so will be permanent residents as soon as we arrive. First job when we get out there is Medicare and ambulance cover haha. We are going to Perth so your info is particularly relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carob Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi. Mum and dad applied for a 143 offshore. Are they allowed to visit during this application process? I.e holiday visa and stay for 12 months, travel overseas for a couple of weeks then reapply for another holiday visa until the 143 is approved. thanyou in advance. Their agent told them they could do a bridging visa 6 months ago. After rechecking this week it seems not hence the above question. lastly, just read that you need to be offshore for the 143 to be granted. How do you know when it's going to be granted to make sure your offshore. We guessed that when they ask for the second VAC you would be granted your visa when payment was received by them. So people would probably go th Bali (for example) when they send their payment, and get the grant whilst they are there. Got to get all the ducks in line though if you do this I guess. We haven't had to do it this way though. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freesia Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hi. Mum and dad applied for a 143 offshore. Are they allowed to visit during this application process? I.e holiday visa and stay for 12 months, travel overseas for a couple of weeks then reapply for another holiday visa until the 143 is approved. thanyou in advance. Their agent told them they could do a bridging visa 6 months ago. After rechecking this week it seems not hence the above question. lastly, just read that you need to be offshore for the 143 to be granted. How do you know when it's going to be granted to make sure your offshore. are they still with the agent ? they can apply for the 600 visa & be granted a maximum stay of 12months in any 18month period- ie after 12m they have to leave for the grant of 143, however long it takes. If they time it right, they would only have to go offshore for a couple of days. They ring you (actually the sponsor in my case) with all of this & follow up with email. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta2 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 On visa delays, need to remember that there have been endless migration scams in recent years, mostly by those who have come here from Certain Countries where you can get what you want by scam and bribery. This has had a knock on effect on the rest of us, too. e.g in recent years I have had to get new birth and marriage certificates for myself and my parents, at considerable expense. Didn't matter if you were married in a registry office, old ones wouldn't do. Plus the terrorism threat. Some jihadis have left the country on passports belonging to others, etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summerskybird Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 That's what worries me about getting a good agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny&Em Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Exactly, they checked and double checked. They then sold the house and my mum excitedly told me. As precaution I said its worth a call to make sure all is well with the visa. I know how many times the rules changed as experienced with my application(s). They are still with the agent as they payed up front and have only lodged the application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hi Steve, I was advised to continue with my application as I was diagnosed with cancer three weeks after the 1st VAC was paid. Just keeping my fingers crossed. I have been told that I may be told to reapply at a later date. Glyn Hi Glynis Great to hear from you - I was wondering how you're doing. Hope you're treatment is successful. Best wishes Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve2 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hi All Sorry it's time for a rant. What on earth is IMMI up to? Been trying to get a reply to the test email for a week now and nothing happening. I know we are told by them that there are delays and they ask us to be patient, but please we have lives to organise and we need to be kept in the loop as to how they are progressing with our applications........ I was hoping to hear that they have at long last started acknowledgements on 143’s for June 14. in common with a lot of other applicants we need to plan to market our house and until we get the acknowledgement letter giving an indication of what months medicals are due we don't know what to do. We live in rural southwest of England and selling down here is very much a seasonal thing so we could miss out on the Spring summer season and have to wait for next year instead. tricky one as our home also gives us an income that we need to live on so can't afford to rent for too long. Any parents out there that have applied in May 14 and been given a proposed date for medicals? At this rate I won't be passing any mental health test they might give! Julie Hi Julie Big news - the auto reply today says they're now acknowledging for 1 June 2014! Big deal eh - 1 days progress in over 1 week. Regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliew1499 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hi Steve Great news that they' e moved into June. so we lodged on 23 rd June, only a week in front of you. let's hope it does'nt take 1 week for each day in June!!!! Just got back back from Melbourne last Sunday and now have the bit firmly between my teeth about getting the process moving. today is the first day of our grand clear out which will probably take most of the year to complete. actually once you decide to just get on with it and sort out your belongings its quite therapeutic. Soon as we get our acknowledgement which will hopefully say medicals in October we're putting the house on the market. will have to have a re think if it's later. JULIE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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