The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

[PhoebeW]

Hello Phoebe - yes you can open a non-resident account, there are a number of banks that will help with this (Commonwealth, Westpac etc).

 

The interest differential does help over a period of time to offset the very poor current exchange rate from sterling to dollars. However I read that the Aussie is overvalued by a large amount at the moment, so I'm delaying any thoughts of moving large sums to Australia until it improves.

 

It may never improve, it may even get worse. So that's my own personal gamble.

 

Some people advocate moving smaller amounts over a period of time, and that way you benefit from an average. One has to make sure they are not so small that the rate and transaction costs are disproportionate.

 

Finally, when we were building up to our second VAC and AOS, we converted half early on when rates seemed good, but because there were no guarantees we would actually get a visa, we left the balance until we were asked for it.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

Thanks for that peeps, it at least sounds as though it's worth looking into :biggrin:

 

Could it be worth my daughter opening a savings account in her name for me? I could send small amounts of money to her and she can pay it into the bank over there:confused:

 

Phoebe

[sandch]

Thanks for that peeps, it at least sounds as though it's worth looking into :biggrin:

 

Could it be worth my daughter opening a savings account in her name for me? I could send small amounts of money to her and she can pay it into the bank over there:confused:

 

Phoebe

 

Of course - providing you trust her not to blow it on the weekly shopping and/or to hand it over when needed!

 

Some residents are a bit wary of the taxman seeing amounts coming in to their bank on a regular basis - be aware of that; it's not assessable income but explanations may be demanded!

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Les Avalook]

Thanks for that peeps, it at least sounds as though it's worth looking into :biggrin:

 

Could it be worth my daughter opening a savings account in her name for me? I could send small amounts of money to her and she can pay it into the bank over there:confused:

 

Phoebe

 

I think Steve has answered you with sound advice.

 

Sending small amounts is not cost effective, I used to with Nationwide but they have since increased their charges and I stopped transferring earlier this year when the rate dropped from $1.70s to $1.60s.

 

We also did the same as Steve by having half the money in Oz but wanting to wait to see how the visa goes before changing any more, again when rates were better than now.

 

At the moment I would not want to change any spare money into the Oz $ unless necessary. Lots of things will influence the exchange rate and you have time on your side for things to improve for UK PLC.

 

I do not think any think will change quickly and I am sure someone will post on here is the rate starts to look favorable.

 

In the mean time you could set up some Forex type accounts and find out your daughters bank account details so that you could do a transfer direct to her if exchange rates improve. Exchanging at least £3,000 usually means fee free and the rates improve the larger the amount.

 

Difficult time for us all.

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Steve & Les

 

The other day, Mum & I talked on the phone and she remarked that the exchange rate is/was lousy.

 

Earlier today I was reading the British Expats thread about CPVs. Steve said that the People's Bank of China have done something in the last 24 hours and that the effect has been to depress the AUD a bit. Well done to the Chinese, say I!!

 

What has happened, please? I don't know where to go to find out about this by myself.

 

Is it likely to last?

 

I've been aware for the last few days that the sterling/AUD rate has dropped so low that it is almost worth paying the 2nd Instalment visa Oz House in London again?

 

Why are the British Government so keen on having an uncompetitive currency with which to start paying off the debt to the IMF? This is not making a whole lot of sense to me? Why are they talking sterling down instead of talking it up?

 

I will be very grateful for any explanations because I don't understand how the currency market works.

 

Many thanks :notworthy:

 

Gill

[BandC]

Hi Steve & Les

 

The other day, Mum & I talked on the phone and she remarked that the exchange rate is/was lousy.

 

Earlier today I was reading the British Expats thread about CPVs. Steve said that the People's Bank of China have done something in the last 24 hours and that the effect has been to depress the AUD a bit. Well done to the Chinese, say I!!

 

What has happened, please? I don't know where to go to find out about this by myself.

 

Is it likely to last?

 

I've been aware for the last few days that the sterling/AUD rate has dropped so low that it is almost worth paying the 2nd Instalment visa Oz House in London again?

 

Why are the British Government so keen on having an uncompetitive currency with which to start paying off the debt to the IMF? This is not making a whole lot of sense to me? Why are they talking sterling down instead of talking it up?

 

I will be very grateful for any explanations because I don't understand how the currency market works.

 

Many thanks :notworthy:

 

Gill

 

 

Me too guys as I have final VAC to pay before end of November?

[sandch]

Hello Gill

 

There's a currency "war" going on. Each country is trying to keep the value of its currency down so that its home-produced goods and services will look attractive, in an effort to export their various ways out of the mess and start to grow their economies. The currency is made unattractive by keeping interest rates low, so investors look elsewhere. Australia has opted out of the "war" because its economy is so robust it doesn't need to join in - so investors buy the currency to earn good interest rates and demand pushes up the price (cost of buying a dollar).

 

China was not expected to raise rates, but the implication is that it is now trying to cool its economy, dampen domestic demand, and thus Australia will be adversely affected as China is a key export customer. Not sure it'll make a lot of difference really as China is just so huge - but there was a bit of a knee jerk reaction today to the news.

 

It's all a bit exhausting - think I'll go and have a cuppa.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi again, Steve

 

You have said this:

It may never improve, it may even get worse.

In one of the useless bits of gossip that I tend to pick up and file in my brain forever, I've read that the Sterling/AUD exchange rate has, historically, done the Whole Biblical Bit since WWII.

 

According to the post that I read at least a year ago, the Sterlng/AUD exchange rate goes in 7 year cycles. I'm sceptical about the 7 year idea because that sounds a bit too similar to the Plague of Locusts to me, though I have never understood it or studied it so the claim might be right despite the co-incidence that makes me a bit doubtful? Do you know about this or is there a way to find out, please?

 

Also, even if the claim is correct, it seems to me that the world is in a situation that it has never been in since WWII. As I understand it, historically there has always been a Feast & Famine rotation but then a major War has come along which - ironically - seems to have put everything right in the end?

 

I'm only just beginning to find out about Modern History. When I did History A level many years ago now, the two teachers wanted to teach the period from 1485 to the French Revolution, so that was what we studied! Recently, I've decided that the period from about 1800 to the present day is more interesting but I am only just beginning to find out all the bits & pieces.

 

Do you think that the Brave New World will affect the way that the currency market works or are the currency traders really quite conservative beasts?

 

Many thanks

 

Gill

[BandC]

Hello Gill

 

There's a currency "war" going on. Each country is trying to keep the value of its currency down so that its home-produced goods and services will look attractive, in an effort to export their various ways out of the mess and start to grow their economies. The currency is made unattractive by keeping interest rates low, so investors look elsewhere. Australia has opted out of the "war" because its economy is so robust it doesn't need to join in - so investors buy the currency to earn good interest rates and demand pushes up the price (cost of buying a dollar).

 

China was not expected to raise rates, but the implication is that it is now trying to cool its economy, dampen domestic demand, and thus Australia will be adversely affected as China is a key export customer. Not sure it'll make a lot of difference really as China is just so huge - but there was a bit of a knee jerk reaction today to the news.

 

It's all a bit exhausting - think I'll go and have a cuppa.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

Thank you Steve, even I understood your explanation. Never mind the tea have a glass or two of your fav tipple it is that time of day.

[sandch]

Who knows Gill? The past can be a guide to the future, but we've never been here before so there are new rules being created. However as it's all driven by supply and demand and investor sentiment, I believe that extremes can't last, the same way that we can't have a rollicking good time forever, nor dwell in the pit of misery forever. There's a cycle for sure as you rightly say, as long as humans are involved.

 

I'm not an economist though, it's just what I've observed in life.

[Sue Ashforth]

Same here - we're waiting for our 2nd VAC demand. I'm checking with Reuters daily and UKForex - although Realtime forex have some worthwhile tips on GBP/AUD (trader tips) - I'm no expert but you start to get the hang of it after watching it for a week or two! Expect the spending review today will sway the rate wildly - one way or another - but could be a good time to get a better rate?? Who knows?

[BandC]

Same here - we're waiting for our 2nd VAC demand. I'm checking with Reuters daily and UKForex - although Realtime forex have some worthwhile tips on GBP/AUD (trader tips) - I'm no expert but you start to get the hang of it after watching it for a week or two! Expect the spending review today will sway the rate wildly - one way or another - but could be a good time to get a better rate?? Who knows?

 

We have gained a 28 day extension but I am finding the wait and watching the rate excruciatingly difficult and we still have another month to watch and wait....:chatterbox:

[Guest nannadi]

Originally Posted by cazbeckham

Vron

 

If you don't go for the CPV and end up on the normal parent visa your life will go on hold for a good few years waiting for that one to come through.

I know it's a lot of money for the CPV but we did it and moved here 19 months ago and we are 60 and 59.

I know we certainly would not put our lives on hold for the normal parent visa.

 

Good Luck with whatever you choose and Good Luck to everyone else on here

 

Caz

 

 

Sorry but I couldn't disagree more. I arrived in Oz in 2000 on 'Holiday' although with every intention of making an onshore application for permanent residency. It was essential that I made the application while in Australia, otherwise I would have had to go on the waiting list - ten years at the time of application - in the UK

 

 

I applied for an aged parent visa in August 2003 and I am now no.350 in the queue, this means that I should have residency next year or maybe 2011.

 

I am seventy now and during my long wait, my life here differs very little from the life I would have should I be a permanent resident. I have an Australian senior's card and the reciprocal agreement with the UK means that all my medical treatments are taken care of with the exception of the grant of the commonwealth HEALTH CARE card, this is not the same as a senior's card and whether or not it applies to us seems to be a bit of a grey area which I am looking into. Having this card would enable me to also get prescription medicine at the reduced senior's rate. By the way, another forum which I have been finding very useful is 'Poms in Adelaide' and even though I live in Queensland, most of the posts apply to me too.

 

As I say,I am finding very little difference in the two types of visas, contributory visa and non contributory visa except for the large amount of money I would have had to contribute had I chosen the former.

 

I certainly don't want to sound as if I am 'gloating' but I hope this post helps any parents who want to apply and are debating which visa to apply for. Personally I would definately go for the non-contributory parent's one

 

I absolutely love living here in Oz and there is no way in which I would want to return to the UK. Good luck to all of you parents who are thinking of settling here.:wink:

Dianne

[Guest nannadi]

PIQ! Do you want me to start the thread for you and make it a sticky one so it stays in view?

I've been wondering what a sticky thread is.:wacko: I'm not really familiar with forums. Could you make my last long post into one please as I feel it may be of interest to quite a few people. Thanks

 

Dianne:jiggy:

[Guest Gollywobbler]

I've been wondering what a sticky thread is.:wacko: I'm not really familiar with forums. Could you make my last long post into one please as I feel it may be of interest to quite a few people. Thanks

 

Dianne:jiggy:

 

Hi Dianne

 

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

 

I've edited one of your posts so that the sense follows smoothly. I've then deleted the post that you made whilst you were getting the hang of the software. Everything is fine now.

 

A 'thread' is a series of posts. This whole subject of Parent migration is one, very long thread, with pages & pages of posts by lots of different people.

 

A 'sticky thread' is where the moderators make the thread sticky so that it is always at the top of the main page of titles for queries in the Migration Issues section of the forum.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Les Avalook]

We have gained a 28 day extension but I am finding the wait and watching the rate excruciatingly difficult and we still have another month to watch and wait....:chatterbox:

 

Set a rate, lets say $1.65, with one of your Forex accounts so that they email you when that is reached. You do not have to keep checking. You are not committed to buying at that rate it just a 'heads-up'.

 

You can also set a rate to buy at a target rate but that becomes a contract.

[Sue Ashforth]

Good idea but I've just set one at 1.67 - do you think this is a bit optimistic - we're hoping to receive the request for the 2nd VAC within the next week or so and understand we have 28 days to pay? We're just going to have to go ahead anyway if the rate doesn't rise - but it's been hard trying to raise the extra capital without putting the house on the market!

[Les Avalook]

Good idea but I've just set one at 1.67 - do you think this is a bit optimistic - we're hoping to receive the request for the 2nd VAC within the next week or so and understand we have 28 days to pay? We're just going to have to go ahead anyway if the rate doesn't rise - but it's been hard trying to raise the extra capital without putting the house on the market!

 

When the exchange rate was better we had money tied up in fixed rate bonds which we could not access and now as the time approaches the bonds have finished and the rate is awful. :mad:

 

You just cannot predict which way the rates will go but this link may give a clue.

 

Australian Dollar Exchange Rate Graph - British Pound - Historical Exchange Rates

[Sue Ashforth]

Hmmmm- just had a look - not good is it? I've been looking at realtimeforex.com for the past few weeks which gives trader tips - maybe I'm naive, but it says that it expects rates to rise towards 1.69 by the end of the month so I was just hoping maybe I could get 1.67..... I had to cash in my deferred state pension to raise the extra few grand...

 

Thanks for your reply anyway - fingers crossed!!

[MikenSueNW3]

Hi all

 

I'm posting this query on the "Will I pass the meds?" thread as well.

 

We've probably got about a year to go before we get a CO, but I'm wondering: Has anyone had experience of going through the meds process having had surgery for (early-stage / non-aggressive) prostate cancer? I'd be interested to hear what the Doc's and, if applicable, the MOC's attitude was; what tests, details of history, etc were asked for; and any other potentially useful tips.

 

I intend to get as full a report as possible from my urologist and/or oncologist, but info on any personal experiences (I mean of the bureaucratic, not medical, kind, of course!) of other PV applicants would be very welcome.

 

It is probably best to reply to this by Private Message.

 

Many thanks, Mike

[PhoebeW]

Hi Everyone

 

This isn't connected to anything going on here ATM but, I was wondering if there is a thread or could we start a thread on people who have got to the end of this long stressful road and found work/a way to stand on their own 2 feet once they have settled in Oz :unsure:

 

I thought it might help those of us who are just starting/are on the way to making the move but have huge uncertainties regarding work, mainly because of our age :eek:

 

Phoebe

[clubby67]

Hi there I have had no word about a co yet should I be getting worried, thought I would of heard by now,going by Steve's tracker we are next on that list.

Wilma.

[BandC]

Hi there I have had no word about a co yet should I be getting worried, thought I would of heard by now,going by Steve's tracker we are next on that list.

Wilma.

 

Anyday now Welma:wink: I feel sure.....

[sandch]

Hi there I have had no word about a co yet should I be getting worried, thought I would of heard by now,going by Steve's tracker we are next on that list.

Wilma.

There's no harm in making a polite enquiry by email Wilma - quote your file number. We've known of cases where communications have gone out but not reached the applicant, and the CO had been allocated many weeks before. That's one of the purposes of the tracker.

 

Good luck!

 

Steve

[Guest Cakey]

Hi Phoebe!

 

My husband and I are in a similar situation, he is 67 and I am 66. We have both taken cleaning jobs to help to pay for our visa's. Having only our state pensions we will need to sell our house to pay the second instalment (fingers crossed and hoping that it sells) we too are full of doubts wondering if we are doing the right thing. we hope to get similar jobs I'm Australia. I have been looking at different websites showing job vacancies and there are loads of jobs, and I know they employ lots of older people.......so I feel confident we will get something. we enjoy working.....? We will enjoy working in Australia........you are never too old for a new start.

 

cheers cakey

[PhoebeW]

Hi Phoebe!

 

My husband and I are in a similar situation, he is 67 and I am 66. We have both taken cleaning jobs to help to pay for our visa's. Having only our state pensions we will need to sell our house to pay the second instalment (fingers crossed and hoping that it sells) we too are full of doubts wondering if we are doing the right thing. we hope to get similar jobs I'm Australia. I have been looking at different websites showing job vacancies and there are loads of jobs, and I know they employ lots of older people.......so I feel confident we will get something. we enjoy working.....? We will enjoy working in Australia........you are never too old for a new start.

 

cheers cakey

 

Hi Cakey

 

Yes that's exactly the position we are in and really the only true worry we have, apart from getting the actual visa :wideeyed:

 

That's why I thought it could be good to set up a thread on ( Parents working in Oz) to give us still waiting an insight as to what is available. Like you we have had many types of work over the years (including cleaning) so are willing to do anything it takes :biggrin:

 

We are 57 & 55 proberbly be around 59 & 57 by the time visas are granted so no pension for us at all until I am 63 and hubby is 65 so it would just be nice to hear from those who have already managed to get settled into work in Oz and what is available out there. for people like us :cute:

 

Phoebe