nja

We received our VE175 visa back in July 2009 and validated it by entering Australia in February of this year. We have, at long last, received an offer on our house and expect to close early next year. At this time I plan to go move to Australia in April and move the rest of my family in June (After the school year completes). I have 2 questions:

1. When validating our visas were we supposed to complete anything in Australia? All we did was enter and leave the country –that is after enjoying one of the best vacations ever. Probably being paranoid but I don’t want to be turned away when trying to enter, especially as I would have quit my current job.
2. Once I arrive can I obtain tax file number, register with Medicare and obtain private health coverage for my spouse and entire family? I ask this as I live in the USA and will immediately lose my medical coverage once I resign from my job.

Thanks and appologies if these questions have been asked before

verystormy

Cant help with part 1 as we are on 457 visas, but yes to part 2. Very simple

Pollyana

No, you don't need to do anything when entering, just hand over your passport as before

eddie007

Don't forget that by waiting till the end of the uk school year you won't be having the kids start in a new school in a new term... Unless they're having exams why not take them altogether and avoid splitting the family up?

Sorry... Just nosey

Would have killed me being on me own in the uk if HE had done that

Japonica

1. Nope, you didn't need to complete anything at the time. Just hand over your passport when you re-enter.

2. Yes, you apply for all of these when you've come back permanently. And you have one year from the date you entered Australia to live permanently to take out private insurance and avoid the Lifetime Health Cover Loading...

http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/heal...ealthcover.htm

It is not within 12 months of being registered for Medicare as the web site states and we unfortunately found out. We registered for Medicare about three weeks after we had arrived permanently. When we went to take out private insurance as the one year limit was drawing to a close, we found out that they count one year from the date of entry, not the date we actually registered for Medicare (semantics...they consider the date you entered permanently as the date you could have been registered for Medicare). So, we missed the loading deadline by a week...that's what you get when you leave it until the last minute and then take Aussie gov't websites literally...

Tax file number can be done online...and there's so many private health companies out there (with different policies) that you'll want to do some research before signing on with one.

surpluscorner

my ve175 visa was just approved recently. I was just wondering what do I need to do before travelling to Australia? Do I need to send my passport to the nearest Australian Embassy to get the Visa label? If I do, what document do I need to send with my passport?

simfaisal

Congratulations on your visa grant. well, you need to send your passport and hard copy of your visa grant letter to Oz Embassy in your country. sometimes Oz Embassy will not handle it directly, but through VFS. It may take 2-3 work days to get it stamped with a label. If you've got children, better to have separate passports for them without being a dependant on mother/father's passports. All passports must have enough validity of more than 6 months.