Perthflyer

Hi

My Mum is coming out on a visit next month to validate her Parent visa

I would like to get her set up with drivers licences etc when she comes out but do not see how I can do this without her having a residential address (she will live with me)

- Cannot apply for a TFN until she hits the country
- Bank account will need proof of address
- Cannot apply for a medicare card until she hits the country

Any tips or ideas would be gratefully received

Bermudashorts

If she is only coming to validate her visa, she does not need to change her licence, get a TFN number or register for medicare. In fact it is a bad idea to do those things. Even when she moves permanently, it is not necessary to change the driving licence straight away.

Perthflyer

She will be coming in July for a few weeks to validate her visa before migrating permamently in October

Am intrigued as to why it would be a bad idea to get her sorted out with a bank, drivers licence etc as I would have thought it would have made her perm migration easier

Bermudashorts

I didn't mention the bank. I was mainly saying it is a bad idea to register for TFN and medicare. I think you need to be a resident to swap licence, she might have a PR visa, but she is not resident until she moves here. Same as I am not resident in the UK now, although I do have the right to reside there.

Have a read of the things not to do on validation trip section.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Visa_Validation-Australia

Wendy

I got my OH (currently here on a visitor visa, but applying for a spouse visa this week) a driving licence no problems.

I put him on my house insurance - I knew that there was a renewal due so when that came, it had both our names on. I then took that, his passport and his UK driving licence down and applied for an Aussie driving licence.

For the bank he just took in his passport and because he'd been here less than 6 weeks that was all he needed to provide. We used ANZ since he didn't have to be resident for that account.

For medicare and TFN, you may as well wait until she comes permanently. They are pretty easy to get.

TFN - so long as she isn't getting interest paid to her bank account isn't needed until she is here for good.

Medicare, she just needs to turn up with her passport and they will issue that there and then.

Pollyana

Have a look for the lists of things that help to produce "100 poimts of iD" - thats what you need for bank accounts etc. When someone has first arrived, their passport with a recent entry stamp is usually accepted as being worth 100 points, rather than the usual 60.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_point_check

newjersey

getting a proof of address is actually easiest *from* the bank. When you open an account a few days after landing, say, they can accept the fact that you are just landed and usually skip it - they can see your passport and entry stamp, it works for them. To get the ball rolling, I asked my manager to print out a standard letter addressed to payroll manager with the account info for salary transfers, it contains all your ID/address information on it as well and can be used as a proof of address letter elsewhere - e.g. to get your driver license swapped. Once you have two of these done, ID becomes so much easier.

Tramps_mate

I opened a bank account with NAB with no proof of address...

moneypenny20

If I were her I would only do the bank account bit on a validation trip. The rest can be done easily and quickly once she's here permanently.

Pollyana

Lucky you! Not only did they want it to open mine, they now want proof of address, AND personal appearances in the branch from both my ex and I in order to close an empty, unused, joint bank account.

Bermudashorts

That is extraordinary, what a waste of everyone's time.

I am also pretty sure I opened my NAB account with no proof of address, well I opened it from the UK and then walked into the branch whilst on validation trip and activated it by flashing my passport.

Pollyana

May vary from branch to branch -we both already had credit cards with them when we opened the joint account, I'd been here a few years but they wanted shedloads of id and income stuff I never used it, though the ex did for a while. They can whistle for closing it, I don't care if it sits there empty for years, its not costing me anything

Wendy

That's why then...you only need a passport if you have been here less than 6 weeks, otherwise you need to show the 100 points of ID

newjersey

Exactly. Then you ask *them* to print out a proof of address letter for you, to use in other places.

Pollyana

To open one maybe, even though they'd already had the 100 points for the credit card the year before, but why the need for ID (and a personal appearance) to CLOSE an empty account?