eddie007

Oklie doklie

so the grey nomads have arrived to validate their visa... with a view to making the permanant move after Christmas...

Questions...

What do they have to do NOW? Before they come over for good...

Do they need to register with medicare this week? or wait til they "move"

Is it worth trying to get private health insurance... will they get it? Will it be stupidly expensive?

Do they need to register for a tax file number NOW or when they move?


Apart from lazing around all day soaking up the winter sunshine here in perth... What should they e up to during their (relatively short stay)


Anyone know??????

newjersey

there is a wiki link up at top of the immigration forum, with most basic questions already answered, check it out.

Bermudashorts

On a validation trip it is best to do nothing other than have a nice holiday.

Pollyana

Have a look for threads about private health insurance and registering with Medicare - something to do with the date they register affecting the cost of the insurance. Never taken out insurance so I can't help beyond that I'm afraid!!
No point getting a TFN till they move

I'll move the thread to the main forum - people might chip in about the health insurance thing there.

Grayling

If they apply for private insurance within a year they are treated as if they are 30 years old. After a year there is a 2% loading for every year over the age of 30.

Family of 3

I think the 12 months counts from the date you register with Medicare. So DON'T register on a validation trip, leave it until you move.

Bonnie65

In my experience that is not correct (unless things have changed recently). We validated our visas in July 2005 and moved over permanently in February 2006.

When I enquired at Medicare, the 12 months had started running in July 2005 - we only just took out private health insurance within the 12 months.

Having said that, we have now cancelled it as it is just so flippin expensive

Bermudashorts

The 12 months runs from when you take up residency, so not from your validation date. Unfortunately, not everyone applies the rules properly and many are told what you have been told.

Bonnie65

I have the actual letter from Medicare confirming that it is 12 months from first entry into the country after grant of the visa so I would suggest to the original OP that it would be safest to work on this basis unless his parents want to get into a difficult argument with Medicare! I would be interested to learn the source of your information.

Mind you it is very Australian to be told one thing by one official at a government department and then told the direct opposite by somebody else!

Of course they will need to do a costs benefit analysis of whether it's worth taking out private health insurance. It may be if they are older but certainly we have taken the view that we would rather put an amount equivalent to the premiums into a savings account to draw on as and when we require treatment.

Grayling

Our year started from date of residency....we had validated a few years beforehand

Family of 3

I've just taken out (last week) private health insurance. To remove the age loading I had to get a letter from Medicare stating the date we became eligible for Medicare benefits (which was about a week after we migrated, about 2 years after we validated).

(Since we're all saying different things, best to check with Medicare Eddie!)

Bermudashorts

It has been discussed before many times and I have previously tracked down what I believe to be the proper guidance, I cannot be bothered to go hunting for it again at the moment. It doesn't make any sense that it would be anything other than the date one takes up residence.

We mainly took it because the extra tax would be more than the cost of insurance, not really because we want it, after all it is pretty rubbish as far as I can tell anyway.

Bermudashorts

I think we are saying the same thing, the day you become eligible for full medicare benefits is the day you take up residency.

Grayling

We are saying the same thing.......unwise to sign up to medicare (or anything else such as TFN) until you actually make the move

eddie007

Thanks for moving me.... Have read the answers, and seeing as they will be back for good before the year is up we'll hold off on. Everyhing until then...

Looks like we'll be having a busy time in february!