fiz

I have used both Moneycorp and Ukforex. The good thing about UKforex is that once you have registered with them, you can go online at any time and book a rate-I got a very good deal one night at 11pm! I think with Moneycorp you have to phone them....
Both give better rates than the banks...

Alan Collett

I think it would be only right to mention the company that advertises on this site:
http://britishexpats.com/exchange-rates/

Best regards.

JohnDeeHart

We've been very happy with The FX Firm www.thefxfirm.com
Excellent exchange rate on the day it is booked, despite the fact that money takes 3 days to hit their account. The transfer is actioned as soon as your money is deposited with them... usually within 3 days.
Good luck.
John & Eirian

Pollyana

I've been using www.ozforex.com.au (which is then same company as UKForex)and their associate company www.tranzfers.com for years in both directions, great rates, good customer service

allanandros

Thanks everyone. We have made contact with a couple of companies. I think we are going with UKFOREX. We appreciate your helpful responses. Cheers, Allan

Shellfish

Hi,

Please can someone advise on the following:

We sent in an application for CPV, we were requested medicals and police clearance. We have two younger siblings still in S. Africa, one of whom is a dependent as she is still studying. We were requested that she also do medicals and police clearance. As she is 22, I didn't think she would be able to be included in the visa application but asked anyway and have just received an email saying that she can be included in the app - just need to send a letter saying that we would like change her from non-migrating to migrating dependent. If she is accepted would she need to come to Aus at the same time as my parents or can she wait until she has completed her current studies and, is there a timeline in which my parents need to settle in Aus once they have validated their visas?
Thanks

DaveandLinda

Hi
Normally when the visa is granted your parents and sister will need to validate the visa, ie they will need to travel to Australia - they can do this with a holiday. They will be given a date by which they must do this. The date is normally one year from the date of medicals and police checks, whichever is sooner. So your sister could go to Australia to validate her visa and then return to the UK.

Once the visa has been validated you then get 5 years from the date of visa grant to settle permanently in Australia, so you can come and go as you please. However, having said that, in order to avoid problems getting a Resident Return Visa after the five years, it is advisable to spend at least two of these years in Australia.

durhamlad

Steve.
Have tried to e mail you a couple of times to update my information on the tracker but I don't think they are getting through so can you update it for me with the following.
AOS date 2011/02/09
VAC req date 2011/04/14
VAC pmt date 2011/05/06

David

durhamlad

Update.
I received an e mail from a different CO, mine was on holiday but at least the process was not held up, asking for the 2nd VAC payment. It was requested I pay by Visa Credit or with a A$ Bank Cheque in Oz.
I could not pay on a Visa Credit card as I could not pre load any of my cards, I am told it is against the rules, or increase my limit to cover the cost.
I could not pay with a Bank Cheque in A$ I do not have any money in Oz and any bank who provided the cheque in the UK has to have representation in Australia. None of my banks do and I don't know which have, perhaps HSBC.
As the exchange rate was very poor it was cheaper to pay in London anyway, so I decided to go this route.
I contacted my temporary CO to tell her of the problems I was experiencing paying in Oz and that I would like to pay in London which she said was ok.
So I downloaded the Payment Mandate and filled it in ticking the box to pay with my debit card, included a copy of the e mail from my CO requesting the payment, a return self addressed envelope and a covering letter. A couple of days later the money was taken and I received a receipt with a short note telling me they had also e mailed a copy of the receipt to my CO. All very easy and straight forward.
Just waiting now for my CO to contact me.

David

KatyJaysFolks

Hi Everyone.
We have been away for sometime,topping up our memories to take with us to Aus. It's wonderful to see how quickly the timeline is moving now.
Please does anybody know what forms are needed by uk pensions and tax departments . I know they have been mentioned before somewhere on here but I can't find them.
Thanks
Floss

miscellaneous

Hi KatyJaysfolks
I had to fill in a form P85 called Leaving the United Kingdom,for the Tax office, and you have to phone the Pensions International Centre. 0191 21 87777. or email them:- [email protected] .uk

The Tax office automatically alerts them as soon as they have your new overseas address, then the pension offices freezes payments until you contact them. This is what happened to me. and it delayed my pension payment by 3/4 weeks, so in hind sight I should have let them both know at the same time.
Hope this helps.
Elaine

KatyJaysFolks

Hi Elaine
Hope you have now settled happily into your new country. Thanks for the information - very useful and just what I was looking for. I'm sure it will help other people too.
Floss

Julian927

We couldn't have managed all of the pension process without help from Simon Harvey at Global Qrops. He advised us before our move, I had both State Pension and Teachers' Pension, he sent us copies of all of the required forms, including ones that needed filling in once over here.....and recently I have been trying to complete my HMRC tax returns as requested by the UK Tax Office and once again his help has been invaluable.
Julie

DaveandLinda

Does anyone know - Do you still have to complete the forms if you are going on a temporary 173 visa?

KatyJaysFolks

Sounds quite complex and scary. Would you mind saying whether your pensions are already being drawn or are they still in the 'pot' form. Perhaps we will need professional help too. My pensions are already being drawn but only one of OH's private pensions are being paid at the moment.
Floss