millymay

Hi Folks,have just joined you.Applications forms for 143cpv acknowledged on Sept 03 2008.waiting for CO,which we understand will be appointed around Jan, Feb 2010.
WE need some advice,as what to do, but first some family history.
Hubby parents emigrated in1967 with his sister ,who married, and has now 5 grandchildren,our son emigrated in August 2006with wife and grandchild.Hubbys dad now a widower has recently had a mild stroke from which he made a good recovery. Now the dilemma,do we wait untill every thing goes through,or go for 12 months holiday after selling up.and hope that we get excepted. Can we get medicals and police checks done over there.Any advice gratefully accepted

peewit

Hi

A 12 month holiday visa actually allows multiple entries to Oz during the 12 month period. So as I read it, as long as you leave Oz and return again just before the end of the initial 12 months you get virtually 24 months on the visa. The visa allows for a 12 month stay from the date of the last entry. This should allow enough time for the CPV to be processed.

My Subclass 676 Tourist visa says "allows the visa holder to travel to and enter Australia on more than one occasion until xx/xx/xx (this is the expiry date). The visa holder is permitted to remain in Australia, after each entry, for a period of 12 Months."

Peewit

DaveandLinda

Just wondering whether any parents/retirees have done any research on the minumum income/pension needed to live in Australia or if there are any websites which give comparison information?

We have been following this thread enviously and due to employment changes etc. are now thinking of applying/retiring 2 years earlier than planned so we are just looking at whether we will be able to afford to live on the reduced pensions that this will generate. We will ideally be based in Perth where our daughter is (expensive I know) or we may all move to the Cleveland/Bayside area in Queensland where we already have family.

Presumably we need to pay tax on our pension income and I understand we need to pay a Medicare levy if under 65?

Alan Collett

Consider contacting my colleague Jane Cooper (who is based in Perth) about planning your finances for a retirement in Australia and the possible transfer of pension benefits from the UK to Australia.

I will send you a PM with her email address.

Best regards.

DaveandLinda

Thanks Alan.

One of my husband's pensions is a Teacher's pension which he is already drawing and we have been informed that it is not possible to transfer this to OZ now.

I thought that you still needed to be working to be able to transfer your pension to an Australian scheme? We are not intending to work when we arrive in Australia.

Our other pensions are money purchase schemes and after making enquiries were informed that we would be required to purchase an annuity in the UK.

Obviously we will take good advice before we take the plunge, but would still be interested to know what level of lifestyle our pensions can by in Oz.

Alan Collett

Not a problem.

I would discuss these issues with Jane, as she is more aware of what is do-able than me.

I would only say that once a pension is in the payment phase I believe you cannot change the nature of what is being paid, or arrange a transfer to an Australian payor.

For reference, Jane is tax qualified in the UK and Australia, like me, so is also able to discuss the taxation of your UK source pension income when you move to Australia.

Best regards.

sandch

If the pension is not yet in payment, you should swot up on QROPS, but you may have already done that. Sometimes these new regulatory initiatives seem geared to generating business for the financial services industry, but it may be useful in your cases. The cost of living question is a very pertinent one; perhaps better approached from the other angle though; what lifestyle do you ideally want (say 3 scenarios, survival, optimum, rock-star) and how close does your estimated projected income come to that? Some general assumptions on Oz expenses should be quite easy to assemble. I don't dare do that calculation yet. Just as well I have a few years to fix it! Let us know how you get on in due course.
Good luck
Steve

sirmatt101

Hi all, I am soon to send my police clearance certs off to Oz, do they go straight to PVC at their new address? I need to ask this as all our previous docs were sent by the agents, but as they no longer exist, I am having to do it myself.

Cheers

Matt

sandch

Hi Matt - we sent them direct to PVC with a covering letter. I think we used Royal Mail International signed for - the advantage is it's cheap, the disadvantage is that you can only track it until it is handed over to the overseas service for delivery.
Cheers
Steve

sirmatt101

Thanks for that Steve. Will send them by DHL International documents, only costs £19 and can be tracked door to door which is good. Can book and pay online through www.interparcel.com or DHL website.

We are now getting Police checks & Meds done, hopefully to save a bit of time when they are called for. Have just had Xrays, medicals in 2 weeks time. Will get you to update the spreadsheet when completed.

Cheers

Matt

Wanderlust

Hiya,

I actually asked my mum's case officer the same question today. She said to send to the same address as before. Even thought their street address has changed, their postal address (Locked bag 7, Northbridge, WA, 6865) stays the same. Make the address attention to your case officer, and make sure your file number is on the paperwork and on the envelope too.

Cheers,

W.

DaveandLinda

I thought some of you retirees might be interested in the following which I found regarding pensions and cost of living:

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...015856,00.html

Admittedly I think Perth may now be a little more expensive to live than some cities.

I have done some research on some conversion sites, which state how much equivalent salary you need to earn in order to be able to live at the same standard you were living at on your UK salary. Not sure how accurate and up to date they are or what conversion rate they use. For example, if you put in £20,000 this comes out at around $14,860. Think this should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Also various websites gave the cost of living in Perth as much lower than anywhere else in Oz and others gave the opposite!

sirmatt101

Please all be aware that if you send forms etc by courier it is the street address they deliver to, the Locked Bag address is for postal mail only! Could lose you stuff if sent to the wrong address!

Cheers

Matt

mark213

By the way the new DMIA office in Perth is amazing. Much better than the last place which was tiny. Its HUGE, and has hundreds of serving counters. Went there the other day and the wait wasnt too long. About 5-10mins. Its right next to Harbour Town.

Barbaran

Hi guys,

Great new offices but very slow process - someone should employ more staff ! See update received today

" I refer to the application for Parent subclass 143 (Contributory Parent - Migrant) which was received by this office 02 June 2009.

A Case Officer will be allocate to assess this application, however due to the large number of applications received you will not be contacted immediately. For this visa category case officers are currently processing applications that were lodged on 20th February 2008