Returning home
 

Hi all,
Not 100% agreed yet but O/H has now decided he has had enough of Perth and is bored, and turned around last night and said shall we go,

Must of hit his head or something. I thought he would never change his mind.

He has been offered promotion at work but does not want to accept as he couldn't see us staying here as long term

Although he initially said he wanted to stay and get the Cit-ship for the kids, after all the crap and heartace to get here, he now feels like he is wasting his time here.

He has been offered 2 positions one in Gibraltar with us living in Spain and the other in Cambridge, so fingers crossed we will be going home or closer..

My question is we have PR here and that expires in 2010 if we came back in 2010 say for a 6 week holiday can we just apply for a resident return Visa then leave again?

Don't want to post this on Aus forum, Just in case.

Cheers Sandra X

PS I am soo excited :D I just hope he does not change his mind :scared:

Re: Returning home
 

No, sorry. Read form 968i:
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/968i.pdf

You need "substantial ties" to Australia (and meet the "5 year rule") in order to get a 5 year RRV without meeting the 2 yrs in 5 yrs residence rule.

Living in Australia would usually constitute substantial ties, but just visiting almost certainly won't do.

And RRV rules can change anytime.

Re: Returning home
 

Thanks for that I knew it would not be that easy..
But if we decided to come back and live is there a time period we woud need to be here before our visa should expire.

Re: Returning home
 

If that's what you wanted to do:

- Get back to Australia before your visas expire; and
- Do not leave Australia again without an RRV; and
- Once you can show you are living in Australia (ie job, accommodation, car, children in school etc) you might be able to get an RRV without meeting the 2/5 yr residence requirement.

Remember that the expiry date on your visas is the expiry of the re-entry facility. If you are in Australia on the expiry date then it is extended until you depart the country.

There is no flexibility on expiry dates. And remember - rules could change anytime and there's no guarantee this route will still be possible in a few years.

Re: Returning home
 

Great thanks ,
At least that gives us a few years, in case we change our minds..

Sandra

Re: Returning home
 

You lucky, lucky, lucky...... :p Can he please have a word with my OH, who is still convinced Australia is the be all and end all of the universe ???

Enjoy making your plans...how exciting for you. Good for you. :D

Re: Returning home
 

It looks like there is some light at the end of your tunnel.Thats great. Iwould like a bit of light myself.
I know very little about the rules with regard to vias etc.I am sure someone here will know. Good Luck

Re: Returning home
 

That's excellent news for you Sandra.
I hope he takes one of the jobs, Europe has some fantastic countries, we don't need to go to the other side of the world to find beauty and a 'lifestyle'. Its been right there under our noses all along.:)
Fingers crossed.
PS When are you packing??:D

Re: Returning home
 

Thanks, I have felt so excited all day and it's not yet set in stone.

The kids must think I am mad, dancing around singing "Were going home, were going home:eek:

When, we are tied in to our rental until the end of March, we also need to decide where to go, I am a little concerned about Spain/Gib with the langauge barrier, schools,and general way of life, I don't want to get there and feel like I have done here for the past 12 months.
Also we have just let our house again for another 6 months, although that will not be a problem, if we went to spain we would try and keep it rented but if we move to Cambridge then I think we will sell it .


I have been praying all day he will not come home and say he has changed his mind, If he does then I will Kill him.


Sandra X

Re: Returning home
 

Really happy for you. I lived just north of Cambridge before I came here, some lovely villages and towns. St Ives is lovely and the villages around it are very nice only about 15 miles into Cambridge.

Really pleased its coming together for you now.

NB x

Re: Returning home
 

Why is it that so many of us find Perth mind numbing, yet people flood into the place like it's Utopia:rolleyes:
Sandra good on you for going back, back to normality and reality:)

Now make space in that suitcase for me:D

Re: Returning home
 

everyone is different rachel and like different things, some will like perth, some won't. No different to anywhere else in the world.

Re: Returning home
 

Yes of course, it was only yesterday a friend who lived here for 6 months went back to UK as she hated it here, e-mailed me and said she is coming back!!

She regrets not giving it more time. Time is what i need;)

Not going anywhere yet..but i do hope Sandra makes the right decision.

Re: Returning home
 

absolutely I wish everyone the best who isn't settled. I have been where all of you are more than once in other countries and its not pleasant.

Re: Returning home
 

Flippin' 'eck...,am I seeing things? nb's being nice? This makes for a pleasant change....more, more!!:D

Re: Returning home
 

I am sure if you met me Tracey you would realise I am very nice.

Re: Returning home
 

Thanks so much, I am sure it is the right decision my only regret will be the Cit-ship for the Kids just to give them another avenue in life.

Not sure if he take the Cambridge, one where to live really don't really know any areas around there, I know, Newmarket etc and Ely so any areas you think would help would be great.. Thanksx

Re: Returning home
 

We lived in Sawtry which is about 20 odd miles north of Cambridge and my husband worked in Cambridge and so did I for a time. I don't know what your price range is but I would live in the following places in addition to Sawtry, all are very nice.

Parts of Huntingdon are nice, Houghton, St Ives, Hemingford Grey, Hemingford Abbot, Alconbury, Needingworth, Fenstanton, Longstanton, Fen Drayton, Dry Drayton. Good villages with nice pubs and not far into Cambridge for shopping. Bar Hill has a huge Tesco. The only down side to living this side of Cambridge is the A14 which can be a hell of a road in rush hour. Some nice villages on the south side of Cambridge too but I am not so familiar with those. I have a friend who lives in Gib with her US Navy husband. She is taking spanish lessons because she says that although a lot of people speak English there she has found it has been a slight barrier and has made certain things difficult.

Re: Returning home
 

Thanks, I never settled here from the moment I got of the plane, for me I think it is a really nice place, but thats it just nice, nice weather, nice Beaches, just Nice

I need more than that I need my family, friends,Culture, But mostly just be happy.:)

If I go back and think I have made a mistake he will kill me,
Although we have until 2010 to decide, if we really want to come back, We would probably go east.

Not that I am planning on coming back.

Sandrax

Re: Returning home
 

If he took the position in Gib, we would live in Spain, Costa Del La Luz as that is not so British or expensive, I think, just trying to do research on best places to live also schools etc bloody hard..

our budget if we sell our house and buy there would be 4ish I was looking at Suffolk way, but need to really look at areas that would be easy for him to travel..also I would like to live in a village, good schools etc.

Nightmare or what..

I am just waiting for him to come through the door and say he has changed his mind.. for his sake I hope he don't. He He

Sandra

Re: Returning home
 

there are some lovely places around, my favourites of all the villages I mentioned are Houghton and the Hemingfords. Beautiful villages, good schools and super village pubs yet at none rush hour about half an hour to Cambridge. The traffic into Cambridge from all angles is notoriously bad.

Re: Returning home
 

Thanks so much

Will most certainly look at those.:)

Sandra

Re: Returning home
 

Oooh, I really hope you get home honey, will try to send lucky K.:)

Re: Returning home
 

Sandra, am going to be biting my nails all night for ya love.:o
Over the years here I have heard folk say. "Once the decision has been made, its a HUGE relief"..
I know what they mean now, but at the time I couldn't really grasp just what they meant.
But its true, once your mind is made up, and you KNOW you are going 'home' (or near home) it feels better than any lotto win.:D :D
I will try to sleep tonight.:D

Re: Returning home
 

Looking from a fella’s perspective and until he changed his mind your O/H might have thought the same as this.

To go through the pain, suffering and putting your life on hold that applying to emigrate puts you through and then not giveing it 2 years to get your citizenship does seem a shame.

Imagine a person in your position now talking to you when you were applying to emigrate it would be an interesting conversation I think.

But if it’s wrong it’s wrong, I can’t see you finding it very much easier in any other country though and the language barrier is a tough one to deal with, maybe just going back to the UK would be the best thing to do.

We are in a somewhat different situation, we are going back to the UK, but it’s after 20 years in Western Australia and we can always return. If you think Perth is sleepy now then in the 1980’s it was comatose. :zzz:

Actualy if you had said to me 2 years ago that we would be returning to the UK now, i'd have laughed in your face.

Best wishes to you and yours in what ever you do.

Dave

Re: Returning home
 

Hi Dave,

Thanks for responding, I totally agree with what you have said and I really understand, I don't feel no different and wish I could stick it for the other year but it is not just a year it is 15/ 16 months for us to get the Cit-ship only just a year here in Feb.

He has said that here is not for us long term, and now feels like he is wasting his time working his arse off for the next year building up a client base etc to leave and start over again.

I also think if we went home and in a couple of years we really think that the UK is not for us then maybe we will try again, somewhere else.

His dad had a kidney transplant 10 yrs ago and recently had a few problems and the has just been diganosed with prostrate cancer which has spread to the lymph glands, and his grandparents are still alive, so I do think that they are some of the factors that have changed his mind..

We have 2 small children, I feel guilty that no one other that us is seeing them grow up, getting their own characters, personalities and at the moment nothing has changed, he has said lets go, but he is waiting to see what the offers are first, so nothing has been set in stone so untill then I will wait in anticipation.

Can I ask why you are going back?

Sandra

Re: Returning home
 

You do have some very good reasons Sandra

I have posted my reasons on another link I was the 2nd post there http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...26#post4256826

Basicaly I gave 5 reasons

1) Ageing family

2) locality to Europe for traveling

3) locality to the Americas for traveling

4) New found appreciation of History

5) We can and will come back to Australia

We are ready for another adventure, we have no family ties here just a farm (now sold) and a lot of friends.

We'll see how things go in the old country.

All the best



Dave

Re: Returning home
 

We could have applied for NZ citizenship in July 2005 if we wanted to, but then we thought about it, and we realised that we dont want to live in NZ, not now, nor anytime in the future.:o
We have PR/IRRV and if the kids ever want to return or emigrate in later life then they can do it themselves. After all, we did it without our parents. And if the rules don't change, then they can just come back in anyway should they want to.
Who's to say, they want to emigrate to NZ/Aus anyway, it could just as easily be Canada or USA for instance? Who knows?
My motto now is 'why waste any more time here when you aint happy':)
Let the kids decide where to go in life when they are older.:D

Re: Returning home
 

I wish the folks would undergo such a mammoth change of heart!

Re: Returning home
 

That only applies to those with citizenship. Unless you mean just visiting.

Re: Returning home
 

Yes well after 20 years here we did (only recently infact ) find the time to get citizenship :p

Cheers

Dave

Re: Returning home
 

Maybe because there is heaps to do there, great shopping, fantastic food, awesome beaches, lots of parks and open space, wildlife, and heaps of pubs and clubs???????? God I miss Perth!!!

Things to do in Perth/WA:

Go shopping - in Subi/Freo
Freo markets
eat/shop/drink Hillarys Marina
Rottnest island
Swim, surf or read a book at some awesome Beaches
See an Aussie Rules game at Subi
See a movie under the stars at various locations
Go to a Sunday Session
Go on a winery tour Swan Valley
Have a kick of the footy in your local park
Have a picnic at Kings Park
Go down south and visit Margaret River/Busselton
Have a meal or go clubbing in Northbridge
Visit Freo prison at night
Play tennis in beautiful weather
Ten pin bowling/ice skating/lawn bowls
Do a TAFE course
fish and chips on Cott beach in summer
Camping at Nanga bush camp
Go up to Kalbarri (quaint fishing village) and see the dolphins at Monkey Mia
Go to the Perth Royal Show
Skyworks on Australia Day
Lancelin Ocean Classic in January
Have a pint at Little Creatures in Freo
See penguins and Sea Lions on Pengiun Island
Hopman Cup in Jan
Lavender Hill Cricket match

Yes you have to leave your house and your suburb to do most of these things, but parking is free in most places!

Re: Returning home
 

well as happy as I am here I haven't found the great shopping or good pubs yet, not that I like pubs but sometimes friends fancy going out.

Re: Returning home
 

Exactly...thats why most go home:D

Re: Returning home
 

I happen to agree with you and have done most of those things, apart from shopping which I hate with a passion. However if some of the folk on this board are like some of my friends and family back home their lives will go something like this:

Monday - Friday
Work, come home, watch fab UK tv show whilst eating dinner off lap or go to pub
Saturday, Sunday
Stay in bed, go shopping or catch up with family, spend ages getting ready, go out to pub/club, get takeway of some variety and stagger home pissed. May have a drive out somewhere Sunday, probably which involves a pub meal.

Re: Returning home
 

That what I noticed. I stayed with a family in Cardiff (family friends of my best friend) and the whole family were completely negative about Australia - not that they had ever been there. I stayed there for a week and everyone just stayed indoors watching TV. When some of the younger family members took us to a bar it was just the same kind of bar you get anywhere. Now, they love Wales and were happy there and I have no problems with that, but I fail to see the evidence of exciting lives being led by normal people in the UK. Maybe if you are an A lister and go to The Ivy for dinner or live in a beautiful house in the country and have lavish dinner parties. No-one on this forum has told me about all these amazing activities that make life in the UK so exciting - must be a state secret.

Re: Returning home
 

I don't know Perth maybe I should:D I understand what you are saying about the parking.The problem were I live that there isn't enough. It's no good I can't live where I live after being in the UK no way.

Re: Returning home
 

You also have to remember Denver that despite Australia having all these things it isn't "home". For most on this board they just want to go home and fit in again. You can't argue with that mate.

Re: Returning home
 

I know Cardiff really well ,I always loved the place, must say I was surprised that you said they were negative when they hadn't been here because they always had oz rugby shirts in the windows and seemed to embrace Australia.

I wonder if it's just people being people if you say you liked so so here even if it's NZ/America/UK people that haven't been anywhere else and probably never would seem to be negative that you like something in another country other than their own?

I do think that's a shame though, it can only broaden your out look.

Re: Returning home
 

[Maybe because there is heaps to do there, great shopping, fantastic food, awesome beaches, lots of parks and open space, wildlife, and heaps of pubs and clubs???????? God I miss Perth!!!]by Denver
Things to do in Perth/WA:

Go shopping - in Subi/Freo ...Almost anywhere you shop in UK has more choice and better quality

Freo markets...Thousands of markets in UK

eat/shop/drink Hillarys Marina...eat/shop/drink almost anywhere in UK

Rottnest island...Expensive to get there and for what? Nothing!

Swim, surf or read a book at some awesome Beaches...You can read on any beach/surf down in Newquay and swim too

See an Aussie Rules game at Subi...Not quite got the atmosphere a football match has IMO

See a movie under the stars at various locations...Only in summer

Go to a Sunday Session...Ever been to Camden?

Go on a winery tour Swan Valley...Expensive and most don't open during the week and kids aren't allowed in

Have a kick of the footy in your local park...Do that anywhere in the world

Have a picnic at Kings Park...As does everyman and his dog on summer w/e's.)Parks everywhere with picnic and bbq areas in UK if you look

Go down south and visit Margaret River/Busselton...Drive less distance to Devon/Cornwall/New Forest/Northumberland/Lake District etc. with more to do and see

Have a meal or go clubbing in Northbridge...Take the risk of getting your drink spiked/mugged.Seedy area.Yuk!

Visit Freo prison at night...Once done why would you want to go again?

Play tennis in beautiful weather...Can do that without sweat pooring off you in heaps of places in UK

Ten pin bowling/ice skating/lawn bowls...Much more choice of where you play/skate/bowl in UK

Do a TAFE course...Go to college for free in UK if just left school/Alot more choice of colleges for further education too

fish and chips on Cott beach in summer...Yeh,nice,but can do that in UK too

Camping at Nanga bush camp...Go camping in UK too.+ closer proximity to go camping in Europe

Go up to Kalbarri (quaint fishing village) and see the dolphins at Monkey Mia...A very long way to go for nothing

Go to the Perth Royal Show...The most antiquated,expensive rides and the biggest rip-off in Perth

Skyworks on Australia Day...Fireworks in and around London on NYE without the fights and muggings

Lancelin Ocean Classic in January...Again,every man and his dog up there 'cos there's little else to do except sun/sea & beaches

Have a pint at Little Creatures in Freo...and dinner too,but you can do that in UK as well

See penguins and Sea Lions on Pengiun Island...Again,once seen,why go again?

Hopman Cup in Jan...Wimbledon in June

Lavender Hill Cricket match...Cricket matches everywhere

Yes you have to leave your house and your suburb to do most of these things, but parking is free in most places!...Parking is free in most parks/ theme parks/picnic areas/movies/pubs/clubs etc etc in UK too