info parent visa facts!

[Guest cunnah10]

Hi gang!My parents after months of making me feel sooooo guilty moving us all to the other side of the world have at last come round to the idea and have actually given us their blessing and are now supporting us 100%.They say they do understand and that this country is no longer the place to bring our 4 kids up.They love us all dearly and have never not had us in their lives so only time will tell how they will cope.Mum told me today that if she finds being without us unbearable then she would have to sell up and try and make that one way journey to move out to Adelaide with us.I have tried to explain to her it is not that easy.

Could somebody explain to me the facts of what i would have to do to get mum and dad out there if they wanted to follow us out?How hard is it and what guarantee would there be that they would be accepted as they are both on disability here and mum is on a lot of medication every day(including morphine).They are fortunate in that although they don't have good health they have a fair amount of finances behind them!

As we would be going out on a SIR temp visa would we have to wait to become permanent before we could sponsor them?

Obviously here they get free prescriptions,disabilty and pensions would this be the case if they came out (they are both nearly 70).

Any info would be grateful as i would like to be able to give them the facts to read over and think about!

Cheers

Gill

[Gollywobbler]

Hi gang!My parents after months of making me feel sooooo guilty moving us all to the other side of the world have at last come round to the idea and have actually given us their blessing and are now supporting us 100%.They say they do understand and that this country is no longer the place to bring our 4 kids up.They love us all dearly and have never not had us in their lives so only time will tell how they will cope.Mum told me today that if she finds being without us unbearable then she would have to sell up and try and make that one way journey to move out to Adelaide with us.I have tried to explain to her it is not that easy.

Could somebody explain to me the facts of what i would have to do to get mum and dad out there if they wanted to follow us out?How hard is it and what guarantee would there be that they would be accepted as they are both on disability here and mum is on a lot of medication every day(including morphine).They are fortunate in that although they don't have good health they have a fair amount of finances behind them!

As we would be going out on a SIR temp visa would we have to wait to become permanent before we could sponsor them?

Obviously here they get free prescriptions,disabilty and pensions would this be the case if they came out (they are both nearly 70).

Any info would be grateful as i would like to be able to give them the facts to read over and think about!

Cheers

Gill

 

Hello Gill (from another Gill!)

 

Disability is not necessarily a bar to migration, neither is a need for several different drugs.

 

My mother is now 87. She was granted a Contributory Parent visa two years ago, nearly. Mum's biggest problem is that she has osteoporosis (brittle bone disease.) As a result, she broke her back in 1996 when she tripped and fell. It caused irreparable spinal chord damage. She can hobble a few yards with a Zimmer frame but apart from that she needs a wheelchair to get around.

 

She also has a miscellany of ailments, really all relating to old age. She positively rattles with pills - there were either 11 or 13 different drugs on the list when I completed Form 26 for her meds for migration. None of the ailments are life-threatening and all that the drugs do is to control the symptoms, I think.

 

So it very much depends on what is actually wrong with your parents. Mum is actually pretty healthy in herself - injured rather than ill, really. Her internal organs are probably in better shape than mine!

 

They did make Mum see a geriatrician. They wanted to know:

 

Is she compos mentis?

 

Is she independent in "activities of daily living" - things like feeding herself, washing and dressing herself etc - the bare basics?

 

Did she need residential care or would she be likely to need it within 3-5 years?

 

Was she fit enough to make the long flight to Oz by herself?

 

The geriatrician was able to confirm that apart from walking, the rest is just aches and pains associated with great age. He said the best place for her is in the community with the stimulation that she craves - mentally she is all there

 

Despite major panic on my part when they asked for the geriatrician's report, Mum was fine on the meds in the end.

 

With regard to visas, would your Parents be able to meet the Balance of Family Test for Contributory Parent visas once you have PR? Please see this links:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/parent-outside.htm

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/books3.htm

 

If they would be able to consider CP visas, you can't sponsor them until you have PR but time on the SIR visa will count towards the period needed for you to become "settled" in Oz.

 

If CP visas are an option, I would suggest a couple of long-stay tourist visas first. Please see here:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/676/index.htm

 

These worked brilliantly for my Mum and also have worked/are working equally brilliantly for Parents of friends of mine. If the Parent is 70 0r over and British, s/he has to get their own GP to complete a simple form of medical certificate, which is here:

 

http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/files/0024A%5fMedical%5fCertificate%5fPro%5fForma%20%5f%20Over%2070%2epdf

 

British Parents can also ignore the idea of needing private medical insurance for Oz. They are automatically covered by the Recirprocal Health Care Agreement between the UK and Oz, which counts as medical isurace for the long stay tourist visa. Details are jere:

 

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/index.shtml

 

However, ambulance cover is an absolute MUST. You can get that cheaply via the Red Cross in Oz. The cover is about A$50 pp per year. One ride in an emergency ambulance is about A$500 unless ambulance cover is held.

 

If your Parents would not be able to meet the Balance of Family Test, then if they want to "move" to Oz in the longer term they would need to consider whether they can afford an Investor Retirement visa instead (but it IS expensive, I warn you.) Details are here:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/special-activity/405/index.htm

 

However, it seems to me that they would need to make at least one fairly lengthy visit to Oz before deciding whether they really want to go the whole hog.

 

Singapore Airlines are second to none with the elderly, infirm or disabled. We don't use any other airline for Mum and because of SQ, she is able to travel between the UK and Perth regularly on her own. All that is needed is to book the flight and then ring SQ Reservations to book their "meet & assist" service. They deal with this very unobtrusively, but the upshot is that they do not let the passenger out of their sight the whole way. They treat Mum as if she weer their own beloved Granny and simply can't do enough for her.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest cunnah10]

Hello Gill (from another Gill!)

 

Disability is not necessarily a bar to migration, neither is a need for several different drugs.

 

My mother is now 87. She was granted a Contributory Parent visa two years ago, nearly. Mum's biggest problem is that she has osteoporosis (brittle bone disease.) As a result, she broke her back in 1996 when she tripped and fell. It caused irreparable spinal chord damage. She can hobble a few yards with a Zimmer frame but apart from that she needs a wheelchair to get around.

 

She also has a miscellany of ailments, really all relating to old age. She positively rattles with pills - there were either 11 or 13 different drugs on the list when I completed Form 26 for her meds for migration. None of the ailments are life-threatening and all that the drugs do is to control the symptoms, I think.

 

So it very much depends on what is actually wrong with your parents. Mum is actually pretty healthy in herself - injured rather than ill, really. Her internal organs are probably in better shape than mine!

 

They did make Mum see a geriatrician. They wanted to know:

 

Is she compos mentis?

 

Is she independent in "activities of daily living" - things like feeding herself, washing and dressing herself etc - the bare basics?

 

Did she need residential care or would she be likely to need it within 3-5 years?

 

Was she fit enough to make the long flight to Oz by herself?

 

The geriatrician was able to confirm that apart from walking, the rest is just aches and pains associated with great age. He said the best place for her is in the community with the stimulation that she craves - mentally she is all there

 

Despite major panic on my part when they asked for the geriatrician's report, Mum was fine on the meds in the end.

 

With regard to visas, would your Parents be able to meet the Balance of Family Test for Contributory Parent visas once you have PR? Please see this links:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/parent-outside.htm

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/books3.htm

 

If they would be able to consider CP visas, you can't sponsor them until you have PR but time on the SIR visa will count towards the period needed for you to become "settled" in Oz.

 

If CP visas are an option, I would suggest a couple of long-stay tourist visas first. Please see here:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/676/index.htm

 

These worked brilliantly for my Mum and also have worked/are working equally brilliantly for Parents of friends of mine. If the Parent is 70 0r over and British, s/he has to get their own GP to complete a simple form of medical certificate, which is here:

 

http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/files/0024A%5fMedical%5fCertificate%5fPro%5fForma%20%5f%20Over%2070%2epdf

 

British Parents can also ignore the idea of needing private medical insurance for Oz. They are automatically covered by the Recirprocal Health Care Agreement between the UK and Oz, which counts as medical isurace for the long stay tourist visa. Details are jere:

 

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/index.shtml

 

However, ambulance cover is an absolute MUST. You can get that cheaply via the Red Cross in Oz. The cover is about A$50 pp per year. One ride in an emergency ambulance is about A$500 unless ambulance cover is held.

 

If your Parents would not be able to meet the Balance of Family Test, then if they want to "move" to Oz in the longer term they would need to consider whether they can afford an Investor Retirement visa instead (but it IS expensive, I warn you.) Details are here:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/special-activity/405/index.htm

 

However, it seems to me that they would need to make at least one fairly lengthy visit to Oz before deciding whether they really want to go the whole hog.

 

Singapore Airlines are second to none with the elderly, infirm or disabled. We don't use any other airline for Mum and because of SQ, she is able to travel between the UK and Perth regularly on her own. All that is needed is to book the flight and then ring SQ Reservations to book their "meet & assist" service. They deal with this very unobtrusively, but the upshot is that they do not let the passenger out of their sight the whole way. They treat Mum as if she weer their own beloved Granny and simply can't do enough for her.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

Wow Cheers Gill

What a fab detailed email!Thanks!

Just been to visit my parents and told them all about your mum and how she now lives there too!I think they thought it was far too difficult and would be virtually impossible but now they seem really excited at the thought of a chance of joining us maybe in the future on a great adventure (as my mum put it).

I would love that to be the situ one day!May need your help though knowing how to go about it and what forms to fill in.My Mum's medication very similar to your mum as in eases all her problems and makes her pains and problems more bearable(had back surgery but didn't go to plan years ago but nothing life threatening as such)Also controlled Diabetic!Dad had false knee(did get DVT but few years ago now)and has bit of a dicky heart will prob be having a pacemaker fitted this year.Apart from that he's like a spring chick and loves life!So thanks for filling me got bit more confidence in getting them in maybe one day!

Good for your mum you have to admire her(gutsy lady).Is she enjoying life in Adelaide?What a huge step for her at her stage of life!

Keep in touch

Gill

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Gill

 

Thanks for this reply. I am so pleased to hear that our own (eventually positive) experience with this stuff might be of assistance to others.

 

Your Parents should be aware that if they leave the UK, they will lose any disability benefits that they might enjoy here, and they would needto have been Permanent Residents in Oz for 10 years before they would be entitled to any disability support pension in Oz.

 

Also, the British Government arbitrarily cuts between 1/4 and 1/3 off people's State pensions when they emigrate. I've no idea why. I gather that British pensioners living in places like Spain have been lobbying the government about this for ages, to no avail. Parents and Contributory Parents have to have been PRs in Australia for 10 years before they can become eligible for the Australian Age Pension, which is means-tested, I gather.

 

Drugs cost around A$31.50 per drug in Oz, I think, under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Thus if the doc gives Mum a scrip for 3 months' supply of Drugs A,B, C&D, filling the scrip costs around A$120 a time. After the patient has spent about AS 1,200 in a calendar year (which runs from 1st January) the PBS Safety Net kicks in and the cost of each drug comes down to about A$5 per drug.

 

We tend to find that by about the end of November, Mum has spent the A$1,200 or whatever the exact amount is. She can then claim the PBS Safety Net but only till the end of December.

 

Seemingly, once Mum has had PR in Oz for 2 years it might be possible to get her a Seniors Health Card or something with a similar name. This card would mean that she would never have to pay more than the AS5 for each drug. However, it is means tested so we don't know whether Mum will become eligible for this card in due course. So far she has only lived in Oz as a Permanent Resident for just under 15 months so we won't be able to investigate this card i more detail until towards the end of 2008. If you keep in touch, I will let you know what I manage to find out about this at the relevant time.

 

For your parents, though, I would say that by far the most important step for the time being would be to get them to focus on the possibility of an extended visit to Oz. The rest can all be sorted out later.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest cunnah10]

Hi Gill

 

Thanks for this reply. I am so pleased to hear that our own (eventually positive) experience with this stuff might be of assistance to others.

 

Your Parents should be aware that if they leave the UK, they will lose any disability benefits that they might enjoy here, and they would needto have been Permanent Residents in Oz for 10 years before they would be entitled to any disability support pension in Oz.

 

Also, the British Government arbitrarily cuts between 1/4 and 1/3 off people's State pensions when they emigrate. I've no idea why. I gather that British pensioners living in places like Spain have been lobbying the government about this for ages, to no avail. Parents and Contributory Parents have to have been PRs in Australia for 10 years before they can become eligible for the Australian Age Pension, which is means-tested, I gather.

 

Drugs cost around A$31.50 per drug in Oz, I think, under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Thus if the doc gives Mum a scrip for 3 months' supply of Drugs A,B, C&D, filling the scrip costs around A$120 a time. After the patient has spent about AS 1,200 in a calendar year (which runs from 1st January) the PBS Safety Net kicks in and the cost of each drug comes down to about A$5 per drug.

 

We tend to find that by about the end of November, Mum has spent the A$1,200 or whatever the exact amount is. She can then claim the PBS Safety Net but only till the end of December.

 

Seemingly, once Mum has had PR in Oz for 2 years it might be possible to get her a Seniors Health Card or something with a similar name. This card would mean that she would never have to pay more than the AS5 for each drug. However, it is means tested so we don't know whether Mum will become eligible for this card in due course. So far she has only lived in Oz as a Permanent Resident for just under 15 months so we won't be able to investigate this card i more detail until towards the end of 2008. If you keep in touch, I will let you know what I manage to find out about this at the relevant time.

 

For your parents, though, I would say that by far the most important step for the time being would be to get them to focus on the possibility of an extended visit to Oz. The rest can all be sorted out later.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

Thanks again for Info i have made a note of it all!Yes i personally think an extended visiting visa would be advisable (is this upto 6mths at one time?)Would they have to go out of the country after this time and if so how long for before they could come back in again?As i would have to have a permanent visa to sponsor them then we are talking a long way off before i could think of doing that!

How does it work if retired people want to apply to emigrate to oz in their own right and have a good amount of finances behind them to more than support themselves?Is there no such visa that comes into this being they can simply just go out on a "retirement visa"?That would things much easier!

Cheers

Gill

[Gollywobbler]

Thanks again for Info i have made a note of it all!Yes i personally think an extended visiting visa would be advisable (is this upto 6mths at one time?)Would they have to go out of the country after this time and if so how long for before they could come back in again?As i would have to have a permanent visa to sponsor them then we are talking a long way off before i could think of doing that!

How does it work if retired people want to apply to emigrate to oz in their own right and have a good amount of finances behind them to more than support themselves?Is there no such visa that comes into this being they can simply just go out on a "retirement visa"?That would things much easier!

Cheers

Gill

 

Hi Gill

 

Yes, if your Parents decided that they just want to get on with it and move to Oz when you do, they could consider the subclass 405 INvestor Retirement Visa. Please see the following links:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/special-activity/405/index.htm

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1248i.pdf

 

U had a long chat on the phone about a week ago with a lovely lady who, withher Hubby, is cosidering this visa. They are thinking of moving to Melbrourne and apparently th whole of the coastal area round there is non-regional, so they would be looking at a Desingnated Investment of As$750,000 rather than the As$500,000 which might pertain all over SA. Anyway, they had looked into the yield on the As750K for 4 years and apparently it would pay around 7% gross per annum. The yield can be taken into account when calculating income for the income element of the visa.

 

However, do take into account that Medicare is not available to the holders of the Investor Retirment visa, so all their medical needs and any drugs would all have to be paid for at the ful private rates. Some health insurance policies will cover drugs, I believe, but I don't know anythign worth decribing about the various private health polocies available.

 

If your Parents could afford an Investor Retirement visa, it might be a very good option for them to begin with because they would then be able to apply for a Contributory Aged Parent visa instead, once you have PR in Oz. With an Investor Retirement visa followed by a CAP visa, once they arein Oz they would never have to leave again if they don't want to. For the Contributory Aged Parent visa, the Parents must be in Oz when the application is made and in Oz when the visa is granted. They simply stay in Oz throughout the processing period.

 

If Investor Retirement is not an option then you would have to think about long-stay tourist visas instead. DIAC are usually OK about letting British Parents stay for up to a year at a time if they wish, but they do insist that the Parent comes home for a reasonable period in between visits to Oz. They do not like people to try to use tourist visas as a means of "living" in Australia as opposed to "just visiting."

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Hayshake]

As a contributory Visa holder living in Adelaide at the moment, I would like to say what a great asset Gollywobbler is with the posts on this subject.

Because it is a minority in the terms of people moving to Aus, it seems very few people know what these Visa's are all about. Even the Medicare office in Adelaide had to take some time getting advice before they would issue us with Medicare cards. We have just discovered that we can also get seniors card's which entitle us to money off in shops, restaurants and cinema's, so evry little helps. Not all states allow these to Visa holders, but it seems that SA do.

One last thing, the numbers of Visa's issued is not just to UK citizens, but for worldwide applications, and the last I saw there was about a 12 year wait for non contributory Visa's.

[Guest cunnah10]

Hi Gill

 

Yes, if your Parents decided that they just want to get on with it and move to Oz when you do, they could consider the subclass 405 INvestor Retirement Visa. Please see the following links:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/special-activity/405/index.htm

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1248i.pdf

 

U had a long chat on the phone about a week ago with a lovely lady who, withher Hubby, is cosidering this visa. They are thinking of moving to Melbrourne and apparently th whole of the coastal area round there is non-regional, so they would be looking at a Desingnated Investment of As$750,000 rather than the As$500,000 which might pertain all over SA. Anyway, they had looked into the yield on the As750K for 4 years and apparently it would pay around 7% gross per annum. The yield can be taken into account when calculating income for the income element of the visa.

 

However, do take into account that Medicare is not available to the holders of the Investor Retirment visa, so all their medical needs and any drugs would all have to be paid for at the ful private rates. Some health insurance policies will cover drugs, I believe, but I don't know anythign worth decribing about the various private health polocies available.

 

If your Parents could afford an Investor Retirement visa, it might be a very good option for them to begin with because they would then be able to apply for a Contributory Aged Parent visa instead, once you have PR in Oz. With an Investor Retirement visa followed by a CAP visa, once they arein Oz they would never have to leave again if they don't want to. For the Contributory Aged Parent visa, the Parents must be in Oz when the application is made and in Oz when the visa is granted. They simply stay in Oz throughout the processing period.

 

If Investor Retirement is not an option then you would have to think about long-stay tourist visas instead. DIAC are usually OK about letting British Parents stay for up to a year at a time if they wish, but they do insist that the Parent comes home for a reasonable period in between visits to Oz. They do not like people to try to use tourist visas as a means of "living" in Australia as opposed to "just visiting."

 

Cheers

 

Gill

Thanks again Gill you are a handy girl to know!Certainly given me a lot of info to pass onto my parents.

I don't think handing over $500k OR $750k would be an option somehow so as you suggested a long term visa hopefully upto the 12mths even would be better but how long do they have to go out the country back to UK( would 3 mths be reasonable and could they stay maybe another 12mths on returning?)By that time we maybe in a position to sponsor them on the parent visa!Am i right in thinking that they could stay in OZ with us(well not literally with us as i would be pulling my hair out - in a rental near by sounds more like it) whilst visa was getting processed and hopefully granted?

Hubby winding me up as he said he was only going to the other side of the world to escape the in laws!

He loves them really(i think)

Gill

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Hayshake

 

We have just discovered that we can also get seniors card's which entitle us to money off in shops, restaurants and cinema's, so evry little helps. Not all states allow these to Visa holders, but it seems that SA do

.

 

This is very interesting! Centrelink in Perth told us that the Seniors Health Card couldn't even be considerd for Mum till she had been living in Oz as a PR for 2 years. Which seemed plausible so we didn't query it.

 

My impression from the Centrelink website was that Mum would also have to wait two years before she could get an ordinary Seniors Card, though we have not discussed this with Centrelink at all. I appreciate what you

 

Every little helps with CP visas, I reckon. I note what you say, that WA may not be as generous as SA about this, but I will ask my sister to ask.

 

A great chum of mine has moved to Adelaide. Her Parents are just wairing till they can apply for CP visas. They went to Adelaide for 6 months in 2006/7 and are there again for another 6 months now. They love it and are dying to be able to cut out the travelling add just to be with tehir children and grandchildren permanently.

 

That, Alas, is now taking significantly longer than when your CP application was processed. As you know, the Migration Program Year ends on 30 June each year. Please see the following section from teh 2006/7 DIAC Report (scroll down till you get to the section headed Parents.)

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/annual/2006-07/html/outcome1/output1_1_2.htm

 

By the end of Noveber 2007, all 3,500 visas for the 2007/8 Program Year had either been ranted or had been allocated to people from whom the 2nd Installment had been requested by then.

 

Nobody knows whether the Minister will increase the quota. If he opts not to, CP applicants will be in for considerable delays with this supposedly "fast-track" visa.

 

At the beginning of December 2007, DIAC decided to stop asking CP applicants to arrange their Assurances of Support and/or to pay the 2nd Instalment. Bizarrely, however, they are making these applicants get teh police checks and Meds done before the whole process grinds to a halt whilst they wait for more visas to become available.

 

DIAC seem to be oblivious to (or at any rate not worried about) the fact that they are the ones who say, "Do not sell up in your home country until you have your visa." As you know, the "validation clock" starts ticking once the meds are cleared. Some of these Parents are going to be forced either to incur additional costs and delays in getting nre meds and police checks, or they are going to have to go to Oz at very short notice just to validate their CP visas and then come back to the UK ad elsewhere to sell homes etc.

 

I haven't mentioned this to my friend's Parents yet because there is no point in ruining their holiday in Oz. Hopefully, too, by the time they return to the UK in May there might be some definite news about the quota etc.

 

It looks like the CP visa has become a victim of its own success!

 

Cheers and thanks again for the possible tip about the Seniors Card..

 

Gill

[Gollywobbler]

Thanks again Gill you are a handy girl to know!Certainly given me a lot of info to pass onto my parents.

I don't think handing over $500k OR $750k would be an option somehow so as you suggested a long term visa hopefully upto the 12mths even would be better but how long do they have to go out the country back to UK( would 3 mths be reasonable and could they stay maybe another 12mths on returning?)By that time we maybe in a position to sponsor them on the parent visa!Am i right in thinking that they could stay in OZ with us(well not literally with us as i would be pulling my hair out - in a rental near by sounds more like it) whilst visa was getting processed and hopefully granted?

Hubby winding me up as he said he was only going to the other side of the world to escape the in laws!

He loves them really(i think)

Gill

 

Hi Gill

 

Long-stay tourist visas.

 

There are no hard and fast rules, only Policy. A huge amount is left to the discretion of the indivdual CO considering the tourist visa application.

 

Once a CPV application has been submitted, Policy says that a Parent should be allowed a srat of 12 unbroken months in Oz on a subclass 676 long-stay tourist visa unless there is good reason not to grant this. As the processing period for CP visas has become longer, which it has been doing pretty steadily year on year, so increasing numbers of CPV applicants have taken to asking for 12 month tourist visas, understandably.

 

If a s/c 676 expires and the CPV is still not ready to be granted, then provided the Parents have already passed police checks and Meds, DIAC are telling them, "Look, don't go hoofing back to the UK or wherever. Just nip to Auckland for a week and we will give you another 12 month s/c 676 visa whilst you are there." The Parents then nip to Auckland again for another week whilst the CP visa is granted, because it cannot be granted whilst the Parents are on Australian soil. The visa label is affixed in Auckalnd and they can then return to Oz the same day if they wish.

 

So the question really is how do we tackle the s/c 676 long-stay tourist visas (mindful of the need to avoid treading on DIAC's corns) before the CP application can be submitted?

 

It is totally a matter of playing it by ear, you will find.

 

I've always found that the best way to handle DIAC is to be totally truthful with them and describe what you are trying to achieve and why. As long as they can see that you are not trying to be clever with "the system" they tend to bend over backwards to help.

 

The first visit should not be a problem. They do normally give British Parents a 12 month stay on their first viisit to Oz if this is what is requested. You will find that what happens about the second visit will actually be dictated by the timing about when you reckon you can submit the CPV application.

 

Do you absolutely have to be on the temporary SIR visa for a whole 2 years or whatever it is? I dont know the details of converting the temporary SIR visa to the one which gives PR in Oz, and it is crucial that you have PR before your Parents can apply for a CPV. DIAC have no flexibility at all about this because it is in the legislation, which leaves nothing to Policy or to discretion. If the child does not have PR when the CPV application is made then the CPV application must be refused and that is all there is to it.

 

Let us say that you obtain PR when you have been living in Oz for 18 months. If by then your lifestyle in Oz has become "settled" (which is a question of fact, not a function of time) there would be no point in hanging about for a further 6 months before makingthe CP application. The idea of the child living in Oz for 2 years in order to become "settled" is not in the legislation. The 2 years is just a very general Policy gude. Policy gives the Manager apf the POPC a LOT of discretion about this, and he is not a clod-hoping idiot. He is a very nice guy, very sympathetic towards Parents and their children etc etc.

 

What will undoubtedly happen on your Parents' second s/c 676 visa is that DIAC will impose Condition 8503 on this and on any subsequent s/c 676 visas They will do this just as surely as God makes little green apples.. They have a most unfortunate addiction to Condition 8503, especially in London!

 

The effect of Condition 8503 is that your Parents will have to be outside Australia when their CPV application is submitted (and the easiest option is to apply for the immediately-permanent CP 143 visa from the outset.) If they want to, they can make simultaneous applications for the CPV and for another s/c 676 visa. Thisis what I did for Mum.

 

So basically, you will work backwards in determining when to apply for the second s/c 676 visa, because by the time you are considering applying for it, you will have a pretty shrewd idea of when your own PR visa is likely to be granted. The CPV application can be submitted the day after you ahve the PR visa-label in your passport, but you must get the sequence of eents right. And you can rely 100% on the certainty that your Parents will need to be outside Oz when the CPV application is submitted.

 

Obviously, commonsense is for you, Hubby and your children to travel to Oz by yourselves initially, find somewhere to rent or to buy and generally get yourselves straight before your Parents go out to visit so that you can devote time to them once they arrive. Also, if the idea is for them to rent a unit or similar (might as well be small, cheap and requiring minimal clearning and maintenance inside and out) you migth want to orgaise that before they arrive.

 

Trust me, it takes Parents MONTHS to get used to the idea of the huge adventure of a trip to Oz. They love all the planning and they spend weeks packing as well! It is a huge deal for them and they thrive on all their friends going, "Coo err, dear! I wouldn't go all that way on out own at our age." Suddenly, your Parents will become the pioneers of their own peer-group. Let them savour that, I suggest. (You and I both know that they won't be allowed to move with about 6 people from Singapore Airlines fussing over them as if they were unaccompanied 5 year olds but their neighbours do not need to know this bit, my dear!)

 

So it could easily be 6 months before your Parets even follow you to Oz because you obviously don't want to bundle them back to the UK on Boxing Day or something. You will choose to time everything so that they get the best of both worlds weather wise.

 

I completely understand your own desire for certainty, and to try to offer the same to your Parents. However, you will definitely find that the whole thing is less cut & dried than you can imagine at this stage.

 

We are miles away from the poit where you need to hob-nob with DIAC about your plans for your Parents. YOu and I can deal with the nuts and bolts of all that at the relevant time.

 

Do your Parents have internet access? Webcams are brilliant. Here are some good links for them too:

 

www.seniors.gov.au

 

http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=ncs&cy=95&t=rt

 

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-10,GGLD:en&resnum=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Seniors+Clubs+%2B&near=Adelaide,+SA,+Australia&fb=1&view=text&sa=X&oi=local_group&resnum=4&ct=more-results&cd=1

 

http://www.ascca.org.au/

 

(If they are not already genned up with computers, they soon will be thanks to the Aussie Seniors Computer Association or whatever it is called!)

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest cunnah10]

Hi Gill

 

Long-stay tourist visas.

 

There are no hard and fast rules, only Policy. A huge amount is left to the discretion of the indivdual CO considering the tourist visa application.

 

Once a CPV application has been submitted, Policy says that a Parent should be allowed a srat of 12 unbroken months in Oz on a subclass 676 long-stay tourist visa unless there is good reason not to grant this. As the processing period for CP visas has become longer, which it has been doing pretty steadily year on year, so increasing numbers of CPV applicants have taken to asking for 12 month tourist visas, understandably.

 

If a s/c 676 expires and the CPV is still not ready to be granted, then provided the Parents have already passed police checks and Meds, DIAC are telling them, "Look, don't go hoofing back to the UK or wherever. Just nip to Auckland for a week and we will give you another 12 month s/c 676 visa whilst you are there." The Parents then nip to Auckland again for another week whilst the CP visa is granted, because it cannot be granted whilst the Parents are on Australian soil. The visa label is affixed in Auckalnd and they can then return to Oz the same day if they wish.

 

So the question really is how do we tackle the s/c 676 long-stay tourist visas (mindful of the need to avoid treading on DIAC's corns) before the CP application can be submitted?

 

It is totally a matter of playing it by ear, you will find.

 

I've always found that the best way to handle DIAC is to be totally truthful with them and describe what you are trying to achieve and why. As long as they can see that you are not trying to be clever with "the system" they tend to bend over backwards to help.

 

The first visit should not be a problem. They do normally give British Parents a 12 month stay on their first viisit to Oz if this is what is requested. You will find that what happens about the second visit will actually be dictated by the timing about when you reckon you can submit the CPV application.

 

Do you absolutely have to be on the temporary SIR visa for a whole 2 years or whatever it is? I dont know the details of converting the temporary SIR visa to the one which gives PR in Oz, and it is crucial that you have PR before your Parents can apply for a CPV. DIAC have no flexibility at all about this because it is in the legislation, which leaves nothing to Policy or to discretion. If the child does not have PR when the CPV application is made then the CPV application must be refused and that is all there is to it.

 

Let us say that you obtain PR when you have been living in Oz for 18 months. If by then your lifestyle in Oz has become "settled" (which is a question of fact, not a function of time) there would be no point in hanging about for a further 6 months before makingthe CP application. The idea of the child living in Oz for 2 years in order to become "settled" is not in the legislation. The 2 years is just a very general Policy gude. Policy gives the Manager apf the POPC a LOT of discretion about this, and he is not a clod-hoping idiot. He is a very nice guy, very sympathetic towards Parents and their children etc etc.

 

What will undoubtedly happen on your Parents' second s/c 676 visa is that DIAC will impose Condition 8503 on this and on any subsequent s/c 676 visas They will do this just as surely as God makes little green apples.. They have a most unfortunate addiction to Condition 8503, especially in London!

 

The effect of Condition 8503 is that your Parents will have to be outside Australia when their CPV application is submitted (and the easiest option is to apply for the immediately-permanent CP 143 visa from the outset.) If they want to, they can make simultaneous applications for the CPV and for another s/c 676 visa. Thisis what I did for Mum.

 

So basically, you will work backwards in determining when to apply for the second s/c 676 visa, because by the time you are considering applying for it, you will have a pretty shrewd idea of when your own PR visa is likely to be granted. The CPV application can be submitted the day after you ahve the PR visa-label in your passport, but you must get the sequence of eents right. And you can rely 100% on the certainty that your Parents will need to be outside Oz when the CPV application is submitted.

 

Obviously, commonsense is for you, Hubby and your children to travel to Oz by yourselves initially, find somewhere to rent or to buy and generally get yourselves straight before your Parents go out to visit so that you can devote time to them once they arrive. Also, if the idea is for them to rent a unit or similar (might as well be small, cheap and requiring minimal clearning and maintenance inside and out) you migth want to orgaise that before they arrive.

 

Trust me, it takes Parents MONTHS to get used to the idea of the huge adventure of a trip to Oz. They love all the planning and they spend weeks packing as well! It is a huge deal for them and they thrive on all their friends going, "Coo err, dear! I wouldn't go all that way on out own at our age." Suddenly, your Parents will become the pioneers of their own peer-group. Let them savour that, I suggest. (You and I both know that they won't be allowed to move with about 6 people from Singapore Airlines fussing over them as if they were unaccompanied 5 year olds but their neighbours do not need to know this bit, my dear!)

 

So it could easily be 6 months before your Parets even follow you to Oz because you obviously don't want to bundle them back to the UK on Boxing Day or something. You will choose to time everything so that they get the best of both worlds weather wise.

 

I completely understand your own desire for certainty, and to try to offer the same to your Parents. However, you will definitely find that the whole thing is less cut & dried than you can imagine at this stage.

 

We are miles away from the poit where you need to hob-nob with DIAC about your plans for your Parents. YOu and I can deal with the nuts and bolts of all that at the relevant time.

 

Do your Parents have internet access? Webcams are brilliant. Here are some good links for them too:

 

www.seniors.gov.au

 

http://www.realestate.com.au/cgi-bin/rsearch?a=ncs&cy=95&t=rt

 

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-10,GGLD:en&resnum=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Seniors+Clubs+%2B&near=Adelaide,+SA,+Australia&fb=1&view=text&sa=X&oi=local_group&resnum=4&ct=more-results&cd=1

 

http://www.ascca.org.au/

 

(If they are not already genned up with computers, they soon will be thanks to the Aussie Seniors Computer Association or whatever it is called!)

 

Cheers

 

Gill

Again Wow Gill!What can i say!You are so upto date with everything thanks again for all the info and advise!By the way what is St Andrews Way like (Morphett Vale) OH spotted a house he saw on Internet he quite liked the look of!

Good luck next week at the Kindy by Woodcroft Primary!

Gill