Elderly folk.

[Guest methuselah]

I've almost persuaded my elderly parents to up sticks and join us in Perth, none the least because all their immediate family will be in Oz, plus they have no life here, constantly worrying about money. If they sold their house they would invest half and buy with the rest, and live off their pensions as they do now plus the interest from the investment. Plus the better weather, cheaper way of life, cheaper motoring, etc....I think what's giving them cold feet is the sheer amount of fees involved in making the move (visas, medicals, estate agents fees here, solicitors, stamp duty over there, transportation of furniture and dogs) which they understandably perceive as swallowing up their meagre savings.

 

Anyone got experience of their parents coming over, and how they find it? What's the best and cheapest area for someone on a pension? Any advice would be most welcome; I really would like to persuade them that it's the best thing they could do but I'd hate them to have regrets. I suggested coming out for a year but if they decided to stay, they'd have to return to the UK to sell the house and that would involve their dogs in 6 months' quarantine.

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Methuselah

 

I'm so sorry for assuming from your user-name that you must be your parents in my reply to you on the Migration forum!

 

My mother has recently obtained a Contributory Parent 143 visa, so we have been through all the same discusions as your parents have been having.

 

My personal view of this is that the parents have to be talked, cajoled and eased into taking the plunge, because otherwise there will come a time when they will be considered to be too decrepit to travel to Oz, and the constraints of work, children etc would prevent you and your siblings from being able to spend much time in the UK.

 

My mother is widowed, 86 and disabled (she broke her back in an accident a few years ago and as a result, she now needs a zimmer frame at home and a wheelchair elsewhere.) I'm in the UK and plan to stay here - career etc. However, my sister has lived in Perth for some years and is the mother of Mum's only grandchildren. Elaine had a 'granny suite' built into her house when it was built and the bathroom has been adapted for Mum's disability etc, so we do not have to find Mum somewhere to live.

 

However, I have a great friend in Bunbury whose 80 year old Mum's CP 143 application was being processed at the same time s my mother's. Her mothr is pretty independent and they got her a bungalow in a Retirement Village nearby. They are a really good idea for the elderly, in my opinion. If you go to http://www.google.com.au and tell it to look for retirement villages + Perth, you will get an idea.

 

Your parents would not be able to go out to Oz for a year and simply stay there. DIAC are becoming increasingly sticky about elderly tourists making extended visits to Oz in case they become ill/disabled and cannot go home when the tourist visa expires.

 

I agree with you about the costs involved, but it really depends what their house in the UK is worth, I think. They would not be eligible for the Australian Age Pension until they have lived in Oz for 10 years, and filling prescription is pricey for the elderly in Oz compared to the UK. Though Google Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and read about the Safety Net with that.

 

With regard to the dogs, if you go for an ordinary Parent visa, the dogs won't still be around by the time the visa comes through, chum! We have not had to investigate shipping a pet, but I thought the quarantine is less than six months? Look on http://www.aqis.com.au I suggest. However, I have heard that the all up cost with, say a Labrador, would be iro £3000-£3500.

 

Have your parents ever been to Australia? If not, then how about say a six month visit to start with? That is working like a charm for another friend of mine at the minute. Her parents, aged 71, were convinced that it was too expensive to consider a CP visa etc etc. However, they have now been in Adelaide for 2 months, will be there for a further 4, and are completely 'sold' on moving to Oz themselves. Now, instead of looking for negative ideas to scare themselves with, instead they are focussing on the benefits of the better climate, being able to watch their grandchildren grow up etc etc. Once can almost let Australia do the talking, in fact!

 

Hope this helps.

 

Gill