Retire to Australia

Have you ever met anyone who has visited Australia and not come back raving about the climate, the lifestyle and the staggering diversity of its spectacular landforms and unique wildlife. Australia is the sixth biggest country in the world and has seven thousand beaches and this combination of opportunity and quality of life is persuading an increasing number of young skilled and professional men and women to build a home and a future there.

Following them, in increasing numbers, are their parents who are prepared to move to the other side of the world to live out their lives close to their children and grandchildren.

Certainly climate and lifestyle suggest it as a prime retirement location. There’s a diversity of landscape that could take a lifetime to explore – majestic mountains and dramatic deserts, rainforest, coral reefs and beaches washed by warm oceans; elegant, cosmopolitan cities and a rich visual culture bound with its history and heritage.

Anyone hoping to follow their offspring to Australia should consider two questions. ‘Can I get in’?.....and…..’Once in, can I stay’?

Let’s take the first. There are, on first sight, a bewildering number of visas relating to parents wishing to retire permanently to Australia to be with their children. So many that a multitude of private agencies exist to guide you through the procedure and advise on your application. But the prime qualifications are that you must be the parent of a child who is a citizen or permanent resident in Australia, that you are sponsored by that child or another eligible sponsor and that at least half your children are permanent residents in Australia or you have more children living permanently in Australia than any other country.

If you pass that test you must decide which visa is for you. The Parent (Migrant) visa or Aged Parent (Resident) visa if you are over 65 might seem to be the best option in terms of cost. The parent visa will cost A$1,390 (around £600 at the current 2.32A$ to the UK pound) up front and A$1,205 in a second instalment before the visa is granted. The aged parent is a little more – A$2,060 - or around £900 up front and the same A$1,205 in a second instalment.

But there’s a queue. Between ten and twelve years according to one agency we contacted. The way around it is to apply for a Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa or Contributory Aged Parent (Residence) visa and buy your way to the top of the ladder.

For contributory parent the initial fee is A$1,390 but the second instalment is currently A$31,555 (around £13,600) and for contributory aged parent A£2,060 and a second instalment of A$31,555. This will bring the waiting time down to around a year.

Now the second question, can I, or will I want to, stay?

Needless to say it gets hot in the summer, from December to February, and you’ll have to be careful to stay out of the sun around noon, use sunscreen and cover up, drink plenty of water. In the winter, staying warm and properly protected is important. The winters are mild by British standards but you very soon become accustomed to the tropical clime. As Australians say, ‘Brits laugh at their first winter but they don’t laugh at the rest”.

And the culture is very different. If you’re willing to embrace the Aussie way of life and resist the temptation to suggest or introduce ‘improvements’ from England, you’ll be welcomed. If you don’t make the effort or criticise the way things are done you’ll be that ultimate social pariah, the ‘winging pom’.

Many people are surprised by the comparatively high cost of living. A lot of food, both fresh and packaged, comes from abroad and is expensive by British, and certainly by American, standards. Some of the price is also due to a lack of competition – the big four supermarkets slugging it out in the UK keeps prices keen. Electronic goods are also expensive because most of them, too, are shipped in and books are roughly twice the price. All in all this comes as a bit of a shock to people who believe Australia is a cheap place to live.

Some things are cheaper – electricity, public transport and beer stand out. Housing is much cheaper and – given that it is designed and built for a different climate to that in the UK – gives you a lot more space, light and land for your bucks.

Nevertheless, Australians themselves are postponing their retirement – often by five years – because they are conscious they are living longer and therefore will need to be able to support themselves for longer in the manner to which they have become accustomed. It’s a good lesson for retiring migrants.

And bear in mind that your Australian home is unlikely to appreciate in value as fast as homes in the UK where land and houses are in short supply and this might make moving back more difficult.

Fortunately, there’s a way of testing the water - the answer for a lot of people might be the Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa or the Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa. This is a two year visa that costs a little more than half the corresponding Contributory visa. They can’t be extended but can be converted into a permanent visa – for an additional payment, of course – at any time during the two years.

If you don’t have any children in Australia – or not enough to qualify as a ‘parent’ - you can, if you have enough ready cash or a good pension, go for an Investor Retirement visa. It’s expensive and the aim of that is to ensure you never become a burden on the state. Effectively you must be over 55 and have assets of at least A$750,000 ( around £325,000) to invest in the area in which you settle and an annual income of at least A$65,000 (around (£28,000). You can get a visa a little cheaper if you agree to live in areas that are designated ‘regional’ or of ‘low population growth’. This means avoiding Sydney, Newcastle, and the central coast of New South Wales, Brisbane and the Gold Coast in Queensland, Melbourne in Victoria and Perth and its environs in Western Australia. The visa lasts four years and can be renewed but this, and the financial qualifications are constantly changing so check.

Still interested? Click on the regions to see what’s waiting for you.