If you have a question regarding retiring to Australia that is not answered below, then please feel free to contact us with your query and we will endeavour to provide you with the answer.

My partner has dependant children from a previous relationship. Will this affect our visa prospects ?

In short Yes, for the Investor Retirement Visa it is a requirement that you do not have any dependants other than a spouse.

Can I purchase a home or property in Australia as the holder of a retiree visa ?

In most cases you will be able to buy a home or other property but you must first get the approval of the Foreign Investment Review Board before you make any arrangements to purchase as failure to do so may incur a penalty.

What is a designated investment ?

Designated investments are offered by State and Territory Government Treasury Corporations as :

• Primary-issue government securities with a maturity of no less than 4 years from the date of purchase
• Limited to investments of a minimum listed on page 1 for the Investor Retirement visa with interest paid every 6 months and
• Non-transferable and non-redeemable (that is, the security cannot be sold to another investor or sold back to the issuing authority before maturity)

The State or Territory Government Treasury Corporation guarantees repayment of principal on maturity.

What is an adequate health insurance package ?

A health insurance package is adequate if it provides cover for 12 months and is widely available in Australia (i.e. not restricted to network hospitals). It must be fully comprehensive, provide coverage that is at least equivalent to Medicare (including coverage of 85 per cent of costs for hospital, emergency, and general practitioner services) and pharmaceuticals.

It is preferable that the health insurance be with an Australian insurer, however alternative arrangements can be accepted. Alternative arrangements must still meet the requirements described above. It should be noted that alternative arrangements with an overseas insurer will require individual detailed examination of the insurance policy and may result in processing delays.

When applying to rollover your Investor Retirement visa, you will need to provide evidence that you have maintained adequate health insurance during your previous stay in Australia on a retirement visa. You will also be required to show that you currently have adequate health insurance.

Failure to comply with the requirement to maintain adequate health insurance may result in the refusal of future visa application.

Will I be able to work in Australia ?

Yes, but you will only be allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week.

What will be my taxation obligations in Australia ?

If you intend to carry out paid employment whilst in Australia then you will need to register with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and apply for a tax file number. The amount of tax you will have to pay will depend on the amount of money you earn, the more money you earn the higher your average tax rate rises.

For the financial year starting 30 June 2005 to 30 June 2006 the following tax rates will apply :

Can my pets migrate also ?

If your migrating from the UK then in most cases you will be able to take your cats and dogs. However, there are a few exceptions such as the breed of your animal and you will need to obtain an import permit. Your animal must be micro chipped prior to your "application to import". If successful in your application then your cat(s) / dog(s) will need to spend 30 days in quarantine in Australia. For more exotic pets, there are tighter restrictions put in place to protect the Australian inhabitants and environment.

More information on the retirement visa

Apply for an eligibility assessment here