chimera wrote on May 30
th, 2024 at 7:03pm:
Carl D wrote on May 30
th, 2024 at 8:02am:
If I had the money and the means I'd be going back to the UK
How do you get on with citizenship? They're tightening up on that and pushing for rejection of overseas passports in order to get Oz government services (car, medic, etc).
I'm a UK citizen (I was born there) but I have never taken out Australian citizenship.
I was nearly going to do it in 2007 to get an Australian passport but I found I can travel to and from Australia just as easily with a UK passport as I could with an Australian one.
The only 'restriction' is I can't stay out of Australia for more than 3 months at a time. I also have a lifetime Authority to Return visa which I got with my UK passport in 1977. You can't get those anymore apparently, they now have to be renewed every year (or 5 years if you choose that option).
Oh, and if the Oz government wants to deny me services then I will be happy to take back the all the tax I've paid here while I was working for 45 years.
Of course, if I was offered automatic (and free) Australian citizenship right now I would take it but I am not going to contribute even more to the government's coffers by paying for it.
Gnads - don't worry, if I did go back to the UK I wouldn't be living in or near any of the major population centres, it'll be an
Escape to the Country life for me.