I like to be in Australia
Posted on Thursday 18th March 2010
A slightly more upmarket reference this time.
After much form filling, record retrieval and yet another health check, I have finally been able to submit my application for permanent residency here. It hasn’t been easy, but fortunately friends and family have come to the rescue and provided the required validation and sponsorship. However, by comparison to some of the other hurdles I’ve had to jump, this one hasn’t been too bad.
It will still be some time before we learn of the result, good or bad, hopefully the former. We have opted for the approach of overwhelming them with paperwork, something bureaucrats seem to like, so all being well, my application will sail through.
Quite apart from the practical side of not needing to keep renewing visas every few years, there are lots of advantages to taking this step. Access to Medicare and other government benefits is only a small incentive. Rather, getting a consultant job will be infinitely easier as a permanent resident since local contrivances compel hospitals to give priority to citizens and residents.
I have no objection to this sort of nepotism as protecting one’s own native workforce is critically important. Interesting that, if the UK government had the same attitude, it’s not certain that we would have come here 3 years ago.
Congratulations Ric on sorting your visa