Settling Your Thai Partner in Australia

[dbrenn]

Thank for the info krisb, I have been through the settling process a few times but I don't think it is as easy as you make it seem.

Medicare is a doddle. You get your blue card, will change to green one when PR is granted.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-card/eligibility-for-medicare-card

Medical Insurance

Does the loading apply to TR or PR residents over 31?

ATO and Banking involves tax

If your wife has no assets, then there is not much to worry about, open an account, she can even do this on a tourist visa (pay 10% witholding tax)! BUT if your wife actually has some money we have a whole different ball game. As a resident for tax purposes she must legally declare all income foreign and domestic. The implications of these are quite deep. Without getting into the details too much, any assets or property held in Thailand are taxable income in Australia. My father-in-law was a hard worker on the roads here in Thailand, and he spent most of his pay packet buying land ahead of them. Passed on some 10 years ago and left it to my wife. If she rocks into Australia with over half a million dollars in her pocket, tax wise where does that put her? Would she be best to leave it here? Exchange it? These are the details I'd like to get some discussion going on, they may affect us all.

edit: Something else that just occurred to me, is the 'baby bonus' I think there is a window of up to 18 months or more for claiming it, some members may have a claim to that as well?

Oz

Unless the properties overseas are producing income, why would they need to be declared?

It's called welfare fraud. Hiding assets offshore then claiming welfare benefits that would be subject the asset tests is illegal.

That's correct.

Breaking the law while on a visa in Oz, even a PR visa, could also result in the visa being automatically cancelled if one is convicted of an offence and sentenced to a year or more in prison. Even a suspended sentence counts. Cancellation of a visa for failing the character test means that (once their sentence is served) the visa holder is deported and permanently banned from Australia.

Welfare fraud and tax evasion are taken seriously. In Thailand, tax evasion (for example) is almost a national sport, and Thais going to live abroad often don't understand how much trouble they can get into for some of the behaviour that they may get away with back home. Get professional advice if in doubt.

Edited January 17, 2015 by dbrenn

[Will27]

Thank for the info krisb, I have been through the settling process a few times but I don't think it is as easy as you make it seem.

Medicare is a doddle. You get your blue card, will change to green one when PR is granted.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-card/eligibility-for-medicare-card

Medical Insurance

Does the loading apply to TR or PR residents over 31?

ATO and Banking involves tax

If your wife has no assets, then there is not much to worry about, open an account, she can even do this on a tourist visa (pay 10% witholding tax)! BUT if your wife actually has some money we have a whole different ball game. As a resident for tax purposes she must legally declare all income foreign and domestic. The implications of these are quite deep. Without getting into the details too much, any assets or property held in Thailand are taxable income in Australia. My father-in-law was a hard worker on the roads here in Thailand, and he spent most of his pay packet buying land ahead of them. Passed on some 10 years ago and left it to my wife. If she rocks into Australia with over half a million dollars in her pocket, tax wise where does that put her? Would she be best to leave it here? Exchange it? These are the details I'd like to get some discussion going on, they may affect us all.

edit: Something else that just occurred to me, is the 'baby bonus' I think there is a window of up to 18 months or more for claiming it, some members may have a claim to that as well?

Oz

Unless the properties overseas are producing income, why would they need to be declared?

It's called welfare fraud. Hiding assets offshore then claiming welfare benefits that would be subject the asset tests is illegal.

I wasn't talking about claiming welfare.

I was talking about someone coming here from Thailand who has a property in their name that is not income producing.

[dbrenn]

Thank for the info krisb, I have been through the settling process a few times but I don't think it is as easy as you make it seem.

Medicare is a doddle. You get your blue card, will change to green one when PR is granted.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-card/eligibility-for-medicare-card

Medical Insurance

Does the loading apply to TR or PR residents over 31?

ATO and Banking involves tax

If your wife has no assets, then there is not much to worry about, open an account, she can even do this on a tourist visa (pay 10% witholding tax)! BUT if your wife actually has some money we have a whole different ball game. As a resident for tax purposes she must legally declare all income foreign and domestic. The implications of these are quite deep. Without getting into the details too much, any assets or property held in Thailand are taxable income in Australia. My father-in-law was a hard worker on the roads here in Thailand, and he spent most of his pay packet buying land ahead of them. Passed on some 10 years ago and left it to my wife. If she rocks into Australia with over half a million dollars in her pocket, tax wise where does that put her? Would she be best to leave it here? Exchange it? These are the details I'd like to get some discussion going on, they may affect us all.

edit: Something else that just occurred to me, is the 'baby bonus' I think there is a window of up to 18 months or more for claiming it, some members may have a claim to that as well?

Oz

Unless the properties overseas are producing income, why would they need to be declared?

It's called welfare fraud. Hiding assets offshore then claiming welfare benefits that would be subject the asset tests is illegal.

I wasn't talking about claiming welfare.

I was talking about someone coming here from Thailand who has a property in their name that is not income producing.

There is no requirement to declare foreign property or other assets to the ATO for personal income tax purposes, if said assets are not producing income, unless these assets have been disposed of within the tax year leading to capital gain. Assets themselves are not taxable for Australian tax residents, only income or capital gain from those assets is taxable.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, the value of assets is taken into consideration in cases of claiming certain kinds of social security payments, but not personal income tax.

Again, Australian tax law is highly convoluted and tax liability depends on individual circumstances. A tax accountant is highly recommended to make sure that you don't make mistakes here.

Edited January 17, 2015 by dbrenn

[Will27]

I agree with you regarding the ATO, but Time Traveller took one sentence out of my reply.

Read as posted, it can be taken completely out of context.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Will27

[Gopro]

Hi Oz,

I enrolled my teerak in the AEMP today.

How it works.

I called my local TAFE last week, asked to speak to the co-ordinator, she emailed me some forms to complete, I filled them out and sent copy of visa grant and passport by email.

They had her visa grant on the system. (they must share it between immigration)??

Went down today for interview, they test her reading, writing and speaking, all very informal and casual. They then allocated her to Level 2 for everything. She speaks well but her reading and writing needs to be better.

She has 2 days a week english and then 1 day a week learning how to live and be a better Aussie.

So Monday to wednesday 8.30am- 2.15pm

Whole process took about an hour to chat, test, and lock it all in. She starts next Tuesday.

If she does 3 days a week over a year that will use up the 500 hours, and they said if she registers with centerlink they also offer some extra english after this program.

[ozsamurai]

@dbrenn Thank you indeed for the information. I was not intending to avoid anything, I was just proposing a 'what if', and you have nailed the answer, thank you again, I hope you hang around the thread a bit.

@Gopro Glad to hear it was sorted for you. We had the same, quick interview and Mrs Oz will start level 3 on the 2nd I think. There is some more in it though. As of this year (Jan 1) the program is now run by the Dept of Education, the SILPAT hours (the additional 240 of vocational training) has been scrapped or rather merged. If you are in a major city only, you were able to get these hours after finishing the level 3. Now you can get them as part of your 510 (300 odd English 200 odd vocational). I spoke directly with the AMEP coordinator, so this is from the horses mouth. Unfortunately, due to budget restraints, not all TAFE will be able to offer the SILPAT, where we are in rural Victoria it is just tough cookies. No money for the country! Once your spouse has enrolled, then they have 5 years to use those entitled hours anyway, so keep an eye on possible funding/course changes at your local TAFE.

Medicare was easy

ATO is slow to come to the party with a taxfile number, but it can be done online now

Definitely set up a MyGov account as soon as you can for all the management of this, it can be done before you get here even.

We are now (this week) looking at certificate courses at RTO's, if anyone is interested in that information, I can pass it on.

So many acronyms, it's a bit of a head spin

Oz

[Gopro]

We are now (this week) looking at certificate courses at RTO's, if anyone is interested in that information, I can pass it on.

Oz

Don't they need a ILETS score for this being a non-english speaker? Let me know how that goes?

[ozsamurai]

The IELTS scores are required for only some courses (most I have seen ask for a 5.5 score), others may just require a Literacy and Numeracy test, which is usually administered by the person running the course to gauge competency for understanding the course.

Oz

[redfish44]

There is no requirement to declare foreign property or other assets to the ATO for personal income tax purposes, if said assets are not producing income, unless these assets have been disposed of within the tax year leading to capital gain. Assets themselves are not taxable for Australian tax residents, only income or capital gain from those assets is taxable.

dbrenn - what if we sold our car in Thailand? and took the cash to Aus. Is that a capital gain/loss? How do we figure it out if so?

thanks for the info by the way

[redfish44]

Updated links as of June 2016 (hubby arriving this Saturday - thank heavens as didn't realise how much cooking he did):

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) provides up to 510 hours of English language tuition to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants to help them learn foundation English language and settlement skills to enable them to participate socially and economically in Australian society

https://www.education.gov.au/adult-migrant-english-program-0

Medicare:

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/3101

Immigration Life in Aus etc links via here:

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Life

Australian permanent resident information:

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Life/Aust-1

Settlement & multicultural affairs info:

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Life/Sett

Certificate of status:

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Life/Cert

There is also a VEVO thing that is not youtube but allows employers to check visa status online - not gone there yet but i here:

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/check-your-visa-and-work-entitlements

translation service:

https://www.tisnational.gov.au/

[redfish44]

Free translations for 2 years:

"The Department of Social Services provides a free translating service for people settling permanently in Australia. Permanent residents, Australian citizens and some temporary and provisional residents can have personal documents translated into English during their initial two year settlement period.

Requests for free translation of personal documents from eligible persons can be lodged at any AMEP tuition centre, which will then dispatch them to a translation service provider. Clients need to provide evidence of their eligibility for this service when lodging documents for translation. More information about this service is available or you can contact your local AMEP service provider."

under "Document Translation" on
https://www.education.gov.au/adult-migrant-english-program-0