Hi

I am at my final interview stage and I know that this is an old thread but wondering if some of you that have transffered can help.

I have been in the Army 13 years and know that we have an eligibility for reserve service. The Australians obviuously want no residual service remaining. How did you get round this one?

How long before I would be able to apply for a mortgage? I have a bit put away but would like to get it invested in property as soon as is possible.

Also on a small note should I bother taking my medals or just box them up and give them my brother? Do you wear them?

Loads more questions but I will see how dead this thread is first!

Thanks

You have to apply to Upavon for a certificate of release from reserve service. I sent mine off a while ago (a month perhaps) and have heard nothing back as yet. You can get a temporary certificate of discharge from your admin office which will get you your residency visa, as we have just had ours approved and I am leaving our mob in November!

I'll chase up my release certificate and re-post when I find out what the delay/score is.

You can sign up for a bank account as soon as you get visa approval, as they need your visa reference number and subclass, which should be 120/185 under a labour agreement. You can add funds to the account while still here, but not make withdrawals. Once in Oz, you need to turn up at the nominated branch and id yourself so they can give you full access and functionality, including online, credit card and loan applications. You can get it sorted without going to Oz, but you have to get a banking rep to id you and send the form to the banking people in Oz.

Westpac seem to be the best I've heard of so far and am banking with them initially. Go here:

http://www.westpac.com.au/internet/p...rseas+accounts

That explains most of what you have to do.

If you have a lump sum of cash to put into a property, there is a good chance that they will throw a mortgage at you, according to the financial people I spoke to at the recent immigration show at Sandown racecourse last weekend. Once I told them I was getting an immediate and lifelong monthly pension of around $2400 as well as my annual salary ($60,000), they were all over me like a rash!!!

Medals - I'm taking mine as I reckon you'll be able to wear them. Not certain and not asking as yet, but it's no hassle to send them back to your brother if you can't and you want him to have them!

Originally Posted by snotrag

I have been in the Army 13 years and know that we have an eligibility for reserve service. The Australians obviuously want no residual service remaining. How did you get round this one?
Thanks

For officers -and not something MCM Div or anyone else seem keen to tell you, the answer is simple: do not retire, resign your commission. This removes all reserve liability and makes no difference to your pension/terminal grant. Seems a no brainer but I put retire, submitted the forms and then realised and wanted to change it - I then had the desk officer trying to persuade me to leave it as retire as I was unlikely to be called up anyway. This would have prevented me joining the Canadian Forces as I would have had residual reserve liability. Wnker! The form was changed at my insistance and the rest is history. New Commission was granted on joining CF anyway!

Originally Posted by Gary_K

Medals - I'm taking mine as I reckon you'll be able to wear them. Not certain and not asking as yet, but it's no hassle to send them back to your brother if you can't and you want him to have them!

Originally Posted by snotrag

Also on a small note should I bother taking my medals or just box them up and give them my brother? Do you wear them?

There's a bloke in my regt who wears the GSM and the gong many of you blokes were awarded a few years back for Queen's Jubilee (I think - it's blue with a white/red stripe down the middle, and the gong's smaller than normal in size).

I've also seen some Sth Atlantic (Falklands) medals and obviously the UN medals too. Can't recall NATO medals but I'm sure they're OK. I suspect that whatever you're entitled to wear now you'll be entitled to wear in the Australian Army too.

Good luck to all.

Originally Posted by snotrag

Also on a small note should I bother taking my medals or just box them up and give them my brother?

I asked the same question. The answer is this:

Good afternoon SSgt XXXX

Thank you for your e-mail enquiry.

You will need to complete AD111, Nomination for Approval to Accept and Wear Foreign Service Awards and note instructions for completion.

The forms are available and can be downloaded from our website, as below:

www.defence.gov.au/dpe/ <http://www.defence.gov.au/dpe/>
The forms can be accessed under the "Quick Links" Index of Defence Sites. From there, go to "Honours and Awards", then "Resources" and open the application forms option. Please forward the completed form to the address provided.

Should you require any further information please contact the Directorate of Honours and Awards on 1800 111321 or e-mail.

Kind regards,

Judith J Russo
Directorate of Honours and Awards
Department of Defence

So when you get to the link she points you at, you'll find you need a Regimental number. Once you've got one, you can apply.

Hope this helps!

Received our permanent residency visa's about a month ago. Yee haa!

The timescale from start to finish for the whole process went like this. Bear in mind, from March 06, I still had 18 months to push until my 22 year point, so was in no rush (and neither were the Aussies!):

1. Sent a necky email (with a bit about me attached in military CV format) to the Aussie OCMA asking about Officer entry and interviews in London and chances of getting on them - at start of March 06.

2. 2 days later had interview date sent back by email

3. Interview with Aussies in London at end of March 06. Told there and then I was in as a Capt AEO (was currently a WO2 (AQMS) having almost finished an Engineering degree). Given first posting location, salary and potential length of tour!

4. July 06 received formal offer of employment from Aussies with confirmation of successful application by them to DIMA for a Labour Agreement as a Combat Officer (ooer!)

5. Gathered all relevant documentation together in readiness for visa application, which had to be submitted within 12 months of travel date otherwise we were expected to travel to Aussie to verify the visa, which we didn't want to pay to do!

6. Submitted visa application mid December 06.

7. Sent further documents as requested by DIMA Mid Jan 07.

8. Received visa Mid March.

9. Applied for an Aussie Bank Account with Westpac in early March 07.

10. Account confirmed end of March 07. 60 day limit to transfer funds into it to keep it open/live.

So, now everything is in place, it is just left to sort out admin like selling property, handing over quarter, handing in kit, final medical, sorting out finances (pension, savings, accounts, HP, etc) and a forex company, booking Aussie movers, flights, demi official to new boss, etc.

See you over there from November 16th! If you have reason to visit the Aviation training centre at Oakey, give me a shout!

Originally Posted by Gary_K

......See you over there from November 16th! If you have reason to visit the Aviation training centre at Oakey, give me a shout!

You are heading to a nice part of Australia.

Here are a couple of Links just for interests sake.

Defence Housing

Oakey

Good luck and best wishes

Thanks very much Irish Guard, have seen both of those.

I have it on good authority from knowledgeable people on the British Medals Forum (of all places) who are ex pats serving in Oz that all UK medals are wearable in the Oz Forces as well, it's just that some of their medals, when you get them, will slot in front of some of your others in the order of precedence when wearing.

So don't sell or give your medals away if you're going over to join the Oz Army/Forces!

I have just received the enlistment pack and I am now completing all the medical side. It has taken 10 months to get to this stage, although I am not, in the slightest, annoyed at the time frame. I am just elated that I have moved onto this stage. I have been out of the British Army for 6 years now and perhaps that is why it has been slower.

SCMA do admit that the trade assessors have been somewhat slow, as I was emailed after 7 months to inform me that I had not supplied enough information about my previous military career. Luckily, for me, a highly efficient lady took up my application and got it back on track. After 7 weeks of collating further information from all sources, I posted my two information folders by global priority, weighing a total of 5kgs which cost me £80. Peanuts for a life in Oz! Within 3 days of SCMA receiving my folders I got the email with my enlistment pack attached.

I have now started my medicals which have gone well so far, quite a lot to do but if you want something badly enough then you just get on with it.

I have an approximate time frame of about 8 months, so fingers crossed me, my wife and our son should be out in Oz by Jan 08.

What I would say, for those guys who have been out for a while, is to collate as much information as you can before you send off your application. I was told to treat it as if you were going to an interveiw and to sell yourself as best you can.

Feel free to PM me if anyone requires more info.

Further to this post about needing a UK Military Penal Certificate - I have today (10 Sep 2007) myself been asked to provide one for the immigration department as i am going in on 5th Nov this year.

You have to apply in writing to:

Vetting Office
SPCB
Southwark Park
Fareham
Hampshire
PO17 6EJ

Providing your name, rank, number and National Insurance number.

Apparently they are free and can take up to 21 days - i am encounting.