u/beeskneesxox

Hi everyone,

I only last week subscribed to a so far very good online tutor on a preply. When I signed up a few days ago, the rate locked in at an incredibly low intro price (around $10/hr equivalent). However looking at her profile now, she has updated her official rate to double that amount. She has years of experience and hundreds of completed lessons so her new price is completely justified.

I’ve only had two lessons so far but I really want to study with her long-term. Frankly, I feel like I'd be robbing her by staying at this cheap rate.

I want to message her and ask her to manually change my student rate on her end to match her new profile price but have some anxiety that this might come across as weirdly condescending or patronising. I know I’m the one who clicked on a $10 rate but I did not think I’d be getting this quality of teaching.

For context, her culture heavily values social politeness and mutual respect and I don't want to cause any awkwardness. Has anyone done this before? Is it the right thing to do or should I just accept the lower rate and wait for her to raise it. If you are a tutor, how would you feel if a brand new student asked you to raise their price?
Thanks in advance!

Hi, i’m interested in opinions from people who’ve actually made the move. I’m 36 and (assuming all goes to plan) I’m just about to submit my 189 visa application.

I’ve wanted to live abroad for years and Australia has always been the place I’ve wanted to try so I’m thinking if I don’t do it now, I’ll probably regret never giving it a go. I work in healthcare in the UK and currently earn around £100k although that’s largely due to tax efficient contractor work rather than a regular salary. From my research, I’d probably earn the equivalent of around £70-80k in Australia (plus super) so I’m not expecting this to be a financial upgrade.

Something I’m a little torn on is my flat. I planned to rent it out while I was away but mortgage rates have gone up massively and it’s generally not appealing being a landlord from the other side of the of the world, dealing with repairs, tenants, tax etc- think I’d actually have to pay extra to have it managed. Selling it also removes my obvious safety net if Australia didn’t work out but I don’t want to live in this flat forever either so perhaps it’s time.

I know no one can make the decision for me but I’d love to hear from people who’ve been in a similar position:
-Did you move solo in your late 30s?
-Was it worth it?
-Did you keep or sell your UK property and do you regret your decision either way?
-Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you went?
I’m not expecting Australia to magically solve all of life’s problems but I’ve always wanted to experience living somewhere else despite already having quite a nice life here and I don’t want to look back in 20 years wondering “what if?”

I’d really appreciate hearing both the positives and the negatives.

Thanks!

Edit:
Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your experiences and compressing years of hindsight into replies. It’s given me a huge amount to think about but I already feel l have lot more clarity.

I completely understand the arguments for keeping the flat as a safety net but I think I’ve realised that what I don’t want is the ongoing mental load of being a landlord on the other side of the world. I’m also coming to terms with the fact that I don’t think this flat is my forever home anyway and if I ever returned to the UK I’d probably want to start somewhere new.

I also thought people would focus on things like house prices and rental yields but more than anything, most have reinforced that moving countries is as much an emotional decision as a financial one. I appreciate you all again for being so generous with your advice and experiences.

Hi all

I applied for my ACRO police cert on 17th June following a 4th of June invitation. Standard processing time is 20 working days and I’m now on day 23. I called today and they told me that they’re taking around 25 days but couldn’t give me more information.

I’m concerned because I never got a confirmation email/reference and my application on the website has only said “submitted” since 17th of June with no further update. ACRO said I should have received one but they could see my application when I called. It’s not in junk folder either.

Has anyone lodged their 189/similar application before receiving their ACRO certificate? Maybe just uploaded proof that they’d already applied and then added the certificate later? Had any issues with Home Affairs because of this? I’d really appreciate hearing recent experiences, just in case it doesn’t arrive next week! Thanks!