“410-ers” fight on for permanent residency

Many of the 410-ers are elderly couples who have moved to Oz to be with their children

A group of 8,200 expats, more than six in 10 of which are British, are campaigining to win permanent residency, in an attempt to save hundreds of pounds a year.

The expats all currently hold a 410 temporary residency visa, which has, in the past, left them in a disadvantaged position and severely out of pocket – even though most of the holders had lived in Australia for years.

Known as the “410-ers”, they had previously faced restriction in work hours and their length of stay in the country, as well as falling into a much more expensive insurance category than those classed as “permanent” expats.

However, in May the group won some concessions from Chris Evans, minister for immigration and citizenship, who agreed to extend the 410 visa from four to 10 years and lifted the working restrictions which had previously limited them to 20 hours of work a week.

Senator Evans said the increased length of the 410 visa would provide “greater certainty about the duration of the stay in Australia and relieve them of the administrative burden of renewing their visas every four years.” As a result of the concessions, no new visas are being issued, but 410 renewals will still continue.

The drive to transform the temporary status of the 410-ers into permanent residency has been headed by the Beria (British Expat Retirees in Australia) group.

Commenting on the concessions to date, John Wittering, the vice president of Beira, said, “Although the enhancements were well received, they have not addressed the issue of health cover. We have not taken our eye off our long-term goal of permanent residence, and eventual citizenship, for 410 visa holders.”

The 410-ers campaign began last year when visitors’ medical cover was switched from its former category of “health insurance” to “health-related insurance”. This essentially removed the protection afforded by official capping of premiums.

Expats in Australia are required to take out comprehensive private health cover as part of their condition of entry into the country, essentially to prevent individuals becoming “a burden on the state.”

However, for a couple on a 410 visa, this requirement could leave them facing premiums of £3,000 for comprehensive cover, yet still having to pay extra for medication and other items.

Many Britons came to Australia on a 410 visa to join adult, emigrant children, and the burden of shelling out thousands of dollars for health care has proved too much for some elderly expats, who have been forced to return to Britain.

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