Importing car from Ireland to Perth - PIS 6 month criteria.

Vertakill

I've searched here but there's no recent threads about shipping and none that mention my query.

Looking to bring a car over here at the moment but the one thing that's stumped me is this "Applications may be made before you arrive in Australia (although you must still meet the 12 month qualifying period prior to applying). Alternatively, applications may be made up to 6 months after you arrive in Australia."

I answered the questions here on the immigration website regarding eligibility and was directed to PIS.

I never knew of that stipulation before and thought, once you meet the important one of the 12 months use in Ireland, you should be fine.

I know of someone who brought their car over a few months ago but they were here at least 16 months by the time they started the process - so either they got lucky, or this isn't black/white.

I've only become eligible to bring my car over in the last week as I was always on WHV's before that, so I would never have been able to do it in the past.... so I was hoping the 6 month thing was with regards "You must do it within 6 months of becoming eligible to bring it over"...

Anyone else have experience of this?

(Just recently on a 190 visa - here nearly 2 years - have used car, insured and taxed it etc for over 2 years prior to coming here).

pete4130

Check with insurance here first. I worked with a guy that brought a Navara over here and was with Suncorp for a few years, had engineers report saying the car met Australian road spec with ride heights, lights etc and then one renewal time they refused to insure it as it was an import, despite it being insured with them previously and having the engineers report.

tigerballs

+1 with this
registration of the vehicle when imported can be a nightmare.
it is possible to do though. have a good look at the value of the car ....

Mellor

If you haven't owned and used the car in the 12 months befroe appling then I don't think you meet the 12 month criteria

Vertakill

Yeah the car is worth about 7k euro at home and about $30k here (minus maybe another $5k for being an import) so it's definitely worth bringing over.

Mellor wrote: »

If you haven't owned and used the car in the 12 months befroe appling then I don't think you meet the 12 month criteria

That's not exactly how they're wording it so I'm not sure.
They're wording it so that you have a '12 month qualifying period' - it doesn't say it had to be the last 12 months.

I had it insured, being driven by me and parked in my driveway for over 2 years.

have owned the vehicle while overseas for a continuous period of at least 12 months. This is the “qualifying period”. The qualifying period must have occurred immediately before you (permanently) arrived in Australia.

It's a bit silly really because I've only become 'permanent' last week... and the 1.5 years before this I was a temporary resident.

I could pay the $50 for the Vehicle Import Approval form and see if it's approved - that'd be one way of finding out...

Mellor

Vertakill wrote: »

That's not exactly how they're wording it so I'm not sure.
They're wording it so that you have a '12 month qualifying period' - it doesn't say it had to be the last 12 months.

They state that it has to be the 12 months before you arrive. If you take the view hat it was the 12 months before you did arrive, then the claus about only being able to apply for 6 months rules you out.

It's a bit silly really because I've only become 'permanent' last week... and the 1.5 years before this I was a temporary resident.

Being a permanent resident isn't a requirement by the looks of things, its say that you must intend to stay permanently.
So im not really sure how they'll look at it. You came on a WHV (not quite a tourist visa) with the intention to stay permanently.
I think you idea about spending $50 to find out is best.

Vertakill

Mellor wrote: »

Being a permanent resident isn't a requirement by the looks of things, its say that you must intend to stay permanently.

You have to intend to stay permanently yes, but you have to be on a visa that is on a path to permanent residency, which a WHV isn't - so I wasn't eligible until now.
There's no mention of counting time on a temporary visa toward this 6 months. If it is counted, then I'm not eligible obviously. If it isn't counted, then I am eligible.

And I came to Oz on a working holiday - I had no intention of staying permanently up until the day I forked out the money for PR!

Mellor wrote: »

I think you idea about spending $50 to find out is best.

Agreed!

I think this whole PIS policy is worded toward people who are sponsored or apply for PR while offshore and arrive in Oz - they require them to import within 6 months. That's fair enough and understandable.

With all this being said, my friend brought her car over about 18-20 months after she arrived in Oz having been on 2 WHV's... I have a lot of her documentation here in a folder that she gave me to look through as well so I'll see if there's info there.

I'm getting quotes from shipping companies and asking them some questions and I'll try the $50 route if I'm still unsure.

So much vagueness in policies over here!