Australians.... A quick question from a Brit.

[Cornishman]

Since I plan on infiltrating your country. Getting a working visa and such, I've been told that there may be a problem because I'm on a methadone prescription?

I love jumpy kangaroos and aggressive poisonous spiders but I heard that my love of wildlife alone might not be enough with regards to accessing your country?
So, do any of ya'll have any 1st hand experience with such matters?

Mucho thanks. Cornishman.

 

[rickolasnice]

Can't answer your question but watch out for the killer horses.

http://www.medindia.net/news/Horses...an-Any-Other-Animals-in-Australia-38951-1.htm

 

[spacejunk]

an interesting question.
i don't know the answer - but isn't medical history supposed to be confidential?
on the other hand, i have certainly heard (unsubstantiated) rumours regarding OMT patients having to declare international/interstate (?) travel. this sounds like crap to me, because there are all kinds of reasons people could be prescribed opiate maintenance.
i think your best bet would be to make an enquiry with the australian consulate or embassy. those folks deal with stuff like this every day.
i would imagine criminal convictions would be far more of a hurdle to "infiltrating" (do you mean to just get a work visa, or to emigrate?) australia than being 'on the program'.

having said that, old convictions can be overlooked with the right applications and approach, i believe.
it's worth a shot - the worst that can happen is that your visa (or whatever) application will be rejected.

but do you know how fucking hot it gets here? haha, jesus - some folks love the australian summer but...um, it's pretty intense! good luck!

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

Here is the medical form you will need to fill out for your VISA application. I'm fairly sure that you would only need to declare that you are on the program and have your doctor confirm it. Immigration may look at your case closely to see if you are at risk of relapsing and becoming a burden on the state. If you have a clear record with the methadone program you should be fine in the long run. Get a 2nd opinion from your doctor though just to be sure.

spacejunk is right, it's only spring and we're already getting 39 deg cel. days. The heat is a killer especially in Queensland and the humidity makes you feel like you're in a sauna.

 

[Captain Brewster]

^ not all of Australia is that hot. Where I'm from its low 20's at the moment and usually get around 3-5 killer hot days (around 40 deg) every year, no more.

And it's not just skippy roos and poisoness spiders either.... But it is where I'm from

 

[cassandragemini]

Interesting, let us know how it goes when you make up your mind about what to do cornishman.

A few years ago when I was filling out the visa-waiver form for the states I had to answer the question 'are you a drug addict or have you ever been addicted to drugs?'. I was a heroin addict at the time and obviously said no but I was surprise to see that they would ask that question at all, something about it seems really invasive and wrong. The American visa-waiver is both interesting and disturbing, basically you waive you rights to many things to be able to travel in America for up to 3 months. The rights you waive seem to be really important ones that I would have thought international bodies like NATO would not let any country disallow and I was kind of surprised that America 'land of the free' would be able to pass a law so blatantly stripping people of their basic human rights and that I had never heard any news on it. Basically when you sign the form you waive your rights to be able to have access to a lawyer and to be able to challenge getting kicked out of the country, if they don't like the look of you they can send you home on the next plane and there is nothing you can do about it, you can't appeal and they don't need to be able to prove you may be a burden or hazard to the country, if they don't want you for whatever reason you are gone. That to me seems a huge violation of basic international human rights and some of the rights that are the backbone of the American constitution - 'the right to an attorney', 'the right to an appeal', 'burden of proof', 'innocent until proven guilty'. Scary. America is a fucked up bizarre place.

 

[JessFR]

Try to go easy on the Americans, I have an American background, trust me, most of America isn't in favor of it either. They get upset about the illegal alien problem (like a certain other first world country that starts with an A and has a red white and blue flag), no country is without its flaws.

And you're right, the US Constitution clearly says that the rights are inherent and inalienable, in short, you have them because you're a human not because you're an American. Pretty sure courts have found that to be the case before too, problem is the executive keeps acting like a dictatorship.

The are you a drug addict or if you've ever been addicted to drugs is a question I've heard asked before in exactly the same way, I think it's part of the federal regulations or something, not just for Visas either, federal background checks and other things too. E.g. if you want to buy a gun I think it's asked.

 

[laugh]

Try to go easy on the Americans

please tell me jess why are americans so damn patriotic and quick too defend 'the land of dreams'? i ask that with my right hand on my heart and my left hand on a cocked six shooter.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

The are you a drug addict or if you've ever been addicted to drugs is a question I've heard asked before in exactly the same way, I think it's part of the federal regulations or something, not just for Visas either, federal background checks and other things too. E.g. if you want to buy a gun I think it's asked.

This question is asked on the Australian medical form too. It's a standard worldwide.

Sorry Jess but I know far too many Americans with the attitude of 'If you're not American you're inferior' (although it's usually 'if yer not 'Murican yer inferier') to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[JessFR]

please tell me jess why are americans so damn patriotic and quick too defend 'the land of dreams'? i ask that with my right hand on my heart and my left hand on a cocked six shooter.

There's blind patriots in every country, I've seen no end of mindless nationalistic sentiment out of Australia and its only gotten much worse in the past 5 years, not entirely sure why.

Sorry Jess but I know far too many Americans with the attitude of 'If you're not American you're inferior' (although it's usually 'if yer not 'Murican yer inferier') to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Well, let me give my perspective, just my experiences.

I have felt significantly more discriminated against by Australians from them thinking I'm American than I have from Americans for thinking I'm Australian. Seeing as I didn't get much of a choice in the matter, I don't appreciate Australians telling me to get out of 'their' country of which I am a citizen.

A few days ago I saw someone cut in line of an indian (ethnically) kid at mcdonalds, the kid was like 5 and spoke in an Australian accent. The guy who cut in muttered when the kid was still served first "Ok... it's my country but whatever".

Americas far from perfect but Australia is hardly made up of saints either.

 

[laugh]

There's blind patriots in every country

absolutely.

Americas far from perfect but Australia is hardly made up of saints either.

no we invaded and stole our country from the indigenous...and look how much better the country and land and people are now, everyones got a 9-5 job cause thats the meaning of life, heaps of koalas, plenty of water in the rivers, minimal pollution, the list goes on...pretty good custodians of the land...dont ever ever criticise our strength and power.

saints hehe - the catholics could do with some saints, and all the molested children could do with some miracles...

 

[footscrazy]

A few years ago when I was filling out the visa-waiver form for the states I had to answer the question 'are you a drug addict or have you ever been addicted to drugs?'. I was a heroin addict at the time and obviously said no but I was surprise to see that they would ask that question at all, something about it seems really invasive and wrong.

I remember:

have you ever, or do you plan to commit a genocide?

When applying for my 5 year visa to the states. Who do they expect to say yes to that?

 

[spacejunk]

"I plan to commit genocide against white Australians who wear the fucking flag as clothing, but don't worry, I'm no risk to your 'way of life'"
Jess, I don't think cass was having a go at Americans per se.
It's a big country with countless scary things to us provincials
I have family in the states and agree that there are millions of lovely people there who don't live up to the stereotypes we see on tv or projected through the military industrial complex or the political situation.
I'm sure the same thing can be said about Aus. The rampant nationalism thing is quite new here, and I've always blamed the Howard years for hyping it up.
Basically there are meat heads everywhere.

Now...back on topic....spiders. Fucking venomous ones, everywhere.

 

[Busty St Clare]

The rampant nationalism thing is quite new here, and I've always blamed the Howard years for hyping it up.
Basically there are meat heads everywhere.

Please, you obviously never attended a one cricket match in the 80's. Australians have always had a nationalistic streak. I can't imagine too many Howard supporters sporting Southern Cross tattoos

 

[spacejunk]

i was born in the 80s, so no.
there's a difference between "come on, aussie, come on" and "fuck off we're full" (etc etc etc) though.

impassioned sporting contests and race riots on sydney beaches are not the same thing man.
i'm not talking about all nationalism.
i'm talking about the current breed of fucking yobs that didn't exist in that form 15 years ago.

 

[Busty St Clare]

Like I said you obviously never attended a cricket match back then. I can tell you not all of the chants were composed by Kerry Packer and used for a jingle, especially when the Indians and Pakistani teams were playing. Besides there were race riots against the Chinese as far back as the gold rush. Plenty of Italians and Greeks can attest to copping racist shit during the 50's and 60's.

 

[spacejunk]

"racism" and what i referred to as rampant nationalism are not the same thing, busty.

now, getting back to the topic at hand - australian girls;

 

[Busty St Clare]

As an immigrant to this country I can tell you it is one and the same thing.

 

[laugh]

i think you will find a lot of those bogan aussies with the southern cross tatt are racist and proud of it, they are often of scottish, english, and irish backgrounds but hell theyre bogans...

every country is going to have racists...australian racists would have to be some of the proudest though...

note chopper under the h below

oi oi oi

 

[spacejunk]

@busty -
as a 4th generation australian i can tell you that you don't seem to comprehend the terms being discussed.

racism at the cricket being the same as far-right nationalism? steady on, mate.