Originally Posted by kris maynard

I had hoped that people would contradict my research. Tell me something positive I've overlooked...

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

Thanks mate, it's a great feeling! We're off to the Irish Republic for our 1-week honeymoon.

Oh, and... can't believe I wrote "marrined" - d'oh!

Originally Posted by Jempower

Sounds like your beaten before you start, I think your not the type of person to take on such a challenge. stay in England, and watch how you cross the road lol

Originally Posted by irishbloo

hi good luck on your wedding.enjoy your honeymoon in Ireland,bring plenty of warm clothes. i had my honeymoon in Ireland with my two sisters and my husband of course.the will be lovely and the pubs smoke free.say hi to my parents in limerick.hope things work out for you.slan leat.Sandra.xx

Originally Posted by Nicky & Dave

You know, Clotje, I've always known that emigrating is risky - there are no guarantees and things may go completely tits up. Most people would agree that jumping in feet first, without any idea of what you're getting yourself into, isn't a good idea. But at the opposite end, you can over-analyse things because, as you have found out yourself, when you look at things simply in black and white terms, you can talk yourself out of doing something because the *possible* risks involved seem too great.

I don't mind telling I'm more than abit scared about emigrating. On paper, it is sheer madness - Dave and I will be leaving a very comfortable and secure life in the UK and we'll be right back at the bottom of the ladder in terms of most things when we emigrate......but we want to give it a go. We know it's going to be tough, both financially and emotionally, BUT we're prepared to take our chances and go for it.

All of us on this forum are starting from scratch, in one way or another, when we emigrate. Okay, our situations vary - some are going to Oz with a fair amount of money behind them, some hardly any funds, some of us have family over there, some none - but the common thread that runs through is a determination to make it work.

I'm not saying that the points you have raised aren't valid - and ultimately you must decide what's right for you. BUT you also need to look inside yourself and decide how much you want to emigrate and what you would be prepared to do to make it work. I personally believe that having that determination and tenacity is probably, in the long run, more important to successfully emigrating than anything else.

Nicky


Nicky

Originally Posted by cam_uk

Nicky this is EXACTLY how me and my wife jodie feel ... we too will be going back to the bottom of the ladder with most things .. but like you we are determined to give it a go and make it work ...

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

I'm here in the UK on a 4-year ancestry visa, with an almost identical experience to yourself.

Aussie work history doesn't count; if it's not local, they don't want to know. I can't get benefits, so I basically starved for four weeks when I ran out of work earlier this year. I've used the NHS when I've been sick, and you will find that Medicare looks after you when you're ill (the NHS has a reciprocal arrangement with Medicare, so no problems there.) And since none of the banks will give me a bank account, I've had to settle for a passbook account from a local building society (no direct debits, no card, no chequebook; just a passbook and a wad of cash in my hot little hand when I make a withdrawal!)

I've lived in some pretty basic rental accommodation (but currently boarding with a friend who has a nice new apartment and soon to move into my fiance's house after we're married in 2 weeks' time) and my current job - though permanent - is pretty brainless. It also pays a lot less than my job back home in Australia, where I earned the same amount for a 25-hour week (as opposed to the 38-hour week I'm currently working.)

I have resigned myself to the fact that I'll only ever get simple office work here in the UK, but am hoping that this will leave me with a few additional skills that I can take home.

At the end of the day, you just have to grin and bear it; try to look beyond your working life, and focus on the cultural experience, new friends, different scenery, etc.

Best of luck with whatever you choose to do; there's no shame in deciding that it wouldn't work out, and waiting for a better chance to take the plunge.

Originally Posted by clotje

I wanted to emigrate to Australia and did a lot of research. After I completed my research I decided not to make the move. Here are the reasons why.
I would have to go on a temporary SIR visa. After 2 years I could apply for permanent residency which means that I wouldn’t qualify for any kind of government benefits for at least 4 years. So if I couldn’t find a job or got made redundant I would have to life of air and nice views.
I don’t have a lot of cash which is what you need if you go to Australia because even though the government says they want immigrants they’re not interested in helping them. (after all, people on temporary visas pay more health insurance, have to have their qualifications assessed not once, but twice etc.) So say I’d move there and look for a job. People who are already in Oz, have warned me that it would take me at least 3 months to find a suitable job. Not a job I’ve done before, mind you. Australian companies seem to ignore previous (foreign) experience and education. If it’s not Australian, it doesn’t count. So I’d have to take a job below my qualifications/experience for less pay. And since Australian companies don’t want to hire people on a permanent basis, only causal, I wouldn’t have any kind of job security whatsoever. Which is something banks want, in my experience, if you want to apply for a mortgage. So I’d be stuck in a rental house, get crappy pay, in a job that wouldn’t stimulate me mentally, without knowing if I had a job the following week. And what if I were to fall ill? There is nothing stopping an employer to fire you, after all, you’re just working on a casual basis. So I could be stuck in a rental house, without crappy pay, sick and living of air…that is until I’d get evicted for not being able to pay the rent. So, being single I’ve decided that the risk is too great. I don’t have a rich husband and without any kind of security it’s madness to make the move (unless you’re willing to clean toilets or stack shelves in a supermarket)
BTW there’s nothing wrong with cleaning toilets or stacking shelves…I did the latter when I was a teenager, but I’d like to think that I’ve evolved since those days. I couldn’t work in a mindless job for the rest of my live.
I’d be curious to see what your research has shown…is the picture I paint too grim or do you agree that it is a possible reality?

Originally Posted by Hels

Vash...this is almost EXACTLY how it happened for me when I landed in the UK!!

The red tape and bureaucracy is incredible!! I couldn't believe how difficult it was just to open a bank account!!

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

LOL, thanks mate; glad to know that somebody else has been through it too!

The red tape is mindblowing; can't open an account over the counter like we do back home (and you actually need an appointment for this, apparently, which needs to be booked (x) days in advance!), one NI number for temp work, a different NI number for permanent work, a TV license (!?), a duplicate driver's license in paper (!?) - and don't even get me started on the rail & postal systems! BTW, does anyone know why can't you get repeat prescriptions in this country? Or can you? If there's a way to do it, I'd love to know!


I had my ancestry visa sitting in my passport long before I left Australia, and landed in London with a good £1,500 in my wallet - but that money ran out in a disastrously short space of time, and even with the help of friends it took me a good 7 months to find my feet.



Aye, that was my rationale; life's too short for waiting until "the best time" to do things! After several years of waiting for the best time to visit the UK, I finally realised that there's no "best time"; you just have to run out and grab the world with both hands, come what may!



LOL, thanks mate - less than 2 weeks to go now, and I'm counting the hours!

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

BTW, does anyone know why can't you get repeat prescriptions in this country? Or can you? If there's a way to do it, I'd love to know!

LOL, thanks mate - less than 2 weeks to go now, and I'm counting the hours!