Magwired

Is there anyone on this NG who has received their visa for the skilled - independent category - 136, but is now having doubts about moving to Australia? If so what are your doubts?

Family and friends being so far away?
Finding work - the job market in Australia (and worldwide) isn't favourable at the moment.
The cost of living, house prices are relatively expensive and on a par with European (excl. UK) prices, but the salaries aren't.

We have our visa which expires November 2006, so we still have some time to make the decision and move. Is there anyone else in a similar situation.

jopaulss

Hi Ya
Yes i have had doubts and we havent even got ours yet.The thought of leaving my parents is breaking me and they are all for us going to start a new and hopefully better life , but that makes it no easier. People say oh you have no job or house set up , no i say , well that is a real risk isnt it they say , but then so is living here , none of our jobs are safe were ever we go.
I f you want to chat email
Joanne

percyp

It's a difficult one !
We are certain we want to spend some time there, but not certain about going forever. Initially my employer was willing to give me a job there, but not to sponsor me, so I was prepared to go through the whole independant PR application, knowing our plans would be very uncertain after a few years. Thankfully they have now decided to help with the 457 temp visa.

As you have the PR visa, why not go there for a while and see how you get on, don't sell up, rent you house. The situation might not be favourable, but someone has to get the job.

Just think how youwill feel if you don't go, will you regret it ?

Jo

MrFlibbleUK

I am kinda looking it this way.....being completely negative (obviously I really really want it to work out....and am confident it will)...but...if it doesnt then you can always come back.

My main worry is getting a job, although I dont care what I do....just want a big change y'know. And if I really struggle then I just have to stick 2 years to get citizenship, after that time I can come back (we are going to have a bank account set up just to hold the dosh for a return ticket...just incase)....get a job back in the UK....get some dosh together...then bugger off back again.

Do it.....you know you want do :-)

jasmin

We both have doubts... the main one being leaving parents.
My mother was rushed into intensive care 2 weeks ago and spent 8 nights there and 15 altogether in Hospital. Mum is fine now thankfully. As if that wasn't a test, and at the moment I live 10 mins from her house or the hospital!!
I have been in my job 15 years and am only 34. I couln't bare the thought in 20 or so years time thinking gosh is that all I did with my life.
We ummed and arred about renting the house out so it would be there when we came back but after talking to various people on this forum we have decided we would be denying ourselves a fair chance in Oz if we did this. It would be too easy to come running back (although on the other side of that coin, if you rent out for say a 2 year lease you could not come home and claim your house too easily)
In saying that we do not intend to buy immediately but we will rent and if we decide to we have the money to buy.
Presently we live in Jersey where house prices are obscene and we relly heavily in the Finance Industry to keep our Economy afloat, there is always talk if our 'bent' tax laws ever get an overhaul as the UK government keep trying to enforce, we will be finished here, and our house will be in negative equity big style.
This is another reason why we have decided to sell and put the money away safely to gain some interest.
I couldn't imagine being the other side of the world and being told a number of major banks were pulling out.
On the job front I am a little worried as I have been in my job so long and lost confidence in going to interviews. Although I use a computer every day, I only know what I know if you are with me and thats a little daunting too, I feel like the computer age has left me well behind. But I don't care after 15 years I am up for something new, whatever, whereever, scary but exciting.
Husband has mega brains, so hopefully he will earn the bucks.
Fingers crossed.
Anyways, I reckon we all dream the same dream and fear the same fears at the end of the day.
I just long for new friends, sunshine, outdoors, bar b que's and chilled Australian wine.
Its not a lot to ask for is it???

sophia

I think you wouldn't be human if you didn't have doubts, the thing to do is to feel the fear and do it anyway!

I know it's kinda flippant to say just go with the flow...especially if you have a family to consider....I do, but life really is so short and you don't know when your number will be up so you NEED to just go for it, work hard to try and make it work....if at the end of the day you decide to go back to the UK, at least you gave it your best shot and you won't spend the rest of your life thinking "what if...."

We don't have a clue whether or not Gareth will find it easy to get a job in IT in Perth, from reading this NG it seems like a bit of an uphill struggle, but we think it will be worth it, especially once he can apply for citizenship. We will all be dual nationals then, which I think will be good for our son as he will be much more flexible than others his age when he's looking for work. He'll be able to go where the job market is best....so planning ahead for our son's future too is part of what is driving us to do this now.

No-one is going to lock the door behind us when we leave the UK...go and have a wonderful adventure along the way!

love sophia x

yvsie

Sophia and Jasmin,

You sum up the way I feel completely

Sophia knows as we have emailed eachother privately and are gonna meet tomorrow which is lovely...we only live a few miles apart.

This is my third and final attempt at this.the first time I didnt send the skills assessment forms or anything...and backed out. The second time...I got my skills assessed and backed out...THIS time I am definitely gonna go...come hell or high water!!!!!!!...or unless DIMA reject us ofcourse!!...We have had one prob already with the pass mark going up...but a herd of wild horses wont stop me going through with this now.Im 40 so you could call it midlife crisis if you want, but as Sophia says...we only have one crack at the whip and for the last 11 yrs we have said what if....so now Im gonna find out 'what if' is like!!!!!!!!


I havent even sent my skills assessment off yet...so its gonna be a very long road....but hopefully not too long cos for those who dont know I am a nurse ...soo oooooo the good news is...I'm gonna be fast tracked!!!!!

Lynn-ann

Hi, Been away for awhile sorting out the house big time, ready for selling. Doubts No, we know we are doing whats best for us and life is to short. Although its getting harder emotionally, leaving our mums-76 and 70, althought they will be jet setting over to us for sure. Second thing our kids. We will be leaving my husbands three - 17,19,21 and my youngest 18, who is in love. My two other's 21,23 are backpacking for a year in Oz to decide where they what to live.
I know that three years down the line, they will all be citizens by decent my youngest already being. So they will always have the option to live a new life in Oz when they are ready, at least I see this as a positive thing.
My sisters and best friend are being very positive, all starting saving accounts for their flights over, all I know is that I had better get plenty of bedrooms in our new house to put up the house guests we will be having.
All I can say is "to think positive" and the glass is always half full. If you have come this far, don't stop now!!!!!!

rday

i must be inhuman
i'd rather chew on a nice lump of barby steak than talk to my parents

sorry just the fosters talking

Jaj

If you don't go, you'll almost certainly be thinking 'what if' for the rest of
your days.

Sure, it involves being apart from family in the UK. But it's a lot easier now than
it was a generation or two:
- travel costs between the UK and Australia are lower compared to incomes than they
used to be
- phone calls are cheap, especially with discount call cards (eg Cardcall -
http://www.cardcall.com.au)
- email is even cheaper.

It's two years to be eligible for Australian citizenship, and it makes sense to stay
there for this time at least. Many people come to Australia, stay for a few years
without getting citizenship, return home for some reason, but then later on want to
come back to Australia and find that they can't. Furthermore, homesickness is usually
at its worst in the first two years.

Depending on your circumstances, you may want to consider letting out your property
in the UK rather than selling up. This at least means you keep a foothold in the UK,
although there are pros and cons to this option vs selling.

Presumably you have validated or intend to validate your visa with a holiday before
the first entry date, in order to keep the door open until Nov 2006?

Jeremy

    >On 10 May 2002 13:20:11 GMT, Magwired <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Is there anyone on this NG who has received their visa for the skilled - independent
    >category - 136, but is now having doubts about moving to Australia? If so what are
    >your doubts?
    >
    >Family and friends being so far away? Finding work - the job market in Australia
    >(and worldwide) isn't favourable at the moment. The cost of living, house prices
    >are relatively expensive and on a par with European (excl. UK) prices, but the
    >salaries aren't.
    >
    >We have our visa which expires November 2006, so we still have some time to make the
    >decision and move. Is there anyone else in a similar situation.
    >
    >
    >
    >--
    >Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Magwired

Yes, we have validated our visa, so we are keeping our options open for the moment.

We moved to the UK a year and a half ago from Amsterdam, where we still own an apartment. Seeing the hassles we've encountered with renting out the property, I think we are more likely to sell up if we move to Australia.

As for family, you're right it is easier to make the trip nowadays, especially with so many budget flight offers, however to make matters harder, my husband's family are based in South Africa and mine in the UK. So when we do make the trip, we'll be taking alternate ones...

I'm sure if we don't take up residency we will regret it, it's a hard decision to make.

Cheers,
Myrica

John Williams

Hi,

Go for it.

I've lived outside the UK for the past 10 years and probably talk with my parents now
(using NetMeeting) more that I ever would if we just lived down the road from them.

Also, 10 years down the road you'll regret not going.Make the most of your life.

Mallysutton

Hi Sophia, were abouts in Yorkshire are you from? I've read a fair few of your
threads so i've also noticed your heading to Perth. Anyway i'm just interested as we
came from Yorkshire, Hull as a matter of fact and we are now living in Perth, it
would be good to hear from you anyway...

karen ............ "sophia" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I think you wouldn't be human if you didn't have doubts, the thing to do is to feel
    > the fear and do it anyway!
    >
    > I know it's kinda flippant to say just go with the flow...especially if you have a
    > family to consider....I do, but life really is so short and you don't know when
    > your number will be up so you NEED to just go for it, work hard to try and make it
    > work....if at the end of the day you decide to go back to the UK, at least you gave
    > it your best shot and you won't spend the rest of your life thinking "what if...."
    >
    > We don't have a clue whether or not Gareth will find it easy to get a job in IT in
    > Perth, from reading this NG it seems like a bit of an uphill struggle, but we think
    > it will be worth it, especially once he can apply for citizenship. We will all be
    > dual nationals then, which I think will be good for our son as he will be much more
    > flexible than others his age when he's looking for work. He'll be able to go where
    > the job market is best....so planning ahead for our son's future too is part of
    > what is driving us to do this now.
    >
    > No-one is going to lock the door behind us when we leave the UK...go and have a
    > wonderful adventure along the way!
    >
    > love sophia x
    >
    >
    >
    > --
    > ndaltonb
    >
    > Lynn
    >
    > Yvonne
    >
    > Ali J
    >
    > ndaltonb
    >
    > Ali J
    >
    > Lynn
    >
    > ndaltonb
    >
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

sophia

Hi Mallysutton!

We currently live in Wakefield, although we hope to be out in WA by the end of September. We're heading for Rockingham area, where are you? Try posting a message at the private forum or post your email address if you want to chat.

love sophia x

les

Hey I think everyones has doubts, its only natural. but the fact that the desire was there in the first place means that the worst part is over and then after waiting for so long putting all your plans on hold indefinatelythe worst part is over if your capable of putting up with this not knowing then when you actually get to Oz and your problems are easily identified you can face it , tackle it and overcome it be positive!
what part of oxfordshire were from witney and 16months into the wait were worried but nothin ventued nothin gained