Hello Jerry

I've probably given a misleading impression. I'm currently torn between a demanding career and spending more time with my family. Yes Jersey is lovely, low crime and high standard of living - but it's also incredibly expensive and by moving to Oz we could be mortgage free. A good job would hopefully be a choice not a necessity.

I'm sure you're right - moving from Jersey would be a culture shock. But we've both lived and travelled abroad before - it's funny though - the older you get the bigger the decision becomes.

It's early days - I'm just dipping my toes into the water. I've got a lot of research and soul searching to do before we decide what is for us.

Julie

Thanks Amanda

I was half-way through writing a long response about understanding how very personal a foreign move is and to take all responses good and bad on this forum with a pinch of salt ... but you sound like intelligent people so I'll get off my soap-box. All I'd say is, use BE for practical advice - for matters of the heart (which is what an emigration ultimately is) - trust your instincts.

I'm not patronising you, I've never met you. But if you've neer been to Torremolinos then you won't know what I mean anyway. If you like beaches and hot weather then theres 2 things might overcome all the other bad things about the place.

Julie,

I'm ACCA and was 28 when I applied. At the time the pass mark was 115 and with the basics (work exp, english language and age) I had 120. Passmark is now 120 but you'll lose 5 marks for being 31, however from memory and I'm sure someone will correct me if I wrong Accountant is now on the MODL so you'll get another 15 points. Check it is on the DIMIA website.
If it is and you've got no criminal history or dodgy medical conditions, then you can probably do the application on your own and it'll be quite straight forward. The difficulty comes if it's taken off the MODL then you'll have to pay the $100k bond for a year, but apprently the interest rate is OK, although the current exchange rate is pants.

As for pro's and con's that's a difficult one and you'll get some extreme views on here. Take a look through and think about it all. At the worst though you give it a go, don't like it and go home. If you don't do it, you'll always have the nagging "what if" think in the back of your mind. If you decide to apply you'll hear "I nearly moved to Oz", or "I wished I'd done that when I was younger" from so many people that in the end it becomes quite funny and you just think well why didn't you?

Re you career you can still work in the fast lane if you fancy it when you get here although you won't get the pay you get back home.

Good luck with it all. PM me if you want more waffle.

Paul.

You implied nevertheless that Aus is about little more than sun, sea and sand; it isn't. Furthermore, you haven't given any details at all as to what you don't like about Aus, but instead you make sweeping statements with no detail.

I have lived and worked in Aus before and couldn't wait to leave. It took me years to realise that the problem was not Aus, it was me. I think you'll find that most problems with dealing with living abroad are endogenous and little or nothing to do with the country, which is why you need to adapt when moving abroad.

If even then Aus isn't for you then fine, but why not then use constructive criticism of specific aspects of living in Aus instead of sweeping generalisations?

Hi Julie,

You'll pass the points test easily as it currently stands, so long as Accountant remains on the MODL:

60 points for skills.
20 for English Language speaker.
at least 20 for age.
15 for being on the MODL.
at least 10 points for work experience.
=125.

Plus you could get 5 points for a job offer.

The reason I never wrote any details is that since coming on BE I have consitantly posted what I don't like about Australia and I think it must be about 500 posts by now. If you do an advanced search on my name you will see all that I don't like about it here. I couldn't see the point in writing them all out again now, not only because it was late and my bed was calling but because the lady wanted advice and if I gave her my pro's and con's again it would have cause another flame and ruined another good thread (just like your trying to do now). If you think its a sweeping generalisation then that doesn't bother me at all, if every experience I have had here is crap then from my veiwpoint it's not a generalization. for example EVERY piece of customer service I have had here has been friendly but poor so as far as I'm concerened ALL customer sevice is crap here and until I get a good experience then thats all I can post.

Back to the OP, who clearly one international move hasn't quite worked out and she is considering this country as an alternative and my advice is 'don't do it girl' Go back to the UK it really is much better IMO!

Just took a quick peek, Accountant is still on the May 2005 MODL so you're in luck mate

I've said it before and I'll say it again - it's not Australia's fault if you fail to settle there. Some people just aren't capable of adapting to a new environment.

You're unhappy with Aus because of bad customer service?! God, there was me thinking that you'd been mugged, burgled and spat at in the streets!

Arkon don't accuse me of trying to ruin a thread OK? That's even more patronising then your original comments. People have a right to challenge your views.

I tried giving the OP practical advice, and you simply say the equivalent of 'Don't come here, everything is crap'. Hardly a balanced or fair view point is it?

Hi Julie

I just wanted to add a thought from my experience of moving to Australia. We had spent a few long holidays here researching our move & trying to cover all the bases (schools, house etc.) before we finally moved. I thought we pretty much knew what to expect but it was still very different once we moved here - not in a bad way but just different from my expectations/experiences here previously...

Ultimately, I learnt that, from my perspective, you can do all the research , planning & preparation in the world but you just won't know if it's for you until you live here & experience it directly in day to day life... Before we left the UK, we agreed that it doesn't have to be forever if we're not happy (even though we have residency & sold up in the UK!!) but a great experience either way. However, a few months in, we're very happy & glad to have given it a go rather than thinking 'what if'. One thing though is that you have to make a real effort to talk to people & issue invitations etc. to start to build a network of friends so be prepared to throw yourself into as much as possible to meet people. We also see that there are some great things about the UK which we didn't really appreciate ( we were caught up in our Aussie dream of life!) until we moved here...

A while back I saw a post on BE which talked about which is better Oz or UK. The response was ' Neither is better; they're just different' . I would wholeheartedly agree with that now I'm livng here....

Good luck with your decision!

Who said it was balanced and fair? Its just my view. The reason I'm not posting a list of what I don't like is exactly because of what you just done! because I only mentioned one thing in that post about customer service you think thats my only reason LOL. I directed you to the advanced search and its not my fault if you don't know how to use it is it?

I have read many of your posts already, and I know perfectly well how to use advanced search. You however don't know the difference between the Past Simple tense and the Past Perfect tense. Normally I never point these things out but hey, since you're still patronising me, I thought just this once I'd come down to your level.

I'm not interested in the fact you don't like Aus, you're perfectly entitled to hate it with a passion. What does bother me is your delivery. I didn't ask for your original provocative remarks aimed at me and others who happen to like Aus. They were completely uncalled for.

I hope one day you'll be happily settled somewhere and that you'll recognise that the problems you have with Aus are due in large part to your schema, and projecting blame is not always appropriate.

I think you will be very happy out here and fit in just right. I've clearly upset you somehow and for that I appologise, you don't work for British rail do you?