5u5an

Hello,

I'd just like to introduce myself in the hope of any advice from people who have been in similar situations, I hope this is the right thread... We are really undecided about Australia.

I've read the posts here on and off for a couple of years and I have just read all the articles in the Australia section. My husband and I finally got our permanent residency visas through a few months ago and visited Melbourne and some friends on the Gold Coast for 2 weeks before Christmas. We were ecstatic...at first...

I work in IT (so got through on a skilled visa CSL, MODL as a Java developer). My husband also works in IT but will be giving it up to return to Uni to complete a PhD in Physics, leaving me as the breadwinner for a while.
We are in our 30's and will have to plan a family before too long, maybe we can wait for the 2 year benefits deadline, but my husband will still be in full time education.

We visited Australia on our honeymoon in 2007 and saw Sydney, Uluru, Heron Island and stayed with the same Gold Coast friends (a family who moved out 13 years ago and are loving it). We thought, 'what the hell lets apply' and got the visa easily enough. We both lost contracts in the economic down fall last December and decided to wind up our consulting company and go travelling for a year around Asia while waiting for our Australian visas to come through. We had a wonderful time and came back to the UK with wide arms to our small families. Even before coming back we wondered why we were leaving the UK as Asia is nice enough but not home. Spending a miserable week in Melbourne at a YH and then another at the Gold Coast (long story, friend had boyfriend trouble at the time) did not add to the sparkle of Oz.

I guess the mountain of research that awaits us is daunting and the real sense of family reunited and then lost is what's troubling us. We were thinking of Melbourne but didn't like it, and really Sydney is where the work is in IT. Unfortunately the higher prices may not bring us the Australian dream we were hoping for. Also the prospect of raising a family away from my very supportive family is also sad, as my husbands parents are in their late 70's and will not be around for much longer and my mum has had a few close calls.

We have such an amazing opportunity, no ties (we sold it all before travelling) and not really many friends (sad but true when you move around a lot IT contracting). Why are we not more excited?

I hope you guys can give me some of your experiences about having a family as a new resident, IT contracting in Australia, life in Sydney, life in an Australian University and anything else you feel could help me. We have to set up all over again, so we may as well do it there as here, and we've always lived a few hours drive from family with no ill effects in the past. We're just having a little wobble I think seeing the green green grass of home...

s1mon321

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

We were in a very similar situation to you guys when we came over to live in Sydney nearly two years ago. We had no ties etc, and having travelled here a few years earlier decided to take the plunge.

I can honestly say that IMO there isn't another country where you would find it so easy to settle in. Within days of starting our jobs we were invited out for drinks, BBQs, parties etc and made a good circle of friends. We also found that neighbours really make an effort to get to know you and we have become good friends with them also. To be honest, its easy to say this now I know, but moving over here wasn't a big deal at all (without any children to consider) - it was very easy.

Missing family and just not having them around can be a big deal to some. It wasn't to us when we came here, but is now actually our very reason for returning. Our first Christmas on our own was very strange, fun, but just odd being on our own or with friends that we had only known for six months or so. This Christmas we had relos over so made it much more fun......apart from the weather.

I work in IT in Sydney, have had one perm job and two contracts. Contracting over here is fine, just as long as you know how to play the game. IT recruitment took a dive a year or two back but it seems to be picking up. Just don't trust any recruiters and you'll get on great.

Just go for it, you'll never know unless you try. It worked for us....and then didn't, but so what - we gave it a go and can always come back when circumstances change.

If you want to chat about anything then PM me.

Good luck.

Simon

5u5an

Hi Simon,

Thanks for your reply...oh so many questions, I'll have to work out the PM thing as this is my first post. It's interesting that you got on so well but decided to go back anyway. We've always felt that we'd be boomerang poms, especially with elderly parents, coming back and fore. Christmas in Asia just wasn't an option with Mum and Dad sat all alone and us at a beach party in Thailand or something, so I totally understand your feelings about Christmas in Oz.

Susan

s1mon321

Click on my name and choose PM - tis easy!

moneypenny20

She can't until she's posted three times.

s1mon321

Every day's a school day ;-)

tiger222

Hey Simon,

My husband is a Java developer. We have our permanent resident visas and lived north of Sydney for 8 months (Nov to July). We're planning to return to Sydney in 2010. DH worked as a contractor in Sydney. He only meet with one agent and had one interview. Could you make a recommendation on who to contact for opportunities?

Also, we couldn't see your ad for items for sale....we might be interested as we could be on similar timetables....you going, us arriving

Thanks

moneypenny20

They will appear. All ads have to be checked by Admin to ensure there's nothing illegal, pornographic etc etc etc before they become available to view. Check in a day or so. Shouldn't be longer than that, depends on what time Sue gets up, what she has to do in her real life etc

s1mon321

Its back online now....

carolinephillips

Hello- we moved 16 months ago- OH is in IT, I was a teacher but don't work now. We have a teenage daughter, but no family out here- they are back in the UK. We have found everyone here really friendly and helpful, and are just off out to our 3rd New Year's event in 4 days! We talk to MIL every week, and my dad and sister have been out to visit. The only time it feels like a long way is when something happens to family and you can't be there, but we lived hours away from them in the UK so we were not in each other's faces or popping round for tea everyday anyway. I think that made it easier. If we hadn't taken the opportunity when we did we would still be in the UK and miserable. We have more friends, DD is much happier and although my health took an unexpected turn and we are finding it harder financially, I wouldn't want to go back. We live out of town in the northern beaches area, and it is a shorter commute than going into London on the tube, tho OH tends to work longer hours.

Sally Simpson

It is a huge decision & although you have visited, you still don't know what the reality of living here full -time would be, so it is normal to question it all & have doubts.
I would say however, do not underestimate the pull of aging parents or a close, supportive family, especially if you are planning to have children in the future.
Does the move to Aus have to be forever though?
Can you not just plan to come for 2 years for example & then review?

Good luck with it all!

5u5an

Hi Caroline thanks for your reply. I expect us to make more friends as we'll really push ourselves to take advantage of local clubs and societies and make the most of our free time by being out and about. It's amazing how limited you feel in the rain, even the snow here this last week has been better and more energising! I am looking into areas at the moment and it's a bit of a daunting task, especially as we don't know where we'll be working yet. I have heard that the working hours are pretty bad and TBH I've had a great career for that kind of thing so far. I guess I've been lucky! We were never geographically close really to have the 'pop by for a cuppa' daily routine, so feel comfortable with skype for communication as we've all agreed that this year has flown by with it. Today though we got a call at 7am as an ambulance was rushed to my FIL. He was ok and his sister could have dealt with it but she has problems with her two daughters at the moment herself.

Hi sallyclaire, thanks for the reply. Yeah today highlights the worst case scenario I suppose. If we are far away we can do nothing, and its the making of tea and the fetching and carrying at the time that's needed in emergencies like that. I feel guilty for feeling that I want to leave it all to someone else to sort out while we're having a merry time of it in Oz. However, they are very close and I suppose by looking after their grandchildren practically full time for 20 years you could say they owe them help in their old age. My worry comes with my family as I've been very dissapointed by my sister and her family in their care for my parents. But my parents aren't as old so seem pretty good for a good couple of years. We are thinking of living there for a few years then returning but I'm worried about money, my age for having children and I really wanted to stay for 4 years to get residency for a future in Oz when (sad to say it) maybe we have no family left in the UK.

Simon, did you think about staying for the 4 years yourself?

s1mon321

Yes we did, that was always the plan. We said that after we'd been here for 2 years that we'd apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship.

Unfortunately my FIL going from perfect health, to being diagnosed with a terminal illness (we'd been here for six months when he heard), to then passing away changed everything for us. Our time here has been great, and we've learnt so much about Australia and ourselves, however our priorities have changed.

I do regret having not applied for PR at the very start (to keep our options open), however PR isn't open ended and you do have to be here for certain percentage of the visa's duration and we couldn't guarantee that. Our friends got their Citizenship sorted and are now free to come and go as they please - they are planning to move back to the UK for two years as they are expecting their first child.

You have to take some risks in life - some work for you and others against. Would be very boring if we all played it safe though - don't you think?

5u5an

I think that you have a very healthy attitude Simon! We've decided to go for it and review our progress in 2 years time. The PR is a bit odd, you have to live there for 2 years in every 5 to remain a resident. It's not something you can really do in reality unless you can afford to run two homes. We have thought of putting it off until our deadline in 2014, but it doesn't seem worth setting up home in the UK then going, eventhough we'd be setting up in Oz then leaving, potentially. Funny that

s1mon321

See you over here then! :-)