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How do you get started???

How do you get started???

Old Oct 20th 2008, 8:35 pm
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Default How do you get started???

We have been thinking about moving abroad a lot recently, not sure how to get started, any useful tips, hints etc
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Old Oct 20th 2008, 8:50 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by evan-laura
We have been thinking about moving abroad a lot recently, not sure how to get started, any useful tips, hints etc
You need to be sure about which country you are going to first.

If its Australia, start here - www.immi.gov.au
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Old Oct 20th 2008, 8:55 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Thanks for that, have you left the UK for Oz?

We are are working on two principals, better lifestyle vs better finances, so either Oz or Abu Dhabi/Dubai are the two front runners!
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Old Oct 20th 2008, 11:47 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by evan-laura
Thanks for that, have you left the UK for Oz?

We are are working on two principals, better lifestyle vs better finances, so either Oz or Abu Dhabi/Dubai are the two front runners!
Polly has been in Australia for 5 years. Have you been to either Australia or Abu/Dhabi or Dubai? Certainly the "lifestyle" thing is an attraction to some, but don't forget along with the lifestyle comes the day-to-day living...work, bills, shopping, and all the other crap that you do in UK.

If Australia is where you intend to migrate start by taking a read of www.immi.gov.au for visas. There is a new wizard to let you know what visa you might be eligible for on the site.
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Old Oct 21st 2008, 1:54 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Dorothy makes an extremely valid point - there's always the old grass is greener syndrome.

In my mind it's not just a question of where to move to, but to think through why you want to move too, and whether it will really make you happier.

There are a mass of news articles, blogs and forum posts at the moment about the world's economic woes and why more people than ever are heading overseas. But alongside the record numbers of Brits that are said to be leaving the country, the most recent ONS figures showed 80,000 also returned home. Evidently living abroad wasn't right for them, for one reason or another.

As well as thinking about where you'd like to go, I'd therefore advise you to think about all those other things that make up quality of life: will the heat of the Persian Gulf mean you're trapped indoors for large chunks of the year? What leisure opportunities will you be able to enjoy? Do the cultures of your prospective destinations appeal? What jobs can you do there? What is the healthcare system like? If you have kids, or might have one day, what kind of lives will they lead? Will the distance from family and friends be a problem? (I live in Spain, only a two-hour plane journey from the UK, yet we get to see a lot less of family than we'd originally anticipated.)

It's important to carefully assess these things now, before you go. It can save a lot of expense and heartache later.
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Old Oct 21st 2008, 8:03 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Thanks for the advice. The friends and family issue ie not seeing them as often as you would expect is certainly a drawback. Having said that, a few years away would maybe make us more appreciative of what Blighty has to offer, and if we came back and could be mortgage free, so much the better!
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Old Oct 21st 2008, 11:38 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by evan-laura
Thanks for the advice. The friends and family issue ie not seeing them as often as you would expect is certainly a drawback. Having said that, a few years away would maybe make us more appreciative of what Blighty has to offer, and if we came back and could be mortgage free, so much the better!
The days of moving to Aus and being mortgage free are long gone. Even less likely in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. It's also relatively unlikely that having been here for 3 years or so, moving back to the UK will leave you with less money than you may or may not have currently. It's an expensive business and unless you earn shedloads but live like paupers here (does anyone do that?), you're not going to save much.
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Old Oct 22nd 2008, 1:33 am
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by evan-laura
Thanks for that, have you left the UK for Oz?

We are are working on two principals, better lifestyle vs better finances, so either Oz or Abu Dhabi/Dubai are the two front runners!
United Arab Emirates is not a realistic place to build a long term home, become a citizen etc.
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Old Oct 22nd 2008, 8:32 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Hi
We are just getting started on the process.... first of all we found out if we could get jobs we wanted in australia in an area we wanted to live... then i applied for lots of stuff and have been offered a position in melbourne which will sponsor me for a 457 visa...

now to make sure we definately want to go, we are flying out on a 2 week holiday to have a look see... and then we will still want to go!
cheers
g and c
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Old Oct 22nd 2008, 8:49 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by evan-laura
We have been thinking about moving abroad a lot recently, not sure how to get started, any useful tips, hints etc
Hi, just read your question (I know, days old!). We are still in the UK and probably will be for about another 12-18months. However, saying that, I have lived in Dubai some years ago with my parents. Yes, a great place then with culture, manners and respect for each other. Now, to me it is just a holiday destination with no personality of its own..... and a very expensive one at that. My Dad visitied not six months ago and he hated it. Even Dubai people (people who have a Passport with a Dubai Nationality) are having to be subsidized by the government to buy an apartment. Need I say more......

Good Luck, Auz and Dubai are soooooooo far apart. Research every aspect for a few months before deciding.
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Old Oct 22nd 2008, 11:57 pm
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by evan-laura
Thanks for the advice. The friends and family issue ie not seeing them as often as you would expect is certainly a drawback. Having said that, a few years away would maybe make us more appreciative of what Blighty has to offer, and if we came back and could be mortgage free, so much the better!
Unless you both earn 6 figure UK salaries and can earn the same equivalent in Oz or the Gulf, there is no way you will go back to the UK mortgage-free from either place I can assure you.

Oz is EXPENSIVE now; as moneypen20 also points out moving back and forward consumes large amounts of money every time.

As for the gulf, Dubai etc is great if you earn a BIG expat salary and these are rare now unless you are a very highly skilled professional, normally employed by a multi-national organisation. The one place in the Middle East you can earn a lot is Saudi Arabia but that is a whole different ball game [and it rules out the 'we' bit also].

With all due respect, I think you need to do a bit of research to be honest; emigration isn't just a question of picking what country sounds nice and then living by a beach sipping pina coladas for 3 years.
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Old Oct 23rd 2008, 3:23 am
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by hoofie2002
emigration isn't just a question of picking what country sounds nice and then living by a beach sipping pina coladas for 3 years.
Nope. But if it's quaffing beer and scoffing parmas you're after.....
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Old Oct 23rd 2008, 3:54 am
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Originally Posted by evan-laura
Thanks for that, have you left the UK for Oz?

We are are working on two principals, better lifestyle vs better finances, so either Oz or Abu Dhabi/Dubai are the two front runners!
are you married ? as if not you wont get a visa for dubai x
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Old Oct 23rd 2008, 9:27 am
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Default Re: How do you get started???

Yes, we are married, both involved in the construction industry so a multi-national company would probably be our way forward. 6 figure salaries in places like Dhabi I think are few and far between these days although we'd possibly get a fair amount based on research so far. Oz would be a quality of life choice rather than a financial decision. We know friends of friends who have jumped ship and have few regrets, but not everyone likes to admit that they've done the wrong thing, do they? Thanks again for feedback to date - good to get a balanced view.
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