How do you get started???
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 4
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
#2
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Re: How do you get started???
If its Australia, start here - www.immi.gov.au
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 4
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!
We are are working on two principals, better lifestyle vs better finances, so either Oz or Abu Dhabi/Dubai are the two front runners!
#4
Re: How do you get started???
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.
#5
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Northern Spain
Posts: 1
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.
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.
#6
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 4
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!
#7
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!
#8
Re: How do you get started???
United Arab Emirates is not a realistic place to build a long term home, become a citizen etc.
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 33
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
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
#10
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7
Re: How do you get started???
Good Luck, Auz and Dubai are soooooooo far apart. Research every aspect for a few months before deciding.
#11
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Perth, WA
Posts: 1,376
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!
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.
#14
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 4
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.