davidclifford

How long did it take from when you first thought of emigrating to Australia until the day you actually landed in Australia?

We first thought of it over 5 years ago but will only touch down to start our new life in Australia on Friday 4th August. I've had a PR visa since May 2004 but things kept delaying our departure. Has anyone else had a similar experience or has it gone really smothly and quickly for you?

Dave

sassie

Hi Dave

For us it was about 5 years. Arrived on 7 April 2005. My partner came over on a spouse visa, and me being an Aussie, it was always my intention to return home one day, having been in the UK for 13 years.

Met my partner during the summer of 2000 and two weeks later he had his first trip to Australia and fell in love with the place. As he worked for BA, we made use of his concessions and travelled to Australia whenever we could (approx twice a year), so he could get a feel for the place and decide where we wanted to settle. We haven’t looked back since.

It took 5 years of planning and saving, but was well worth it.

We are just about to move into our new build house in a few weeks and can’t wait.

biggy

our mate suggested it after a phone call from Oz to us on New Years Day 2002....we arrived in Oz on 30th June 2004.......had mentioned it a few times in the years before but it was always just a DREAM!!!!

gedge

I guess it was close to three years from giving it serious consideration.
It had been a pipe dream for 2 years before that though.
The 3 years felt such a long wait for us as initially i was hoping for sponsorship or to be fast tracked but those things never happened.

Hutch

18 months or so. I'd spent a fair bit of time in Oz before (family here, me dual-national), but we didn't consider moving till the missus came out for the first time - Xmas 2004.

iPom

18 months.

Johnsyweb

I can't recall when I first thought of living abroad. I fell in love with Australia when I first came here in May/June 2000. The present Mrs Johns and I first discussed emigrating for the first time seriously in August 2004 and started looking into all of the things that we'd need to do to move to Australia almost immediately. We landed in Perth four days before Christmas 2005 and have been living happily in Melbourne since February this year after a couple of months of touring the country.

Based on this, I would say a little over 15 months from start to finish, although the seeds had been sown quite some time before it was a going concern.

Nicstids

4 years!

BandS

Came out on hoiday for a month- December 2003

Moved to Gold Coast - July 2004

Sharon

webgum

On and off, I'd say it took 15 years!!! Help. What can I tell you....I'm a slow starter.

dc1

From first thoughts about 4 months!
May 2005 - informed of a job, had phone interview and offered job 2 weeks.
Visa OZ for 2 weeks to see what it was like within 6 weeks.
came home accepted job, applied for Visa, got visa begining of Aug 3 months.

Moved out to OZ Aug 2005

Derek

SJR

Hi Dave, we decided to start the process on 29th December 2003 and 2 years exactly to the day we left our house in the UK.

I wouldn't say the process went smoothly as the points system changed and we fell short which meant a change of plans...different visa. At the time it seemed like a huge problem but looking back I suppose it wasn't a big deal. We arrived in Oz on New Years Day this year and we've made great progess in 7 months. We came without jobs or house and although we've had our ups and downs, mostly our experiences are positive.

Good luck! Sandra

nicoak

Took us 12 years to take the plunge and apply. Went to visit sister in law for honeymoon in 1994. Came back, thought, yep can have some of that. Got pregnant - all went out of the window. Went back when daughter was 18months. Again came back thought lets apply. Got pregnant again. Thoughts went again. Visited a third time when youngest 20 months, came back definately going to do it now. Husband promoted - enjoying job, went by the wayside again. Last xmas planned another visit, then decided to spend the flight money on applying. Got our visa march 2006. Off on 9th October to stay!!!

Gold Coaster

5 months for us

Tony

TeresaG

We went out there on holiday in December 2002 for a month and fell in love with it. We talked about it for ages and it has taken us a long time to actually get going and start the process. We are sorting out the TRA at the moment and then the visa process after that. My husband's occupation is on the MODL list though and we are not sure if that means it may get procesed a bit quicker. We are hoping to be going next year, probably sometime in the autumn.