monkeyc

Hi All,

Just browsing through some of the posts here..the level of desperation to get that visa takes me back to when we went through all this in '03/'04.

Is UK plc such a bad place? Nah it's just different - nowhere is perfect.

We have been in Perth for 2 years now..the first six months were great - beaches, sunshine, etc, etc all the stuff you imagine enjoying when you are at the point most folks in this group appear to be. When the novelty wears off (oh yes it will - this is not a holiday) at least one of you will likely start to miss stuff you currently take for granted. If you have family here that will obviously be a help, but there are a lot of late 30's/early 40's Brits here that have taken the plunge 10 years too late and find themselves with a very difficult path back.

Examples?

Take an experienced gas fitter or plumber that had all the right ticks on the TRA assessment then finds once here that he can't work in the trade without undergoing a 2 year apprenticeship. (some of them end up driving courier vans or similar to survive - nothing wrong with that but it's not what they came here for)

Electrician? Similar story.

Painter? That's also a registered profession here chum - don't think you can just buy a van and get going as a contractor.

Quality of life is a subjective thing - is it having a pool in the back garden and living near the beach? Or is it having a dinner party with the friends you have spent half a lifetime with, a night out on the town with the boys/girls now and again, being able to drop the kid's off at your mum's place at the drop of a hat - don't even think about what your first Christmas will feel like, I haven't met an expat here that actually enjoys Christmas here even after many years - some of you will certainly be begging for Jan 2nd to come around so that you can forget about it for another year!

Many will end up sitting on the end of the bed, head in hands thinking "what the hell have we done!" (I thought it was just me until I confessed this to other ex-pats here)

Of course you won't want to hear this sort of stuff when you have spent a small fortune with DIMIA - 2 years ago I didn't either. No matter how much research you think you have done it will not be enough - there will be things you did not count on.

If you have spent good money on this and are determined to give it a go here's one tip above all others

DONT SELL THE HOUSE UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO!

Refinance and/or rent it out if you can (remember UK interest is currently lower than AUS) - that's what an Aussie going to the UK would likely do! If you still love it here after the novelty wears off you could sell up a couple of years down the line - if you don't you would have your HOME to go back to (i.e. not just a house)

Australia is a beautiful place to spend time (I have visited various parts of WA, Sydney and Melbourne since emigrating) but remember most things you will gain will eventually be balanced against what you are leaving behind.

The scales may not tip the way you think!

Good Luck All!

John

Pollyana

Oh believe me, you are not alone!

sassenach

we all come here i think initially to improve our lives ,experience a different way of life ,give our kids better options all these we have done and all these are positives.Its hard to define why some settle and some dont ,i worked in germany for 2 years and felt more at home there than here .For me its the history and attachment to the country ,when im in england i feel im with my own it doesnt matter what colour or creed they are .I have said it before if one is intending to return to the uk for family reasons its abig mistake you have to return because you love what the place has to offer ie country walks ,pubs,history,closeness to the continent,generally tighter communities,even the weather ,
I have heard it a dozen times people want to come to aussie to lead a more outdoor lifestyle we actually spent more time out doors walking along the beachs on the south coast than we ever do here ,we spent many a sunday exploring the coastline of dorset and never got bored with it ,so i believe this outdoor lifestyle isa misnomer as most people dont want to be out doors when it s a 100 degrees they are either in house with the aircon or at the shopping centres cooling down .The old chestnut of getting more for your money too is rubbish if you want to live anywhere where they have at least a corner shop within walkin distance you got to pay uk prices ,sure you can get the big block and the 4x2 in the burbs but its like living in a dentists waiting room so sterile and fake .Yes im a believer the grass aint greener ,i still say dont knock it till youve tried it

monkeyc

Agreed - if you don't try it you'll never know, I guess I am just sharing a bit of experience. I can remember thinking we had done the hard bit getting through the 18-24 month visa process - that's a walk in the park compared to what comes next!

ozzieeagle

I've been using this site now for almost two years. When I first used it, I honestly thought that Aussie was the best country in the world, as the last time I had been to the UK was in 87, It was a terrible trip. The place looked rough, Our two kids at the time were really young, and were very demanding and unsettled. In short we couldn't wait to get back to Aussie. After two weeks we almost cut our trip short and wanted to come home. (back to Aussie that is)

In the past two years. I've had a trip back to the UK, it was fantastic. the place in my opinion had improved to such an extent that it was almost unrecognisable, People seemed brighter friendlier more affluent, and the UK in general seemed much cleaner well kept, infact a place to be very comfortable in.

The point of my post is this.. Having taken the above into consideration, I would suggest that all potential migrants, should take the view, that the Migration may come with a return ticket at some point down the track. IE: Nothing wrong with a nice long 20 year stint in Aussie, But it doesn't have to be totally permanent.

I'm of the opinion now, that more and more people will come to Aussie enjoy it, however a larger percentage will return having thoroughly enjoyed their time and experience here.

Pollyana

I think thats what a lot of people don't realise - getting the visa is the easy bit.
And if you are here on a spouse visa there is the extra bit to consider - you may have come here alone, your family is on the other side of the world, and with a spouse from another country you will always have one person feeling far from home.

Buzzy--Bee

Or you end up with nobody knowing where the hell home is for anyone!!!

I am really hoping we can put down some roots in Oz which has never been home for either of us. NZ was never home for me and I'm not convinced that even after 12 years UK is home for Mrs Buzzy, although now we have kids that might be different.

Cheers

Buzzy

cypry

Painter? That's also a registered profession here chum - don't think you can just buy a van and get going as a contractor.


John[/QUOTE]

I agree.. nothing wrong with being a registered profession.CHUM!!!!!!!!! But you would think after doing all the TRA bit and the expense that is involved there, you would not have to re-train or prove yourself again on arrival. Its a Union controlled trade industry and professional bodies getting another chunk of your hard earned dosh when you get here to prove yourself again. I would have thought that if Oz wanted the professional tradies ( and they readily advertise this ) then why continue to put bureaucratic obstacles in your way upon arrival. On the other hand you can just buy a van and get going as a painting contractor down here in Victoria

karenjc

I would rather regret the things i have done than those i have not. If you don't try it you can't win it.

Exile

That is a very good question. Only one way to really find out for most people, unfortunately.

In our case, we came over from Tokyo, where we'd been living for the last five years. We have three young kids and we lived in a 67 square meter flat. There were a few reasons why we chose to move to Perth rather than returning to the UK, including spacious, cheap real estate (not cheap anymore, by the way), and lack of time difference with Japan, as I work Tokyo business hours. I wanted to slow my life down a bit, but seem to have gone way too far. I feel like I'm living in a retirement village, but still being forced to work like a dog. Many of those around me seem to drift through life worrying about their outdoor furniture settings and how to get the latest top of the range Falcon or whatever the Holden version is.

I've had no work or financial worries as I was lucky enough to be able to bring my job with me. I'd lived away from the UK for a long time, so I figured homesickness would not be a problem. We now have all the space and comforts that come with day-to-day life in Perth. But on the whole I'm beginning to think that I was happier in Tokyo in our 67 square meters (versus around 300 here). Our lives had more depth there.

For many people, sunshine and beaches and relaxed lifestyle may not be enough to outweigh the less obvious negatives which tend to come with moving so far from familiarity, and which can only really be understood after the fact. There are many positives about living here, but I'm not sure if they are enough to justify staying in our case. Lucky to have the choice. The jury is still out after almost two years, but we're drifting toward giving the UK a try.

Also, I notice that a lot of people justify their move by saying they want a better life for their kids. I was probably the same to some extent, but if I'm really honest with myself I think I was seduced by the idea of a life of leisure near the ocean, lazing around drinking beer by the swimming pool. Self-deception is a very powerful thing.

The kids love it here (school is very undemanding, difficult things are avoided, and everything is fun), and so does my wife (she's Japanese and there is far less social pressure here). I was the driving force behind the move, and now I'm the one having serious doubts.

I'd advise most people to think very carefully about what is important to them. Unfortunately, I think for most people the only way to find out is to come and try it for themselves. Some love it, and some don't. For some it's an adventure. For some it's a disaster.

Very interesting post from MonkeyC.

fraser

Don't say that on here mate, they all think the UK is similar to hell and Oz is utopia

arkon

I'll second that! Your not alone, I really wish I hadn't sold the house, because If I go back now it's going to be really painfull to get back on the property ladder.

Luma

Brilliant post monkeyc!!

We've lived in the UK now for 6 years and are quite settled now. Have been in our current area 2.5yrs and have made some really good friends. For the first time the UK now feels like home. (We're from South Africa originally).

BUT.....

As we want to live in a climate similar to what we were used to growing up we thought we would give Perth a try.

It is hard to move away from your country of birth. After 6yrs now I hardly feel the homesickness anymore - but it was difficult especially in the 1st year. I only latest 2.5months in London on our first attempt. Then 10 months later we came back and I had a different perspective on things and I realized that I had to try harder to make it work otherwise I was wasting my time being in the UK.

When it comes to moving country it is OK to be fickle - you will change your mind so many times during the months and years that you are away from your country birth. Allow yourself frequent visits home to see family and close friends. Stay in close contact also by email and phoning. Take lots of video so the grandparents don't miss out too much on the little ones growing up.

ABOD

Really interesting thread. I am about to return to the UK after 2.5 years in Oz. I have the same job here as I had in the UK, but my pay is half, my mortgage double... I did however keep my home in the Uk. God am I thankful I kept it. These are sound words written in here to anyone thinking of coming over here. I am now in quite a priviledged postion of being able to live between both countries, but would always choose to live in the UK and perhaps spend the Winter months out here in Oz. Good luck to all who take the leap, but keeping an escape route is sound advice, you would be fools not to take it.

Deadmeat

Shesh man, half pay and double mortgage? What are you doing for a living, selling England Football Shirts in the Sydney CBD?