Originally Posted by ABCDiamond

I've skipped reading the next 4 pages, so not sure if it has been said before....... but..
Most people who are "enjoying it" are not frequenting these forums any more

Therefore, you won't hear very many "I am enjoying it" comments, in comparison.

Now, IF you could canvass ALL the Brits in this country, (about 1 million of us) the results for that would be interesting

Originally Posted by arkon

Conversly the fair %age that went home also nolonger frequent the site so I think it all balances out.

Originally Posted by ABCDiamond

Statistically a LOT more stay than return

Originally Posted by 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

Originally Posted by JAYMAC

Just to add to this thread again ..Isnt it funny how your insecurities are affected by other peoples posts on here. On the one hand, its great when you read peoples positive experiences of Oz but on the other when you read the bad experiences you begin to doubt whether you are sane!

To put it into perspective, every individual and every family will see things differently and two families in exactly the same situation would have a completely different outlook on life, wherever they are in the world. I read other peoples experiences with interest however to those who have decided that they want to make a go of it here in Oz, 'where the bloody hell are you'?
What I am trying to say is if you have an open mind and you are ready to make the move - get here and find out for yourself whether its the life for you.

Take Care

Jaymac

Originally Posted by fraser

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

Originally Posted by ABCDiamond

These are the figures:

In 2002-2003
11,304 UK born Permanent Settlers arrived and 3,928 UK born Departed Permanently

Of those that left, the following %'s are based on previous years statistics, and show the % of those who left and the time they had stayed in the country.

15.1% Under 1 year
19.6% 1-3 years
14.7% 3-5 years
12.9% 5-10 years
17.7% 10-20 years
19.4% 20 or more years
0.6% Unstated


Based on those statistics (if they balanced out on average over a period of years) ....

Out of the 11,304 that arrived
593 will return within 1 year (and 10,711 will stay over 1 year)
770 will return after staying 1-3 years (and 9,941 will stay over 3 years)
577 will return after staying 3-5 years (and 9,364 will stay over 5 years)
507 will return after staying 5-10 years (and 8,857 will stay over 10 years)
695 will return after staying 10-20 years (and 8,162 will stay over 20 years)
762 will return after staying 20 or more years
24 Unstated

That leaves a LOT that stay for a fair time. (even if the figures/%'d vary a lot, there is still a big difference)

Figures from: http://www.immi.gov.au/statistics/st.../oad/index.htm

Originally Posted by arkon

To me with my negatively charged brain these figures speak volumes and suggest that each year Australia lose 34% of those that migrated here. When you take into account the fact that those that migrated here were really committed to come, because don’t forget they all gave up jobs, houses, family, friends etc. Then they all when through all the hoops and hurdles that dima presented, then all the costs involved. For 34% to then leave each year just has to say something about the place not meeting expectations.

Originally Posted by arkon

To me with my negatively charged brain these figures speak volumes and suggest that each year Australia lose 34% of those that migrated here. When you take into account the fact that those that migrated here were really committed to come, because don’t forget they all gave up jobs, houses, family, friends etc. Then they all when through all the hoops and hurdles that dima presented, then all the costs involved. For 34% to then leave each year just has to say something about the place not meeting expectations.

Originally Posted by arkon

To me with my negatively charged brain these figures speak volumes and suggest that each year Australia lose 34% of those that migrated here. When you take into account the fact that those that migrated here were really committed to come, because don’t forget they all gave up jobs, houses, family, friends etc. Then they all when through all the hoops and hurdles that dima presented, then all the costs involved. For 34% to then leave each year just has to say something about the place not meeting expectations.

Originally Posted by ABCDiamond

It is NOT a case of 34% return immediately as they don't like it here.
So many of them spend 20+ years here before they do go

Not everyone comes to live the remainder of their life here, many go on to try other countries. Just because some leave Australia doesn't mean they all return to the UK.

One important figure to look at is the one that states:
Out of 11,304 only 593 will return within 1 year. Thats 5.25%
Those must be the ones that really aren't happy here.

then, there are another 770 who return after staying 1-3 years, they may be the ones that wanted to stay to get citizenship, in case they want to come back later. Thats another 6.8%

then, another 577 leave after staying here 3-5 years.
etc etc

Out of that 11,304 figure, 8,162 will stay here over 20 years

No one should come here thinking that it is forever.

The world is opening up, we get many more options than our grandfathers (at least mine) who stayed in the same town all their lives, worked for the same company from 15 to 65, and went on holiday to the same place every year with their workmates during the annual factory shutdown.

We are more adventurous, willing to try new things, and then more new things.

I for example love it here, but in a few years I may try somewhere else, (who knows), I have rarely lived in one spot for more than 5 years, and I have nothing against trying something new.

If I do go on to another country, then I will be in that figure of those who left (for a 2nd time ), but to the question "Was it Worth it ?" To true it has been, even though I have migrated here TWICE

Originally Posted by arkon

One of us is missing the point being made in these stats and if it's me then fair cop, but I read that as on that particular year out 11,300 came in and 3900 left, obviously the 3900 that left were not all made up from that years influx but nonetheless, Ignoring the amount of time each one actually stayed for thats only a 66% retention rate. You would be unlikely to bet on a horse with those odds let along stake your entire home,job and priceless friends on it.