midwifechippy

Can I ask a quick question?

How long has everyone taken to have a proper and serious look around Australia before taking the step to emigrate? Is it true some people never even go to see the country?

Opinions wanted

x x

moneypenny20

Stacks of people never come over prior to moving. Others do a couple of weeks, or months or have travelled the country. From what I've seen, none of it makes any difference to whether the move will work or not. Some come who've never left the UK before and settle into life brilliantly. Others who have moved all over the world and who have lived here previously, suddenly feel homesick and have to move back.

Weird how it works or doesn't work.

sonlymewalter

We came to Aus "sight unseen".

We've been on holidays to places we've loved, but could never live there.We figured you have to live somewhere properly to really know what it's like. We couldn't get the time off so decided to make the leap of faith all in one go.

lolcat

We visited along the East Coast 2004 for a month, then did a similar thing on the West in 2006.

Fancied moving after 2004, but sheer idleness on my part led to a visa grant this year!

tawkins1

My sister & a close friend moved over without ever visiting... They say its the best decision they made & would NEVER come back to the UK. We've been out twice but we knew after the first few days that we were gonna love it

Lymm Mover

We never visited before we applied - we came across in April to validate the visas for 10 days

Satch_Boogie

We probably will be coming sight unseen. My wife has expated around the world numerous times as has our eldest child and she said seeing it before it necessary for her to settle in. We applied for visas without ever setting foot in Oz.

ronan_in_Oz

I never saw the country before I applied for my visa. Been there for a week approx. on my validation trip (after I received my visa) and simply loved it.

esperanza

I never visited before I came out - talked to people who had, did a heap of online research, came with an open & positive frame of mind - love it, had my citz app approved this year. No regrets!

midwifechippy

Thanks guys for your responses,

MartinLuther

I came without having been before.

The reasons why:
- large family so it would have cost a lot of money.
- both wife and I had spent time living in foreign countries so knew that living in a country is different to a short visit.
- knew that you have to give it time sometimes to like a country.
- decided to save the money to use for the return flight if we didn't like it.

Was a bit worried when we 1st landed. Slept off the jet lag and have loved it ever since. 5 years later, we've spent the return fare on some reno (So, in toto I've spent about 4 hours thinking "What the f**k am I doing here?")

Geelong Gent

At the top of a black run at hotham no doubt

MartinLuther

The top was okay, it was just beyond the lump I failed to see.