Australianhopeful

Hi, Everyone, (who can help)

My name is Nathaniel, I am 23 yrs young and am majoring in IT in the US. I am in the thought process of moving to Australia in the next 2-3 years and wanted to know what i should first consider and how it would differ from here, (job market in IT) in the US. All opinions would be greatly appreciated.

tevta

Hello Natheniel, it would be premature to make any assumption about what would be the exact situation after 2-3 years as immigration rules and requirements keep changing every year. Moreover, the job market and economic conditions also change with time. The professions that are in high demand in many states may get easily vanished from their lists anytime. Under the prevailing uncertain circumstances, it would be a good idea to just wait for the right time when you become eligible in the points table.

Sherlock Holmes

Hi there and welcome to B.E.

Have a read of this.

It's a good place to start.

Enjoy B.E.

Australianhopeful

Thank you both for your thoughts. I do believe it is premature to look into it, as far as moving there, but living there (working, commuting, socializing, economy, thriving there) is it better than US. I read countless stories, articles and forums leaning toward the answer, it is. Like the cost of living i keep getting mixed answers to and none seem to be able to give a solid answer of the minimum wage. Not that that matters really, but how does it weigh out with housing there? I want to rent of course, but eventually get a house. Oh and what area or region is best?

Sherlock Holmes

To get work probably means moving to one of the major cities. Rents are VERY high there and so are house prices. Rent can be anything from $400 to $1,000 a week (or more).

Cost of living in UK, US and Oz, when all things are taken into consideration, is probably about the same. Within Australia, prices vary widely. I am in a very rural area. Housing is VERY cheap, as a rates and water rates. Utilities are about the norm, there is no mains gas here. Shop prices are higher and one needs to travel more. But there isn't much work.

Is life better? - that is such a subjective question. Reading B.E. as I have for some time now, there are Brits in the US, Oz and the UK who love where they are, there are those who hate it.

Australia and the US are about the same size. Oz has a population of about 23 million. (?) What is the population of the US?

It's many years since I lived in the states (N.J.) but I think it is fair to say that conditions are very different.

As to income, trying to indicate what is the norm is nigh on impossible here.

Budawang

Most economists would agree that Australia has one of the healthiest economies in the developed world. In many ways this really is the lucky country: an abundance of natural resources, low population density, proximity to a resource-hungry Asia and one of the world's best judicial and political systems. In objective terms, the "average" Australian probably has a standard of living which is as high as anywhere in the world. In very uncertain times, Australia is probably one of the safest places to be. In almost every scenario, whether it's the US falling off a fiscal cliff, the Eurozone imploding or even economic problems in China, Australia is in a better situation than most.

However, moving to the other side of the world is a huge challenge. The culture is more different (less individualistic, more socialist) than you might imagine and it's a long way from family and friends. It's worth noting that there are far fewer Americans migrants here than British. This probably has a lot to do with Britain having a strong history of emigration whereas the US has only ever been a nation of immigration. I think Americans also grow up in a more insular culture which might make adapting to a different culture more of a challenge. And despite some cultural similarities, you'll still hear Britons moaning about Australia so it's ultimately a personal thing. On the other hand, Americans (on a personal level, not so much the US as a country) are quite popular here.

Shard

Could it be that if Americans want sun and space they can move to Florida, California and a dozen other states, all of which speak English; whereas unilingual sun-loving Brits have only Australia and New Zealand to choose from.