Beaverstate

All in good fun my friend. Who do you like aside from Aussies, Brits and of course Canadians?

Beaverstate

Did you ever watch that entertaining show on PBS " A taste of Louisiana" Lots of cajun and regional cooking with all kinds of sauces.

jad n rich

I havent seen it, but I love that type of food. Seafood/hot sauces especially.

Mouthwatering

calliope

I'm not sure what type of British person voluntarily goes to live in America to be honest. I know three people who have moved there on purpose and they are all very materialistic people and obsessed with money. I think they fit in well there. People who choose Australia or Canada are different in what they value. I'm not talking about people who marry Americans, but those who manically jump through hoops to get there for work.

eddie007

One of my school friends married an american...joined the USAF, Divorced him, and has dedicated her whole life to her american military career... She is a colonel, and is currently based at the pentagon.....

Very odd.

jad n rich

Loads of people used to emigrate to OZ for the money factor.

Seriously that IMO was the main reason 10 years ago. It was cheap,probably a third of the cost of living now, 2.5 exchange rate. People would bang on about the weather or lifestyle but it was double your money, double the fun (jetski, pool, media room) factor.

I have no idea of figures but I bet far less poms arrive now.

eddie007

I'm sure the fact fewer poms are arriving is reflected in the visa processing times for some visas... My parents contributary visa took around 12 months from application to grant.... When they started thinking about it the processing time was 2 years plus.....

Wonder how other visas are affected?

calliope

I agree, and I don't think it will go back either. Those days are gone for ever. But I think there is a difference in what people are looking for when they choose America or Australia. What they think life is about.

jad n rich

My Canadian visa is 3 years and ............................. lost in space it seems.

They are now sending visa applications back, sounds like about a million more than they can process.

Low wages, stupidly high house prices, bad weather, plaid fashions very popular it seems

If they return our visa after 3 years wait I will

calliope

Returning visas

jad n rich

Visa Application I mean.

One hard country to get into.

calliope

From what I read on here it's more incompetence in the FSW visa than hard. Some of the people on the Canada forum have been treated terribly, and some have even given up after having been made wait for four or five years. This doesn't reflect well on the visa department, I don't think.

Budawang

Oh dear, America has a bit of an image problem it seems. I'm still amazed at how many ordinary Americans still believe everyone else in the rest of the world are desperate to live there. They are taught from a young age that they are "Number One".

I think the main cultural difference is the degree of trust that the citizens in each country have towards their governments and fellow citizens. Australians essentially still trust each other, including their government despite whingeing about politicians. Americans, on the other hand, mistrust each other and, above all, their government. For example, many Americans really believe that their right to bear arms is the only thing that's protecting their democracy against state tyranny. That sort of attitude seems very weird to an Australian.

MyUserName

I think this is very on point as are many other comments here.

On a strictly matter of personal taste, I constantly ask myself, for instance, what's America's alternative to Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, not to mention Blackadder or Yes, Minister. Of course, Cricket and rugby become baseball and football (NFL), but this itself is very telling of what I think is lacking in America: whereas cricket, for instance, seems understated, mild-mannered, and authentic, NFL, for example, is artificial, loud, and extravagant. Of course, I'm trying to distinguish two different approaches--it's not merely about sports or TV programs.

And then there are more objective matters, which are all the more tragic. If at all America of 100 years ago had something to teach to the rest of the world, today it's more or less all about cautionary tales; ranging from angry populist politics, to anti-government activism, to the devastating influence of money in politics, to close-mindedness, to letting inequality rise. If things go the way they are now for a few more decades, I think we will fairly be able to call America an oligarchy with a vast underclass without any much exaggeration (that is, if it has already not become one).

paulry

I know a family who have been waiting for at least 4 years, but I've heard the system has been improved recently to reduce the wait