iwilldoit

hi everyone just thought i would start this thread as i have noticed quite a few brits here in france and surrounding european countries moving to oz, and as such we will all share difficulties not experienced by those people moving/applying from uk.
it may be of benefit to share info such as removals, documentation, panel doctors police checks etc.


Bon courage

David

moderndaytravellers

Hiya David

We too are relocating from France (Charente) to Oz, hopefully! Whereabouts are you? Maybe we could share a container....... You are right though we should share info - anything to make this process easier, eh?

Why are you leaving?

Carla

iwilldoit

hi carla

we are in st genis d,hiersac 20km north angouleme where are you ? all the usual questions when,where as to why we are leaving, the list is endless how about you, how long you lived here?

david and sharon

moderndaytravellers

Hi David and Sharon

We live near Mansle. We decided to leave France at the beginning of this year after a terrible year in 2006. I don't know about you but we feel that although there are hundreds of english here, the community is actually quite small and everyone knows everyone's else's business, and likes to gossip and back bite about it and it has got us down hugely. The language - although I can get by - is getting to me, you don't realise how difficult it is to completely immerse yourself in a foreign speaking country - before we came I thought I would be fluent within a year! It hasn't happened. The work situation for Trev has been great and that is one thing that preys on my mind about moving - will he have the same success that he has here? - but Australia is the first place we wanted to go, but didn't because of family. Now we know we can make the move, and actually it wouldn't matter if the family were in the next country or the other side of the world the effort they make to come and see us and the kids. We have been back more times than they have come to us. I can't bear the fact that if I stayed here I would probably never work again, just feel like I need a bit of normality. The french are lovely people but I just don't feel like I (or want to) fit in. My husband finds the language particularly hard too and would feel much more comfortable in an english speaking country but we know we do not want to go back to the UK to live - ever!

We are hoping to relocate to Adelaide as I think it will suit us with regards to cost of living, climate etc. We have done the TRA, had a few issues with the visa application (long story!) but hope that all going smoothly we will be out there by summer (winter there!) next year. Where are you planning on going?

Anyway, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Carla

stevensfamily

Hi David,

Great idea starting this thread. We are leaving for Oz end next year beg of 2009 we have our Visa's but have work commitments here in Germany.


Anyone else leaving from Germany shipping companies advice much appreciated?

Cheryl

iwilldoit

hi carla

well that is spooky,i thought my wife had made your post as it is nearly the exact situation! ill pm you a little later

david

iwilldoit

congrats on getting your visa! must be great feeling, I am not really turning green with envy!

where are you heading?

regards

david

iwilldoit

Hi Carla,

I read your message with amusement, as I have been saying the same thing to David, I also am not working due to the language problems, We made some good friends when we moved here nearly 2 years ago, but as time has gone on i feel very frustrated with the language, and were as i once wanted to fit in with everyone i now no longer do, everything is a strain for me now, we live in Basse which is a small village with no English speakers at all, in fact we have not met any English since we moved here, our daughter is now fluent, which is wonderful but i feel we are still on our own. i like you have family in England, and i suppose the idea of living so close to the uk was the idea that it would mean i would see them, but like yourself i now believe it would not matter were we lived for the amount of effort they have made to see us here, We are looking to move to Townsville in the Queensland region as my brother is there with his wife and son, I am sure there will be a different kind of problem there but i feel that with the language being English we will be able to face the problems with understanding. There is one question i would ask as you no we are about to send in the online visa application, we have ordered our police checks from britain, but where do we order the police checks here, as everything is slower here i feel we need to get on with doing this, look forward to hearing from you again.
sharon

moderndaytravellers

Hi Sharon

I know exactly how you feel. I just know that in Oz, with it being the same language, I can work, meet mums at the school etc etc like I did in the UK but with much better surroundings. We also do not have any english in our village and I don't mix with the neighbours as they are all old! You can't fault the surroundings here and the fact that the children are learning a second language, and I do feel a bit selfish sometimes that we have taken them away from the UK and made them fit in here and now I expect them to do it again but hopefully because they have done it in a foreign speaking country, it should be a doddle going back to an english speaking country????

Anyway, with regards to the police checks, I was going to wait until asked for them (as they prefer you to do that anyway) because they may not ask for french ones as we are in the EU and are british. I emailed the British Embassy in Bordeaux and they seem to think that a UK police check would suffice. However, I did find the link as to who you have to write to to get one, and they guarantee it to be back within 7-10 days. I usually find the government run things here quite efficient. It's also free - you just write your name and address and copy of your Carte Vitale (I think it said) and send it somewhere and they write back with the results. The only issue will be is if you have to then get this translated.

Good luck with the application - have they sorted out the english language points problem yet?

Nice speaking to you, and if I can help further, just email me.

Regards,

Carla

Gems

Hello,
we came via Eastern Europe and now in Oz. We too had planned to settled for long time.

However now in Oz and realise that we did the right thing moving. Being in a english speaking country just makes things much easier. You dont realise what a beaurocratic nightmare doing anything can be in some of the European countries!
We came to Perth and everything was done very quick and without any long wait or fuss. We laughed as everything is so easy.

Kids have settled well and I feel more at home.

Had problems getting anyone to ship so went with excess baggage company. They were very good, organising a company on our side to pick up our stuff and take it to London. Then it was crated and sent to OZ. Only been here a few weeks so stuff is still on its way. You can move anything from 1 suitcase to house full.

One good thing was Medicals were rediculously cheap in Prague! 5 pound for an xray! We saved a fortune compared to UK medicals.

For us the move from Europe has been good, its still early days but glad I was brave enough to uproot everyone again. We knew we didnt want the UK, but Oz fits great.

Good Luck with your moves.
Gems

moderndaytravellers

Hi Gems

Thanks for taking the time to comment on here, it has made me feel so much better just hearing that you have done the same for the kids, for you everything. I suppose at the heart of it all you think, what if it doesn't work out, if you don't like it, it is so far away and where do you go then? Can't move the kids again, it would be ridiculous so would I be stuck somewhere I hated. Although funnily enough I don't think I will hate Oz, we have always thought that it would be a great place for the kids to grow up with all the opportunities that the UK offers, which France doesn't offer. I could see the kids just settling down, getting old working in the same job for years and I want more for them than that.

I do think though that sorting out social security numbers, opening bank accounts etc will be a doddle once you have done it in a foreign country! Those have gone straight to Oz from the UK don't realise how they have it made!!!!

Thanks again,

Carla

iwilldoit

Hi Carla
I think we all have come to France thinking how easy it was going to be, I also thought 1 year and i will be speaking the language, Yeah think not lol. I hate standing in the playground waiting for my daughter to come out and i listen to all the mums talking around me, and i now understand a few words in a sentence but def not enough to join in, it is terrible, although our daughter is happy in school, she is still not being invited to party's ect and i feel it is my fault, as i cant join in due to the language, I am sure that leaving England was the right thing to do although i have thought about returning many times in the last 2 years, but now that David is hopefully able to get in to Australia it does seem to change everything for the better, I to have concerns about the distance, but i look at it that we have made the move from England so the hard part is over, my daughter is 5 and i feel it is a great time for a final change, and that is what it will be, I look at it that we may not have chosen the right area in Australia but it is a huge place, the language which is a massive thing is thank heavens English, no more WHAT DID YOU SAY lol, and speaking louder thinking it will help lol. Yes hopefully this move will indeed be the dream, there are always going to be hiccups but i no that we can sort them out, I bet you think the same, Scary but you only live once.
sharon

paulainspain

Hello all,

We booked our flights today and are off to Brisbane 6th October, we cant wait. We have been in Spain for 4 years now, although hubby had to go back to UK in January for work commitments, I can honestly say although it has been an adventure and we have enjoyed it I am really looking forward to speaking English to everyone! I crave to have a natter with everyone, everywhere! I know its my own fault for not being fluent in Spanish by now but boy have I tried, unfortunately I am crap with languages. The boys have had a wonderful time with the outside lifestyle here but are so looking forward to the outside lifestyle in OZ too. The English speaking community is very small here and if they dont know your business they will soon make up something about you, it has certainly been a learning curve here. I will not be sorry to say goodbye to that. Good luck to us all. By the way Mudanzas aguila are a good site for removals, I noticed there was a French site yesterday as I spoke to them to see if they could help, if you want further information let me know. Paula

moderndaytravellers

Hi Paula

How weird that there seem to be so many of us that are relocating again, this time to Oz? I just know that it was our first choice initially, but that we stayed closer to home because of family and friends - what a silly thing to do! Anyway, well done on getting your visa, you must be soooo excited. How long did your whole process take? What's your/your husband's trade or profession? We did our TRA back in May, have had a nightmare with the visa application (!) - it was sent back after 3 months due to ONE missing letter. Re-sent again, looks like it got held up in Melbourne customs and have probably missed the 31st August deadline, which means it will be sent back AGAIN!!!! When we have received that, I will apply online and hopefully that will be that, and the waiting can commence!

I know of others leaving France to go to Oz, and on the forums I know of one guy and his family leaving Spain. I think that everything we have here in europe we will have and more in Oz.

Good luck

Carla

paulainspain

Morning Carla,

Yes we did exactly the same as you, stayed close to the UK to be nearer Friends and family! Nevermind, we have no regrets and it's probably made it easier for us to make the move to OZ as we took the small step here.

My husband is a BI sales director and has been offered a job so we are going on a 457 visa, its nice to know that as soon as we arrive he starts a job.

You have had a nightmare haven't you? What a shame, let's hope it improves now. Where are you thinking of heading?

Good luck to you too.

Paula