NJJ

I have seen a few posts about poeple deciding to apply to move to Aus. without even visiting the country, and these posts are from people who are reportedly based in the UK.

I was just wondering what motivates people to try and emigrate here from the UK without even as much as sampling the goods. I am a UK citizen in a relationship with an australian citizen which was my reason for applying for immigration, but without going into the reasons of my partner and I deciding on one country or another, we decided on staying here in oz. Although I did visit Australia several times before deciding upon leaving my job, friends & family back in dear old Blighty.

I can also understand people who may be moving over here for work purposes e.g. jobs that are in demand over here, but surely even they would implement the "try before they buy" method of at least visiting before upping and leaving the homeland.

The old expression "grass is greener on the other side" may well come into play i suspect, maybe this is why we see so many aussies in england LOL too but at least the most of them take time to sample the country before deciding to stay. In fact, most of them have a joke at me because I have never even been to scotland in my 25 years living in the UK but at least I can say to them in the 2 years i have been in Aus at least I have travelled to all states + lord howe and I know people in my local town here who have never even been out of victoria!!

Anyways back to my original point, why do people move to aus. without so much as visiting in the first place. to me it just doesn't make any sense at all......


regards
NJJ

spalen

In some regards, speaking as someone who is doing what you describe, it's down to personality.

We've always taken risks always survived them and are of the opinion that we'd rather go and spend 12 months looking at it than go for 2 weeks and think we might not like it and not try.

In analysis - its easy to go, its easy to come back, provided we're realistic about committing to it for at least 12months then we wont make an emotion based decision in the first few weeks or the very dodgy 6month breakpoint.

You can research as much as you like on the forums, internet etc. So you're prepared in someways for anything that gets thrown at you.

Worst case - we get 12months in Australia , yeah it'll cost a bit of cash but nothing you cant recover from in the long run, and it'll be one hell of an experience to add to all the others. Come back to Blighty, kids back in UK Schools, having had a year of experience abroad. Cant' really see the downside - we're treating it as a gamble and at worst a 12month break.

Ive been reading the forums on people returning to UK as well as this one on going to Aus. Millions of people live in Aus so it can't be totally unbearable ( assuming they're not alllll hoons ;-)) .

Dont risk anything you cant afford to lose!.

murph

i guess people have a whole range of reasons for wanting to up and move to another continent without going to it first. Some people dont have the luxury of travelling back and forth to australia to test it out. Others find themselves in a situation where a partner (austrlian citizen) decides they want to go home and bring there loved one with them, thus needing to emigrate there without actually ever setting foot in australia. I guess the other side is that people just want to throw caution to the wind and go out there, the "suck it and see" approach. Emigration has never been about going there first i.e Flow of European immigrants to America 19/20th century.
However i do understand what you are saying, its a hell of a long way and a hateful process to go through to find out that its not what they thought it would be and discover they hate the place.

bainser

I'm of the same opinion as spalen. My wife and I have done a fair bit of travelling and would like to see a bit more of the world. We've never been to Oz but I have a few friends I worked with who live in Perth and my wife has family in the area.

We've no real ties back in the UK, we've both had enough of Aberdeen and want to try somewhere new. We don't fancy living elsewhere in the UK for various reasons and after doing some research and talking to family and friends we thought we'd go for it.

We realise it will cost a fair amount to get there but we're young, we have a young son who we'd like to experience a new lifestyle and if we don't go for it now then we might never get round to doing it.

bridiej

Pretty much what everyone else has said really.

Worth taking the risk - you do only live once.

Can't afford to take a trip before hand.

And at the end of the day, if it really isnt what we hoped after 2 or 3 years we can always come home.

I'd rather go and try it than never have given it ago and be left forever wondering "what if"...

princebatswater

Exactly,

You're a long time dead.

PBW

walla

just a thought...........you always regret the things in life you haven't done as opposed to the things in life you have done.

Walla

dottyspots

We've always moved around and never felt 'quite at home' in the UK. Most of my family live abroad, so I don't see them very often as it is and FIL (in UK) is very supportive of us going (he used to live in Oz). It's been my husband's dream since he was a little boy (and he did a project, bolstered by his Dad's and friends tales).

It appeals to my sense of adventure - we hate where we currently live and will leave the country regardless of whether we get a visa or not (we may still go to Norway where I have family), we put the house on the market when we hear from TRA (whether positive or negative) which should be the end of September.

I don't believe 'the grass is greener' bit, every country I've ever been to has had the same general whinges as in the UK, however, we'd have a chance of better accomodation (considering we've 3 kids, we would be able to get them a bedroom each - no chance in the UK) and a bit more space.

The longer working hours are a worry, but then hubby is self-employed and quite often does a 7day week.

For us, after my eldest having a hellish time here, it really is a fresh start. If it doesn't work out, then it's an experience to add to memory. My husband's trade is in demand, we're used to not seeing family much and have lived abroad - so feel we have as good a chance as settling as any :0)

Better to give it a go and fail then wonder 'what if?'

spalen

Glad to know we're not mental ( well , no less mental than you lot ) for dragging kids half way round teh world to somewhere none of us have been.

We likewise will be moving if the visa doesnt come in - canada might be option 2 ,or Norway , for no reason other than they're both excellent and beautful places. They bear little to no resembnlance to brisbane!.

dottyspots

You don't need a visa for Norway and they subsidise language lessons (property is reasonable too, outside of the major cities - I wouldn't go to Oslo).

Ushas

I read, on another forum somewhere through time and space, a fantastic piece of advice.

The grass is sometimes greener on the other side, but you still have to mow the lawn.

Though everyone here has valid and life-changing reasons to emigrate and seem to be intelligent, thought-it-through first types of people. There are a lot who go..ooohhh Oz....sounds great....hot ....beaches ....mmmmm ....let's go now! And then hate it once they realise that it isn't just a holiday every day.

bridiej

Yes, you have a valid point, for every person who's thought it through properly there's probably another two that are going for the weather, beer culture and beaches....

dottyspots: I've always moved around the UK a lot as Dad was in the forces. I must admit I do seem to get itchy feet every couple of years, but hopefully the move to Oz will put an end to that!!

pukka pom

My sentiments exactly !!!!

We're going for it, with 3 young kids in tow, although partner is going for 3 week trip in November, he will be my eyes. We've both lost parents to Cancer at relatively young age and think - yep this aint no dress rehearsal - lets give it a go!!! we will just make sure we have the funds to come back for 2 years.

Sally

dottyspots

I'm not a beach person, so we're looking for countryside, don't drink much, so a 'beer culture' wouldn't appeal (although I guess there's some big drinkers - they can be found in lots of countries) and the weather.....

Well, not being a beach person, whilst I do like sunshine, I'm not a 'sun-worshipper' and know that I'd not cope somewhere north.

Somewhere I can cycle around, go walking, have the occasional night out, make some friends so we can have nights in ;0), get the kids out of the house more and on the XBox less and I'll be happy.

Hoping Oz will put an end to our itchy feet - I'm getting tired of moving and now my eldest is getting towards being a teen, I'd like to put roots down a bit.

Deadmeat

My reasons - Love and my fledgling family.

I'd even move to Swansea if necessary. Cheap shot, I know :-)

I agree with the "life's for living not existing" sentiments totally. I tried a move to Eire from the UK a few years ago, it didn't work out but I don't regret a minute (or a Euro) of it. I probably did it for the wrong reasons in hindsight but hey, you've got to go with your emotions sometimes, it's what makes us human.

Whatever reasons people have it's nice to live such a privileged life that allows such decisions to be made with (relatively speaking) little hassle. Freedom to move, free to make the right moves for the wrong reasons too.

Now, the people that move to a country, don't bother to learn a language, live in the local "English" bars and circulate in their ex-pat Melanomasville communities - don't get me started on them!

But, hey, what does it matter to me what other people do? Good luck to all the seekers out there.