Bramptonbrian, looking back, we must have been barmy ! Hindsight 's a wonderful thing ! Still, not long now and we too will be 12,000 miles away !

Don't do it just to spite her. There's a lot of moving to be done on this continent before going back to that cold land and grey frothy sea

So i take it you are going back before getting citizenship?

I just feel after all the upheaval, emotions not to mention the cost
that it would make sense to stay to obtain citizenship, if not for me but for our children so that they have another option later in life.
I have already made one mid-life crisis mistake, just so scared in making another. Confused, you bet i am

We are here on a SIR visa, so don't even get permanent residency until early 2008, let alone citizenship.
Can't sit here, feeling like we are wasting time for that long.
Our situation makes our decision a more permanent one though, as we lose our visa as soon as we leave, so don't have the option of coming back later on, even if we want to.
I feel that our children are already losing skills that they had when we arrived last year, and don't want them to be out of the UK education system for TOO long, as it will be difficult to go back to. There are lots of other reasons too, but feel that is one of the majors.
I can see why people who can hang on, do though.
I can sympathise with you over making another mistake, and I am sure that we'll have our doubts when the time actually comes, but I would be more worried if we didn't. Worrying gives you the oppurtunity to analyze your instincts and thoughts a little if done constructively.

we are the same...... came here in june 2005 on PR visas, but now they are bringing in the new citizenship laws we can't become Australia citizens untill after June 2008.
My daughter would have started high school this year. If i leave it untill 2008 what then, and the financial implications decisions, decisions. How can i expect others to answer for me, when i dont know thw answer myself

If its an SIR visa (136) - then that IS permanent residency - isn't it? I could be wrong, but we came on a 136 and we are permanent residents. Been here 18 months, and if all goes well we may even make the 2 year rule before they make it 3, and hence could be going home in about 10 months!

Hello Everyone !
I only went to work for a couple of nights and look how this thing has taken off !!! I hope for some of you it has helped being able to post on here. I think it's only too obvious that it's not as easy for some people to adjust to their new lifestyles no matter where in the world they are !
I have never logged onto such a full mail box and for all of you who very kindly took the time to PM me , THANK YOU!! I will endeavour to reply to you all personally.
I am moving all with life and trying to enjoy what I have, the same as the rest of you, but there are just the days when I need to "vent" to people who understand and I have been very lucky to find you all on this virtual world of Expats.
Thank you for not shooting this thread down.
<<VIRTUAL HUG>> , to you all (including the blokes )
All the best,
Tass. x

P.S. ....and just so you know , I haven't been drinking again , just slightly overwhelmed in a girly way at all the positive karma that I have been sent.

the ctizenship was the one thing i had niggling doubts about. But, I still left early because of this advice from a lot of people in the same situation.....
1) a reason a lot of people say they want to go back is for a better childhood education. if this is true, you should expect your children to get better qualifications in the uk, and then, should they choose to live in Australia later on they will have good qualifications from their own merit to get their own points to come over.
2) the only real reason why this would not be possible would be because, the Oz govt didnt want their type of quals because they didnt need that particular workforce or a substantial no of citizens are already in high unemployment. If that was th case, would it be the right time for them to go anyway? But, if they were still young they could still travel around and do student-type jobs to get a feel for the place before deciding on the best way to train in the Uk for what they need to do.
3) sometimes i see getting citizenship even though a family is desperately unhappy, in a way to those people who debate whether to have a baby christened or wait til they are older to make their own minds up. i.e if they want to get it, they will, regardless of whether we get it for them or not. After all, isnt that what all of us did?

although i couldnt hack it out there, i sincerely hope this has given my kids the travel bug and they want to explore the world when they are older. but when they are older, they will have their own minds and make their own decisions - they may turn out to be stay-at-home types :scared:
but, if they do decide to travel, at least i can encourage them when they are young without baggage and i am young enough for them hopefully not to feel that need to be nearer to me/guilt/responsibility that i had because i was older and too established within my community.

i try to think that the world is getting smaller and more accessible all the time. our parents generation would never of imagined the scope for working/living abroad when they were are age...so when are kids grow up...the world could be their oyster.

one other thing....
when i was in Oz, i met this lovely lady who was about 60. she came to Oz to give her kids a better life etc, as we all hoped...but as soon as they graduated, they wanted to see the world and are now living in Europe. She has nothing in Oz andhas been too far away to feel that going back would be an option/financially etc. So they have done what we all hope for our kids....but left her thinking why did I take them to Oz in the first place. I bet she'd rather stayed in the Uk and had her support while they travelled rather than this situation.
when i told her i was going back, she cried because she was so homesick, and it made me think i dont want to end up like that, because wherever you live, if you have bought your kids up well, they will spread their wings at some stage so you must feel happy where you are in order to be able to support them with this.

hope this helps some of you coming back before the 3yrs. it did me.

C xxx

We are on a SIR (495), and this isn't a permanent visa. We have to live in a low population area, for 2 years, and dh has to work in his profession for 12 months, we can then apply for residency. At present we get no centrelink payments etc etc.
We then have to start our 2/3 year wait for citizenship. We wouldn't be citizens until 2010 at the earliest, and then the 3 year thing would be in, so actually 2011!!
As you can see, we would be in for a long haul ahead if we were waiting for citizenship.

Yes that IS a long haul! If that was us - I don't think I could "hang around" here till 2010, it's been hard enough as it is!!!

I feel as though I'm in a departure lounge and the plane has been delayed.....

Hi Tass

I do feel for you I to am a nurse in sydney and struggle with it all, I am happy to be a sounding board if you need one send me a pm

Know exactly how you feel!
Sorry if I've missed it on here somewhere, but where are you living, how long have you been here, where in the UK are you from etc?
Do you plan on going home soon?
Nosey, aren't I? LOL

Hello everyone

I met someone once who lived in a lovely house in the Hills district, said he'd been in Australia for more than 15 years - and his wife still felt homesick. But they couldn't go back now because they had kids, and they were settled as Australians etc...I don't want to be like that woman and spend the next 13 years of my life living somewhere that doesn't feel right to me!

We recently came back from a holiday in the UK and I had hoped it would be awful going back and it would make me like Australia more. However I had a fantastic time, I loved seeing all my friends and feeling comfortable with the culture, history etc. It was like we hadn't been away.

I try hard to appreciate what Australia has to other, but like I told my OH this weekend, I'm not really an outdoors type of person. I'm not someone who enjoys going for a run on the beach, camping at the weekends, bushwalking etc. I'm a very shallow person who likes chatting with friends (in the warmth), shopping, going out for dinner etc - and yes, I could do that all here but I haven't made any good friends who I really relate to and the shops are pants!

The main thing (only thing really) stopping me going back is my partner, who loves his job here (we originally came out here on the basis of this job offer) and likes the big open spaces and the sea. I always thought he would come back with me though if I was that desperate to return to the UK, but our conversation the other day makes me doubt that now. Which has made me terribly sad. Moving to Australia was meant to be something that would make a very special relationship even better, and instead it has tested it and may ultimately break it.

I'm hoping that if I can get a permanent job, doing something I enjoy, with a bunch of nice people, things will get better...

Can only keep trying

To shallow people, warm places and friends !
CHEERS ! and all the best !
Tass. x

I second that !