moneypenny20

That long huh

tillysmum

Hi Ezzie

I posted on a thread called 'now your back' think its on page two of mbtuk that gives a 'brief' outline of some of the probs.... But as I said there it has been the right decision for us and have no regrets. Will return to oz for a long holiday sometime in the future but home is most definately where the heart is and my heart is here.

Sue

I don't normally participate in discussions like this but felt I would like to add my thoughts on this subject.

Our son was 4 when we moved to the USA, now 11 years later he is 15. In those 11 years we have not contributed to the UK tax system and as we chose to move abroad I don't think it would be fair for us to turn around and expect UK tax payers, who have never left the country, to foot the bill for our son's UK university education should he choose to go back to the UK. We have to pay in the US for college. Here we can only apply to pay in-state tuition rates if we have been resident in the state for at least 12 months. In many cases we have to also be permanent residents (Green Card holders), even if we have lived here for years in order to pay the lower in-state rates. Even American expats returning from abroad have to abide by those tuition rules, so as you can see it's not just the UK that has this type of rule in place.

At the end of the day we chose to move abroad and as such we have to learn to live with the consequences.

ezzie

Yes, I do understand your position and it's a sound argument. But the point is that firstly, being cut out of education occurs within two years of leaving the country...which I think is a bit quick.

Also, it's the fact that absolutely no grace is given for being British. You have to pay the same as a person from a foreign country with no connections.

As I've said (yes, many times before). I think a fee above the home fee could be paid, but which is below the usual international student fee. This surely would reduce the disparity between home Brits and ex-pats Brits whilst preventing families of expat Brits returning just for a cheaper education...because it wouldn't be.

Importantly, it would mean that families of expats wanting to return...could. I think it's fundamental to protect and support your Citizens..wherever in the world they've roamed. Australia and NZ certainly do this, as do many other countries.

wheatsheaf

Ezzie is absolutely right: it is fundamental to support your citizens especially in today's globalised world with all its upheavels. It makes no sense that countries such as Canada, NZ and Australia can do so whilst the UK with its truly global past and present does not. Access for UK citizens to UK education without residency restrictions can only be of benefit to the UK's future across the world in cultural and economic terms. British education institutions can also be that one route the government keeps searching for, that conveys British values even whilst in the UK itself "values" are being debated.

Giantaxe

They can return. They then have to fulfill a waiting period before being granted resident tuition rates. Alternatively, in many cases they can attend college at resident rates in the country their parents moved to.

So you think that British citizens should always get the same size of state pension regardless of whether they leave the country and don't contribute national insurance during their absence?

CazW54

From my understanding a Uk govt would assist a British citizen in trouble abroad. But I do find difficulty agreeing with the assertion that the UK govt should pursue the continuation of British values to the very same expats who possibly many years ago left Uk shores because British values were not important to them. British values are presumably part of the make up of expats, like it or not and they will pass on those values to their children. They can still come back here and be educated, nobody is stopping that, if it is so important to them now, but not at the expense of the current UK taxpayer.

LillyB

Good Luck, I have signed the petition

tillysmum

Hi ezzie saw our MP yesterday and was able to have a brief chat about your petition he seemed quite interested especially as he has just been made responsible for immigration in the cabinet etc....

wheatsheaf

Educating citizens who return to the UK will hopefully be more of a Home Office issue than an Immigration one. If it becomes one handled under the Ministry of Immigration the whole concept of "Citizenship" may change - which is the crux of the matter?

MikeStanton

So let me understand this. You decide to up-sticks and go to another country, outside the EU. Eventually you decide to return and want hard-pressed UK taxpayers to fund your family's access to cut-price education. No way, Jose.

You paid your taxes in the past to the UK. So what? I paid a huge amount of tax in Oz and by the time I had left, I certainly hadn't received anywhere near an equivalent public benefit. But that's the way the system works in UK, Oz and most countries.

Your chances of succeeding with the petition? Approximately 0.00000000000000000000001%.

galba

We still pay tax in the UK as we own property there while we pay Australian tax too. Are there any loopholes for taxpayers who are not resident - or is it just residence that is the over-riding requirement?

Thanks

Galba

Margaret3

after yet ANOTHER conversation with teen, today (and this could change tomorrow), she would be only too glad to return to scotland and go to uni there, but it cant happen due to above mentioned , am really at an all time low, and very mixed up with EVERYTHING, but ultimately above will have final say, we are trapped with a 'time' situation here, we cant disrupt her schooling, and then we will have been here oh!! a 'whole 2 years', not alot in the great scheme of things, but we are stuffed!!!!!!,


I dont give a shit what anybody thinks on this, but i can foresee us being trapped here because of this situation, ok we made a mistake, we emigrated, biiiiiigggggggg mistake, you live and learn!!!!, why dont i give up my citzenship or permenant residency (gladly!!), so we can go home and my teen go to uni, and we can get back to work and real life in the u.k

I think opinions on this are domineered by the ages of your kids and at what point you emigrated, personally we wish we had done it 10 years previously and the above would not affect us at all, but coz we emigrated later in life we are doomed to be punished from every angle.

Giantaxe

I don't have time to go through the previous 160 posts on this so maybe you've already answered this, but why can't you return to the UK when your child reaches college age and your child stay on and attend university in Australia? Not ideal, presumably, but isn't this a possibility?

Miona

Unfortunately I discovered this discussion too late to sign the petition. It is heartening to see others also feel strongly that the overseas student rate for British citizens is unfair and unjust. Ezzie has done an admirable job in arguing her case. Another point that hasn't been mentioned on this thread but is equally important is the fact that British citizens coming from overseas to study and being charged the overseas student rate are also not eligible to apply for any student loan. I would be happy if overseas Brits were at least allowed to apply for a student loan and pay it off after they graduate like other British students. Even though the petition has been unsuccessful I still think we should keep up the campaign somehow.