ezzie

I think this is the point; that the British gov't is pigeon-holing us as 'ex-residents'. We're not, we're still very much British citizens. If you're Australian, you can leave the country for as long as you like, but the second you return, you have exactly the same rights as any other Australian citizen...yes, that includes paying home rates for a university education. There are many examples of people on these boards who are working overseas for pay or charity who do not realise that the mere act of living outside of the UK is enough to remove many rights which they may have believed to be naturally and automatically conferred with UK citizenship.


[quote=moneypen20;6383055]The number of people on this and other forums who complain endlessly about immigrants moving into the UK and taking stuff for free is unreal, but now we have ex residents of the UK expecting something for nothing.

FlirtyKnickers

[QUOTE=ezzie;6389856]I think this is the point; that the British gov't is pigeon-holing us as 'ex-residents'. We're not, we're still very much British citizens. If you're Australian, you can leave the country for as long as you like, but the second you return, you have exactly the same rights as any other Australian citizen...yes, that includes paying home rates for a university education. There are many examples of people on these boards who are working overseas for pay or charity who do not realise that the mere act of living outside of the UK is enough to remove many rights which they may have believed to be naturally and automatically conferred with UK citizenship.




Well said....

Ozzidoc

But you are ex-residents of the UK. You may not feel that this is the case, and that your absence is only temporary.

I think that the rules are fair as they stand. (I did think that it was bizarre that although in my 30s I had to prove that my foreign-residing, non-British retired parents in their 70s were not supporting me financially, however I understood the reasons for this.)

JAJ

British citizens resident overseas can keep the vote for 15 years so it would make more sense to use this as a basis to campaign for change. Especially with a general election due in the next 2 years.

How many affected persons are a. registered to vote and b. have made it clear that they will exercise their vote solely on this issue and no other?

Giantaxe

Those statements are not contradictory. You are an ex-resident, you are still a British citizen. And one's British citizen chldren may never have been a resident in the first place.

Whereas in the US the policy is even more restrictive in that you typically have to have been a resident of a particular state for a certain time in order to get resident tuition at public colleges in that state.

Probably a correct statement, but surely it's individual's responsibility to understand the economic and other consequences of ceasing residence in the UK as regards one's rights in the UK?

moneypenny20

Absolutely. My niece and nephew in Perth are British Citizens, they've been to the UK once on a three week holiday about 15 years ago. Under the petition mentioned in previous posts, they should be entitled to the same Uni costs as someone who's lived in the UK all their lives. The current three year cut off seems ideal to me.

Margaret3

it has crossed my mind as well

Margaret3

I see where your coming from, but........, if we go back after a short 2 years here , then we have to pay for our daughter as an international student, so we worked in britain since age 17-43, then 2 years in aus, seems a bit unfair,

Giantaxe

If your daughter is of, or nearly of, college age, why can't she go to university in Australia? After all, for whatever reason, you did choose to move there.

tillysmum

Yes and like quite a few other people Margaret came here with the best of intentions of staying but it just isnt working out. Many people emigrate with the intention of staying permanently but for some of us situations and circumstances change making it impossible for them stay. Many people are not aware of the 3 year rule before they move abroad even after extensive research you dont always know what you dont know. The 3 year rule came as a huge shock to us and many others.

Like Margaret I have worked all my life from 17 to 47 in UK and my husband from 15 to 54 years and have only been out of the country since November 07 if we do not return before sept 08 then we too will have to pay the propsed £12,000 pa. My husband and I have never been unemployed or a drain on the national budget and been law abiding citizens.

What about the many people who have fallen for various Governments adverts telling them that they are desperate for their skills only to get to there new country to find that they cant get work in their own trade and return to UK because of that. what about the many families who return each year to look after sick or elderly relatives saving the government millions of pounds. Yes It is ALL of our choices to move abroad but I acutally do think that being a Citizen of a Country should confer some rights even if you are absent.

ezzie

Here, here and well said Tillysmum!
I think I felt the blast of hot steam coming out of your ears then...

tillysmum

Also what if a woman or man was fleeing domestic violence and wanted to return with teenage children or the death of a partner that meant they could not longer afford to stay in the country of residence (I was nearly killed in a serious road accident 6 weeks ago) if I had been then that would have been my distraught hubby and daughter. There are many many reasons why people return to me being a citizen means you belong just because I have moved to another country does not mean I dont see the UK as MY Country. I may feel different if I had taken up Citizenship here and renounced my Citizenship in Uk but I havent. As I said earlier you dont always know what you dont know perhaps the Australian Govt or UK Govt should send you an information sheet when leaving either country to spell out exactly what you are giving up.

I have also read on here that there is a judicial ruling that returning British Citizens should be welcomed back and be entitled to state benefits, if that is not double standards I dont know what is.

Yep I am bl**dy angry and the steam is coming from my ears too, Well the petition is half way there now Well done Ezzie

Giantaxe

So essentially what you are asking for is for the British government to provide a backup plan should one's move not work out as planned. Presumably had things "worked out for you" then you would stay and avail yourselves of the subsidies that I understand Australia's government provides for tertiary education. Additionally, as I've argued before, I don't think your tax record is too interesting:- students are typically adults and responsible for their own fees. That's why the residence requirement is ion the student, not the parent(s).

What about them? Are you suggesting this is somehow the responsibility of the UK government?

A more interesting point. But how would one distinguish cases like this from cases where a British citizen who has little or no connection with Britain (for example, they may have lived all or most of their life outside the UK) comes to Britain merely to avail themselves of a government-subsidized education? As I've argued before government policy should be to subsidize those students that have a clear nexus with the UK, and I really don't think there's a fairer way than the three-year residence requirement - any lesser requirement on a student's residence would allow them to get one or more years of tuition paid based merely on their UK residence in their initial year(s) in college. I also agree that there will be cases where this seems "unfair". No policy is perfect, but the three year requirement is most certainly fairer than taxpayers subsidizing any citizen student regardless of their (lack of) nexus with the UK.

It does. It gives you the unfettered right to return to live and work in the UK despite your having left to seek greener pastures. What it doesn't give you is an unfettered right to tax-funded benefits as though you hadn't left.

Margaret3

That is a looooooong story and not one i am willing to go into on a public forum.


However, I will answer briefly, we will be returning when my daughter is of college/uni age and as i am a nurse i will probably be lucky enough to get a job before leaving aus, and will start to contribute to the economy on almost immediate return, where only one wage will come into our home until my husband gets a job, and as i did with my dieing father , i will look after my now frail 80 year old mother on my days off (and no i dont think this is the govt fault, it is something i want to do as a daughter and is a contributory factor for our return. And in the meantime my daughter wont be able to go to college or uni, and will have no choice but to get a job for 3 years (hopefully), as jobs are not easy to come by in scotland, she may even end up on the dole for 3 years before she can go to uni. And as my mother has done with me i will support her to the day i die, and if she needs support financially and i can help then i will.



There MUST be a fairer way of dealing with this situation.


As i have done before when threads have went down this route before i will be unsubscribing from it, life is too short to get upset or angered by an internet forum.

Goodbye.

alicecat

I am such a British citizen. I arrived here (the UK) at the age of 23 without ever having been to Britain or my parents having paid any taxes since the 60s. As much as I would have liked it I am sure it wouldn't have been fair if I could have just stepped off the plane and straight into a University course at home rates. I think I deserve to now having paid 7 years of taxes and now calling the UK home but when I had just arrived I don't think so.