Hi All,

We have decided to return to the UK, and yes it is a hard decision to make after 2 years here in Oz.

We have enjoyed the experience, found new friends, and have thrown in every commitment, but feel that its not where our heart is.

Its good to read all your positive notes on returning to life in Blighty and wish you well.

Help please, - car to sell ! (anyone in the market to buy a 4x4 ?) rental to give up, what movers shall we use ? how do we sort our tax out ?....

Cheers



..... Cheers

If you are not going to take citizenship, you should at the very least get resident return visas to extend the time you'll have to return to Australia should you change your minds.

A surprising number of people do.

If you have 2 years in Australia (730 days in total) as a permanent resident in the last 5 years, you should be able to get an RRV on a 'no questions asked' basis over the counter at a DIMIA office. Cost AUD120 each.

Once your visas have expired, the option of coming back to Australia is likely to be closed for good.

Jeremy

Thanks for that Jeremy

Good Luck!!! Keep us informed how it goes. Can you please elaborate as to why it was a hard decision to go home?? Thanks

Well guys, we have enjoyed it here. Met lots of nice people, the sunshines everyday, lots of space, big houses, parks, trees, flowers, awesome scenery -

BUT, family and friends in the UK are pulling at the heart strings, even though we have had a frantic flow of visitors for 2 years, feel so far away from the real world (I know that must sound daft ! )

If it makes you feel better - we feel the same. On paper we have a much better life here - big house, car, private school for kids, not bad job etc. But we miss the support of our family, we also miss our friends - who have been made over 20+ years and are difficult to replace. We have made good friends here and had a great time but will probably be going home this time next year after citizenship.

I reckon that there are alot of people who feel the same.

Before getting involved in this forum I really had no idea how many British migrants wanted to go 'home' after a relatively short period in Australia (or NZ/Canada).

It surprises me that people would be willing to turn their lives upside down for a particular goal, and then do the same thing in reverse not so long afterwards.

I wonder what Australian employers think of this, when they take on a new migrant expecting the person to stay and then finding they have to go back and re-hire soon afterwards.

Jeremy

I guess until you've done it you don't realise how much you will miss. In the UK you have this rosy glow around moving to a country with a warmer climate, oportunities, cheaper property etc. If we didn't have the children I think we would feel differently as we would both be working and both have an opportunity to get away from the four walls. Also would be better off and able to travel more - and go home for visits. We are going back next year really to get our daughter into secondary school before she misses too much of it to catch up. If our kids were younger I think we would give it longer here.

That said we have enjoyed it and are not selling up just in case we want to come back.

Employers probably prefer to hire Australian for that very reason. I'm sure my husband was overlooked on more than one occasion - for that reason. Perhaps that's why some people on here say they found it hard to get work

Where he works, there are all nationalities, British, Irish, Americans, Malaysians etc. There is a high turnover of staff, and it seems to be the case that people stay for 2 years, and move on.

It doesn't sound daft at all. It feels far away from the real world, because it IS far away from the real world.

There is parks, trees, flowers and scenery back in England, and alot more besides........

Think of all the variety of 'cheap' holidays you can have from Europe!!!

Look at it from the employer's point of view. You have a good job on offer, you stick your neck out to hire a new migrant (giving a 'fair go' and all that) and then 6 months later you find out that although he enjoys the job, he's going home anyway.

What's the chance of that employer hiring a migrant next time?

There is definitely anecdotal evidence that Australian citizens (born or naturalised) have an edge over permanent residents for the best jobs. Perhaps it's because those who have done the time and made the commitment to become Australian are seen as more likely to stay.

Migrants 'going home' is less of an issue for jobs where high turnover is expected. But for many professional or managerial jobs, there's a 6-9 month learning curve and employers hate it when someone leaves after a short period of time.

Jeremy

I would say that in todays labour market especially in my line of work a high turn over is expected. The person I replaced was an aussie leaving to work in the UK. She replaced an Aussie who left to work overseas. I have been in my position for 8 months and there have been two more Aussies in my unit leave for London on ancestry visas. My immediate boss resigned last week - guess why - to work in London - yet another Aussie!! That's 5 Aussies in 1 year in a unit of just 11 people.

I work in Treasury/Corporate banking and have always been used to people moving on - your workplace would stagnate without it. People are employed to bring new values, working practices and ideas into the corporation. I intend on staying here another year and will have been at this emplyoment 2 months short of 2 years, longer than all the above mentioned aussies.


Migrants 'going home' is less of an issue for jobs where high turnover is expected. But for many professional or managerial jobs, there's a 6-9 month learning curve and employers hate it when someone leaves after a short period of time.

Jeremy[/QUOTE]

It doesn't sound daft at all. I think this is the main pull back to the UK for Brits when they get to Australia. This was one of our reasons for going back.

Good luck.

Hi Janeyray

Thanks for your good wishes... We are in Perth and going back to Northampton.

Well, for those that Pooh Pooh our move back to the UK, all's I can say is ... "at least we tried it"

Thanks to you too Kendodd....