bickers9 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 hi all, just would like a bit of help or positive even negative feedback,ihave 3 cousins who live in austrsalia only young 24,25 and 30 single lads,i myself have a daughter of 9 and 14 and a wife too,im fairly keen to move and we have discussed this now for about 5 rs on/off as you do.after watching numerous programmes about it i still find my self saying urm..? strange word urm is,but,my wifes parents are stll with us as my mum has passed yrs ago and my dad and i have a very distant father/son relationship(shame but we do love each other).my wife specialises in dementia and alziemers and currently is in charge of a busy clinic within the nhs,i myself work as a store manager for aldi but would prefer to opt away from this and look more at health care work as i used to with terminally ill children with life limited conditions/i do however have a vast cv with a butchers backround in management etc,im so confused but so want to have imformation from people who have done it and their views as how you find properties do you buy or rent etc/schooling,best areas to live etc...we are chatting tonight about it,me and my lovely wife have never rowed in our 15 yrs together and im sure over a nice glass of white this will continue...i look forward to any help or suggestions,my aunty says just go,but its easy for people to say this.i am 45 this sunday and my wife is 37(lucky man..lol) look forward to any feedback thank you nick and kate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterc1983 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I guess your two main concerns are where your children will continue to be educated, and where you can live that will allow you both to continue working. I suppose the work aspect has to take priority as without jobs to keep everything ticking over you won't be doing much of anything else. If you've never been to Oz it's tricky to say where exactly would be best; you may find clues on this forums as to where may best support your careers. I tend to think that any of the major cities will have something in your field; but since I work in IT I perhaps have more scope than others in this regard. This is all a moot point, however, unless you qualify for visas. Maybe it's best to start looking at whether you're likely to get your visa granted; then let that move you on to other things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I agree you need to figure out who will get a visa? Is your wife a nurse? If so is she degree trained? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Welcome to PIO Prob best rung things past a registered migration agent to see if your wife would qualify for a visa, unfortunately from what you have posted you would not qualify as the main applicant mainly due to your age as over 45 struggle to pass the points test. If your wife is a degree qualified nurse there would be viable visa options open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickers9 Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 yes she is highly trained at degree level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickers9 Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyv Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 She needs to have a complete degree qualification not just degree modules. Sorry to sound condascending but nurses with diplomas as their primary qual have had a nightmare lately, however, if she has a complete degree she will be fine. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 First off, ignore any programs you may see on the telly - they're advertising and often bear little resemblance to reality. You are going to have to be 110% sure it's what you want (IF you can even get a visa) because your eldest is coming up to crunch time! Once you step off the GCSE roundabout it does get more challenging to return if it doesn't float your boat and you are sort of consigning yourself to staying until the eldest is 18 and finished education by which time your youngest will be in the same position! As your DW has her family still living, is she prepared to leave them to fend alone in their old age? Will your finances be able to support trips back at need? Your age age is against you for a couple of reasons - employment gets harder around 50, no age discrimination you understand but there is something magical about the old 5-0 that puts employers off. Also, they reckon that in order to have enough in a decent pension pot you have to work a good 30 years - pensions are not the same in Aus. However if you are itching for adventure, can leave family and can move with substantial belt and braces - take career breaks, don't sell the house but rent it out, etc - then give it a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 hi all, just would like a bit of help or positive even negative feedback,ihave 3 cousins who live in austrsalia only young 24,25 and 30 single lads,i myself have a daughter of 9 and 14 and a wife too,im fairly keen to move and we have discussed this now for about 5 rs on/off as you do.after watching numerous programmes about it i still find my self saying urm..? If you're still saying urm, don't do it!!!! The most important thing to ask yourself is - WHY do you want to move? Thirty years ago when I came to Australia, it was the land of opportunity. Moving to Australia meant you could get a nicer home, a better future for the kids, with nice weather thrown in. It was worth being stuck thousands of miles from family, because the benefits were so good. These days, Australia has almost caught up with the rest of the world. I can imagine your young cousins are having the time of their lives, but I wonder how they'll feel if they ever decide to settle down? It's so hard to afford property, many Aussie children still live at home in their 30's. Looking from the UK, salaries seem high, but you need about 2.5 times your UK salary to get the same standard of living. As for the kids' future - in most professions, opportunities in the UK and Europe are far greater than in Australia. In spite of all that, the biggest reason migrants want to come home isn't affordability - it's family. Sometimes you don't realise how much you love them, until it's going to cost you thousands of pounds to visit them. Women have the biggest problem with this, especially when they realise how much their kids are missing out on because the grandparents aren't there any more. So your wife is the one who needs to think longest and hardest about this. Remember, migration is expensive - it's going to cost you at least $50,000 to move and get set up - so you may not have the money to get back and see her folks for a long time. And I don't know many people who can afford to go home for annual visits, because the air fares are so expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathy99 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I'll give you our brief synopsis. In april 2013 we saw a very small ad in our local paper for panel beaters in perth, we'd never talked about emigrating etc, i was always a hone bird, but we had been having lots of financial problems and emotional that we kibd of thought 'what the hell lets give it a go, we can always come back if it doesn't work and at least we know we've tried'! So i got to researching, spoke to our friends lots in Perth who'd done the same thing the year before, got my husbands cv up together and a covering letter, signed up with seek.com and just applied for every panel beater jobs that came up. At the time i was 40 him 42 & two children 3 & 6. In August 2013 he was offered a job in sydney on a 457 (4 months later), visas approved in november, house packed up and rented out at the end of december and we flew out the end of January 2014, 9 months after the first thought occurred! I appreciate we were lucky finding a job so quickly and my husbands boss has been amazing, he paid for visas and visa agent, two weeks accommodation when we got here and bought an old car for us to use whilst we found our feet. But i truly believe if you want something badly enough then just get on and do it. I did a lot of research, reading etc and put a lot of effort into the move, because for us it was a fresh strart, a blank canvas and at the end of the day if we end up going home we know we gave it a shot and sit there going umm and ahhhh for years - take the plunge and go for it, you'll have a blast! Don't get me wrong it's not been plain sailing and has certainly been an emotional rollercoaster but then i expected it to be, if you come out thinking it's like it is on the tv you'll fail at the first hurdle, but come out with your eyes wide open and you might surprise yourself :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathy99 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Also, as i have said before you cut your cloth accordingly, you don't have to be wealthy to live here it depends on your standard of living and the things you want to do. At the moment only dh works (i'm hoping to soon as a teacher's aide), but we manage ok, we live in a nice 3 bed detached house in a very nice area of the hills, own our own car now, hubby has a motorbike, the girls have swimming lessons and we only came out with £5,000! Like i said anything's possible if you want it badly enough. Obviously if you want to live by the ocean have a his n hers top of the range car, send your kids to private school and keep up with the jones's then yes you will need to earn a lot and bring out a lot, i'm just trying to put a different perspective on it for those who think it's out of their reach, it probably isn't, don't be put off with the big sums of money flying around :0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celt Down Under Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Also, as i have said before you cut your cloth accordingly, you don't have to be wealthy to live here it depends on your standard of living and the things you want to do. At the moment only dh works (i'm hoping to soon as a teacher's aide), but we manage ok, we live in a nice 3 bed detached house in a very nice area of the hills, own our own car now, hubby has a motorbike, the girls have swimming lessons and we only came out with £5,000! Like i said anything's possible if you want it badly enough. Obviously if you want to live by the ocean have a his n hers top of the range car, send your kids to private school and keep up with the jones's then yes you will need to earn a lot and bring out a lot, i'm just trying to put a different perspective on it for those who think it's out of their reach, it probably isn't, don't be put off with the big sums of money flying around :0) Well said Cathy. Spot on regarding the cutting your cloth accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamffc Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I would make two important notes. The above poster is right in that some people expect to live an idillic life which leads to an expensive existance. However she clearly realises how fortunate they were for her husband to be able to arrange a job and visa. The figures quoted by others are accurate, I spent about 20,000 GBP mainly on the visa and living expenses while looking for work and I'm just a single guy. If you are a family and cannot afford 50,000 GBP I would make every effort to get a job secured before going, and if nothing materialises it's probably wise to leave it. Secondly, all the stuff many people say about 'giving it a go', 'better to regret doing something than not doing it' is non sensensical. By giving up your lives in the uk you are not doing that. Even ignoring the money spent, you might have missed promotions or a dream job by not being in the uk. I think this is of added importance to you given your children's ages. They would miss out on finishing off their education in the uk which could be a more significant missed opportunity than moving to Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathy99 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 I totally agree graham, which i why everybody's experience is unique and which is why i also wanted to point out there are different ways of achieving the same goal. For us we always were of the ilk that this sort of thing happened to other people and not to us and i wanted to share my story to prove that that isn't always the case. Also, my children are young enough, i feel to adapt but should it all go tits up and we return to the uk their schooling hasn't been affected. I always said i don't think i would've done had one or both been in their teens, as i wouldn't want to mess with their higher education or social life, friends etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Sounds like you are having one of those 'mid-life crisis' moments. I quit my career of 30 years at the age of 47 after years of thinking 'is this it?'. Worked out ok for me in the end but after 5 years in my current role I am keen to make the move again. This time to Australia though a totally joint decision for us and we have no family issues (wife's parents are dead and I am estranged from mine). Our only concern is our daughter but at 11 next year she is at a turning point between junior pre-prep and senior school so figured it was the last best opportunity to go with the least disruption for her and that is controlling our timing. It also means we are committing to it being a long term move so that she completes her education in Australia. You would probably have to do the same. Once there are children involved and particularly children of a certain age then you are probably right to say "urm" and then not go. Why not just try your new 'career-path' in the UK? What is it that you are looking for in Australia, you don't mention anything which is why I suspect a mid-life crisis at play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) You can always try it. If you don't like it you can go home. It's not cheap, but neither is a couple of Disneyland Florida type holidays. It doesn't need to be forever. The most important thing is to make sure you are all happy as a family unit. If you stick together, and make decisions together, then it is an adventure of sorts. If it doesn't work out, you will have tried and you can all come back together. (Yolo) Not sure if that makes enough sense. That is the approach we are taking though. We go together, stick together. And if some of us want to come home, we all come home (together). 'Rules' like this take the pressure out of it all for us. Edited October 19, 2014 by Captain Roberto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 You can always try it. If you don't like it you can go home. It's not cheap, but neither is a couple of Disneyland Florida type holidays. That's true - however we don't know if the OP would be able to afford a couple of Disneyland holidays for the whole family. Moving out to Australia with a family costs at least $50,000 in flights, shipping, setup costs and time out of work. Moving back can cost the same. Not all families can afford to spend over $100,000 on an adventure, especially later in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) That's very true. We can't. I was just trying to make a comparison. It's up to us individuals to make a choice, take a chance or not. I did say it wasn't cheap Edited October 19, 2014 by Captain Roberto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 That's very true. We can't. I was just trying to make a comparison. It's up to us individuals to make a choice, take a chance or not. I did say it wasn't cheap Unfortunately the other problem the OP has is a mid teenage child. Going hither and yon is dead simple, if expensive, when you aren't encumbered but once you bring teens into the equation there are all sorts of other complications, not least their education and there are times when it will be highly impractical if not impossible to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) @Quoll I'm sure you're right. I'm not disagreeing at all. We are migrating next year too, and I have 3 kids who will be 12, 9 and 6. It's pretty scary, complicated and risky. We are renting our house out in the UK. I do get the risk idea. The schooling changes could be problematic, so the OP should understand the issues and research 'worst case' scenarios. Make an informed decision. I think for most older people with kids there is this kind of risk. But there are many of us on here. We must be nuts! Also, we are yet to do the move, so don't really have that experience yet. I agree with @cathy99 about cutting your own cloth. We certainly don't expect to be wealthy over there. (We're not over here). Edited October 20, 2014 by Captain Roberto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 That's very true. We can't. I was just trying to make a comparison. It's up to us individuals to make a choice, take a chance or not. I did say it wasn't cheap I noticed that, I was just trying to be more specific about what "not cheap" works out to! People often look at the air fares and shipping and think that's what it will cost, but there's also buying a car (a cheap new car here costs $30,000), temporary accommodation when you arrive, money to cover several weeks out of work, and all the myriad little things you have to buy - it's amazing how much it costs just to restock all the basic groceries and kitchen utensils! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 I noticed that, I was just trying to be more specific about what "not cheap" works out to! People often look at the air fares and shipping and think that's what it will cost, but there's also buying a car (a cheap new car here costs $30,000), temporary accommodation when you arrive, money to cover several weeks out of work, and all the myriad little things you have to buy - it's amazing how much it costs just to restock all the basic groceries and kitchen utensils! Stop scaring me (ha ha). I am hoping there is an option to buy an old banger and get loads of 2nd hand stuff off Gumtree... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathy99 Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Well that's where my own experience comes into this conversation, we have a perfectly good Subaru forester, albeit 12 yrs old, but great condition for $4,000! You don't have to land and then be able to go and kit out your whole house from top to toe immediately, you make do, get bits off of gumtree to tide you over, buy the starter kits in kmart, i guess this is the difference between those with money (but claim they don't) and those that really don't - you find a way, but you know what, to us that's been part of the fun and adventure, working it out along the way and adding to our household stuff when we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Roberto Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Well that's where my own experience comes into this conversation, we have a perfectly good Subaru forester, albeit 12 yrs old, but great condition for $4,000! You don't have to land and then be able to go and kit out your whole house from top to toe immediately, you make do, get bits off of gumtree to tide you over, buy the starter kits in kmart, i guess this is the difference between those with money (but claim they don't) and those that really don't - you find a way, but you know what, to us that's been part of the fun and adventure, working it out along the way and adding to our household stuff when we can. Great. Sounds like a good way to do it for those of us who don't have much money! I think having these kind of different perspectives and opinions is probably helpful to the OP. It's helpful to me too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chenzo Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Very helpful to me too :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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