grahamffc

The C word as a term of endearment!

I had a very similar moment. I think it's because the process is so long then suddenly you are about to do something (leaving a job, selling a house etc) that it is very unlikely to ever reverse. Perfectly natural.

I was under the impression that everyone who applied for PR has to do it, no exceptions and not just for extra points. I certainly and have lived in the UK all my life educated up to degree level. As far as I know there is also no exception if you already work in Australia (a friend is a doctor in QLD and had to do it). Maybe it is different for 457's though.

The above is not true, an accounting degree is recognised by CPA or ICAA SK any post degree experience will count provided it is relevant. I am only part qualified ACCA but with an accounting degree and all 8 years since I graduated counted towards my relevant experience which I think is fair enough if you are doing the same job as someone with a price of paper. I think there is possiblyan alteria motive that the Australia bodies like to imply that ACA/ACCA/CIMA/ICAS etc are comparable to a degree and thus not to their standard. What ever the reason it's bonkers but is good news for you.

I went to the Peak District last summer, some of the mountain passes felt like I was in New Zealand.

Also the name of the programme infuriates me. Don't tell the girl it's a competitive market for midwifes as there are more graduates than there are positions. 'Wanted' gives the impression that there is some shortage in demand, which as everyone on here kniws cannot be assumed just because thier profession is on the skilled occupation list. Otherwise it would be called a skils shortage list.

It's imposdible for people to say, some families and places will be more welcoming than others. From my own experience though I think it would be much better to both start a fresh together, make mutual friends and both go to places for the first time together. I moved to my ex's hometown and hated it. I don't believe that anyone was intentionally unwelcoming but the impression I was given was that I was in the best country in the world and should be greatful, and there didn't need to be any need to make an effort for me when the entire population of the world is desperate to move there. That should override any homesickness.

I watched the Adelaide one yesterday and was also infuriated by it. The family see some pictures of a beach, want to go. Learn they would earn far less there, be entering competitive recruitment markets, and incur higher cost of living resulting in a short fall of £1,000 a month, get a bit cautious. Go for a walk in the bush, decide to go. Good luck to them I hope they will be pleasantly surprised but what infuriates me is the lack of any logic. For example it was mentioned that the wife would earn £20,000 more working full time in Australia than she currently does working part time in England, a little more detail please otherwise that info is useless. Likewise the houses, exactly where was the nice house in relation to the city? You could move from Kent to Devon and get a much bigger house for the same money.

Governments call different revenue streams by different names but it's all the same pot at the end of the day. Do you really think all that the UK government keeps NI income separate to pay pensions or the Australian Government only uses funds raised from the Medicare levy to fund health services. Both could be a lot more transparent if they made it one rate of income tax but no politician wants to be seen to be 'increasing' income tax. I'd happily privatise the NHS tomorrow but it is such a political hot potato that no one would dare consider it. That would be on the assumption that it would reduce taxes by the 20% odd that or costs the taxpayer. What I never understood (and still don't) in Oz was that tax rates are the same as UK but most people I met paid for healthcare and education because the state options were seen as pretty bad. Both private options are considerably cheaper in Australia than UK though due to the economies of scale.

I'm not an expert on the australian system, but from my own experience...dental check up $189, told I needed a couple of fillings replaced didn't bother asking how much it would cost as I was going back to UK in a few months so knew could wait and get both done for £100, grateful I never needed an ambulance as I didn't have insurance for that, all the stuff with some surgeries bulk billing and some not confused the hell out of me. When I went to the doctors last week I appreciated that the problem hadn't come up whilst in Oz otherwise I'd be just as worried about how much it was going to cost, whether it was going to cost at all, how to go about getting a rebate etc as I was about my health. I can't imagine it's fun for elderly or any vunrable person trying to comprehend all that.

Just to repeat a post above, I'm not sure where all this about GP's seems to come from. I went to see my GP last week, called at 8.30, appointment for 10.50. I don't think that two hours is bad, especially when it's completely free. It's important to remember that last bit, any observations about australian healthcare should only be compared to a UK private hospital in order to be fair.

I moved because I have no dependants, the weather and the chance to live in a different country. My job (accountant) was in the skilled occupation list and so with no gaurantee of if being there for ever I took it while I had the chance. After two years I came back because: The weather...in melbourne was marginally better than London. A good 5-10C warmer is decent but summer, as fantastic as it was and much more consistent still only lasted 3 months. In hindsight melbourne might not have been the best place for me weather but it does have so many great other features. The work-life balance was no different to home, if anything I worked longer hours in Oz. Money was pretty much the same too. Cost of living. While rent, bills, food etc was pretty equal in Melbourne as London (warning...if going from anywhere in UK other than london Melbourne/Sydney rent/prices will be far higher than what you're used to) when all added up, what concerned me was that if I was to stay I'd want a trip home once every couple of years. If I'd had a family in Oz I'd have to add in school fees. Factoring that in makes england much more affordable. If I was to go back it would be because of the idea of doing family activities like seeing Dad's in cricket teams with their sons or going surfing. I'm not sure that alone would be worth all the extra expense but then it's also difficult to put a value on something like that.

Although much smaller, the UK too has significant climate variations. London may well be warmer than parts of Tasmania, but I'm confident that Inverness isn't. Also going inland v the coast in Oz has a big difference, Ballarat is gets a lot colder than Melbourne in winter as does country NSW compared to Sydney.

Melbourne in Jan-March is brilliant. I think the limited summer encourages everyone to make the most of it. Every weekend the roads in St Kilda seem to be closed and the love a buzz for a festival, pride march or triathlon. It's just a shame it doesn't last for longer!

All the best Damo, you can only do the best with what you have and can't change the cards you get dealt. Sounds like you are looking at things very sensibly and dealing with it all as well as could be hoped. Also, there are plenty of worse places in the world to be than The Cotswolds!

How ridiculous is it that a professional qualification is treated as inferior to a degree!? I am only ACCA part qualified but was able to get a visa based on my degree whereas a friend of mine is ACA qualified yet had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get his. Sorry that doesn't offer any constructive but had to be said.

It's frustratingly true what beachpig says, given long enough everyone seems to get that lucky break but it's not really any help to hear that when you are waiting for it with no idea whether it might be days or years away. Rather than prolong this state of limbo I would put a deadline on it, the end of your lease is a fairly obvious one. At least it'll feel like you're moving forward.

Personally I feel I have far more in common with a German, French, Italian, or Polish person that I do American or Canadian. Granted I'd put NZ and Aus first though as a lot of UK emigration there has been a lot more recent (last 50 years). Implying all Eastern European countries are feudal peasant existances is ignorance of the highest degree. Sure somewhere like Moldova or Romania might not be great but the Czech Republic and Slovenia are as developed as any Western European country. You might want to look up where us anglo saxons are from too.

I expect every profession will be different, and probably location with in the UK. I came back to London in June and was pretty apprehensive but was offered three jobs within the first two weeks of being back. I decided to turn them all down have summer off to visit friends scattered around England and Europe and took one in September, when the was equally no shortage of work. At the very least though I would make people in your work network from before you left aware.

Immigrants have and always will be the easiest political target, usually wrongly. My Dad always says about how there it's s disgrace the is no manufacturing in the UK, well the problem is (as Australia is now finding out) that we cannot compete with Asia without an immigrant workforce. Unemployment is as low as it's ever been and I think people would rather be working in call centres and offices than factories.

Firstly, very few people on here will be able to give you the level of advice about visas you or your gf will obtain from professionals. However it does strike me that by far the easiest option would be for your gf to go over to the UK on a 2 year working holiday visa and after the first year you will have satisfied the main partner visa rule which states that you need to have lived together for 12 months. As you say it would be a great adventure for her, and I shouid imagine that for the two of you would make for a happier place than you sitting around not being able to work for three months.

I did accounting and finance at the university of kent, graduating in 2004

I am part qualified ACCA but got a positive skills assessment die to my accounting degree. I studied at university full time for this but if you are doing the Oxford Brookes thing I shoukd expect this to count as just the same. It might be worth considering that ACCA is not very well known in Australia and if you have s choice now it is probably worth pursuing CPA or CIMA as they have a mutual membership agreement.

What's the rush? Your kids are still young and it'll take take to settle in anywhere, even to where you might call home if you've been away a long time. Unless some amazing work offer comes up I would give it a year or two before considering going back.

The Australian health system should only be compared to private hospitals in the uk for obvious reasons.