corinne14470

Interesting point stokie33. I have been back nearly 2.5yrs (after a very short permanent visa stay) but I have just decided to have a nosey at this forum! I was a bit bored and thought I'd have a look at the mailbox and this recent post. I have let Australia go but I did enjoy many elements of my stay there - just not enough in our case. It is so different for everyone. The most successful stories I have heard are from people who already know someone there OR with young school age children as it is so child friendly. I, like us all, spent a lot of time and money investing in a change to our life, and had great hopes for the future. To come back to the UK, means creating new hopes but we are happy we are back.

A year ago we flew to oz on a PR visa, had bad work experiences and couldn't afford to stay but have fond memories too though even in a short time it wasn't right. thanks for your post - the anniversary of our flight has stirred up a few things...

I just wanted to add to this old post having just half sorted finances out. Came back in Nov 12. PR visa. as on one wage for some time we received some support from centre link. Centrelink continued to pay all support and are still paying child benefit 9 mths later when they have been informed of our move on many occasions!! The good point is I sent a hard copy of a tax claim form and within 3 weeks they processed the (simple) form and me and hubby have both had some dollars paid into our Oz account.

Thanks, I will probably do the MP route as I only have a rough idea of how much is ours and how much isn't. Plus the adventure was so expensive I can't be leaving more there than necessary...!! Thanks all

I am still getting the oz child benefit after leaving and informing them mid November last year. I think there is about $3.5k in reaped benefits but now my tax rebate has gone back in and I really need the case closing and shutting as I want back what is rightfully ours, close the account.

Having now returned after a short time lived in Oz, I can safely say that the homesickness for the PEOPLE was very overrated - everyone even my older daugter has her own life and my parents (whos hearts I broke going) see me/us probably less now...I feel satisfied that the homesickness for the places/environment/seasons, sunrise/sunset were true to what I liked about England...but hey the sun is shining so everyone's smiling!! We considered returning then the visa got cancelled. Fate? If you finish your floristry training that would be useful and you could be networking in oz with that? Making friends is so important especially over there as I found a lot of the Australians I met also lived away from family members. I met one person especially who had gone over a month or so before me and she is so proactive in going to places/ inviting to bbqs, not turning down invites, helping people that she will soon be putting in for Prime Minister and getting all the votes!!

Hi mail me we are in same predicament ... I can't seem to pm you

Well Freckleface - get ready for extreme whiplash... i stayed in oz 3 months only (the factors that pushed me leaving were huge and varied) some of them are not as they seemed from the other side of the world. Now 4 months fatre returning, we are considering going back. My one regret is not writing all the reasons for coming back when I was there but in the meantime I am going to look at the oz slayers on here as someone somewhere put it to remind me what there isnt to like.... I also like the statement of nothing being a life sentence but it is true that it all diminishes funds. You do what you feel - the yearning (to start the emigration, to return etc) becomes all consuming which is hard to shrug off. Very hard. It'll all work out in the end

Poor you...you're right it's hard to get empathy from people who aren't considering this and starnge how people (friends) treat you when you are in a dilemma. We were better off, not by much, but having a 4 year old, we didn't need much as she was happy on the many dazzling beaches with a picnic....Here, it's just the opposite and of course not a good time for us to be thinking like this as the weather has been horrendous since our return in November. We definitley made some wrong decisions that should ahve been tweaked with that amazing hindsight.... PM me if you to unload your thoughs at any time!!

Me and my husbadn and currently thinking of ping ponging Only there for 12 weeks - my advice to anyone leaving is to write down why they are as I seem to have a selctive memory now and even though it was so recent that we came back to the UK (November) - I can;t fully remember why......

Thanks...it was very unfortunate we had to leave but we had no where to stay and no funds due to no work!! We are just going to go then osrt it out there

Very much a long story but we only lasted 3 mths, mostly due to the employer and am now writing this from UK. Been back 5mths but obviously we jumped too quick (certain reasons pushed us back).....anyway, does anyone know if can find another employer to support our permanent residency?

having returned since november - I miss going for walks in the warmth, taking my daughter to parks with ease....parrots in the trees.....

We went with about 8k plus our belongings en route. We did fine, would have been comfortable with more....

Opinions opinions....we have returned to UK mid November and we didn't even manage 1 Christmas in Oz. It is lovely here (UK) but my family are here but I think we have have had a vitamin D withdrawal symptoms as we are all ill with flu etc!!! So presently, I'm missing the sun whether it's Christmas or not!! PS Driving through Harrogate one night with all the Christmas lights on in the trees and surrounds WAS rather special and nostalgic!! Happy New Year to you all, wherever you are and for whatever you choose :xmas17:

ooh thank you - on the ATO case now ) just emailed centrelink again with another payment just gone in the bank

Hi I have informed Centrelink of my family's return a month ago and have had 2 payments since with one due over the Christmas period. I have now emailed twice, once being with the international email address. Some of the money is mine, probably only a couple of hundred or so sterling but I would like to close the account. Anyone else had this problem? Plus my husband worked for 2 months and I worked for a measly 3 weeks - do we have to submit a tax return? Is that what could be holding the response up?? Thanks in advance...

What's an update please..hope you are okay...haven't been on here a while as ping ponged back after 10 weeks! Lots of things pushed it quicker than expected but the posts remind me of some of the anguish I was in over there and brought a tear to my eye. The OP who mentioned coming back for a holiday...sounds a good idea...as nothing is permanenet really...life is fluid...it WILL all work out one way or another. Take care

Returning today but considering coming back in the future

we were granted a 119 permanent visa and due to employer being very obnoxious and rude i had to leave after only two months.am now returning to uk because we have broken contract.can i return to oz on this visa or will it be cancelled by diac.we have not informed diac but undoubtedly my employer has.we are very sad to leave oz please help.........

We stood in Trafalgar square and I started crying. My bf asked me what was wrong and I told him nothing was wrong. I was just sooo happy to be home. Oh it may not be Trafalgar but i 'feel' that and I have weeks left here in oz.....

I would definitely tell people to stick it out for 6 months but we have had added factors which have forced our hand (hubby leaving his job as he was very unhappy with his treatment from sponsor, stepfather taking seriously ill and daughter having emotional breakdown in the first 6 weeks) is all to say the least a bit testing. And personally, I was not keen on the education system but this was only a generalisation (and my work experience is in schools). To anyone I would even say a year and 2, that's the best.. and hope you don't have the strings pulling (huge ropes) as they have for me. Well, back to penny pinching...

Thanks for responses...it is a rush it must be said. Bu I cannot say ho long it felt, truly. The thing is we didn't leave a bad place, we just got something into our head and as the ball rolled it became the 'what if' if we don't...If we hadn't we would still think that. I have a 25 year old at home and justified how she will okay etc and my grandson but when people (closest family members) say they won't come out, it puts more pressure on us earning to get flights to go back to a non-holiday place. If we could have had their support then maybe that would have helped. They wouldn't even get Skype. Every one has many facets about why they come out and what there expectations are: what they are leaving and what they may hope to gain. I did not have expectations of a better life as such. I just started a ball and thought why not....I have learnt a hell of a lot of things about myself which are positive and constructive. So for that I am content with my decision. There are a number of people who do return to UK and a number who return back also and a majority who stay. I'm just a statistic, it isn't a problem Best of luck to you all x

Bunbury is a beautiful place but one of the many elements of returning is missing the history and diversity in the rainy, gloomy surroundings haha Met nice people; struggled to get work as expected it straight away naively but it was all coming into place...;missed my not-the-closest-of-family huge amounts; the isolation I have felt adds up to years!! Bland...each to their own. Would have earned more between us here and my 4 year old is so happy with her 'play' time though she would have missed 18mths of schooling by the time she started!! Hey ho, would never have known. I know some people successfully move around to find the 'right' place for them but we haven't the funds to do that. No regrets except for my bank account!!

Well after a record 2 months we are going home. Lots of reasons. Didn't think through properly!! Just looking at selling fridge and sofa then can bok flight - I can't wait- great season to be returning to haha