Jeni H

They don’t knock any time off a degree without an NVQ or foundation degree. I have neither so am doing the full BA degree in Adult Nursing, which is 3 years.

I have been an assistant for 10 years, working in a variety of settings and gaining specialist skills but you don’t have to have an NVQ for this so unfortunately the only certificate I have to show I know some of what I’ve done is something called a Care Certificate. But it’s not an NVQ. I currently work in a Respiratory Specialist Nursing Team at a hospital and in a community setting, as a specialist assistant, having come from the Respiratory Physiotherapy Team as a specialist assistant there. But no actual qualification. Only experience. This is why I need to do the degree now, to open up further doors and progress, as I’m as high as I can be without a degree in this country.

Thank you for your comments and advice, and to everyone who has kindly responded. It’s mainly family and friends and the fact that I lived there many years ago and didn’t want to come back and knew I wanted to end up back there one day. I want my husband and children to experience it and they are keen also. There aren’t many family attachments here. We don’t go on any trips to Europe etc as it is so that’s not really an issue. Lots to think about and process. Thank you again everyone

My husband doesn’t have anything from the skilled list as he has no qualifications other than the exams he did at school and a basic sports A level he gained at college

Thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it. It’s such a shame as I would so much love a better life for us all and to be reunited with family. More and more people are becoming mature students too. But anyways, thank you for taking the time to reply to me. Do you know if there’s a way we could stay short term? ie: a few months? Perhaps that’s something we can aim for instead, at least then I can return and show my children the beautiful country and get to spend decent amount of time with family?

Thank you very much for advice, I really appreciate it

Hello My husband and I have been talking more and more about moving to Australia. I fell in love with it 18 years ago when I stayed on a working visa at age 21. I also have family there and a lot of friends who have made the move too. It’s always been my dream to emigrate, but life has had other ideas so far. However, I am due to begin university here this September, to get my nursing degree. I have already been working in the NHS for 4 1/2 years with an added 6 years of community care experience. I have gone as high as I can now without a degree. I am 39 and will be 42 once qualified. My husband is 35, we have a son who is currently 6 and my daughter (from a previous relationship) is currently 14. I understand I need to wait until she reaches 18 before asking her to leave the country, in which time of course a lot can change for her. I’m just weighing everything up. I was wondering if anyone has advice? Where to start looking to see if it’s something that could even happen? I don’t want to start the application process only to be told it’s never gonna happen and have my heart broken. If it is something we could do, what sort of financial figures are we roughly talking about? Any advice would be amazing. If it’s not something that could happen for us, then are there any lengthy visas we can apply for, in order to stay longer than a few weeks holiday? Any advice would be welcome