Going Back After 18 Months

[gwolst77]

We are going back to the UK in March after 18 months of living in Melbourne, it’s been mostly a great experience and we are richer for it. We realise we have been lucky to have lived in Australia, especially as it has not really cost us anything apart from the time spent here and a bit of cash which works out less than coming over here for an short holiday.

 

Just so we are straight Australia was never a dream of ours, I basically got headhunted for a role out of the blue (very good salary and relocation package) and we decided to give it a go. We did not want to get into our 50's and think 'What if’?

We originally planned to give it 18 – 24 months and then make a decision if we was going to stay long term. I think by May / June that gut feeling it was not going to last was rumbling around, we was originally planning to go back around early December next year, after I had done 2+ years in my current role and my daughter had completed her first full year at school. But in reality the prospect of doing another depressing Aussie winter (seeing all your family and friends having a great summer in the UK was a killer this year) and the fact that my mother could not travel out and stay with us between May and July as originally planned, due to her not being fit to fly played a part in bringing the leave date forward. So we have decided to head back after the Aussie summer as it will be a lot easier job and house hunting wise (plus hopefully the worst of the UK winter will be over) and also be back in time for my Mum’s 60^th birthday in May.

 

I thought I would share the following main reasons, partly to get things off my chest and also to help people facing the same decisions when deciding either to go out to Australia or to return back home.

 

 

1. We never really settled as a family unit here.

 

Initially I loved it here, then from about April through till September I became more and more indifferent about Australia and realised my long term future was not here. If I had to stick it out for another 12 - 24 months or so I could probably have done it, however by September I was ready to go back to the UK. My wife and 5 year old daughter on the other hand have wanted to be back in England since around June so this made the decision a lot easier for me.

 

 

2. Family Support

 

It is really hard not having those family support structures in place that you have in the UK (if you’re lucky), especially with two young kids (aged 2 & 5). Please do not under-estimate this if you thinking about emigrating and are use to your family helping out, or if you spend a lot of time with your parents and other family members. You will make good friends here (some will be friends for life) and you help each other out the best you can, but it’s not the same has having family around especially when you need help (sickness, work and social commitments)

 

 

3. Bereavement

 

The sudden death of my wife’s step-father in January approximately 7 weeks after she and children came out here (I came out on my own 3 months earlier) was a massive thing to deal with and a true curve ball. She had to fly back to the UK at great expense knowing he had gone and could not say good bye. This has totally changed our perspective on certain view points we held prior to emigrating regarding family (especially as they get older). If this had not happened so soon after landing we may have stayed here longer, but knowing what we know now I still think we would have ended up back in the UK.

 

 

4. General high cost of living

 

I did plenty of research on here before accepting the job offer (divide / multiply by 2.2, online shopping, spoke to friends who live here etc.) but over the course of the last 12 months and doing all four seasons with the bills that go with them, I am still a bit awe struck how much things can cost here

 

Being a one wage family for another 3 years till the youngest starts school also compounds this due to being on a 457 and the high cost of childcare. Also the cost of PR would set us back $10,000 (due to all the fees going up this year) and the only benefit that would give us would be the 50% rebate on child care fees.

 

We are not struggling but there have been numerous times we have had to choose between doing things rather than being able to do both, and these are not extravagant things but stuff that we did regular in the UK or did not have to think about or budget for

 

 

5. Work and Finance

 

I am very fortunate that I can earn a better income back in the UK, and also the wife can go back to work as well (which she has always done until we came here) so financially we would be far better off. Some of this will be because of the role I have done out here and the fact that generally living and working abroad does not hurt your CV (so that is one of the bonuses from our little stint here). But the majority of it will be because of the skills I already had, which was the reason my current Aussie employer brought me over for in the first place.

 

Originally I took a slight overall pay cut to come over here in exchange for a standard 40 hour week, It was one of the key factors in making our decision to come here so I had a better work life balance. At the time 30% of my UK wage was made up of overtime and things had to change at some point. I was getting addicted to the additional income (and the things that buys), but on the other hand not getting a break from work (for the record it was all my own choice I was never forced to do it). Don’t get me wrong in my line of work IT, the overtime work is generally done from home in the evenings/weekends (so it’s not like I am physically grafting for a living) but it does start taking over your personal schedule.

 

However as time as gone by this last 6 months, I have found that I am creeping back into the same overtime routine again (mainly due to the cost of living) which was never the plan. As the wife has stated she would rather go without and be skint in the UK surrounded by family and loved ones, rather than be skint in Australia and have no one.

 

 

6. Aspects of Aussie life/culture

Certain aspects of Aussie life regarding shopping, work, socializing, politics, media that are too numerous to list individually (and been done to death in previous threads), have made me realise that the UK is not the basket case I thought it was before I left. I was guilty of playing the UK down before I left saying the place was going to rack and ruin, and there was going to be nothing here in the future for my kids and grandkids etc.

 

My previous job took me all over Europe and the Middle East, so I thought I had some idea how UK stacked up against other countries. Having these foreign working experiences and thinking the grass is always greener was one of the reasons why we decided to have a go. However being away from the UK for this length of time has actually made me realise now how lucky I was to be born, raised and live in the UK with all its problems, they are the same problems Australia faces today (and most developed first world countries), so you can't escape it.

 

Australia does a fantastic job of marketing itself as paradise and selling the dream to immigrants, which it then charges an awful lot of money in visa fees for the privilege if you then decide to come here (DIAC charging you extra money for lodging your PR application if your onshore, even though you have been working here for 2 years paying tax is one of my personal favourites). I am guilty of falling for it and I consider myself well-travelled and been around the block a few times. Now that the rose tinted glasses have been removed, I see past the hype and to me Australia is no different than living in any other first world country that is not your home country.

 

For me personally when I remove the weather component and the associated type of things it allows you to do from the Australia equation. I don’t think it’s even on par compared to living in the UK (or even some parts of Europe). Australia has some truly stunningly scenery and you can do some amazing things, but the same can be said about the UK and Europe

 

 

7. Fed up of being an immigrant

 

Stating the obvious but this is a bit of a rant regarding some of the drivel I see spouted on the Aussie media and have utter shite I have read on this forum.

 

I’m one of those so called evil 457 visa holders (and work with a lot of 457 visa holders) and for the record I am paid the top end of the market rate. There is a holier than thou attitude by certain people I have witnessed (especially on this forum) because of my visa type.

 

In summary I had to prove all my qualifications to get my 457 and I will have paid well over $60,000 in tax before I leave. I have taken nothing out of the system apart from my daughter going to Kindie this year and state school for a few months next year (and the last time I checked Aussie kids did not pay for state schooling in the UK). We only get Medicare because we are Poms and it is reciprocal. If I did go down the PR route I would be looking at $10,000 in visa fees and associated costs and that’s not including a migration agent / lawyer to do the work for you.

 

So let’s call it $80,000 the Aussie government would have had out of me over 2 years in direct taxes and fees if I decided to go PR. That’s not including all the indirect taxes I have paid and the visa fees my company also paid to get me here either. All that money paid into the coffers before I can stay here permanently and take anything out of the system (CentreLink etc.).

 

All the people I know in my line of work on 457’s are in a similar situation. Some of them are also paying school fees due to which Aussie state they live in and have no access to Medicare due to which country they originally come from.

 

Yet that’s not good enough in some people’s eyes, I know the system is not perfect and it does get abused but I think people should bear this in mind when commentating (or posting in PIO).

[fizzybangs]

I am absolutely stunned by these costs because two adults and 3 kids back in 1981 cost £49 for the airfares! Subsidised by Oz of course. I hope your employer pays your visa costs!

[Rupert]

Australia was never a dream of mine either. But I never thought UK was a basket case, never thought it was going to rack and ruin, never played it down and never thought there would be nothing there for future generations. I sometimes think the people that start out with that mentality are the ones most disappointed.

 

I think posts like yours are extremely helpful, a lot of would be migrants need the reality check. I spent a lot of time reading the MBTTUK forums before my move and I think it prepared me very well and managed my expectations. Consequently, I had low expectations and there was only upside for me.

 

Good luck with your move back.

[Penelope Pitstop]

Thanks for a really informative post. Every migrant's story is different but there are a lot of similarities too. It's amazing how much the reality of Australia differs from the image it portrays overseas to prospective migrants. It's December but we've had to put the heating on this evening here in Adelaide it's so cold!!!

Good luck with the move home to the UK, my husband and I are still undecided as to whether we stay or go back, we have a lot more ties to Australia (OH is Australian) so it makes the decision much more difficult.

[silencio]

Good luck with your move back to the UK!

Unfortunately, Australia is not for everyone. The problem is that many people migrate without ever setting a feet onto Australian soil and then coming here feel disappointed. I think that is true for 50 % of migrants, they have no clue about coming here because research on the Internet, verifying information or what ever is not the same as coming here for a longer visit in order to get a feeling/catch the atmosphere. Prospective migrants need to realise that the higher the expectations the higher the disappointment will be, like Rupert mentioned. For me as well Australia is a country where I came without any expectations because then no dream can be destroyed because there is actually no dream.

I also never blamed my home country for 'going rack and ruined' because I didn't know how it would be in Australia, even I have relatives living here for over 30 years. On the contrary, I'm very grateful and feel blessed coming from Europe and being proud of it. I'm also feeling very proud of the privilege living in Australia. Many people would die coming here so there is a deep gratitude towards Australia, too.

I was shocked about your high amount of tax you've paid. Hubby and me together might earn 60,000 AUD, but paying 60,000 AUD in tax means you were really earning extremely above average.

Even on a PR visa with your high salary you wouldn't get any benefit from Centrelink besides full medicare and the school fee for children because everything here is means-tested.

Complaining about being fed of being an immigrant like you did I don't understand because everyone here is a migrant or the child/grandchild of one. I don't want to judge anybody or being rude but it sounds to me a little bit of a midlife crises because you also mentioned the high stress level/overtime done back in the UK and starting it here as well.

Australia is certainly not for everyone and I wish you and your family well. The UK might be the better life style. Missing family and friends can be unbearable for some people.

[Neil Partner]

Liked your comments,I have struggled here for last few months missing family,friends and the culture of London,Putney....shops,museums,Art,antiques,I really miss that stuff.

our family came on 457 and been here 17 months and I do love it here in Perth but feel there's not much going on apart from the beaches ,and bike rides.

my missus loves it here,but I have found it so different and have hit a brick wall with all these thoughts of our old home..

she wants to get residentsey for children,but I would like to head back,and start up garden co,and they come after,once I have got going....

not sure what's best thing to do.

[gwolst77]

Complaining about being fed of being an immigrant like you did I don't understand because everyone here is a migrant or the child/grandchild of one. I don't want to judge anybody or being rude but it sounds to me a little bit of a midlife crises because you also mentioned the high stress level/overtime done back in the UK and starting it here as well.

 

The fed up of being an immigrant statement was a tongue in cheek reference regarding how my visa status is viewed by certain parts of the community. Actually re-reading my post I can understand why it may have come across wrong regarding the bullet point title, so I apologise for that.

 

The simple truth is that I am an immigrant in Australia, and the following applies and it's also what I would say to an immigrant back in the UK - 'If you don't like it then you can always go back to where you came from'

I am taking that advice and doing exactly that, but I also look forward to having the luxury of being able to say it if required when I'm back in Blighty (not that I foresee a need to say it to anyone) :wink:

 

Just so we are clear I do not believe my country is going to rack and ruin or any of the other generic comments you hear about your country not being the place that it was.

I'm just admitting to having said those type of things in the past before coming here (only once or twice, it's not like I was preaching it on the streets), just in the same way a lot of people said it to me (who incidentally had never left the UK apart from the occasional 2 week foreign holiday) when I told them about going to Australia last year.

 

As I stated in my original post I have worked in major international cities all over Europe and the Middle East, and going about your day to day business is a lot different than visiting them as a tourist. It's not like I've never experienced different ways of working and living before moving to Australia, we was expecting things to be different and even challenging. The point I was trying to make is that being away from the UK for such an extended period of time has made me realise that the UK is a better place for me and my family.

 

As a family we are happy and thankful we got the chance to experience Australia, we will be slightly gutted that we did not get to see much more of it before we go back. I am also relieved we did not go down the PR route and spent all that money on visa fees, flights etc. just to realise the place is not for us (one of the benefits of being on a 457)

 

Midlife crisis? Hold on I'm only in my mid thirties :chatterbox:

[HappyHeart]

Congratulations on a constructive post about the reasons for your return. At least you have had an experience, albeit not a overwhelmingly positive one...the stuff that memories are made of. Good luck for the future

[fifi69]

Loved your post. We came out the same time also on 457's with exactly the same thoughts as you...lets try it for 2 years.

 

The difference being we've settled quite nicely and are now PR, thanks to the company cos they paid, but like you it could have taken a different path. We got the chance to come and try and I would say to anybody in the same situation to do the same.

 

All the best for the future xx

[SteveandKirsty]

Always good to hear the stories of others be it good, bad or otherwise. It seems from the outside looking in at this stage that the era of the 457 visa is coming to an end on many levels.

 

Australia is not for everyone and it amazes me too just how many Poms take the plunge without ever having been to Australia (or New Zealand). The classic one was in the press earlier this year when a couple from England emigrated to Adelaide, having never been to Oz and left within a week because, and I quote "no Robinsons squash" !!

 

Kirsty and I will be hoping to receive a PR on a 190 visa as she works in a very specialised field where there does seem to be a genuine shortage in Oz, so perhaps (and IF it does indeed happen) our story may be different.

 

Thanks for sharing yours and good luck with the move back to the UK.

[fifi69]

Tbh steveandkirsty your own attitude to the move and how you embrace it will be the deciding factor...not the visa you are on

[SteveandKirsty]

Tbh steveandkirsty your own attitude to the move and how you embrace it will be the deciding factor...not the visa you are on

 

We know that and you are exactly right. It is something we have been looking at for over a long while, we came on a recce last month and I/we have been regular visitors to both Oz and NZ over the years.

 

Kirsty was offered a 457 visa for a job she showed an interest in, but on seeing advice from an agent and using our own knowledge decided that it wouldn't be the correct route.

[Petals]

If people are not happy here and want to return so be it. However if they have lived here for a good while and their children like it, its a good idea to get permanent residence, why, well often when the children are older and working they want to return to live here, having PR makes it a whole lot easier for them. Choices

[gwolst77]

The classic one was in the press earlier this year when a couple from England emigrated to Adelaide, having never been to Oz and left within a week because, and I quote "no Robinsons squash" !!.

 

Exactly we are not like that, it's a bit like the foreign food scenario you get with the Brits on holiday in Spain (que Peter Kay comedy routine). We have never been like that and prefer to experience the local way of life, we did not come here thinking or expecting it would be the UK with sun.

 

It is surprising how some things here in Victoria are very similar to the UK and also similar to the US (if you have spent time there), I think that's going to change dramatically over the next few decades due to the high amount of Asians that are coming and settling here. Over a period of time those little cultural vibes that make the place unique will change as the ethnicity of the population changes, however Australia will probably embrace (I hope) the parts it wants and ditch the parts that do not fit or does not like.