Emigration Advice

[Pebbles21]

Dear All,

 

I am sure that this question has been posed many a time before but for the sake of searching I thought I would raise my own.

 

We are looking for a way to get to Australia, I am 43 years old, the missus is 41 (she'll hate me for saying so!) and we have 2 children (8 & 9 years old) and live in Essex.

I (along with my brother) run a property development business which is going well (at the moment). I have no skills (that I can see) on the Skilled shortage list that would get me to Australia and neither has the missus (who used to work in accounts for a large accountancy firm).

Why are we going you might ask? In all honesty, I don't see the long term future in the UK as being that bright for our children, their job prospects in our ever increasing population, coupled with the long term financial situation that the UK faces is not good in my personal opinion and whilst we (the missus and I) are extremely lucky with our financial situation I don't see it being good for our own children. I appreciate that other people will have their own opinions and also that Australia is not without its own problems (I am a realist). However, I see the future as being brighter, in the long term, in Australia.

 

We have been to Australia before (3 week holiday last year, in case you are wondering) and stayed with friends in Perth (they emigrated 8 years ago). We would look to move to Perth ideally, all things being well.

 

I have looked into the self sponsorship (457) route but we would also look at other avenues such as a student visa with PR (if there's such a thing). Any advice would be greatly appreciated and we would look to engage a migration consultant so any recommendations would also be very much appreciated.

 

Many thanks in advance :smile:

[Sean Golding]

The student route is going to be a tough one for you given your age. It is tricky actually at any age. The only way I have found as a student which is a route that I am considering taking a risk on is 2 years training at a tafe college doing a trade qualification which is on the skilled occupation list, followed by a graduate visa, a job ready program skills assessment with TRA and then a points based migration, but bear in mind I will be risking £20k for the move and tuition fees and the career I am studying could be removed from the SOL at any time so it's a huge risk. But by the time you complete your studies you are unlikely to be able to claim any points for age! I don't see this as an option for you.

I think your options are very very limited. I would get your kids a good education here, so that they can migrate when they are of a suitable skill/age or pick somewhere in the EU where your migration options are broader. Also you could look into possibly investing over there I am sure there is going to be some sort of visa available for a business owner that employs Aussie citizens.

 

Good Luck

[Pebbles21]

Thanks for getting back to me Sean, I thought that age would come into it.

 

Good luck as well

[Jacaranda]

Please don't worry about the future of your children so much.Fwiw,my kids are aussies,spent part of their childhood at UK schools.Both now in their 20's,one's a nurse,the other graduated with a law degree,left uni,got a really good job (Not law related)worked for 2 yrs in that job and now has just got herself a law related job.Am I worried?Not at all!

[VERYSTORMY]

To be honest, if you do not have an occupation on either of the two lists, then there is no pathway that would be effective.

 

As as for your comments about your children, you do know that oz has all of the same issues? Youth unemployment is very high, general unemployment is higher than the UK now and climbing. The Oz financial situation is determination fast after successive governments based the economy on selling minerals to China and now China no longer wants them.

[Que Sera Sera]

There are business visas I believe but they are costly. It might be worth contacting an agent for advice. Try Go Matilda. If there is no way they will tell you so. Good luck.

[Parley]

Please don't worry about the future of your children so much.Fwiw,my kids are aussies,spent part of their childhood at UK schools.Both now in their 20's,one's a nurse,the other graduated with a law degree,left uni,got a really good job (Not law related)worked for 2 yrs in that job and now has just got herself a law related job.Am I worried?Not at all!

 

So is the moral of the story, if your child is smart enough to have a law degree, then you have nothing to worry about ?

 

what about the other 99.9% of the population ?

 

Just because you aren't worried, that does not invalidate the OPs worries.

[Alan Collett]

Feel able to send an email or a PM to me (click on my name to the left of this posting).

 

I'm happy to have a look at your business financials and your personal net assets, and to give an opinion on whether a 188 visa is an option, or whether a 457 strategy is to be looked at.

 

The 188 and 457 visa strategies lead to permanent residency in due course, but they have different requirements.

 

Best regards.

[Jacaranda]

So is the moral of the story, if your child is smart enough to have a law degree, then you have nothing to worry about ?

 

what about the other 99.9% of the population ?

 

Just because you aren't worried, that does not invalidate the OPs worries.[/quote

And just because the OP is worried,does it necessarily mean if they stay in the UK his kids won't "make it"? No one knows what their kids will do when they grow up.I didn't have an iota.Did I worry?Not at all. I wouldn't of worried about them if we would of stayed in Australia either. Just because you stay in the UK,does'nt mean your kids are doomed! I think Verystormy is realistic. To the OP,just because the sun is shining in Oz,does'nt mean everyone is happy,has great jobs and huge houses.I'm sure you'd know that anyway right?Right!

[Pebbles21]

Thank you everyone! Please don't hold back with your comments, the reason I asked on this site is because I would like your honest opinions as these will help with our decision making process, so once again thank you and please keep them coming.

 

Melza, just so you know, we are not under any illusion that Oz is some paradise with great jobs, big houses and happy people everywhere. We are realists that know that what we would like to do will be a huge risk to us! However, our opinion of our children's future in the UK is exactly as that in my original post.

 

VERYSTORMY, we do keep an eye on the news in Oz, we know that knife crime, burglaries, muggings happen, no matter where you are in the world there's a risk of being exposed to crime. On the long term financial side, Oz's outlook is a lot brighter than that of the UK, their assets are bigger than the UK, GDP per capita is greater than the UK, national debt is lower than the UK and population is less than a 1/3 of the UK. I appreciate that the demand from China for minerals etc... has dropped off, however Oz is in a much better long term position (in my opinion) than that of the UK. Ever since we visited Oz last year, the missus and I have paid attention to both what is happening news wise in the UK and in Oz and to be honest Oz has come out in front.

 

Thank you parleycross ?

 

Thank you Alan for your kind offer, I have been in contact with your company before (earlier this year) and sent over my CV (hence my knowledge regarding my skills not being on the SOL). I will message you over the Christmas/New Year break if ok? We have family over today so things will be busy.

 

Thanks again everyone and enjoy your day