movingback Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Hello. I have a 'first world' dilemma. Wondering if anyone has any advice. I've been in Australia (Sydney) for about 3 years now. I'm now 31 and want to go home. I have PR. I loved it for about a year but am now sick of living here. Little things - expense, arrogance, traffic, sun etc are all getting to me. In short I'm over it and want to go home. I'm in a stable but moderately low paying job (for Sydney). I'm single. I want to move on with my life, meet someone, buy a house. I can't see myself doing that here. Its just too expensive and a long way from anywhere and anything I value in life. Every week I look at one way flights home and wish I could just book. However I'm a year away from citizenship. Do I stay for it or not?? Its the one thing holding me back. I can't see myself living here again, but who knows. Maybe when I'm 60 a few winters in Oz will look appealing again. Grr my heads all over the place!! Any advice?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunbury61 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Hello. I have a 'first world' dilemma. Wondering if anyone has any advice.I've been in Australia (Sydney) for about 3 years now. I'm now 31 and want to go home. I have PR. I loved it for about a year but am now sick of living here. Little things - expense, arrogance, traffic, sun etc are all getting to me. In short I'm over it and want to go home. I'm in a stable but moderately low paying job (for Sydney). I'm single. I want to move on with my life, meet someone, buy a house. I can't see myself doing that here. Its just too expensive and a long way from anywhere and anything I value in life. Every week I look at one way flights home and wish I could just book. However I'm a year away from citizenship. Do I stay for it or not?? Its the one thing holding me back. I can't see myself living here again, but who knows. Maybe when I'm 60 a few winters in Oz will look appealing again. Grr my heads all over the place!! Any advice?? You are only young ....stay for citizenship...don't close the for on future options Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huggy75 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Stay for citizenship, a year will go by quickly if you keep yourself busy. I wanted to go 2 years ago but stayed to get citizenship and now find myself going back in 6 weeks time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Definitely stay until you get citizenship. You never know what you may want to do in the future :smile: All the reasons you list above about Sydney is why we moved to Tasmania. Mind you we are retired now but Sydney was good to us for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 To be honest, if you are that unhappy, i woundnt bother. Also, it is not going to be hanging around somewhere you dont want to be for a year - a long time to be unhappy anyway - but, the citizenship process will take at least another 6 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazydaizy Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Stay for citizenship. 1 year will go super fast. Im in the same position, 32 and living in brisbane. Im currently counting down the days to apply for citizenship (august 24th is the day i can apply) so i can leave and go home although im going back to ireland. I'm over oz for all the reasons you have listed however i think its madness to go now when citizenship is so close. No point in closing the door when its so close. You might wanna go back to australia in the future and citizenship is the easiest option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I would say stay, however Sydney is not 'Australia'. Use the year to try something different? Head somewhere new, experience a few things so that when you return you can say that you have seen Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Stay for citizenship for sure. Options for the future. My OH got hers in the 1990s and then returned to the UK when a LTR ended. A few years later we met and 12 years on we are heading to Australia with a view to taking early retirement. At 31 I can tell you from personal experience that you simply have no idea how you will feel in 20 or 30 years from now. It rarely pays to burn bridges and that is what you could be doing if you go now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeboard1980 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I would stay, you have gone this far already, you never know you may want to head back one day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movingback Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 This is what pretty much all my friends and family have been saying! Its the whole 'stuck in limbo' feeling that so many can identify with. I might try and book a UK summer holiday, or if not, an xmas trip to have something to look forward to. A year is maybe not a long time to some, but now I've made my mind up to go home it seems like a lifetime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Belt and braces! You never know when it might come in handy. You're young, it's only a blip in a long lifetime, just count down your days to release and they'll zip past! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckleface Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I suppose people are recommending you stay and get citizenship because so many people change their minds and want to come back again. However it will take longer than 12 months to actually achieve citizenship. You appear to have a poor opinion of the Aust (albeit based on limited experience) and say it is a long way from anywhere or anything you value so I would probably head back sooner rather than later in your position. I can't see any value in having citizenship of a country you think has nothing to offer you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 That's a good idea about going back for Christmas. Have you seen anywhere else in Australia besides Sydney? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I would stay if I were in your position too. However, I would consider travelling a bit, maybe doing backpacker type jobs or something like that so as to see a bit more of the country. Citizenship opens doors, not just for you but also for any future spouse or children that you have, so there is that to bear in mind too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movingback Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 I initially came on a WHV and did travel for about 6 months. There are some beautiful parts to these country, theres no doubt. Its just not home and TBH never has been. I thought it would be - but its not. At least I know now Will mull it over a bit longer but will likely stay for the year. Planning a few trips is a good idea. I have saved some money and might do a blow out road trip in my last month here. I would love to do the Qld coast north of Brisbane, most of my travels were in NSW, Vic and Tassie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tea4too Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Age has a tendency to put life into a different perspective, and it may well be that later on you will look back at a whole raft of things with the benefit of hindsight and wish you had done things differently. None of us know with certainty where we will be, or what we will be doing, in five, 10 or 15 years time so if you have an opportunity to keep a few options open it makes sense to me to do so, including hanging on for Citizenship. T x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I'm always amazed at the number of (younger) travellers/migrants who get set up in a particular city and think this is Australia then gets bored and fed up. That would be the same as an Australian who never gets out of London and ends up hating the whole of the UK. Take the opportunity to travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I suppose people are recommending you stay and get citizenship because so many people change their minds and want to come back again. However it will take longer than 12 months to actually achieve citizenship. You appear to have a poor opinion of the Aust (albeit based on limited experience) and say it is a long way from anywhere or anything you value so I would probably head back sooner rather than later in your position. I can't see any value in having citizenship of a country you think has nothing to offer you. Maybe it's time to move Citizenship from 4-6 years ? I know it was moved from 2-4 not long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Can you not do your 4 years and apply for it back in the uk...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Can you not do your 4 years and apply for it back in the uk...? I reckon you could apply for it outside, but then you would have to fly back to attend the interview and test date. Then you would have to wait for approval. Once you get approval you are required to attend the Ceremony. That's where there's a problem. On approval your visa is cancelled. You would not be able to enter Australia to attend the Citizenship. Not sure if you could get around that or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1977 Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I reckon you could apply for it outside, but then you would have to fly back to attend the interview and test date. Then you would have to wait for approval. Once you get approval you are required to attend the Ceremony. That's where there's a problem. On approval your visa is cancelled. You would not be able to enter Australia to attend the Citizenship. Not sure if you could get around that or not. Why can't you do it all from the uk...? If you qualify I can't see a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I'm going to buck the trend and say why bother? And this is from someone who stayed for citizenship but this difference is I have a son who had been brought up there and I wanted to give him the opportunity to return as an adult if that's what he chose. I also was mindful of those that 'ping pong' and after 4 years in Australia I wondered if I had rose-tinted glasses on life in the UK (after two years back I can say I definitely didn't) From your post, your time in Sydney is really just a passing phase in your life, there is nothing that suggests you have any ties to Australia and would live with any kind of regret if you couldn't return. If though you could travel and experience 'real' Australia in that year - what about doing some rural farm work? Or moving to Darwin? Then I'd say stay a year and chalk up some life experience, essentially have a 'working holiday' in Australia before heading back. You might find you even change your mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Based on what you have said on this thread, I cannot think of any reason why you would wait to get citizenship feeling as you do. We left shortly after gaining citizenship (not deliberate it was circumstances) and we loved living in Australia, but even I am now thinking it could turn out to be a waste. Three years is quite long enough to be able to trust your feelings about Australia and it sounds like it is just not for you. Also it would not just be a year to wait, you really do need to complete the whole process before going. In applying for citizenship you are supposed to be declaring an intention to stay, so hopping on the next flight out after taking the test might invalidate your application anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Try it Paul, that way you may never ever have to set foot here again, even if you wanted too! No need to re-live your nightmare :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 I reckon you could apply for it outside, but then you would have to fly back to attend the interview and test date. Then you would have to wait for approval. Once you get approval you are required to attend the Ceremony. That's where there's a problem. On approval your visa is cancelled. You would not be able to enter Australia to attend the Citizenship. Not sure if you could get around that or not. I don't think that is quite right - you are not a citizen until the ceremony and you can travel between approval and the ceremony on your existing visa. In reality though staying a year to be eligible and then applying and leaving would mean going back for the interview/test (or staying for that since it's probably only going to be about a month after applying) and/or going back for the ceremony 3-6 months later. Plus you have to prove 'on-going ties with Australia' - so if you've sold up or given up a rental and are actually living in the UK the chances are you would not be eligible for citizenship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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