Cityliving Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I was awarded my skilled visa in 2012 at the age of 44, and immediately validated it with a visit to Oz. The reason for applying for a visa in the first place was not my untold desire to go to Oz but wondering it if might provide a better future for my children than the UK. After 4 1/2 years ticking over quite nicely in the UK in a well paid quite secure job, my (5 year) visa will expire next Summer. In the 4 1/2 years since being granted the visa, a lot of things have happened in the UK, not least Brexit. The future, even though I am still in a well paid secure job, is far from certain in the UK and I worry more about my children's future because of Brexit. I am now at that crossroads where I have a hard fought and valuable visa that will expire and be gone forever if I don't take up this opportunity. Or I could go to Oz, not find a job or a job not as well paid and could be very quickly financially crippling. With my children at the difficult ages of 11 and 15, schooling and exams would also be risk. The question is, will Oz provide me the quality of life now and in the future I currently have in the UK? I am 49, and well aware of how lucky I am to have a granted visa when it is now so difficult to come by one, and do not want to waste it! UK or Oz? The 'just give it go' attitude and 'what have you got to lose' is not the answer I am looking for, there is too much at stake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I was awarded my skilled visa in 2012 at the age of 44, and immediately validated it with a visit to Oz.The reason for applying for a visa in the first place was not my untold desire to go to Oz but wondering it if might provide a better future for my children than the UK. After 4 1/2 years ticking over quite nicely in the UK in a well paid quite secure job, my (5 year) visa will expire next Summer. In the 4 1/2 years since being granted the visa, a lot of things have happened in the UK, not least Brexit. The future, even though I am still in a well paid secure job, is far from certain in the UK and I worry more about my children's future because of Brexit. I am now at that crossroads where I have a hard fought and valuable visa that will expire and be gone forever if I don't take up this opportunity. Or I could go to Oz, not find a job or a job not as well paid and could be very quickly financially crippling. With my children at the difficult ages of 11 and 15, schooling and exams would also be risk. The question is, will Oz provide me the quality of life now and in the future I currently have in the UK? I am 49, and well aware of how lucky I am to have a granted visa when it is now so difficult to come by one, and do not want to waste it! UK or Oz? The 'just give it go' attitude and 'what have you got to lose' is not the answer I am looking for, there is too much at stake! The 11 year old is just about to undergo a big change with high school, and the 15 year old with A levels, so there will be lots of changes even if you stay. But if you go, and only stay for two years you will make life hard for the older child. If you go, you have to be committed. Where in the UK do you live and where in Australia were you aiming? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Firstly I am a happy, successful migrant. Despite this I would say definitely do not go and certainly not solely for the reason you stated. Your children have every opportunity to thrive in the UK. You don't mention a partner but in my view unless you and your partner are 100% committed to a new and different life in Australia - and prepared to ride the almost inevitable knocks that you will get particularly in the early months/years particularly a new career in a new country at the age of 49 - then stay where you are. Reading your post it is clear that you are 50/50 and I would say that is a recipe for disaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yerkan41 Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Hi sir. A short advice from a migrant candidate and a very new user of the site. If your focus is your kids then stay and try your best to send the guys to Oz for education in the future. When the time comes, they will find their way to stay there if they want to or return home if they dislike it there. So, you will give them the opportunity to choose. On the other hand, if you are really enough of UK, can't stand living there any longer, want to change your life thoroughly, and it is not only about 'the kids' thing, then skyscanner. By the way, since there is a resident return visa for the ones who skipped their 5 year period, there is no need to be grieved now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Personally I think its too old at 49 to make major changes to your life, especially if you have not moved around much before. My parents moved at any age and even continued into retirement but you need to be a certain type of person to do that. There is no doubt about it that its harder to get work the older we are, we do not like to think this is the case but it is. Also no crystal ball to look in and see how long you will be able to work for pension. I came here when I was young married and lived in UK for a few years then came back and of course I love it and would not live anywhere else. However now I am retired with a good income and one that we worked for here. Upheaval of children. I was moved at 15 from Rhodesia to New Zealand and I found it very hard at the time. No social media back then. Harder than when I moved from the UK to Rhodesia at 11 so depends on the child. Looking back on my life I have made sure that my children never went through the upheavals of my life and hence I have lived in this house for 30 years. Just speaking to my 97 year old mum the other day and even she said there is something to be said about living in the same village all our lives. Do not give up what is going well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Fawbert1 Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 We have already done this, 2 years ago with 3 children and it has been a career and financial disaster for us. We are looking to return to The U.K as work is scare and that is with us seeking a job anywhere in Australia in ICT business dev't and sales. My husband who had a well paid permanent job in the U.K Is unemployed after a bad experience in a small company in Adelaide where connections and who you know overrides merit as many jobs not advertised. He is against a high volume of applicants for each job. It has cost over £40,000 to do this in various costs and we are living off savings, we need £3,000 per month to live with cost of living. There is not much out there in the field of I.T and overseas experience is seen as an impediment. In the Australian Newspaper last week, 10,000 full time jobs lost each month in Aus with part time/ service jobs replacing them. We came out knowing it would be hard, however there are too few jobs with many highly skilled applicants. Tradies could have better opportunity. We were successful in the U.K and do love the lifestyle, diversity and would have wanted it to work out for us. If you come to a secure job from U.K. your experience could be positive. I have a temp contact with Health that ends in Dec, they have to save $110m and many Australian s are needing the work, so all competing for work, no permanent jobs available. The sun may shine, however, the extreme anxiety and impermanence of our situation is stressful. Our children love Aus and will return reluctantly to the UK. Britex is a concern, yet, we have to be where the work is and the U. K has more jobs. Research your field of work before you decide to make an informed decision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I too was 44 when we emigrated in 1999, with landing with just two days to spare of the original 5 yrs, with our daughter only finishing her last school exam just two days before we left. Without doubt it was the best thing we did, though very hard for my wife and our two children for the first 3-4 years (daughter then 16 and son 18) the two children have both been back to UK for short spells but both now call Australia home, daughter married some 1.5 years now to an Aussie, son quite content with his life living in the City. However times have changed since we arrived and at present, due to world wide events, I am not all that sure that what was good for me then would be the same today. It could be said that we were lucky with our arrival timing, but then some 10 pound poms were lucky with their timings too, as well as folk whom have arrived fairly recently, but there are many, during those same times for whom it could be said were not lucky. Not knowing what your trade/profession or where your intended destination is in OZ, then the people on here cannot as such advise on work/living situations. Though you do not want to hear it, I think most people whom emigrate come with the attitude of "just give it a go" and "what have I got to lose" attitude. I know we did and to half salary, but it the full knowledge that we could put it down to experience and return to UK and get on with the rest of our life's from there. Good luck in whatever you choose in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 As has already been said, it probably depends somewhat on what job you do, career prospects and also what your children intend to do in their future. I would be cautious about your 15 year old. If you do move to Australia and then subsequently decide it isn't for you/can't find a job/find it financially stressful and move back to the UK, and your eldest wants to go to university, you would likely be slugged for international fees in the UK. Of course this does depend on your particular circumstances (and that of your children), but it is a consideration that is often overlooked. We moved over to Australia in our early-mid thirties, with small children (they were 1 and 2 at the time) so we didn't have to consider those sorts of things when we moved. However, now we are thinking of high school for our eldest, and moving back to the UK is something that we are considering doing within the next two to three years. However, I wouldn't want to move anywhere at a critical stage in my kids education, so we wouldn't leave it until much later than that. I'm not saying don't go, we've been very happy here and I love Australia very much, but I think it is important that if you do decide to move, you consider all of the potential effects on your children. I don't think our quality of life is better here particularly, we had a good quality of life in the UK and we have a good quality of life here. There are plusses and minuses of both places, I suppose it just depends on the balance of those. Good luck with whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 (edited) I'm another who enjoys my life in Australia, but I don't think children have a better future here. Life is different in Australia, that's all. If your children grow up in Australia their life will follow a different path, but there is no guarantee it will be better than the one they'd have in the UK. At your age I would be worried about moving because I find Australian employers are more ageist than British ones. Once you get over 50 it becomes much harder to find a job. The Australian economy is in a downturn right now so that means you'll be in competition with even more young people for every position. The future is uncertain in Australia too! Back in the 20th century, Australia was touted as the land of opportunity, offering a better future yadda yadda and it was true. We're in the 21st century now and Australia has grown up - now it's just another Western country like any other. The myth persists because we all have long memories and because of TV programs like Home & Away, and probably because everyone wants to believe it. I love Australia but it is not so great that it deserves to be put on a pedestal as "better" than the rest of the world! Edited October 23, 2016 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 I was awarded my skilled visa in 2012 at the age of 44, and immediately validated it with a visit to Oz.The reason for applying for a visa in the first place was not my untold desire to go to Oz but wondering it if might provide a better future for my children than the UK. After 4 1/2 years ticking over quite nicely in the UK in a well paid quite secure job, my (5 year) visa will expire next Summer. In the 4 1/2 years since being granted the visa, a lot of things have happened in the UK, not least Brexit. The future, even though I am still in a well paid secure job, is far from certain in the UK and I worry more about my children's future because of Brexit. I am now at that crossroads where I have a hard fought and valuable visa that will expire and be gone forever if I don't take up this opportunity. Or I could go to Oz, not find a job or a job not as well paid and could be very quickly financially crippling. With my children at the difficult ages of 11 and 15, schooling and exams would also be risk. The question is, will Oz provide me the quality of life now and in the future I currently have in the UK? I am 49, and well aware of how lucky I am to have a granted visa when it is now so difficult to come by one, and do not want to waste it! UK or Oz? The 'just give it go' attitude and 'what have you got to lose' is not the answer I am looking for, there is too much at stake! There is indeed too much at stake. If you already have a good job and enjoy life in the UK ............... stay. Australia has changed a lot over the past years and it is no longer easy to find work or afford a nice home. Your children will thrive just as well in the UK as they would here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 No way would I take a punt in your circumstances. As noted in other posts Australia does not have some guaranteed better life quality for kids, increasingly the reverse in fact. This country appears at a cross roads at the moment with poor governance and little direction. Youth unemployment is high. Property is among the most expensive in the world and work is becoming increasingly one of casual employment, difficult work places and falling conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I think it's too big a risk. Partly for yourself, as establishing yourself in a career over here takes time and effort and even then can be difficult. Personal relationships and networks are very important, even more so here I think (perhaps a function of the small markets) and when you arrive you have none of that so you have to develop from scratch. Not easy for anyone, and age discrimination can act against you. I came over at age 40 and it was harder than I thought - and slower - to establish myself in terms of business network And partly for your kids, especially the older one. It's an upheaval for older teenagers who already have established social lives, and add to that the upheaval in education/exam systems and a lot could go wrong. The biggest problem here is that you don't have the option of giving it a go. If you leave the UK and it doesn't work out and you want to come back in (say) 2 years time, their A levels will be stuffed up, and, worse, they'll be considered as an overseas student when it comes to Uni fees, which makes it impossible for people on normal salaries. So effectively you have to commit to going with no way back, or muck up their education for a good few years Hindsight is wonderful, but the time to come was when you got the visa and your kids were young enough that none of this would have applied - then you'd have had more options. The fact you didn't come then suggests you've got a decent enough thing going on in the UK, so I would stay with it. I wouldn't worry too much about your kids re: Brexit. None of that will play out for a good few years (and even then we'll never really know), the best thing you can do for them is make sure their education is as good as it can be, then they will have more options off their own bat to move around later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booma Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 i dont think you really want to move otherwise you would of done it already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george70 Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I wouldn't place too much emphasis on opinions from this site, it's not really subjective and can be overly negative. I don't agree that 49 is too old to embrace change. And there is more to a child's upbringing than maths. Whilst it is true that much of Australia is suffering a downturn at the moment, a lot of people are still thriving here. Only you know what's best for your family but if you don't go you might regret it. The brutal truth is you should have moved whilst your kids were younger. We have nieces and nephews over here ranging from 3 to 22 and, in my opinion, the younger they are the better. Australia is brilliant for little uns, less so for teens and older, I'd say. And yeah, a lot of new migrants struggle for that first job. But you never know, you might land a job and your kids might love it. Who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) Whilst it is true that much of Australia is suffering a downturn at the moment, a lot of people are still thriving here. Of course people are thriving in Australia, no one is suggesting they're not! People in Australia live just as well as people in Britain or Europe or Canada or . . . If the OP brings his kids to Australia, I'm sure they would thrive. The question is, would they do better than if they'd stayed in the UK? I don't think anyone can say that with confidence. It's neither worse nor better for older kids, it's just different. The OP sounds as though he's fairly settled in the UK but is just feeling that because it's so hard to get the visa, it's somehow a crime to let it go. I don't think that's a good enough reason to use it! Edited October 24, 2016 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 The onus being on 'who knows' as two posts above wrote. Why would anyone well set up in another country take the risk? I don't see any earthly reason myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith and Linda Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) The onus being on 'who knows' as two posts above wrote. Why would anyone well set up in another country take the risk? I don't see any earthly reason myself. A safe bet would be over 95% of people emigrating to OZ actually do! Edited October 24, 2016 by Keith and Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Of course people are thriving in Australia, no one is suggesting they're not! People in Australia live just as well as people in Britain or Europe or Canada or . . . If the OP brings his kids to Australia, I'm sure they would thrive. The question is, would they do better than if they'd stayed in the UK? I don't think anyone can say that with confidence. It's neither worse nor better for older kids, it's just different. The OP sounds as though he's fairly settled in the UK but is just feeling that because it's so hard to get the visa, it's somehow a crime to let it go. I don't think that's a good enough reason to use it! Perhaps someone who has kids could advise the OP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 A safe bet would be over 95% of people emigrating to OZ actually do! If that's the case for the majority of migrants these days, no wonder so many of them end up going home! I'm sure there have always been people who emigrated for the adventure, or because they were discontented in spite of having a comfortable life. But in the old days, many people migrated because times were hard in their home country and they were doing it tough. When my aunt and uncle moved in the fifties, they did it because there was no work at home. And when we moved in the eighties, I hadn't been able to get a permanent job in two years. When you've got nothing much to go back to, it makes it easier to settle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Perhaps someone who has kids could advise the OP? Several already have, all with the same advice as me. So clearly, I do not live in quite the bubble you imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george70 Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 I refer the OP to the above posts. See what I mean about this site? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 Virtually every parent I've read on here has said Australia is much better for Children. But what would they know ? I myself came at 14. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) Virtually every parent I've read on here has said Australia is much better for Children.But what would they know ? I refer you to the other posts on this thread from parents. I also remind you that the OP asked about his children's future, not their upbringing. If you had been able to magically spend your life in both Australia and the UK from the age of 14, you'd be qualified to give a definitive answer. But you have no way of knowing how your life would've turned out in the UK. Also, of course, you grew up in the Australia of times past, we are talking about children growing up in Australia and the UK today - what is that, 50 years later? And I'm sure people like @Lady Rainicorn and @Quoll and @bristolman would take issue with the idea that they've ruined their children's future because they took them back to the UK. Edited October 24, 2016 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 This might help. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257165/Britain-voted-worst-place-world-bring-children-Australia-best.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazken Amac Posted October 24, 2016 Share Posted October 24, 2016 (edited) I would say keep the option of settling on oz open ... just for the case of children's education if you have an option of extending your pr then may as well exercise it.... I believe there is a way incase you haven't been able to satisfy the condition for aus citizenship you can extend your pr for another few years by that time you should have a fair idea if your children need that aussie benefit for education and living. ... A bit of Google search might help on method of extending pr.. Best regards Nick Edited October 24, 2016 by Dazken Amac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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