Would you move to the UK now?

[Newy]

On 04/11/2020 at 15:01, Lynne shenfine said:

This is exactly the position we are in! We have  in Adelaide for eight years. Live beside the beach, pool, excellent well paid job etc etc  but all of our family in the U.K. Travel was our way of staying here. We are now essentially living in a guilded cage and with the draconian border control and no likelihood of international travel for some time we have decided to go home.

 Slighty different as my husband has landed a job in Jersey where Covid isn't quite so rampant.

We have been unsettled for about 18 months but Covid has been the icing on the cake!

There will never be a good time and at some point Oz will get hit. Covid is not just going to disappear.

We are leaving before Christmas as the housing market is predicted to crash early next year and we are much more likely to sell our house now.

Good luck with your decision. Feel free to drop me a message if you want to chat xxx

Thanks Lynne. We just want want to be back. We've had our fix and it's time to return. Good luck with your move too. Will drop you a message in the weekend. xx

 

On 05/11/2020 at 08:46, marmitegirl said:

So we're not the only ones then!! Everyone thinks we're mad to be going especially now but I agree with what you say. Good luck with the move

This is so true. We hesitated announcing the news. They think we're mad too! 

[Newy]

On 04/11/2020 at 15:01, Lynne shenfine said:

This is exactly the position we are in! We have  in Adelaide for eight years. Live beside the beach, pool, excellent well paid job etc etc  but all of our family in the U.K. Travel was our way of staying here. We are now essentially living in a guilded cage and with the draconian border control and no likelihood of international travel for some time we have decided to go home.

 Slighty different as my husband has landed a job in Jersey where Covid isn't quite so rampant.

We have been unsettled for about 18 months but Covid has been the icing on the cake!

There will never be a good time and at some point Oz will get hit. Covid is not just going to disappear.

We are leaving before Christmas as the housing market is predicted to crash early next year and we are much more likely to sell our house now.

Good luck with your decision. Feel free to drop me a message if you want to chat xxx

Thanks Lynne. We just want want to be back. We've had our fix and it's time to return. Good luck with your move too. Will drop you a message in the weekend. xx

 

On 05/11/2020 at 08:46, marmitegirl said:

So we're not the only ones then!! Everyone thinks we're mad to be going especially now but I agree with what you say. Good luck with the move

This is so true. We hesitated announcing the news. They think we're mad too! 

[FirstWorldProblems]

6 hours ago, Newy said:

You know what? Yesterday was dull, gloomy and rained a lot around where I lived. I imagined that I was back in England and it just made me feel so happy! It was a strange feeling, which made me realise that the weather won't be a factor if we do end up returning to a cold dark winter. However, given the latest lockdown, we're planning on delaying the move by a couple of months but not too long. We do not have a home to move into. Hoping to rent for a few months until we secure employment. We're hoping to find jobs in England but haven't ruled out Scotland either. 

 

I think the biggest factor in making something successful is having the right mind-set, so on that basis you guys are going to do great.  Good luck.

[Lovetoteach]

We like you had decided to move at the end of the year and made some plans and timelines. Covid 19 and some personal challenges made us change our dates to July 2021. We have recently decided to leave in until the end of 2021. It's not ideal as our children will be 13 and 14 with the oldest part way through year 10. We decided that is the absolute latest date we can go and if it still looks bad we won't go.

[Marisawright]

40 minutes ago, Lovetoteach said:

We like you had decided to move at the end of the year and made some plans and timelines. Covid 19 and some personal challenges made us change our dates to July 2021. We have recently decided to leave in until the end of 2021. It's not ideal as our children will be 13 and 14 with the oldest part way through year 10. We decided that is the absolute latest date we can go and if it still looks bad we won't go.

Just be careful about putting it off and putting it off and putting it off....because especially once your children are in their teens, it's very very easy to get to the point of no return.  If you (or one of you) are horrified by the idea of spending the rest of your life in Australia, don't risk it by delaying.

Edited November 6, 2020 by Marisawright

[Lovetoteach]

10 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Just be careful about putting it off and putting it off and putting it off....because especially once your children are in their teens, it's very very easy to get to the point of no return.  If you (or one of you) are horrified by the idea of spending the rest of your life in Australia, don't risk it by delaying.

Yes, we have discussed it, not ideal we know which is why end of 2021 would be our absolute last chance or at least the last chance for 10 more years. As it is we would be most likely leaving behind a 20 year old who earlier in the year insisted he hated Australia but has since moved in with a girlfriend. There are worse places to be than Australia so the thought of staying long term doesn't worry us but we would currently prefer to be closer to our parents as they get older. 

[Marisawright]

53 minutes ago, Lovetoteach said:

Yes, we have discussed it, not ideal we know which is why end of 2021 would be our absolute last chance or at least the last chance for 10 more years. As it is we would be most likely leaving behind a 20 year old who earlier in the year insisted he hated Australia but has since moved in with a girlfriend. There are worse places to be than Australia so the thought of staying long term doesn't worry us but we would currently prefer to be closer to our parents as they get older. 

It sounds like you've already hit that problem, where one of the kids gets old enough to form relationships and then if you do move, you're faced with a split family. 

I think you said your husband was 50. Just be aware that if you leave it another ten years, you'll still be leaving before he can claim the Australian government pension - which means he'll never get it, but he also may not have enough years to get the UK pension.  If you have a big superannuation pot that may not matter, but it's worth being aware of.  It would be worth looking into paying NI contributions as you go along, to ensure you can get a full UK pension when you return.  If you return, of course - if you wait that long, you'll likely have three settled Aussie kids whom you'll have to leave behind.

You don't sound as though you're all that bothered about moving in the long term.  How does your husband feel?  Is he the one hankering for home?

[Lovetoteach]

6 hours ago, Marisawright said:

It sounds like you've already hit that problem, where one of the kids gets old enough to form relationships and then if you do move, you're faced with a split family. 

I think you said your husband was 50. Just be aware that if you leave it another ten years, you'll still be leaving before he can claim the Australian government pension - which means he'll never get it, but he also may not have enough years to get the UK pension.  If you have a big superannuation pot that may not matter, but it's worth being aware of.  It would be worth looking into paying NI contributions as you go along, to ensure you can get a full UK pension when you return.  If you return, of course - if you wait that long, you'll likely have three settled Aussie kids whom you'll have to leave behind.

You don't sound as though you're all that bothered about moving in the long term.  How does your husband feel?  Is he the one hankering for home?

Yes we have a lot to consider, which is part of our reasoning behind leaving it a bit longer. My husband is more keen than I am and we deliberately chose a time so our son ( who was very keen) could finish school but before our other kids hit the critical school years. We have discussed how to increase our pensions over the next few years I  both countries. Sometimes I wish we had never come that way we wouldn't have to make the decision.

[Newy]

On 07/11/2020 at 09:28, Lovetoteach said:

We like you had decided to move at the end of the year and made some plans and timelines. Covid 19 and some personal challenges made us change our dates to July 2021. We have recently decided to leave in until the end of 2021. It's not ideal as our children will be 13 and 14 with the oldest part way through year 10. We decided that is the absolute latest date we can go and if it still looks bad we won't go.

It's not easy is it? We wanted to make sure that we don't leave it later than when our eldest starts year 9, which means our absolute deadline is August 2021. This will give us enough time to find accommodation and enjoy a bit of British summer before school commences. Just be careful with your 14 year old as if I'm correct, they need to be resident in UK for three years before starting university (if this is what they want to do), or else they'll have to pay international student fees. Good luck with your move.

[Amber Snowball]

2 hours ago, Newy said:

It's not easy is it? We wanted to make sure that we don't leave it later than when our eldest starts year 9, which means our absolute deadline is August 2021. This will give us enough time to find accommodation and enjoy a bit of British summer before school commences. Just be careful with your 14 year old as if I'm correct, they need to be resident in UK for three years before starting university (if this is what they want to do), or else they'll have to pay international student fees. Good luck with your move.

Yes the 3 years residence for uni fees is correct. I have heard of some exceptions being made but a bit of a gamble to rely on that happening.

What do you do for work? I think jobs are going to be your real issue depending upon sector. 
Obvs education timings are important so it might be you just have to make the leap and hope.

I’m sort of replying to multiple posters here!

[Home and Happy]

On 02/11/2020 at 01:48, Newy said:

Hi all,

We have been thinking of returning to UK since early this year but have been postponing due to the pandemic. We have a comfortable life here but we don't see ourselves making Australia our forever home. Our latest plan was to be back by Christmas but given that the situation is about to get worse than the first wave, I'm hesitant. My husband on the other hand thinks that this pandemic is not going to end anytime soon, so the sooner we move the better. I would really like to do that, but how can I knowingly take my children from the safety of Australia to a full-blown pandemic? We definitely want to move, but I'm inclined to move in the new year/Easter. I can see my husband's point of view - that if we had never moved to Australia, we would be going through this anyway, and our friends/family are somehow managing. He thinks that if we don't move by Christmas, we'll end up staying another year as there'll be another wave/reasons to delay...

Please help us decide. What would you do? We're torn! 

Gosh..that’s a tough one that.  Even Craig Hamilton Parker would struggle to help. Many experts predict the housing market to take a hit in places like London and South East, if it does, you will be quids in.  Get sold up and sit with the cash ready to pounce on your dream UK property. It’s all about the timing.

[Home and Happy]

On 06/11/2020 at 10:34, FirstWorldProblems said:

I think the biggest factor in making something successful is having the right mind-set, so on that basis you guys are going to do great.  Good luck.

Good advice.  You will be fine back here.

[Niti]

On 02/11/2020 at 12:48, Newy said:

Hi all,

We have been thinking of returning to UK since early this year but have been postponing due to the pandemic. We have a comfortable life here but we don't see ourselves making Australia our forever home. Our latest plan was to be back by Christmas but given that the situation is about to get worse than the first wave, I'm hesitant. My husband on the other hand thinks that this pandemic is not going to end anytime soon, so the sooner we move the better. I would really like to do that, but how can I knowingly take my children from the safety of Australia to a full-blown pandemic? We definitely want to move, but I'm inclined to move in the new year/Easter. I can see my husband's point of view - that if we had never moved to Australia, we would be going through this anyway, and our friends/family are somehow managing. He thinks that if we don't move by Christmas, we'll end up staying another year as there'll be another wave/reasons to delay...

Please help us decide. What would you do? We're torn! 

Hello,

My husband and I have just recently gone through this and in the end we decided it was best to go back before xmas. We have been homesick since Jan and I suppose lockdown was the icing on the cake for us. We love Australia and have had the best 5 years here but there is something missing for us. We miss our families and feel like if we continue to stay here we will miss out on seeing our parents growing old. The thought of waiting and dragging out the inevitable just did not make sense to us and like people have mentioned, covid is going anywhere anytime soon. 

Luckily my husband has secured a new job and we will be staying with my in laws until we get our own place. I'm confident I will be able to get work also but have prepared myself for the worst.

I do feel for your situation as it is such a big decision and it is even harder if you can't decide together when is the best time. 

The only thing I will say is that I can relate to your husband not wanting to wait anymore. When you want to go, every day here feels wasted and depressing..Yes it will be hard to relocate during a pandemic but as a family I am sure you guys will pull through and settle down quickly.  

Anyway I hope you can both come to an agreement and work a way that works for both of you. x 

 

[Dusty Plains]

On 03/11/2020 at 12:21, Newy said:

Many thanks to you all! Definitely helped with making the decision to not travel in time for Christmas. It's not worth it! We're definitely delaying the move to at least late January but not later than Easter as my husband really do want to be back soon. Hopefully, we can enjoy one last summer here before we move. Fingers crossed x

The world has changed. 

Its something that a lot of people just do not get, but its likely that C-19 will be around for quite some time, perhaps forever. I am certain there are a number of posters here on PIO who are probably beginning to confront that very likelihood, and how it effects them and their families.

Tailing off of C19 is the high chance of extended recession in those countries where C-19 is rampant. The picture that emerges is that, if feeble governments cannot manage C-19, are they any better at managing subsequent recessions? We'll probably never know but, how many US citizens (for instance) would be lining up to fly home from Australia?  There may be  only a few.

What priority would you place upon factors such as, the pull to return home, even if that pull is mostly evident in your partner, for instance over life itself? If not life itself, then possibly years of misery in recession?   

My advice, above all, avoid the northern hemisphere.  

 

[ozuk]

I'm moving back soon. It's either that OR stay illegally in Australia. Can't decide.

Edited November 16, 2020 by ozuk

[Chortlepuss]

If I was going back to the UK (and I would given the chance), I’d wait until the UK spring time. It is always a magical time of the year and the prospect of summer and lighter evenings makes everyone feel a bit more optimistic. Easier for you to ease back into the climate as well. 

[MARYROSE02]

On 16/11/2020 at 20:09, ozuk said:

I'm moving back soon. It's either that OR stay illegally in Australia. Can't decide.

When does your visa run out?

[MARYROSE02]

11 hours ago, Chortlepuss said:

If I was going back to the UK (and I would given the chance), I’d wait until the UK spring time. It is always a magical time of the year and the prospect of summer and lighter evenings makes everyone feel a bit more optimistic. Easier for you to ease back into the climate as well. 

I half agree but on the other hand, going back in the middle of winter gives you a shot of realism. If you love it you know it can only get better.

[Jon the Hat]

I admire the positive attitude!   Just don't expect to be free to be dining out, meeting friends and family until the Spring!  Lockdown continues for most of the country...

[starlight7]

Well good luck whatever. Isn’t it good we are all different ?

[Jon the Hat]

On 29/11/2020 at 00:15, starlight7 said:

Well good luck whatever. Isn’t it good we are all different ?

Life would be bloody dull if we weren't that's for sure.

[scousers]

Absolutely i would love to return to the UK. Not going to happen as my family followed me here so im now stuck!

[MARYROSE02]

On 16/11/2020 at 18:19, Dusty Plains said:

The world has changed. 

Its something that a lot of people just do not get, but its likely that C-19 will be around for quite some time, perhaps forever. I am certain there are a number of posters here on PIO who are probably beginning to confront that very likelihood, and how it effects them and their families.

Tailing off of C19 is the high chance of extended recession in those countries where C-19 is rampant. The picture that emerges is that, if feeble governments cannot manage C-19, are they any better at managing subsequent recessions? We'll probably never know but, how many US citizens (for instance) would be lining up to fly home from Australia?  There may be  only a few.

What priority would you place upon factors such as, the pull to return home, even if that pull is mostly evident in your partner, for instance over life itself? If not life itself, then possibly years of misery in recession?   

My advice, above all, avoid the northern hemisphere.  

 

Since I've been in Queensland - five months now  - it is almost as if Covid 19 never existed.  Bar signing in when you go to bars and cafes, seeing the odd person in a mask and the Covid-19 testing caravan on the promenade, life is normal. Every day I go to the cafe, every night to a bar/club/restaurant with few restrictions.

I'm not saying that it IS normal because at the back of my mind is the fear that  Armageddon  is just waiting to strike, the way it did in Melbourne, and to a lesser extent (hopefully) in Sydney.

But compared to what is happening in the UK, why would you want to "parachute" into that environment and in the middle of winter?! I'm not saying, "Don't go" but maybe wait a while to see if they get things sorted out. Moving to anywhere new is hard enough in normal times. I've done it a few times now, UK to OZ, OZ to UK, UK to OZ, and NSW to QLD. Well, the last one does not really count but the ones from country to country have all involved a period of adjustment.

 

[Shayman]

As things currently stand, I feel very fortunate to be living in Australia but sad to see the state of affairs in the UK.

I consider myself an optimist but get the sense my home nation is in a state of long term decline.

For this reason I would not move back, but look forward to being able to return for a holiday.

[Paul1Perth]

On 21/12/2020 at 22:59, scousers said:

Absolutely i would love to return to the UK. Not going to happen as my family followed me here so im now stuck!

You were lucky in a way. My Sister and nieces wanted to emigrate after coming on holiday for the first time in the early 90's. They applied and couldn't get in. 

My sis's then hubby was a policeman too and he applied to several forces. There were something like 100 places going and 5000 applicants. They got through to an invite to the embassy for a briefing and thought they were in. Got put in a pool and heard nothing after that.

They were devastated when it all fell through.