What would you do in my position?

[LukeM]

Well! It's crunch time. Here goes nothing...

 

Some of you might recognise my presence around these quarters over the past couple of years, I'm not new here by any means. Some of us have had a rough time getting a visa and some of us haven't.

 

I'm 17 years old. I'll turn 18 this July. I'm doing my A Level exams this June. I've applied to 5 Universities, all of which gave me offers. My first was received within 3 days of sending my application off! I've accepted an offer to study IT in Southampton Solent starting September 2010.

 

We were granted a visa in May 2009 on my mum's job as a nurse with 20 something years experience.

 

Now we're trying to sell a house, and it's not going that well. My dad is being incredibly defeatist about the whole situation (as always, exaggeration or defeatist attitude in pocket!!)

 

I however, don't want to give up that easily!

 

Like I've said, I'm nearly 18. What sets me apart from everyone else I know is that I don't want to go to University in September. I don't want to keep my part-time job and transfer to the branch nearest my intended University.

 

I want to go on an adventure. I want to live my dream of moving to Australia.

 

I have a red booklet and a piece of paper that says "yes, you can"

 

I want to get out in the world and prove my worth as a person. I want to go to University. I've visited Griffith (it's in Queensland for those of you not familiar with it) to study IT and hopefully, eventually become a teacher.

 

I've talked to my tutor in College about it.

 

I've got family already in Australia. I wouldn't mind if I had to do something like work full time for a while to be able to live and study...then carry on living!

 

I might have a place to stay with them if I'm lucky. I see no reason why I can't do it. I'm so close to being 18, and this is what I want to do with my life.

 

That's not the full story though... I have tried to talk to my parents about it. But I haven't been able to get through to them about it.

 

So I've come here asking for some advice. I can understand that they both want to go and that if they can't, they're losing their son there. And they worry (a lot) about me. I understand. I'm not doing it in spite of anyone, to be horrible and they know because they had to make that decision themselves to apply for and obtain a visa... and to put a house up for sale with emigrating as their primary objective. So I know what they're on about. But I think, now, I'm so close to being 18, I've got to make that decision for myself. And that's what I'd like to do. I get held back by family and other people a lot. And now I really want to do something and I know it's for good reasons, with the political state in uncertainty and the economy in tatters... University places vanishing into thin air, my dreams of doing what I want to do in England are fast evaporating.

 

What do we think I should do? And more importantly how should I go about it?!

 

 

HELP? :unsure: :notworthy:

[Guest Working to fish]

Well! It's crunch time. Here goes nothing...

 

Some of you might recognise my presence around these quarters over the past couple of years, I'm not new here by any means. Some of us have had a rough time getting a visa and some of us haven't.

 

I'm 17 years old. I'll turn 18 this July. I'm doing my A Level exams this June. I've applied to 5 Universities, all of which gave me offers. My first was received within 3 days of sending my application off! I've accepted an offer to study IT in Southampton Solent starting September 2010.

 

We were granted a visa in May 2009 on my mum's job as a nurse with 20 something years experience.

 

Now we're trying to sell a house, and it's not going that well. My dad is being incredibly defeatist about the whole situation (as always, exaggeration or defeatist attitude in pocket!!)

 

I however, don't want to give up that easily!

 

Like I've said, I'm nearly 18. What sets me apart from everyone else I know is that I don't want to go to University in September. I don't want to keep my part-time job and transfer to the branch nearest my intended University.

 

I want to go on an adventure. I want to live my dream of moving to Australia.

 

I have a red booklet and a piece of paper that says "yes, you can"

 

I want to get out in the world and prove my worth as a person. I want to go to University. I've visited Griffith (it's in Queensland for those of you not familiar with it) to study IT and hopefully, eventually become a teacher.

 

I've talked to my tutor in College about it.

 

I've got family already in Australia. I wouldn't mind if I had to do something like work full time for a while to be able to live and study...then carry on living!

 

I might have a place to stay with them if I'm lucky. I see no reason why I can't do it. I'm so close to being 18, and this is what I want to do with my life.

 

That's not the full story though... I have tried to talk to my parents about it. But I haven't been able to get through to them about it.

 

So I've come here asking for some advice. I can understand that they both want to go and that if they can't, they're losing their son there. And they worry (a lot) about me. I understand. I'm not doing it in spite of anyone, to be horrible and they know because they had to make that decision themselves to apply for and obtain a visa... and to put a house up for sale with emigrating as their primary objective. So I know what they're on about. But I think, now, I'm so close to being 18, I've got to make that decision for myself. And that's what I'd like to do. I get held back by family and other people a lot. And now I really want to do something and I know it's for good reasons, with the political state in uncertainty and the economy in tatters... University places vanishing into thin air, my dreams of doing what I want to do in England are fast evaporating.

 

What do we think I should do? And more importantly how should I go about it?!

 

 

HELP? :unsure: :notworthy:

 

 

sounds to me like you know what you want ,you know right from wrong ,go with your hart .Dont know if this helps what so ever but best of luck.

[LukeM]

Also bear in mind, our house has been on the market for 2 weeks if that. There's nothing to say that we can't sell it. So there's a chance that we might all still go anyway?

 

But I'm saying... if we don't. If they're going to be pessimists and give up. That's when this comes into it!

[keily]

hey luke ...i think the first thing u need to do is find out if u are able to go if ur parents dont ...ie ...if ur on their visa they would need to validate before u could get there ....and i dont know how it works if they came back ...would u also need to ??? .....i can see where u are comin from though and i wish u all the luck

mrs keily

[LukeM]

keily

 

Basically... I have 175 (PR). We validated in August 09 (just had to enter Australia once before April 2010) and then from that point up to May 2014, any one of my family can enter and leave Australia individually or as a collective.

 

So I know that I could actually make it if I wanted to.

 

But it's more a case of money, and having a definite place to stay. Work shouldn't be too much of an issue, and I reckon, that, I might be able to persuade them to support me (if I decided to go to either TAFE or Uni there earlier than I plan to ...as they would have to support me here anyway! Fees a bit lower there) :cool:

[Guest dolphindiva]

I think go for it but hopefully you won't need to go for it alone. Can your parents not rent the house out if they don't get a buyer? We've had our house on the market since Jan and unfortunately there's been no interest yet. However we are not letting that stop us. We move on July 13th and if the house doesn't sell by then we'll put it up for rental. We feel its worth the sacrifice of coming off the housing ladder for a while and renting until it does sell and by renting it out for a while we might actually get a better price when we do finally sell it, worth a thought anyway

[LukeM]

You guys are flying out on my Birthday! Jealous much?!

 

Anyway. No, my parents have said they absolutely won't under any circumstances rent it out. Which I think is fair enough in some respects and we wouldn't be able to get anyone who would be able to pay enough rent to cover the mortgage costs so that's been right off the cards from the beginning.

 

I mean. I wouldn't mind going on my own! Adventure... :biggrin: I know people. I have contacts. SO.

[ali]

Sounds like a plan Luke don't underestimate living with relative though .. it's sometimes harder than you anticipate, and living costs here in Aus can be quite high. Howver, you sound like a very determined young man and I wish you luck

[Guest June Pixie]

Luke, if you have some family connections and the wherewithal to study over there, I'd say go for it!

 

As a family we have 2 kids, a daughter aged nearly 14 and a son nearly 9 and our visa may not be granted for 2-3 years. I may sound like your dad but I am having second thoughts about actually living my life in Australia. We have spent so much money and effort getting this far, that at the very least we will validate the visa and return back to UK. When that happens my daughter will be nearly the age you are now and I would hope that even if we don't decide to settle in Oz, she may use the visa to travel there and perhaps have a gap year living and working in Oz. I know there is a WHV route but so many want more than a year and having the 175 or 176 (in our case) will allow her to stay longer, return or basically do what she pleases.

 

I'm not sure of the study routes you can take alone but even to satisfy your itch you should try it out or the visa will expire and then what? I reckon I'll buy my daughter the plane ticket to go when the time comes or I'll think it's all been a waste of time, money and effort.

 

PS: Would a friend not be interested in paying for a 1 year WHV and go with you? I know a few people have done this.

 

Best of luck.

[LukeM]

I'm liking that last suggestion.

 

Yeah it's what I've been thinking for a while, we've got that far. Been over twice... travelled around the country exploring from Queensland down-over to SA.

 

I got very involved with the application process and filling in stuff (because I turned 16 part way through so I had to do my own Form 80 and stuff as well)

 

I just don't see a way forward for me in the UK atm.

 

And I don't wanna say "I had the chance, and I never took it..."

 

So. We shall see!

 

Perhaps this smiley thingy emoticon (call it what you will) is what I must do to persuade mum (flowers!!)

:wubclub:

[Que Sera Sera]

Luke my daughter wanted to live in Australia with her Dad when she was only 15 1/2.

I know its slightly different as she had her Father to stay with but I let her go. It broke my heart but as a parent I knew that is was what she wanted to do and I did not have the right to stop her dreams for my on selfish reasons.

 

Here we are now following her so things do have a way of working out. I think you should give it a go if thats what your dream is....go for it!:biggrin: I am sure your parents will want whats best for you too!:jiggy: