If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options
Living in Australia
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Anyone got any experience of living in Australia, i.e moving there from the UK?
I am thinking of living there on a one year visa later this year (with the intention of staying longer) and just wondering if anyone has experience of moving there.
I know Ed has, hopefully he will spot this and reply. Anyone else, I am looking for pros and cons of moving there. Ease of finding accommodation, jobs, making new friends?
Ta
Cal
I am thinking of living there on a one year visa later this year (with the intention of staying longer) and just wondering if anyone has experience of moving there.
I know Ed has, hopefully he will spot this and reply. Anyone else, I am looking for pros and cons of moving there. Ease of finding accommodation, jobs, making new friends?
Ta
Cal
0
Comments
It's the age old, it's a long long way away, and a surprisingly different culture.
My dad lived there for 5 years and he said the process of getting a new visa and work permit every year was onerous; apparently getting settled residency is very tricky indeed.
But he loved the lifestyle, and the weather(!). If there was a downside for him it was that intercity travel isn't easy unless you fly.
Visa is simple, cost me about 150 quid, you need proof that you have at least 2 grand in your bank account when you arrive.
Accomodation, well I had it easy. I moved straight into a flat with people I already knew, they already had it sorted out. Finding a new flat was pretty easy though.
What kind of work do you want to do? If it's a working holiday visa, you can only work in each job for 6 months at a time (or you could when I was there) so you're unlikely to get a job which will enhance your career, unless you find some business to sponsor you and keep you on longer.
It's only supposed to be lots of temporary jobs to fund your travels around Australia.
You can extend your one year visa to two years by doing about 3 months of rural work. So farming, fruit picking, mining etc, or you can get a job to sponsor you which will eventually give you the option to apply for Permanant residence.
My parents, who obtained permanent residency in the early 80s and, as such, meant that I'm an Aussie national, even now joke that it's 1994 in Australia. They're being a bit cruel, but only a bit. They couldn't deal with the distance from family and came back due to homesickness.