Moving to Aus-General Advice
Discussion
After a few years of toying with the idea me and my soon to be Mrs. are seriously starting to think about moving to Aus. Seems like a bad time to me as house prices in Aus seem to be strong but more of a problem seems to be the strong $ but could probably sit around for years waiting for things to change but maybe things will change maybe they won’t.
Anyhow looking for general impressions (good and bad) from those who have done the same, what’s the job market like areas to live in, areas not to live in etc. I’d be more up for trying it for 6-12 months trying to take a sabbatical from work, rent our house out and just rent over there so we’d have a safety net to fall back on if it doesn’t work out.
Bit of back ground
We’ll both be 30 this year I’m a chartered engineer with a BEng and MEng (Nuclear), 11 years experience. I’m worried my qualifications are too niche and Australia other than a few research institutes don’t have nuclear. I have been a Process Engineer in the past and can do design etc so hopefully not too much of a disadvantage?
OH is a mathematical modeler with Math’s degree I know sod all about that area of work but it seems most big engineering companies etc have these sort of people, she’s also done Operational Research roles too which in some ways is doing the same sort of thing.
We’ve never been to Aus; we wanted to go for our honeymoon but perhaps ironically were eventually put off by the exchange rate. A fact finding mission could be on the cards but would obviously eat in to any moving budget. My Dad lived in Australia for about 16 years about 40 years ago-does this in any way make me eligible for duel citizenship? That would make things much more straightforward no doubt.
I travel to Canada with work and that appeals to me more, mainly because I love skiing and the idea of skiing in the winter when ever I have free time appeals allot but my OH whilst enjoys this doesn’t share my enthusiasm to live there and much prefers the idea of Australia. The idea of having year round decent weather does appeal though as I’m very much an outdoors person, running, cycling, hiking etc. I’m pretty much the opposite to my OH in that she’s lived in a variety of places and cities and hasn’t lived at home since she left for uni. Me I lived in the same small town all my life.
Anyhow looking for general impressions (good and bad) from those who have done the same, what’s the job market like areas to live in, areas not to live in etc. I’d be more up for trying it for 6-12 months trying to take a sabbatical from work, rent our house out and just rent over there so we’d have a safety net to fall back on if it doesn’t work out.
Bit of back ground
We’ll both be 30 this year I’m a chartered engineer with a BEng and MEng (Nuclear), 11 years experience. I’m worried my qualifications are too niche and Australia other than a few research institutes don’t have nuclear. I have been a Process Engineer in the past and can do design etc so hopefully not too much of a disadvantage?
OH is a mathematical modeler with Math’s degree I know sod all about that area of work but it seems most big engineering companies etc have these sort of people, she’s also done Operational Research roles too which in some ways is doing the same sort of thing.
We’ve never been to Aus; we wanted to go for our honeymoon but perhaps ironically were eventually put off by the exchange rate. A fact finding mission could be on the cards but would obviously eat in to any moving budget. My Dad lived in Australia for about 16 years about 40 years ago-does this in any way make me eligible for duel citizenship? That would make things much more straightforward no doubt.
I travel to Canada with work and that appeals to me more, mainly because I love skiing and the idea of skiing in the winter when ever I have free time appeals allot but my OH whilst enjoys this doesn’t share my enthusiasm to live there and much prefers the idea of Australia. The idea of having year round decent weather does appeal though as I’m very much an outdoors person, running, cycling, hiking etc. I’m pretty much the opposite to my OH in that she’s lived in a variety of places and cities and hasn’t lived at home since she left for uni. Me I lived in the same small town all my life.
Go for it.
I moved with my family from England to Australia 4 years ago and we are loving it.
Like yourself, I have an engineering background, though I was a couple of years older than you. A large multinational company paid me to relocate, sponsored our Visas, etc. This is a good option. Engineering is flexible, the mining sector might be very interested in your skills.
We have an excellent standard of living, our family has grown. We are very happy, though we were happy in England too. Australia took a while (maybe 9 months) to grow on us but we are now very aware of the positives.
Be brave, enjoy your life, have an adventure.
I moved with my family from England to Australia 4 years ago and we are loving it.
Like yourself, I have an engineering background, though I was a couple of years older than you. A large multinational company paid me to relocate, sponsored our Visas, etc. This is a good option. Engineering is flexible, the mining sector might be very interested in your skills.
We have an excellent standard of living, our family has grown. We are very happy, though we were happy in England too. Australia took a while (maybe 9 months) to grow on us but we are now very aware of the positives.
Be brave, enjoy your life, have an adventure.
Kawasicki said:
Go for it.
I moved with my family from England to Australia 4 years ago and we are loving it.
Like yourself, I have an engineering background, though I was a couple of years older than you. A large multinational company paid me to relocate, sponsored our Visas, etc. This is a good option. Engineering is flexible, the mining sector might be very interested in your skills.
We have an excellent standard of living, our family has grown. We are very happy, though we were happy in England too. Australia took a while (maybe 9 months) to grow on us but we are now very aware of the positives.
Be brave, enjoy your life, have an adventure.
Thanks for the quick reply Kawasicki, where are you based? What sort of engineering field are you in? How did you go about job searching and getting a comapy to sponsor you? Sounds good if someone else can help with the costs etc. Do they do phone interviews and such like?I moved with my family from England to Australia 4 years ago and we are loving it.
Like yourself, I have an engineering background, though I was a couple of years older than you. A large multinational company paid me to relocate, sponsored our Visas, etc. This is a good option. Engineering is flexible, the mining sector might be very interested in your skills.
We have an excellent standard of living, our family has grown. We are very happy, though we were happy in England too. Australia took a while (maybe 9 months) to grow on us but we are now very aware of the positives.
Be brave, enjoy your life, have an adventure.
Perth does appeal as I know people out there already, the mining industry seems to pay well but are allot of the jobs Fly in and out? I would probably suited to a project engineer/manager role assuming these are more city based. How does the cost of living compare? How long did it take you from starting the visa apps etc util you actually got out there?
Combined income we're on ~90k and have a very nice standard of living for that. Do you have kids? If we were staying put kids would prob be on the cards int he next couple of years but would ahve to re-evaluate that if we emigrated.
Cheers
a311 said:
Kawasicki said:
Go for it.
I moved with my family from England to Australia 4 years ago and we are loving it.
Like yourself, I have an engineering background, though I was a couple of years older than you. A large multinational company paid me to relocate, sponsored our Visas, etc. This is a good option. Engineering is flexible, the mining sector might be very interested in your skills.
We have an excellent standard of living, our family has grown. We are very happy, though we were happy in England too. Australia took a while (maybe 9 months) to grow on us but we are now very aware of the positives.
Be brave, enjoy your life, have an adventure.
Thanks for the quick reply Kawasicki, where are you based? What sort of engineering field are you in? How did you go about job searching and getting a comapy to sponsor you? Sounds good if someone else can help with the costs etc. Do they do phone interviews and such like?I moved with my family from England to Australia 4 years ago and we are loving it.
Like yourself, I have an engineering background, though I was a couple of years older than you. A large multinational company paid me to relocate, sponsored our Visas, etc. This is a good option. Engineering is flexible, the mining sector might be very interested in your skills.
We have an excellent standard of living, our family has grown. We are very happy, though we were happy in England too. Australia took a while (maybe 9 months) to grow on us but we are now very aware of the positives.
Be brave, enjoy your life, have an adventure.
Perth does appeal as I know people out there already, the mining industry seems to pay well but are allot of the jobs Fly in and out? I would probably suited to a project engineer/manager role assuming these are more city based. How does the cost of living compare? How long did it take you from starting the visa apps etc util you actually got out there?
Combined income we're on ~90k and have a very nice standard of living for that. Do you have kids? If we were staying put kids would prob be on the cards int he next couple of years but would ahve to re-evaluate that if we emigrated.
Cheers
Field - Automotive
Job search - ex colleagues told me company was hiring. I would use www.seek.com.au as a starting point for job search.
Sponsorship - normal for auto engineering jobs.
Interview process - all done over phone. 6 months probationary period at work.
Costs of living - more expensive groceries & bills than UK, but cheap to have fun. Surfing costs next to nothing for example. Housing expensive to buy, fairly expensive to rent.
Process took about 5 months.
Kids - took an 18month old girl with us from the UK and have 2 more since then. It's a great place to be a kid.
Mining/Petrochemical companies would seriously consider you as a project/process engineer. Applying doesn't hurt! See what they offer. Your skills are in demand. You have nothing to lose.
Location: Brisbane
Field: Engineering/Construction - Senior Structural Drafter
After 10 years in Hong Kong, it was time to move. Heard from a friend here already it was busy. Used an agent to get phone interviews, offered 3 or 4 jobs, took Brisbane 'cos my friend was already here.
Came on a work sponsored 457 visa, took 3 months from start to finish. Relocation expenses. LAFHA allowance helps while a temporary resident, big hit when you get PR.
Just into a 6 figure salary, wife is a teacher on half as much, daugther just finished year 12 with an OP2.
Living the Australian dream. Good move all up.
Field: Engineering/Construction - Senior Structural Drafter
After 10 years in Hong Kong, it was time to move. Heard from a friend here already it was busy. Used an agent to get phone interviews, offered 3 or 4 jobs, took Brisbane 'cos my friend was already here.
Came on a work sponsored 457 visa, took 3 months from start to finish. Relocation expenses. LAFHA allowance helps while a temporary resident, big hit when you get PR.
Just into a 6 figure salary, wife is a teacher on half as much, daugther just finished year 12 with an OP2.
Living the Australian dream. Good move all up.
Dont think...Just do!
Was / is your father a citizen OP? http://www.immi.gov.au/ for all your visa needs.
Was / is your father a citizen OP? http://www.immi.gov.au/ for all your visa needs.
a311 said:
After a few years of toying with the idea me and my soon to be Mrs. are seriously starting to think about moving to Aus. Seems like a bad time to me as house prices in Aus seem to be strong but more of a problem seems to be the strong $ but could probably sit around for years waiting for things to change but maybe things will change maybe they won’t.
That's exactly why it's a good time to move here, especially if you have a UK house you can rent out whilst here and send money back. the exchange rate is brilliant right now. Will it continue? No idea but I suspect it will stay reasonably strong for the mid term as the economy here is generally much more robust than Europe/UK. So if/when things improve in the UK then sell the house and bring the cash out so it's a win/win.It's been said many times here that if you come here expecting life to be like the UK only sunnier then you will probably be one of the people we see who find it difficult to settle and go back disillusioned but if you come prepared to embrace a different life and culture you will have a fantastic time.
When asked why I love it so much I always so it's like every weekend's a holiday rather than a means to recover from the previous week's work.
If you like outdoors you will like Australia. I bought myself a (rabid)dirt bike, a bmx, a skateboard and a few surfboards. I have many varied ways to hurt myself, it's great. When my kids are older I intend to take up hiking and camping. For the moment I spend a lot of time getting my kids doing outdoor sports. My son was riding a push bike (without stabiliser) off small skate park ramps while he was still a one year old. My daughter was riding bmx tracks at 3. They fall off lots, the scarring will fade.
The kids/parents I see in Australia, they are kind of opposite to the "protect your kids from harm at all costs" mentality. My daughter is now 5 and a pretty skilled bike/motorbike rider. She has worked out on her own terms that being a bit cautious is healthy.
This is a big country, space is everywhere, fun is everywhere.
The kids/parents I see in Australia, they are kind of opposite to the "protect your kids from harm at all costs" mentality. My daughter is now 5 and a pretty skilled bike/motorbike rider. She has worked out on her own terms that being a bit cautious is healthy.
This is a big country, space is everywhere, fun is everywhere.
Personally i think you'd be mad to move to the other side of the world without having visit it first - awesome amount of respect if you did mind, but still mad...
If you make it Sydney though i'd be more than happy to show you around! My brothers a chemical engineer (does quite well out of it - has a couple of 928's), but i'm not sure how relevant that is to your field... can ask him though what your prospects could be.
If you make it Sydney though i'd be more than happy to show you around! My brothers a chemical engineer (does quite well out of it - has a couple of 928's), but i'm not sure how relevant that is to your field... can ask him though what your prospects could be.
Do a reccy....if you do it in summer realise its not always that hot in sydney. It does get cold, houses don't have central heating so you feel it almost the same in the house. Don't think its amazing all the time weather wise even in the summer. hot days are HOT...but right now the summer is a washout. Odd nice days but its rained for weeks now.
The job market is dependant on field and I am in finance. Its quiet I think. in engineering though I imagine you would find work though it might not be in the centres like Sydney.
Money wise I was about the same as you jointly. People will tell you about using some magic number like 2.2 to multiply your salary...its a load of old crap. Ok so about double is right but it depends on the job, luck, supply/demand... think about double...so for a combined income of 90k perhaps anywhere between $165k and $200k depending on where you live...just my opinion. (My pay went up by a factor of 1.9, the nissus who earned a bit less buy 2.4, it depends.)
Lifestyle offers you more. I am taking up sailing and not freezing my nuts off doing it. In the summer you can usually get down the beach, thats a whole weekend of holiday like beach time....swim in the sea, all that...its normal...I have not been eaten by a shark or stung by a jellie yet either!
My BIGGEST tip, the most important thing I think is to get involved in stuff and make friends. That will make or break your experience. I was lucky enough to find friends very quickly...its made it great.
The job market is dependant on field and I am in finance. Its quiet I think. in engineering though I imagine you would find work though it might not be in the centres like Sydney.
Money wise I was about the same as you jointly. People will tell you about using some magic number like 2.2 to multiply your salary...its a load of old crap. Ok so about double is right but it depends on the job, luck, supply/demand... think about double...so for a combined income of 90k perhaps anywhere between $165k and $200k depending on where you live...just my opinion. (My pay went up by a factor of 1.9, the nissus who earned a bit less buy 2.4, it depends.)
Lifestyle offers you more. I am taking up sailing and not freezing my nuts off doing it. In the summer you can usually get down the beach, thats a whole weekend of holiday like beach time....swim in the sea, all that...its normal...I have not been eaten by a shark or stung by a jellie yet either!
My BIGGEST tip, the most important thing I think is to get involved in stuff and make friends. That will make or break your experience. I was lucky enough to find friends very quickly...its made it great.
Thanks for the continued replies. We get married this year so the plan is after that to really think about how we see/want our future panning out over the next 1-2 years. The idea of every weekend being like a holiday certainly appeals as does coming home from work, walking the dog then dinning al fresco.
Sydney doesn’t really appeal to me that much, I’ve never been a big city kind o person and the house prices and rents that I’m used to back home living in a rural area would be a huge shock. I have a 4 bed period semi at the minute, it’s big with 4 doubler bedrooms and would imagine worth around 200k same house in London would be double or triple I expect?
For no particular reason Perth appeals, there’s actually a contingent of people around my parents age from my home town over there including my sisters god parents. What are your opinions on the big centres vs one another? These are some of my preconceptions:
Perth, buoyant job market supported by mining but generally you fly in fly out to the mines. Average size city but one of the most isolated places on the planet. Year round decent climate.
Darwin, less in the way of job tropical climate so hot, sticky, and wet in the summer but drier in the winter-closer to Asia so potential for holidays-close to the UK by a few hours?
Sydney, big, multi-cultural, expensive property not sure on job prospects
Melbourne, slightly cool weather, not sure on the job front, mutli-cultural expensive property?
Adelaide not sure on the climate but cheaper property that Sydney and Melbourne but more difficult job market.
Brisbane, really don’t know much about the area, hotter weather than Sydney Melbourne. Did I read somewhere once that in winter there are no day light savings (strange that that’s all I’ve picked up).
So a trip is required maybe in 12 months time to scope a few things out, will have to decide on the time of year to come, I’d imagine if we go out in our winter but then if we emigrated in the Aus winter we may get a different view.
My dad lived over there for 16 years-do you become a citizen after 5 or am I just making that up? He lives abroad himself now so will have to ask him, he holds a British Passport which I know for sure.
Sydney doesn’t really appeal to me that much, I’ve never been a big city kind o person and the house prices and rents that I’m used to back home living in a rural area would be a huge shock. I have a 4 bed period semi at the minute, it’s big with 4 doubler bedrooms and would imagine worth around 200k same house in London would be double or triple I expect?
For no particular reason Perth appeals, there’s actually a contingent of people around my parents age from my home town over there including my sisters god parents. What are your opinions on the big centres vs one another? These are some of my preconceptions:
Perth, buoyant job market supported by mining but generally you fly in fly out to the mines. Average size city but one of the most isolated places on the planet. Year round decent climate.
Darwin, less in the way of job tropical climate so hot, sticky, and wet in the summer but drier in the winter-closer to Asia so potential for holidays-close to the UK by a few hours?
Sydney, big, multi-cultural, expensive property not sure on job prospects
Melbourne, slightly cool weather, not sure on the job front, mutli-cultural expensive property?
Adelaide not sure on the climate but cheaper property that Sydney and Melbourne but more difficult job market.
Brisbane, really don’t know much about the area, hotter weather than Sydney Melbourne. Did I read somewhere once that in winter there are no day light savings (strange that that’s all I’ve picked up).
So a trip is required maybe in 12 months time to scope a few things out, will have to decide on the time of year to come, I’d imagine if we go out in our winter but then if we emigrated in the Aus winter we may get a different view.
My dad lived over there for 16 years-do you become a citizen after 5 or am I just making that up? He lives abroad himself now so will have to ask him, he holds a British Passport which I know for sure.
Perth, you do flyin flyout to the mines, but then you can also flyin flyout to them from the Eastern States as is happening a lot nowadays and also from regional WA like Geraldton and Busselton. I lived in Perth in the 90s before my job moved me to Melbourne.
I went back for the first time in 10 years last year and it had changed a great deal. You could see the wealth in the place, it was also a lot busier and maybe more congested than I remember. The climate is also a lot different to the other capitals. It does get very hot, maybe 10 days in a row over 35 degrees sometimes before a cool change comes through. It is a dry heat though so not as humid as Sydney or Brisbane. Sydney gets more rain than Melbourne. Adelaide is another hot capital, sometimes the hottest. I think you will find there is no daylight saving in Perth either after they gave it the boot!
Perth is isolated but there is plenty to do and see. Perth is about 4 1/2 hours from Singapore and 3 1/2 from Bali, about 6 1/2 from Thailand. It is also about 19 to 20 hours to the UK. Melbourne is more multi-cultural and yes houses can be expensive but you don't have to live in expensive areas. An hour out of most of the capitals can see you with a few acres except maybe Sydney, maybe 2 hours there. www.realestate.com.au
I went back for the first time in 10 years last year and it had changed a great deal. You could see the wealth in the place, it was also a lot busier and maybe more congested than I remember. The climate is also a lot different to the other capitals. It does get very hot, maybe 10 days in a row over 35 degrees sometimes before a cool change comes through. It is a dry heat though so not as humid as Sydney or Brisbane. Sydney gets more rain than Melbourne. Adelaide is another hot capital, sometimes the hottest. I think you will find there is no daylight saving in Perth either after they gave it the boot!
Perth is isolated but there is plenty to do and see. Perth is about 4 1/2 hours from Singapore and 3 1/2 from Bali, about 6 1/2 from Thailand. It is also about 19 to 20 hours to the UK. Melbourne is more multi-cultural and yes houses can be expensive but you don't have to live in expensive areas. An hour out of most of the capitals can see you with a few acres except maybe Sydney, maybe 2 hours there. www.realestate.com.au
Edited by motomk on Friday 3rd February 15:10
a311 said:
My dad lived over there for 16 years-do you become a citizen after 5 or am I just making that up? He lives abroad himself now so will have to ask him, he holds a British Passport which I know for sure.
I think you have to do 2 years minimum on a sponsored work visa, then 1 year as a Permanent Resident, then citizenshipWe did 4 years on a 457 and we're at about 18 months as PR
But better check the immigration website http://www.immi.gov.au/
Perth is a great place to be.
Yes it is remote...but there is so much to do here that you stop noticing after a while. There is the odd thing that happens here in things like infrastructure and government decisions that show off that the place is remote and painfully young but if you dont watch the s
te news you dont really notice it much.
You get out of Perth what you put in to it. Most of the people that complain about living here are the same people that dont chuck themselves at life and sit at home waiting for it to come to them.
It is quite exciting to watch the place grow to, when I moved here 7 years back it was very very different to what it is today. Now I get to be a part of its growth and identity change and I get to see new things happen all the time.
Yes it is remote...but there is so much to do here that you stop noticing after a while. There is the odd thing that happens here in things like infrastructure and government decisions that show off that the place is remote and painfully young but if you dont watch the s
te news you dont really notice it much.You get out of Perth what you put in to it. Most of the people that complain about living here are the same people that dont chuck themselves at life and sit at home waiting for it to come to them.
It is quite exciting to watch the place grow to, when I moved here 7 years back it was very very different to what it is today. Now I get to be a part of its growth and identity change and I get to see new things happen all the time.
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