Emigrating to Aus as a future option, just some Q's :)

[PixiNanny]

I'm 20 so am not looking to emigrate yet, but I know that I do not want to bring children up in the UK! I was wondering what Aus is like for emigration? What the childcare system is like mainly, both for childcare professionals (I'm looking to do a degree in childcare) and for children? Anyone emigrated to Aus? How do you find it over there? Is it easy to settle down and find work as an emigrate? How hard is it to get granted a visa over there? And any of the usual bits you may like to add on for my benefit

[sunnydelight]

You will get loads of info if you search one of the immigration/expat websites like britishexpats.com. It isn't easy to get a PR (permanent resident) visa, but you have youth on your side! You may want to think about coming over on a working holiday visa and checking things out yourself. There is also lots of information on the DIAC (department of immigration and citizenship) website.

[gigglewitch]

possibly rude of me to say so, but Thumbwitch has recently moved to Oz and is wellllll up on the visa ishhoos...

THUMB, where are ya?
(Australia, obv.. and in the opposite time zone from us )

[differentnameforthis]

I second coming for a holiday first, but remember that a holiday is VERY different from living here.

While you are here, check out property prices, rental prices, food prices etc.

[ClaudiaSchiffer]

Hi Pixie, childcare is pretty low paid here - I guess it's probably much the same as in the UK - try looking here for an idea of vacancies etc.

I dunno if childcare would come under a skilled migrant visa - possibly not - look at the Aus government site to check.

I totally second the working holiday idea. Also think about where you want to live, Sydney etc great but very very expensive.

Oz is a great place for families, but it is a LONGLONG LONG way from the UK which may be important if you are close to your own family.

[PixiNanny]

I'm planning on going over on a working holiday visa in the next few years but wouldn't move anywhere for good until I'm a bit older (and somewhat wiser ) I just need to save enough to last me whilst there!

I was checking the skilled migrant list thing and it seems that if I have a degree in childcare I should be okay to move over. Got to start the degree first though haha

I have no idea which part I would move too, probably somewhere with outdoor pursuits in abundance nearby! But the same goes if I moved somewhere in the UK.

I'd like to know a bit about the laws and whatnot regarding kids over there, my issue with the UK is it's childcare laws and how screwed over they are right now, I don't want to become a childcare professional in an environment like this and I wouldn't want to raise my own children in the UK either, it's just going downhill

Thank you for the advice, I'll check it out a bit more

[differentnameforthis]

Could this be useful

Or this

Family Day Care is the Australia equiv of a Childminder

[differentnameforthis]

Did you mean expansive, Riven? Or expensive?

Because Sydney is both. But wages are higher than over States in some fields.

[differentnameforthis]

But wages are higher than other States in some fields.

[sunnydelight]

In general I have found Australia to be far less of a "nanny state" than the UK. You are expected to take responsibility for yourself which I find quite refreshing. For example most playgrounds around here, many of which are fairly newly installed, don't have the safety surface that is pretty much obligatory in the UK now. Kids are expected to play like kids and if they fall you deal with it, you don't look to sue your Council.

When I first arrived I was amazed to see little kids walking home from school by themselves, and even kindy (reception) kids will get the school bus. The notion that everyone must be viewed as a potential paedophile (in my opinion fuelled very much by the British media) just doesn't exist here, though of course that doesn't mean there aren't paedophiles. I can't even imagine the response of most Australians if you told them that they couldn't have each other's kids for a couple of hours after school or during the holidays to help out their mates! One of the main reasons we are here is that we thought it would be a better place to raise our kids, and in our opinion it is BUT, we are older and didn't leave a lot of close family behind which is a real problem for a lot of our friends.

Childcare isn't a particularly well paid job here, and as Riven says Sydney is very expensive (other places in Oz are significantly cheaper). It is an amazing place to live though so well worth at least a year of your life!

[PixiNanny]

sunnydelight, that's what I like and think I mean! A nanny state. I hate the UK becoming such a nanny state gr

I'd probably look to move to a city or big town, so it's good to know that Sydney is expansive () so therefore probs off of my list lol

I want to get out of the UK before I settle down, my family and friends aren't too much of an issue, I rarely see them now as it is! I do not want to raise children in an environment where you are seen as a bad parent if you allow your children to climb trees, which I feel it will get to at some point! I just want to be able to have kids one day who are allowed to act like kids, where if you take them to hospital with a broken arm you aren't terrorised by social services on suspected abuse. (I know, overexageration, but it's getting there!)

Is Aus looking to become like the UK in the nanny state business?