AIBU to ask if you have/intend to emigrate from the UK?

[wanderingcloud]

Just that really!

We move to Egypt in August and we are buzzing with nervous anticipation! Most important stuff is sorted for us now so just patiently waiting to get on the flight out.

Would love to hear from others who have done it. Where did you (or will you have) moved to?
How have you found it so far?

Reading with interest. Combination of Brexit and possible Corbyn government making me think seriously about leaving but ds has ASD which might make it difficult to get permanent status elsewhere I suspect

I moved to Asia and it was the best decision I ever made! It's a very safe country - I'm not sure I'd go to Egypt as I'd be a bit more concerned about safety.

We moved to Asia for three years but came back to UK for various reasons. I’d love to leave again but I also appreciate everything we have here, e.g. healthcare, employment rights etc. It’s the things you don’t think of like ex pats being taxed on pensions/investments in UK etc that matter in the long term. Good luck OP. I know someone who lived in Egypt years ago and loved it.

We're planning on going in the next couple of years to Portugal, DH is from there and misses the country and life here has deteriorated to the point we hate where we live with a passion. We can't afford to move here to somewhere where there'll be enough improvement in things so only option is going really. We will likely be mortgage free and have more family there. DS loves it there and will have more opportunities.

I'll take citizenship and likely let my passport from here lapse, we won't be back and I don't think I'll miss it much. I have my own business and DH of course can work in either Portugal or Spain. I'm looking forward to the increased quality of life and opportunity to do something different. Of course we all speak the language and have ties to there which I suppose will help a lot. My ties to this country are now fewer and fewer and will consist only of my sister and elderly father. There's little sense in staying now.

There's a living overseas board (under homes and gardens for some inexplicable reason).

Obviously some people move for a year, some emigrate, and everything in between. Living abroad for a year or two is a totally different thing to emigration, but one sometimes becomes the other, it's not compulsory to burn your bridges immediately.

Live in and love living in NZ. We came for 2 yrs. Brexit happened weve been here 5 and just applied for our passports. Just about to have a 2nd child here.

It was always my plan to emigrate to Australia but unfortunately one of my kids was born with additional needs so we would never get a visa 🙁

Moved to Germany 12 years ago: we live it here, our quality of life is so much better. On the back of Brexit I’ve taken citizenship so we are secure now.

How are all these people moving to the US getting a visas? I was under the impression that it’s nigh on impossible unless you are or are married to an American, or move internally within a company.

Considered moving to Australia before I met dh and had children but I decided it was too far away from friends and family. I would never move ds away from his grandparents, cousins and school friends now.

Moved nearly 20 years ago, various places and then settled. Would never go back to the UK - best thing we ever did.
Go for it!

Moved to Finland 12 years ago. Didn't intend to move permanently but ended up doing so and have no regrets except for not finishing University (came here on my Erasmus year and never left)

Good luck learning Arabic @wanderingcloud I tried learning it a few years ago, gave up but I was fascinated by it

I am moving back home from the U.K. after living here for 18 years, marrying an English man and having two English children with him and becoming a citizen- have been one now for over a decade.

I honestly thought I would stay here for life, circumstances (definitely but not only Brexit) have meant that it is quite impossible.

Emigrating was challenging and I have a lot of mixed feelings about my experiences.

Hate the current attitudes in Britain at the moment. I've never wanted to move abroad (my parents did) and loved my country.
Now, yes seriously considering it. Brexit has brought out the worst in people. The conservative government have run down all of our services, I feel very frustrated and upset by our selfish society.

As an educational professional the final straw for me will be if Michael Gove is the next PM. I really couldn't stomach that.

As a public sector worker, due to central government cuts to Local Authorities my job is under threat, with the process of restructure starting next week. Sadly, already looking at jobs abroad.

Do you get more annual leave in Canada than in the US? I've never been to Canada but can imagine the lifestyle is wonderful. But not much good if you can't get the time off to enjoy it.

I think it's easy to lose sight of the things that are going reasonably well here - and, Brexit aside, there is a lot that this country has right

Brexit is a bit of a big one though. I do agree, absent Brexit, it would be fine here - and I like the climate - I don't like it when it's too hot anyway and hot = nasty bugs. Anyway we'll see what happens post October 2019. Despite Brexit it seems to be more stable here than in some European countries but that could all change extremely rapidly if we have a no deal exit.

Emigrating was challenging and I have a lot of mixed feelings about my experiences.

I left very young and have spent the last 22 years in the UK. I regret not keeping any ties to my country of origin. It does make the question of ever "going back" irrelevant. In fact it would feel like emigrating, which would be confusing I'm sure.

Yep a few decades ago and maybe thought there might be a slight possiblity of moving back but not now. When Brexit turned into a thing took nationality, and was lucky that the country changed their law for Brits to keep that nationality if they want (dual nationality here only allowed with other EU countries). We were fully prepared to give up our British nationality though.

One PP mentioned TEFL and another said "don't bother". Most language schools here want a qualification (CELTA is most popular) and if you don't have it they might still employ a native speaker but at reduced rates. And EFL teachers don't get paid much unless you can get a good corporate gig. (I have an EFL qualification and know lots of EFL teachers)

Another PP mentioned taking citizenship and then letting their British passport lapse. That is fine, but you're still British (there is a fee, which has been increased recently for giving up your British citizenship - if i ever get that far they can sue me for it...)

Good luck in Egypt, OP!

Considering moving to Canada as am a dual national.

I have been living in Norway for 23 years. I'm never going back to the UK. I´ve been away so long that it is a foreign country to me when I visit. Where I live is home now. It was very challenging at first. It took about 6 years to become completely fluent in the language, and it took about as long to make real friends. I understand why people give up after a few years and go home. There are definitely some tough periods to get through but to me going back was never a real option, so I stuck with it.

The biggest challenge now is elderly relatives. It is difficult when you are far away and also I have found it challenging trying to get them help in a system that I don´t know (I was only 23 when I emigrated, so have little experience of adult life in the UK). I have considered emigrating to Australia, but one of the main reasons why I haven't tried it is that I think it is too far from the UK. At least at the moment I can be back within half a day if there is an emergency.

Yay Norway @sonjadog ! We're in the same boat :) I emigrated at 22 and have been here 12 years now. Took me 7 years to become fluent so you have me beat there although I found it a lot easier to make friends.

Feel you on the elderly relatives pain though. It's nice to meet someone in the same position as me!

I have recently returned to the UK after 25 years in Australia mainly for family reasons and I am enjoying it , on thing I don't miss is the heat . I did love Sydney and we had a good life there but its so far away and I was so fed up of doing that flight to come back and see everyone.

We moved overseas 8 years ago. It was supposed to be temporary, but I don’t really like going back to the UK any more and I don’t really want to live there again. We will probably move on again at some point, but not sure where yet.

In most of western Europe you need qualifications to teach English as a foreign language - preferably a degree plus a specific teaching English as a foreign language qualification, ideally CTEFLA or a masters in some cases, and you'll still be expected to register as self employed and work on that basis. It's very possible to work full time that way if you're based in a city but you are self employed, with the insecurity and administrative hassle that can bring. The pay is not enough to support a family on one income doing that but enough to support a single person or contribute one of two family incomes.

Language schools employ very few teachers, usually only the director and administrative staff are employed. To teach in a school you need local teaching qualifications or a teaching qualification from your own country plus international baccalaureate experience. Some companies employ teachers to teach their employees but then want some experience of their line of business for professional sector relevant vocabulary or a specific business English teaching qualification.

It's easier to teach English with fewer qualificatio in some countries outside Europe but the days when being a native speaker was enough are long gone in most countries.

We left the U.K. for "a couple of years" nearly 4 years ago and now onto our second overseas home. It's hard to contemplate going back to be honest - we have a better quality of life abroad. I do miss friends and family though. My ideal would be to live in Europe so we could visit more easily and often.

I agree with some pp that when I do go 'home' I'm surprised by the drabness, poor quality of public facilities like stations, general litter and graffiti etc. I like the familiarity but overall I don't miss the country, only the people. Brexit is a national embarrassment.