A Year Out In Oz!

[TiffanyToothache]

Hello!

We are at the very early stages of weighing up a year out for our family down under - probably Oz - maybe NZ - possibly both!

We need a bigger space to live in so were considering selling our house anyway. DH hates his job. DS1 not in school yet - I am deferring his entry and keeping him in Nursery for a year. So it seems the ideal time to go.

It's been a rough year for us in some ways. My beautiful DS2 was born in September. He is fabulous, but not the easiest baby - reflux / multiple food allergies / nonsleeper. DH has been off work on long term sick due to stress related depression brought on by his job - due to go back next week. I have just returned to work PT after mat leave. DS1 is just 4 and is on the Autistic Spectrum. It's something I have always fancied but am feeling serious that if we are going to do it - NOW is the time. Well, in a year. I think 12 months to sell our house, organise visas / work, plan our trip etc should be about right.

I work in healthcare - and should be able to take a career break and have my job to come back to. We are not sure if DH wants to come back to his job (education) but he may take a career break so he has work to do when we return - looking for other work.

Oh - and I hope to do some voluntary work in my field in a developing country either on the way there or on the way back for month or so.

So please help It's bloody difficult to string 2 thoughts together at times and this is going to take some organising!

My first thoughts are:
to decide what we want out of the experience - this will help decide where we go - any recommendations for reading / research on lifestyle/culture of the various regions of Oz/NZ welcome.

look into visa eligibilty/requirements - where?

chat with work re career breaks

get house on market (be prepared to rent if sold before ready to go - or let it out if not sold)

Any other suggestions on how to start to pull this together would be welcome

blimey.. your game... I suspect visas for aus may not be that easy to get... depending what you do within the healthcare field? Or are you going to live off house sale? Working holiday visas are aimed at single youngsters.. and holiday visas dont allow you to work... information for aus on www.immi.gov.au
as far as voluntary work it depends again on where you are and what you want / do... its surprisingly hard to access without a family,.... let alone with one! Im an icu nurse and have looked into people such as red cross and msf.. both say only spouse if he also has a contribution ( skill) and i need to be dual trained as a madwife before they want me...
certainly a big no to kids...
i suspect you may need to decide to find a job and be in one place rather than just travel?

First off - how old are you? the younger you are the better for visa purposes.
As chloe says: are you aiming to work in Australia? If so, you need to get a working visa and they are also easier if you're under 30 but not THAT easy.

Next - I'm not so sure it's a good idea to sell your house before you go. We emigrated 2y ago and I still have my house in the UK, just in case we ever want to return, because it's that much harder to get back on the property ladder once you've left it. But if you need the funds for your year in Australia then of course, you'll have to sell. How will you get re-housed in the UK when you return though?

www.immi.gov.au is the link you need, as chloe has said.

Other people will probably come along and give you better ideas soon.

It all sounds very exciting. and you are right it is a good time for you to come before your ds starts school. Are you going to travel around or settle in one place?

You will have to be as rich as a king to live here for a year without working though. It is a very expensive place to live.

Thee may be complications as your son is autistic. One of my best friends has an autistic son (he is very high functioning) who is in my dd's class at school. I could not believe what she had to go through to get him a teaching assistant. We are so used to so many things being paid for by the state and that is not at all the case here.

She was just telling me that she thought he should have speech therapy as he has developed a bit of a stutter when he gets excited. But she can't afford it. She is a teacher so very on the ball of what she needs to do but it all seems so complicated.

Sorry brief reply - will be back later.

I am a dentist. We are in our 30s. Was hoping for long stay visa and to work while we are out there. Not planning to start DS in education until we return. Hope to do a combination of work for some months / travel for few. May need to access some of house funds, but not a lot - could remortagage / let it out. . . .

Thanks for the links. Will be back after teatime/bedtime mayhem :)

Thanks been looking at the immigration link :)

I am eligible for a long stay / business visa.

Not sure whether to sell or keep house - maybe even do a house swap

I think selling it, investing the money for a year (maybe taking a little to set us up) and buying another when we return would be what I favour.

Don't sell your UK house hoping to buy again on your return. Rent it.

Think very hard about which country you want to stay in, and which state/territory. You need to do a lot of research about jobs/rentals/education.

What is DH's job in education? Some areas are in demand, others not.

Thanks echt for your reply - what makes you say that (re house)?

DH is a college lecturer.

Am at the thinking very hard stage now