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Don't know when to move from australia to europe because of brexit and covid

1 reply

Limetreeinthefrontgarden · 14/07/2020 22:39

Hi all, This is the situation. We live in Australia and want to move back to Sweden. We are me (english mid-40s), swedish husband and swedish daughter. We have lived in sweden before for approximately 5 years on and off, with our daughter born there. We are planning to move back to sweden in december this year before the end of freedom of movement associated with brexit. (Actually, we have been in Aus for 5 years now and were going to move back anyway, the end of the transition period just gave us a deadline.) Also, we want to go back to Gothenburg where we have friends and my husband has a lot of work contacts.

I have applied for swedish citizenship on the basis that we have been married for 10 years and have strong connections to sweden. However, because we don’t live there, I have no idea if it will be granted.

Now, this is the problem. I am a teacher. I speak passable swedish and am going for the TISUS exam this october. However, it seems to be madness to move back to sweden when there is going to be a recession because of covid. I doubt that I will be able to get a job until the new academic year in sweden in august. I am fairly confident that I will be able to get a job (science and maths teacher and there are enough english-speaking schools that I have worked in before).

So, I am thinking of leaving moving until july of next year. But if we do that we have to hope that I get offered a teaching job from here, my swedish citizenship application is successful or go through the route of spousal visa (I don’t know anything about). A gamble in other words and there is a good chance it may leave us in a worse position than now.

If you were us, what would you do: move in december or wait until july? I am seriously torn between the two. Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
LeGrandBleu · 15/07/2020 00:22

Moving without at least one of you having a job is risky. I understand your situation is complicated with the citenzenship-brexit issue but the main hurdle is having both you and your husband unemployed.
Unless those work contacts are converted in an actual work offer, moving is a big gamble.

You also need to consider that it might not be so easy to leave Australia given that the borders are closed, the number of flight reduced and the difficulty in getting exemptions to leave even when moving back to a country as described in this recent article www.smh.com.au/national/held-against-our-will-dutch-citizens-struggle-to-leave-australia-20200710-p55azh.html

Covid is a big interrogation point. You are jumping in the dark going to a new country without at least one job. Secure a job first and then plan the move.

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