Need some advice on whether to move to Australia

LegacyUser

I'm just back from my 3rd trip to Melbourne, I have a brother out there which is why I have been out there so often. I really love the place so much that I am strongly considering applying for a permanent migration visa and moving out there permanently , my main concern is that salaries in my current profession (QC Analyst/Lab Tech) aren't great in that part of the world. It looks like 60k-65k Aus dollar is the range I could earn and thats considered not great for Melbourne. In Ireland I currently earn 60k euro and that's with a shift premium included which converts to 95k aus dollars. There's no way I would currently get that type of salary in Melbourne in my current role and when you factor in Melbourne is a much more expensive place to live compared to the town I live in Ireland , I really would be putting myself into a much worse place financially. However in saying all that I am single , I have no dependants or massive loans so I only have myself to look after, whats the possibility of re-skilling as well over there?.I dont really have many friends in Ireland so theres not much for me here really, I'm 38 so I will need to make a decsion relatively quickly. I am just very unsure and would appreciate advise

zoobizoo

Do you like Australia?

Do you like Melbourne?

Do you want to leave Ireland?

Would you like to live closer to your brother?

Can you see a future there?

Airyfairy12

You could try it out for a year, you can always come back if you dont like it, given your experience you'd probably get a job back in Ireland no problem, you might like living somewhere else for awhile.

The only questions you have to ask yourself are: Would you enjoy life more in Melbourne? And if you decide it's not for you, can you return here and pick your life back up easily enough?

Not to underestimate the value of earning a comfortable living, but there really is more to life than earning potential so don't just get stuck on that as criteria that makes or breaks your decision.

EmmaMurray2016

Australia is expensive so your quality of life could possibly be the same except with sun. You said you loved it over there so it's not unfamiliar with you. If nothing is holding you back here what have you got to lose. If you are in a permanent job here could you ask for career break just incase you didn't like it over there as a safe bet?

Rubberchikken

i wouldn't get totally tied up in the amount earned in a job. liking where you are, enjoying what you're doing are to me a lot more important. how many people are earning hugh amounts of money yet hate what they're doing or where they're working and dread each morning coming around.

life, is to me, way too whort for that.
decide if you'd like to live and work there first. after that figure out if you'd earn enough to be able to afford to live there. i figure it must be expensive enough but couldn't be much worse than say dublin or london.
best of luck with your decision.

Alkers

If you're worried about the financials, you should be able to save a good bit at the moment living in a town on that wage.
Once you'll earn enough to be comfortable over there, the money won't be too big a factor I don't think.

SATSUMA

Go! You have no idea what the future holds for you out there! You have no ties just do it! You can always come home if necessary!

Best of luck!

SarahMollie

As I'm sure you know yourself, Australia is much more expensive to live in than most parts or Ireland, even Dublin. I've been out a few times visiting friends (much like yourself) and while not everything is a crazy rip off, it does remind me a bit of Ireland before the bust. High rents, booming property prices, conspicuous consumption everywhere. The thing that shocked me most is probably that lots of my friends over there (who I know separately) all said the same thing - that they all eat out most of the time because grocery shopping is so expensive. This would make me nervous if I was on a budget!

So you've a double whammy to contend with - firstly a drop in income in real terms, and secondly a increased cost of living. Why don't you talk to your brother about his lifestyle based on what he earns and what you could realistically expect for the wage you anticipate?

That said, I think two factors in favour of the move are that you seem to realise that money isnt the be all and end all, and that you're open to upskilling. Is this something your brother could help you find out more about? Perhaps you could go for a while and see how you find it. Would a career break be an option in your current role?

Finally - answer yourself this - if you don't at least try it, will you always wonder "what if?"

davmol

Id be gone tomorrow given half the chance.

I spent 1.5 years in OZ and loved every moment of it.

your wages would be fine for living nicely over there.

You can keep rent down by lodging with other renters and there are deals in the supermarkets for groceries.ID imagine its small town Ireland you live in and I would imagine you are missing out on big opportunities socially and financially.

Go and give it 100%,you have nothing to lose only lots to gain.

If it doesn't work out save your A$$ off and spend a few months travelling around oz and back thru Asia.You will have the time of your life.Ireland will always be here,always raining.

/V\etalfish

SarahMollie wrote: »

The thing that shocked me most is probably that lots of my friends over there (who I know separately) all said the same thing - that they all eat out most of the time because grocery shopping is so expensive. This would make me nervous if I was on a budget!

I heard this a lot before moving over too. I've been living here now close on two years and there's no soft way to put it but it's utter bull****
I actually find groceries really are not that bad.
You can spend a fortune if you want, but there's also the likes of Coles and Aldi, which are comparable to back home.
Just for example, chicken breast fillets are $9/kg, Rashers I get for $12 for half a kilo too.
So honestly, it's really not that much different and you don't need to put in that much effort.

In response to the OP though, there's absolutely no reason not to try it.
You're on a good wage at the moment, so you likely have some savings.
You're not going to be on the poverty line over in Melbourne and you've already got your brother as a support or social start too.
That's the most important thing really.

Rent is expensive though, so do you know where you'd be looking at staying?
On your own/house share, etc?

Also be prepared for the winter (summer Irish time)... it actually gets cold in Melbourne for the winter and people don't believe it before coming here.
It's also a 'different' cold, if that makes sense. :P