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Do you have any health problems? Unlike USA, Australia is very restrictive as to letting n people with health problems. They have an excellent health care system, but its not open to the whole world. They like to keep it for their own citizens, unlike USA, where US citizens often do not qualify for healthcare, but illegal immigrants do
Curious to know why your friends still felt like visitors even after 8 years. Maybe once the locals found out they had Americans, they treated them differently? Because there are plenty of immigrants who live in somewhere else for the rest of their lives, even non-English speakers, so I guess being immigrants weren't right for your friends.
There are immigrants who return in order to have more contact with aging parents, or with children and grandchildren. This I can understand.
But I wonder about what I put in bold above.
I have lived abroad for twenty years, two different countries, in neither of which was English the national language - though it was fairly widely spoken in both. I have known a few people personally who returned to the U.S. and have read the stories of others on the internet who did the same. And I do think there are some people, who if they do not settle in ex-pat enclaves, are very ill at ease not "belonging" in another culture/country, people who really need to be "re-affirmed" or validated by their cultural surroundings in order to be comfortable.
I expected that for some unknown period after I left the U.S. that I would be uncomfortable, miss the country or at least some aspects of it. And tucked back in the attic of my mind was the idea, "you can always go back."
The surprise for me was that it never happened, and this was completely unexpected. I enjoyed it all right from the start, even the occasional PIA was fine....and "back" seemed to have gotten left on the runway in NYC. Have a few ideas about why, but twenty years later I still don't really get why leaving ultimately never mattered. For the forty plus years of my adult working life I lived in Manhattan, and I when I traveled around the U.S. I used to feel that it was almost unique in the U.S., nearly like its own country. (And the first 15 years I lived in an ethnic neighborhood where English was not the everyday language of a lot of the people and for the whole time some of my friends were immigrants.) Perhaps these circumstances and this feeling made it easier to make the full transition to a place that really was not the U.S.
I see English ex-pats where I live who stick together like glue and try to make little Englands of their enclaves, and I think this must be like being able to get your "fix" of Englishness, a re-validation that says you are still English-you. (Presumably the same might be true of American ex-pats in Mexico, Costa Rica, etc.)
But I wonder if young emigrants would feel this need.
A friend of mine lives in New Zealand, and in Wellington the wind is horrible! He sent me videos and I've never ever seen wind like that, outside of a tornado or hurricane. But apparently high winds are super common there.
I had a friend who was in IT and got sponsored to work in Australia on a defense dept contract for a year or two. He and his wife loved it there. But they came back to the US even though they could have moved there due to his skills.
Living in another country can be good, it all depends on which country and where you live in that country and how adaptive you are to change and being away from everything you've known your whole life. Many return to the USA after 1-3 years, others learn to love their new home country.
The #1 rule given by most expats is this:
LIVE there as long as you can before committing to moving there or buying there. Being there as a tourist or for just a few weeks is not the same as living there. You need to rent a few months if possible before moving there, to make sure you like it.
Do you have any health problems? Unlike USA, Australia is very restrictive as to letting n people with health problems. They have an excellent health care system, but its not open to the whole world. They like to keep it for their own citizens, unlike USA, where US citizens often do not qualify for healthcare, but illegal immigrants do
I would dispute your last senrencw but this is not the thread for that.
Do you have any health problems? Unlike USA, Australia is very restrictive as to letting n people with health problems. They have an excellent health care system, but its not open to the whole world. They like to keep it for their own citizens, unlike USA, where US citizens often do not qualify for healthcare, but illegal immigrants do
If you do not know why post? OP already stated that he does not qualify for the AUS point system.
A lot of friends are mobile... one was an airline pilot and lived in several countries by choice with his young children... England, Germany and Australia... for them it was a year commitment... really enjoyed their time and made many friends... but it was always temporary... their kids are still in touch with friends made.
The couple that moved to New Zealand in large part only moved because they believed Al Gore was cheated out of the presidency and the hanging chad etc... they or I should say he was most active in the Democrat Party... they also considered Canada.
They did not like the weather... they experienced earthquakes, found just about everything expensive... were not the real outdoor type... he was 65 and she 55... she had no trouble finding work... they had no kids together...
When President Obama came to the White House it shifted their thinking as they were missing out and started the process back... but not to New York where he is from but to California where his wife is from... I was their when the ocean going container with all the processions arrived.
Very interesting people... both have PHD... but found New Zealand didn't quite fit what they were looking for...
Now they live near Portland Oregon and said this is it... very happy to have found their spot... having lived in New York, Colorado, New Zealand, California and now Oregon.
Do you have any health problems? Unlike USA, Australia is very restrictive as to letting n people with health problems. They have an excellent health care system, but its not open to the whole world. They like to keep it for their own citizens, unlike USA, where US citizens often do not qualify for healthcare, but illegal immigrants do
so true. They also require police reports to ensure they're not criminals. Again, not like the US.
I lived in Austria 12 momths after graduation and found it very enjoyable... often thought I could easily make the transition.
A lot was getting use the customs of daily life... found the people warm and friendly and always interested to speak to an American... made some very good friends that I am still in touch with.
Even looked into what it would take to make the move permanent... the local Police Chief said he would have no problem writing the required recommendation for me... at that time there was what is best described as a 5 year probationary period and you needed proof of being an upstanding law abiding citizen and the local Police providing a letter of good character is worth it's weight in Gold...
In contrast I have hosted some of the kids from my Austrian friends... they 100% enjoyed their time here and some did a year in University... would not trade the experience for anything... but to a last one they all returned to Austria to settle and start a family and career... mostly female.
Why should Americans get preference in English-speaking countries? Americans 1. are not the only people who speak English and 2. don't necessarily speak English well.
If you have that kind of entitled attitude, looking down on other immigrants, stay home.
I lived in Austria 12 momths after graduation and found it very enjoyable... often thought I could easily make the transition.
A lot was getting use the customs of daily life... found the people warm and friendly and always interested to speak to an American... made some very good friends that I am still in touch with.
You must be white. I found Austrians to be cold and rude. They would often make nasty comments about me in German - thinking I didn't understand
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