looking for a better place to live

[seanJ]

Hello, I have been thinking of moving for a couple of reasons, and at a glance I think that I would be much happier in Australia.

I am a 26-year-old male in Seattle WA. I was in the US navy for 5 years as an electronics tech onboard a submarine, and then I worked as a mechanic for about a year. After that I worked as a QA inspector for Carlyle Inc, and now I currently install office furniture. I have a vocational degree in marine electronics awarded to me based on my years of service and rating in the navy, and I am planning on picking up a certificate of proficiency in arc welding this fall. I also have about 50 credits towards an AS-T in engineering, however I do not plan on finishing that up.

I am fed up with wages and cost of living here (Seattle Wa.). It seems like everyone is high on meth, and people are very cold hearted and distrusting. Right now I am making 13 dollars per hour, and that is about the highest wage I have ever earned. I am having a great deal of trouble finding a job with decent wages, benefits, and stable hours. I am now about 10k USD in debt, and I do not see how I will ever be able to pay off my debts and afford my own house here. Social security is screwed, health care is f*cked, the traffic is insanely horrible and I hate the weather.

Would relocation be a good idea for me in your experience, and would I have a good shot at getting a permanent work visa?

[newtoOZ]

You are going to need money to emigrate. Look at the thread on "How much did you bring with you" and some others on the cost of living, to start with. Look at some of the web sites that are mentioned for jobs, and see what the pay will be. Look at domain.com to see some rents (remember that those nice low numbers are per week), and browse around the Australian portion of gumtree.com. That will give you some idea of what the situation woul be like for you.

As far as whether you would be happy emigrating, I don't know. You could try for a working holiday visa to New Zealand, to try out living abroad.

[april]

Have you thought about teaching English in Asia for a couple of years? Many people are over here escaping from their real lives back home. Sounds like you desperately need a break more than money. Some companies will give you an advance on your salary when you get here. You gotta research it though.

[seanJ]

Thanks for posting that link to gumtree, was very useful. I am not familiar at all with most of the car models being sold down there, are jackaroos crap (noticed a few being sold quite cheap in decent condition)? What about Daewoo? Why is a 2002 Honda being sold at 19k AUD??

I would not have a problem moving down there with only a few thousand USD. It seems that many of the posters came down with family, significantly increasing their minimum quality of life and house hold expenditures upon arrival. I do not have kids or any other real commitments. If I can find a job before I arrive and start work immediately I should be fine with 2k USD not including air fair. (First months rent and deposit; with a roommate, food, public transportation or a cheap mo'ped or bike ECT)

I would have a very difficult time living in a country where English is not the primary language, as I do not have a second language. Also I am more of a hands on intuitive thinker; teaching would be very frustrating for me lol.

[synthia]

Well, teaching ESL isn't exactly like teaching other things, especially in conversation classes. It can be a very go-with-the-flow, fit it to what the student just did kind of thing.

You didn't mention how it is exactly that you plan to get a visa? Are you going to apply to immigrate?