There’s no denying that a significant amount of the ex-pat population in the UK is occupied by Australians. From corner to corner across the country, as an Aussie, you’re more than likely to run into one of your own who’s also decided to make the big move across the sea. However, if you’re a UK native, or are an Aussie living in Australia, you might be wondering why so many people make this decision. Therefore, below, we’re hashing out the reasons as to why so many Aussies make the move to the UK.
Travel Opportunities
Australia, while beautiful, is one big island that’s located far away from many other areas of the world. The UK has beautiful natural landscapes and attractive places to visit. On the other hand, it is a next-door neighbor with Europe, making it super easy, and much cheaper to travel between continents and experience a range of different cultures. For example, a nonstop from London to Paris is less than 90 minutes and can even cost less than $100 depending on the airline and time of year. Therefore, if you’re a travel enthusiast, why wouldn’t you take up the opportunity to live somewhere with the world at your doorstep?
The Weather
While the UK gets an incredibly bad wrap for its cloudy weather, the truth is that it’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. While the colder months can be a little blue, UK summers can be beautiful- long, warm sunny days that don’t get too humid. Summer days in the UK are best spent having picnics in the park, watching tennis, lunching at a rooftop bar, or going on long walks. The country loves to celebrate the summer season when the sun comes out. Believe it or not, while Australia is seen as the ideal climate, some people struggle to deal with the extremely hot summers, where the heat is almost unbearable, especially for those not acclimatized to it.
Career Opportunities
Another key reason why many Aussies move from Australia to the UK is for work opportunities. Whether they’ve secured a position before they leave or are looking for a new job, the UK has opportunities in different areas of work than Australia does, depending on the industry you’re working on. In addition, it can sometimes be attractive to employers if you have worked overseas for a period of time which demonstrates ambition and independence. Finally, if you work for an international company and don’t want to change jobs, you might be lucky enough to get a transfer.
Similarities
While worlds away from each other, Australia and the UK actually share a lot of similarities. Other than both being commonwealth countries, Australia and the UK have a similar sense of humor, laid-back attitude, drinking culture, and of course, the same language. Because of this, a lot of Aussies find it much easier to settle in and feel right at home. While some Aussies might head to the UK in hopes of finding some new British friends, due to the number of Australians that choose to move there, you may end up making more Aussie mates than you thought!
The Simplicity
More than any other country, it’s actually quite a simple process for Aussies to move to the UK. This is because Australians that are over 18, but under 31 can apply for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme, which allows the holder to work and travel within the UK for up to two years. Because of their family connections, a lot of Aussies are also UK passport holders, which allows them to work, live and travel within the UK for as long as they like.