Emmigrate from South Africa to Australia? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: kolbep
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2020, 07:05:20 pm
content: This is not really electronics related, but I know you guys are an intelligent bunch, with plenty of Australians.Just considering options to provide a better life for my family of 4 (My wife, myself, 9 and 11 year old children).Briefly :38 Year old Caucasian Male in good health, sober habits.After finishing Grade 12, went directly to working for a local ISP for approx 6 years (Support, Server Administration, Networking, wireless, etc).Thereafter worked for an Electrical Company for 6 years (completing N2 and N3 Electrical, and passing both trade tests.From 2012 onwards I have been running my own Electrical Company (Doing Commercial, Industrial, Residential Installations/Repairs), as well as doing networking on occasion.Of Course I am also an electronics hobbyist.With this post I would like to accomplish the following things (just to help my mind process everything):. Is it worth it to Emmigrate to Australia. Any Suggestions on how to go about this.. Any other Comments / suggestions. Any thoughts will help.ThanksPeter

author: wasyoungonce
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2020, 10:18:20 pm
content: I know nothing of emigration...although have lived in NZ....but many Safer's move to Perth (though Sydney has the largest population of ex pats) as the climate in Perth is kinda similar and it has quite a big ex pat population nowdays.For kids....Perth is a great place to live and grow up. All of Australia is, universal medicare, social welfare is ok not great if you need it, law and order reasonable, a non gun culture. National debt is reasonably low and wages are reasonable ...As for jobs...cannot say.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Australians

author: retiredfeline
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2020, 11:29:11 pm
content: I've been here for decades so probably there have been many changes to the details, but the second question is the easiest to answer. It's all on the official Australian home affairs website, though I suspect many of the programs have been scaled down or hibernated in the current C-19 situation, hardly anybody is coming in or going out. I wouldn't expect to arrive here inside of 2 years even if all the paperwork goes smoothly.As for the first question, it's not perfect, but a very decent country to live in compared to most others. You'd have to be the judge of that.

author: ozcar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 12:01:23 am
content: For a while, the place to go to find out about such things washttps://www.saaustralia.org/.I just took a peek there now, and there does seem to be some activity there, but not as much as there used to be. Maybe discussions have moved elsewhere, or maybe just due to current world situation.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 02:54:35 am
content: Few flights coming here due to COVID. Unlike the EU, UK, US, India etc, we are almost COVID free. Even if your could come here soon, you will be quarantined for 2 weeks at your expense.A few points IMO about Australia:Can be difficult to get good work, as the competition can be tough, but there are plenty of jobs around for unskilled work like fruit picking etc.You need to check if your qualifications are recognised here. If not, you might be required to do a bridging course.Pay is generally much higher here than most other countries.Cost of living is very high in the cities, much less in country areas, primarily due to housing costs.Housing in Melbourne and Sydney is the most expensive in the world (due to dreadful government policies over many years). No house within a radius of 10km from where I live sells for under $1 million.A lot of rules and regulations, and government bureaucracy.Weather is great in most parts, but can get very hot.... up to 45 deg C.Education is amongst the best in the world.Racism is definitely not tolerated here. If you are caught discriminating because of skin colour, religion or class, you will get your arse fried.It is considered bad taste to save face, boast, flaunt wealth, brag about income. Sweden and France are similar in this regard.Political correctness is quite prevalent in Australia.Australians are generally seen as quite friendly compared to people in most other most other countries.If you become an Australian citizen, you are required to vote at federal, state and council elections. Don't vote, you get fined. Don't pay the fine, you go to jail.Pre-COVID, Melbourne was the world's most liveable city for many years. It dropped to 2nd in 2019 and Sydney is 3rd.Taxes are high, but we have reasonable social welfare here.You don't need to acquire a taste of Vegemite to fit in with our culture. Vegemite is generally dislike by immigrants and foreigners, but is well liked by most people born here.But having lived in the US, and spent a lot of time other other countries, I would not live anywhere else.

author: ozcar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 04:51:52 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 24, 2020, 02:54:35 amI should perhaps explain that Vegemite is a substance that looks like it would be more suitable for greasing the axles of yourossewa,than for spreading on yoursarmies.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 04:59:49 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 24, 2020, 02:54:35 amThat's surprising to hear, some of the most politically incorrect people I've known are Australian, although that might say more about the people I associate with than the nation as a whole.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 05:43:25 am
content: Quote from: kolbep on December 23, 2020, 07:05:20 pmThat's it! You're not welcome!;-)JokesQuote from: VK3DRB on December 24, 2020, 02:54:35 amIt is? Where? (Those living in the "Canberra bubble" don't count).

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 09:52:50 am
content: Political correctness is thriving here. We dare not offend anyone, dare they be offended. Like walking on eggshells on the road to human stupidity.Few women in Australia use the term Mrs or Miss anymore. But they all wear bras. The Victorian government's inclusive language document says we might offend someone if we use Mr, Mrs or Miss when addressing someone because it is using gender or marital status. There is a proposal to remove gender from birth certificates. We cannot use term "Christian name" because it will offend Muslims, Hindus and God knows whoever else. Or AD or BC because that will offend them as well. No longer do business greetings on emails say "Merry Christmas" in case it offends, they use "Happy Holidays", a newly contrived term for Australia. Ironically, the word holiday comes from the Old English word hāligdæg, or Holy Day. Christmas music in stores rarely plays hymns, because they might offend the Muslims and atheists. Instead they have devolved to nauseating Kmart Xmas jingles. "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" is nonsense in Australia when its 40 degrees C and bush fires are raging. Religious education is banned in pubilc schools in Victoria, and probably throughout Australia.Soon we won't be able to call a connector type male for female because it will offend someone. It might sound like a high power silicon controller rectifier, but LGBTIQ+ excludes electronics enthusiasts in a close relationship with their soldering iron, which they think is really hot. I am offended.

author: MIS42N
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 09:23:59 am
content: Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide) said "Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the ‘Grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land “Oz” or “Godzone” (a verbal contraction of “God’s Own Country”). The irritating thing about this is they may be right."I think you should research your job options carefully, and if you can buy a house. Living in a rental on a low wage is not fun. Living in your own place with an income that covers the mortgage and have some disposable income makes for a comfortable life. You may find house prices outrageous - they are (at least in major cities).Choose your climate. You can have everything from Darwin where the temperature is over 30C almost every day and the nights rarely get below 20C, to Hobart where it stays below 20C most of the year and sees snow. Those are both coastal and inland tends to be drier but more challenging. Most of Australia is sparsely populated because there is not enough rain and the climate is extreme.I wouldn't choose to live anywhere else.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 09:51:47 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 24, 2020, 09:52:50 amI agree, political correctness is present but it's the small, loud minority. It doesn't represent the greater community or values of Australians. I don't agree that it's "thriving", if anything it's pushing shit up hill because there is so much resistance towards it.And I'm not just talking in my little circle of people I have around me, I'm fairly well connected to the community in various ways and political correctness doesn't resonate with the greater community.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 06:24:24 pm
content: Just watching some things Dave has said and posted over the last few years makes me feel like Newspeak and related matters in Australia is about on par with developed world average

author: S. Petrukhin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 09:14:02 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 24, 2020, 09:52:50 amDo you really feel it in life or is it just like fashion? All this nonsense with the definition of gender, the insults of religions (by the way, no one talks about the insults of atheists) - is this already in the lives of ordinary people in everyday life?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 09:38:34 pm
content: Don't limit yourself to the first spot, move to the islands past Australia, like my BIL has done. Likely you will fit in as a wanted trade there, as you do fit what they are looking for. He is enjoying the island life as well.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 26, 2020, 10:57:09 pm
content: Quote from: magic on December 26, 2020, 06:24:24 pmMore or less. Although we are lucky enough to have a high quality of living no matter where you are. Cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as expensive, but if you don't mind driving 60-90 minutes each way, you can live outside of these cities and still commute in. If I had the option, I would live in Tasmania, absolutely stunning part of the world down there, although finding work can be challenging.