There appears to be issues in Australia with regards to the retention of current nurses and the attraction of people to the industry. Health Workforce Australia, the nation’s health workforce planning organisation, has warned that the nursing profession will worsen in the next five years unless changes are made to attract people to the profession.

In particular, age care nurses will be needed to care for the ageing population in the country. The above situation could lead to overseas recruitment in the future in order to respond to Australia’s demand for quality nurses.

The top destination for British ex-pats is Australia, where they find sun, sea and sand, not to mention an abundance of jobs with high wages. Brits relocating to Australia also get to benefit from shorter working days, leaving more time for hitting the beaches and barbequing!

Emigration to France and Spain has dropped slightly in recent years, possibly due to a decrease in British citizens retiring aboard as their budgets become more constrained in the economic downturn. However, emigration to Australia has remained high, likely because the Aussie economy has remained strong, in part thanks to increased demand for minerals from China.

It is also relatively easy for a British citizen to apply for a visa in Australia, with much fewer barriers to entry than other non-EU countries. One of the simplest ways of gaining Australian citizenship status, if you manage to gain employment, is to ask your employer to sponsor your citizenship application. The one caveat is that the employer is likely to want you to commit to a certain number of years working for the company.

After Australia, the second choice destination for international removals for Brits is the United States of America, where approximately 14,000 British citizens settle every year. Emigration to the states has remained fairly consistent over the last 5 years, though has previously lagged behind France and Spain in popularity. The obvious attractions are the abundance of high paying jobs for business professionals available on the economically vibrant East and West coasts. Gaining a visa for the USA is infamously difficult; however there are many ways British citizens can apply, including setting up a business in the States, be exceptional within a creative field or investing half a million into the US economy.

As would be expected, the main countries chosen by Brits looking to relocate are English speaking and very often part of the British Commonwealth such as Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The ease of travel currently available makes relocation even easier, with cheap flights to and from continental Europe, and plenty of flight options globally, making it easy to visit relatives remaining in the UK.

Moving can also be a great opportunity to make changes to your lifestyle, meet people from a different culture and broaden your horizons. During times of economic turmoil, the ability and willingness to move also opens up a whole range of employment opportunities that might not be available in the UK alone.

If you’re sick of the winter blues, why not consider your relocation options. There are plenty of choices available, whatever your lifestyle requirements.

Words by Finn Mewton

Brazil

It is not just in the UK that Christmas trees play a large part in creating the perfect festive feel. Though rather than importing large evergreen trees, it is customary to create large tree shapes with bright lights to brighten up the horizons of the larger cities such as Sao Paulo and Brasilia. Brazil is not a country that snows, so it is often the case that cotton wool will be draped over furniture and trees. Christmas dinner is not dissimilar to the UK favourite of turkey, often enjoyed  with green rice and fresh vegetables.

Latvia

Latvian tradition is that Father Christmas brings Christmas gifts each day for every twelve days of Christmas, ideal for making the season of merriment last that little bit longer! It was also believed that it was in Latvia where the first Christmas tree was ever decorated. The Christmas markets in Riga are often described as some of the best in the Europe.

Austria

The Vienna Christmas market is one of the most internationally visited through the world and it not surprising; the park surrounding the market is decorated with hundreds of festive lights, often in the shape of Gingerbread men and hearts. To add to this romantic festive feel, Vienna holds host to an International concert in which choirs shipped from around the world perform Christmas carols and songs in the Festival Hall.

USA

The USA is so vast and cosmopolitan, there are invariably many ways in which Christmas is celebrated, though New York is especially popular for looking to spend Christmas abroad, largely due to the infamous Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Centre Plaza. Present since 1931 and boasting over 30,000 lights, it has often been the backdrop for many festive films. Not forgetting as well of course that New York is thought to be the ultimate destination for Christmas shopping. The internationally famous department store Macy’s in particular goes all out to wow their visitors; though do try to avoid going at weekends as it can get extremely busy!

Africa

Christmas is an important festival, celebrated throughout a large part of Africa. In Malawi it is custom for children to create dances and songs and go door to door to perform to their neighbours. In Gambia it is customary to parade with impressive and intricate crafted lanterns called fanals. Christmas decoaration is often popular, with decorating churches, houses and even mango trees a commonplace activity. There will be fake snow in Nairobi, candles on palm trees in Ghana and oil pals peppered with bells in Liberia.

Around 20,000 people emigrate to Australia from the UK every year. Some migrants return to the UK and others return again to Australia. The pattern of return and return again is explored in the research document. The study also examines the emotional aspects of moving overseas.

Almost 107,000 British citizens arrived in Australia between 2005 and 2010, more than 30,000 left in the same period. Sociologists Mary Holmes and Roger Burrows embarked on the research to find out the reasons why people return home. Expatriate forums and discussions were used to research the paper.

The research showed that the main reason for coming back to UK was family. Many migrants were prepared to sacrifice a better quality of live to be closer to their family. This report may be useful for anyone moving to Australia who may be keen to learn how to settle in and avoid becoming a ‘ping pong pom’. It is worth noting that many of the British who returned home obtained Australian Citizenship prior to leaving to keep their options open.

Sweden

Statistically Sweden has one of the highest birth rates in Europe and it is not surprising why as Swedish people are actively encouraged to start a family, making it perfect for those looking to move overseas. The Swedish policy on maternity and paternity leave is very generous, for both mothers and fathers. The Försäkringskassan, (Social Insurance Agency) supports progressive family-friendly policies and benefits including free childcare, free schooling, healthcare and healthy school meals. Factor in as well that Sweden is a relatively safe country and you are left with the perfect base in which to start a family.

New Zealand

New Zealand is a country of outstanding natural beauty and one that lends itself well to leading a healthy life style. About a third of the population live in Auckland, a large multi cultural city in the North Island, the other two-thirds being scattered sparsely over the two islands. Smaller cities and fewer people generally means less crime and the majority of towns are relatively small where time is spent Kayaking, skiing, swimming, surfing and walking. Furthermore, the Programme for International for Student Assessment ranks New Zealand’s education as 7^th best in the world.

Finland

According to the Properity Index, Finland was ranked the third  best place to live in the world according to wealth, happiness and general well-being.  Combine this with the fact that it has consistently ranked in the top five for education in all subjects according to the Programme for International for Student Assessment. Finland’s winters are notoriously cold and dark, however this  is not the case during the Summer months which allows for plenty of time to spend with the family outdoors.

Canada

Canada is a popular choice for families due to the low crime rate, free health care and good schools. Canada also offers tax benefits for parents and often covers the cost of child care costs. Furthermore, should you decide to stay at home or reduce your earnings, the Canadian Child Rearing Drop-out Provision protects parents against significant reductions in their future pensions.

Hong Kong

A survey conducted by HSBC outlined that for those moving overseas, Hong Kong was one of the best places to raise children, with over 84% of children living here learning at least one new language. The education system is one of the best in the world, and there are numerous international schools available. It is often the consideration that Hong Kong offers little for children in terms of outdoor space. This however is not the case – 70 percent of Hong Kong’s total land area is actually open parkland, 40 percent of which is protected natural reserves. In addition, that Hong Kong has a large and vibrant expatriate population from all over the world.

Australia

Since 2008, applications for family Visas has increased by over 10% and this continues to increase year on year. It is not surprising however when you consider other statistics alongside of this. Children living in Australia spend statistically less time watching TV and more time enjoying outdoor activities and exercising, with 70% of children cycling regularly. Parents are also entitled to family tax benefits and in addition, living in one of the worlds most robust economies provides a secure, stable environment for families.

Norway

Norway has a high tax, high welfare spend style of government and has used its oil wealth wisely with its investments in sovereign funds. This means that overall, Norway has an extremely strong economy and although the cost of living is higher, generally wages match this.  Its low population density and natural assets have helped it see off the worst ravages of this latest recession.

UK

Although suffering from economic problems, the UK is still a desirable place to raise children due to free health care, social benefits and good schools. The UK is also an excellent place to raise children given its largely left policies along with its cosmopolitan and liberal views.

The Netherlands

In 2007, Unicef conducted a survey in which children in the Netherlands reported to be the most subjectively happy. This is due to the social climate within the Netherlands, in particular in that there is a lot of focus on children within the family. The Netherlands is famous for its liberal attitudes and this extends into parenting and schooling which means that children living in the Netherlands often report to feel creatively expressive, natured and well rounded.

Spain

Living costs in Spain are fairly low, and the Spanish get 41 days of annual leave as opposed to the standard UK 22, meaning that you can spend double the amount of time with the family. Not only this, but working hours are generally shorter and quality of life is much higher, with healthy eating and exercise actively encouraged as part of daily life.

The sailing time to Australia is 6 – 7 weeks, plus please allow a further 2  weeks for customs clearance and delivery (applicable to the Exclusive Use Container Service). There are weekly sailings to Australia from the UK from the shipping lines Maersk and MSC. If you require your effects to be delivered before Christmas, your Move Manager will advise on current sailing schedules. We would be looking to book your container on to a vessel with an estimated time of arrival of mid-late November at the latest in order to provide a delivery prior to Christmas, earlier if possible. Please note that we cannot guarantee pre-Christmas delivery due to the nature of the fact that we are using a third party service (shipping line) and therefore we can only offer advice and guidance to the best of our knowledge.

If you require any further assistance on the above or would like advice regarding possible timescales for a pre-Christmas delivery, please contact us as soon as possible.

With regards to post-Christmas deliveries, please be advised that Customs and Quarantine officers in Australia operate skeletal staff for a two week period after Christmas so customs clearance may take slightly longer than normal during this period.

For clarification on the above, don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your move. Experienced personnel are always on hand to provide advice and guidance.

In addition, there are strict regulations in place regarding the import of Christmas decorations into Australia. Please see the AQIS Factsheet here: AQIS Christmas Factsheet.

http://www.johnmason.com/internationalshipping/internationalremovals/love-liverpool-beatles-competiton/

John Mason International have recently carried out the move for a legendary British screen star, Rita Tushingham (pictured), who is loved by cinema goers and film buffs around the world for her performances in 1960s classics Doctor Zhivago, A Taste of Honey, Girl with Green Eyes and The Knack…and How to Get It. More recently, the film star was a cast member in the sitcom Bread, set in her native Liverpool, as well as starring in a music video by The SMiths.

John Mason moved Rita Tushingham into her new home. The team, especially Pat in the Liverpool office, struck up a real rapoort with the friendly and outgoing actress. ‘The move went very well as always with John Mason , Pat is so good and takes care of everything and the crew did a splendid job’ she said.

Many journalists and sports reporters will be renting temporary accommodation in London next year, this may mean therefore that there will be a shortage of temporary accommodation and that rental prices may be higher than normal. Rental properties may also be on the market for a much shorter period of time due to the high demand.

There will be an increase in visa requests due to the number of journalists, reporters and athletes who will be applying for visas. It is necessary therefore to lodge your visa application as soon as possible.

If you are moving to London now or in the near future, contact us for further information and for a free quote for your International Removal to the UK or see the webpage here: Shipping to the UK. If you are importing household furniture and effects for your move to London, you will need to complete a C3 form, this can be found on our website on the Customs Forms page. This will need to be completed and returned to your Move Manager for customs clearance purposes.