Pros and Cons of Migrating to Australia
Do you consider migrating to Australia? Have a read as this article will unveil important facts about your dream land. Australia is blessed with high growth economy and political stability. Many professionals choose to migrate to this land of opportunities to fill up the shortage in its workforce. Others migrate to Australia seeking for quality higher education. Australia has a stunningly beautiful landscape and high standards of living. It has enviable cities including Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney which are providing exciting outdoor lifestyle, but, there’s always “but”, not everything is beatiful. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of migrating to Australia.
Pros of Migrating to Australia
Good quality health care in Australia
The healthcare in Australia is of high quality. There are many public and private hospitals which are equipped with necessary infrastructure. The citizen can choose between private health insurance or state provided insurance. The Australian Government helps with medical expenses through a system called Medicare. Medicare is the Australia-wide health care system that was introduced in the 1980s. It was designed to provide all entitled Australian residents with affordable and superior health care, taking your income into consideration.
Excellent Australian education system
Australia is known for its high quality education. You can choose between private and public schools which have good services and experienced professional staff. The adult education is also amazing with many international students. Over one thousand institutions, offer more than 22000 courses.
Freedom of speech in Australia
Australians have the right to freedom of speech within the boundaries of the law. They are allowed to write or say what they think about politicians, the governments – local, state and federal. These same rights are extended to media that includes print, radio, television and internet media outlets.
Freedom of religion in Australia
The Government allows all people to worship the religion of their choice as Australian government does not have an official religion. Australian government is secular and treats all people equally regardless of their religion beliefs. Separation of state and church is evident as religious laws have no legal standing in Australia.
Security
Australia is proudly a peaceful society and we believe that any conflict should be dealt with via discussion as part of the democratic process. Violence is rejected as the way of changing people’s mind – use of peaceful persuasion is encouraged.
Australian lifestyle and culture
Australia has a multicultural society which is very accommodating and friendly to the immigrants. It has many cities which have a wide range of residents coming here from all over the world. The cities host many sporting events throughout the year. It’s a really amazing destination for sports fans. Other than sporting events, the cities host themed festival events especially all around the country. Sydney is well-known worldwide for providing spectacular New Year fireworks. The outdoor lifestyle in Australia is quite amazing.
Australia is also known for high-quality food, wine, restaurants, hospitals, and public transport systems. Other things that make Australia a preferred destination for migration are the national language of English and one of the lowest crime rates among countries which make it a safe place to live.
Accommodation in Australia
Australia has many apartments and town houses for hustling and bustling. The cost of accommodation is quite reasonable and affordable. Other than town houses, Australia has suburban dwellings where you can reside and enjoy a sense of community.
Employment provision
Australia welcomes skilled workforce including professionals, managers, administrators and tradespersons to come and settle in the country.
Respect for everyone
In Australia, you have the right to be respected as a human being, no matter where you were born. There are federal and state laws that state that no person should be treated less favourably than another because of their sex, age, race, religion or sexual preference. This freedom of choice can be a bit overwhelming for some potential migrants because most are not used to such freedoms.
Cons
Language barrier
The language barrier can be the hardest thing that you may face when migrating overseas. While Australia is definitely a multicultural society, the official language spoken is English. There is a national translating and interpreting telephone service that can assist you 24/7, but if you are planning on permanently living in Australia – English is a necessity to help you understand everyday activities like shopping or banking.
Expensive lifestyle
Living in Australia is more expensive compared to the US. It was named in 2015 as the world’s most expensive country. The house prices in big cities seem to be quite high. Sydney was ranked in 2015 as one of the most expensive places worldwide for a weekend getaway due to exorbitant hotel room prices. The price of food and utilities has risen dramatically over recent years and shows little sign of slowing. Most of the items sold in Australia are more expensive compared to the US. Food, branded clothing, home appliances and even cars are expensive. The food is two times as much in Australia comparing to the US and decent town house can cost you 500 thousand dollars.
Expensive health care insurance
The private insurance is expensive in Australia. Also, ambulance services are not covered by Medicare hence a disadvantage when emergence arise
High skin cancer rates and obesity rates
The obesity rate is increasing in Australia and showing no sign of reducing. In addition, skin cancer rates in Australia are among the highest in the world due to high exposure to UV radiation sunlight.
Education is expensive
Education in fees in some of the private institutions is quite expensive for families. Without Australian residency, international students are hit with high tuition fees.
Travelling
Public transport in Australia costs more than anywhere else. Moving from one state to another can be quite costly and time-consuming Travelling from Sydney to Melbourne can take you around 10 hours but with a flight is one hour. Also, gas prices vary dramatically as you travel to rural areas.
Alienation
In Australia, sometimes you may feel alienated from everything. Australia is far from everywhere. It’s especially problematic for those who migrated from Europe or America’s. Time difference does not make life easier if you want to have a chat with your family on the other part of the world. The Australian cities are spaced so far apart that you may find yourself driving a half of a day to get to another city.
As you see, there are both pros and cons of migrating to Australia. My advice is before considering the Aussie way of life, you need to do your research. Start online; see why others have migrated to the land of opportunities. If you are seeking specialized work, search for skilled migration categories to see if there are skill shortages in your line of work, and what visa you will require.
I’m just wondering if you agree with above or would have anything to add. Feel free to spare your thoughts in comments.
If you want to move to Australia and require a migration agent’s assistance – please do not hesitate to give us a call or contact us, and we’ll take care of your case.