Moving To Australia – The Idea

Last updated on September 5th, 2018

Back in the early 2000s, when I started my career as a software professional, unlike others I was not crazy about the “onsite opportunity” and living outside India. Let’s just say I never gave enough thought to that idea. I was busy shaping up my career and was content in general with my tiny little world. You can say I was quite naive 😉

All that suddenly changed in mid-2007, when I was sent by my employer, Merrill Lynch to the US on a business trip. I instantly fell in love with the lifestyle, the infrastructure, the weather, the opportunities and overall energy level in the people there. On my next trip in 2008, I visited a lot of friends from different states in the US and though people complained about many things, nobody ever thought of coming back to India. That’s where I started contemplating the idea of moving to the States.

But then the disaster struck!

The year 2008 introduced us to a new monster called “Subprime Crisis” and the whole world saw how few elite crooks can bring the world economy to its knees.

It affected me on a more personal level. My dream of getting H1B visa and living in the US shattered into pieces. Next few years brought a lot of changes to my personal life with marriage, changing jobs, moving to a different city, the birth of my daughter and so on. As a result, I had to put my “living abroad” plan on the back-burner for a while.

Foundation of an Idea

Then came the day of awakening. One late evening, while discussing with a friend about different experiences we both had abroad, the discussion finally steered to a single question.

“Would you like to move to a different country now?”

He and I both knew the answer to that question. That discussion revived the idea I was contemplating for so many years. Next day, we decided to play the biggest and the riskiest gamble of our life.

We went to a visa consultant in Pune to see if we are eligible to file for H1B. As it turned out, due to a smaller quota, higher chances of rejections and bigger competition, the US was already out of question. Out of the choices I had, Australia seemed like the place to be, in terms of the visa process, employment opportunities, weather, public safety and proximity to the Indian sub-continent. This was the start of a long journey ahead which was going to be fun, adventurous, tough and high on adrenaline.

Moving To Australia Series

1. Moving To Australia – The Idea
2. 10 Reasons Why I Chose Australia
3. Which Work Visa Is Right For You?
4. Should I Go With Migration Agent?
5. Introduction To Skilled Visa Points System
6. How To Prepare For Skills Assessment – Part 1
7. How To Prepare For Skills Assessment – Part 2
8. How To Clear IELTS In First Attempt – Part 1
9. How To Clear IELTS In First Attempt – Part 2
10. How To Clear IELTS In First Attempt – Part 3
11. EOI – Express Your Desire To Migrate
12. Getting Visa Invitation
13. Lodging Visa Application And Making Visa Payment
14. Getting Evidence of Functional English
15. Undergoing Health Examination – The Whole Story
16. Getting Indian PCC And The Road Ahead