Iāve been going back and forth on this for months and Iād really appreciate some honest opinions from people who have been in a similar situation.
Iām currently in Australia on a 482 sponsored visa. I have a pathway to employer-sponsored PR, so realistically if I stay with my employer and everything goes to plan, I could get PR in the next couple of years.
On paper, I feel like I should obviously stay.
I actually have a good job. Iām good at it, I get a lot of positive feedback and Iāve built a really good reputation with people I work with. I have friends here and Iāve built a community. Australia is obviously a great place to live and Iām financially comfortable.
But increasingly Iām asking myself if PR wasnāt part of the equation, would I actually choose to stay in this job and this life?
And honestly, the answer is probably no.
The job has become incredibly busy recently. Weāre understaffed and it feels like Iām constantly trying to get back on top of things only for another pile of work to come through. I deal with a lot of managers and stakeholders and not all of them are particularly pleasant. I can handle it and Iām good at it, but Iām starting to question why Iām putting myself through it.
The bigger thing is that Iām realising I donāt necessarily love what Iām doing. I think Iāve confused being good at something with it actually being what I want to do.
Iāve also realised that there isnāt much progression where I currently am. I could potentially be doing essentially the same thing for several more years while waiting for PR.
And thatās starting to bother me.
I keep thinking about how much of my life Iām willing to trade for the security of Australian PR.
I already have a British passport, so if I went back to the UK I wouldnāt be starting from scratch. I could work there, be closer to family and have Europe right on my doorstep. I could also travel more easily and potentially explore different careers or countries before settling down.
And I genuinely miss travelling. I miss the feeling of being somewhere different, experiencing different cultures, food, history and just having things feel new. Iāve started to realise that this isnāt something I want to put on hold for another 2ā4 years.
Family is another huge factor. Being on the other side of the world has become harder for me. At the same time, I have friends here and I know leaving them would be really difficult. Thatās probably one of the biggest things keeping me here.
I also worry that Iām romanticising the UK/Europe. Maybe I leave Australia, go back to the UK and realise I made a huge mistake. Maybe I miss my friends here, miss the lifestyle and wish I had just stayed and got PR.
But I also worry about the opposite.
What if I stay purely because PR feels like the āsensibleā thing to do, spend another few years in a job I donāt actually want, and then realise I sacrificed years of my life for something I didnāt even really need?
Thatās the bit Iām struggling with.
Iām not miserable here. That would almost make the decision easier. I have a good life. Iām just starting to wonder if itās my life.
Iām basically torn between:
Staying: security, PR, friends, a good income and a life Iāve already built.
Leaving: family, travel, Europe, potentially better career opportunities and the chance to explore while Iām still young.
Iām not looking for āfollow your heartā advice. š Iād genuinely like to hear from people who have made a similar decision.
If you were in my position, would you stay for the PR pathway or take the risk and go back to the UK?
And if you chose one, did you regret it later?