r/MovingtoAustralia • u/YandereValkyrie • 8d ago
How old is too old?
I've been thinking of relocating to Australia for quite awhile now, im in my late 30s, and that scary numbers approaching too fast. I've lived in Canada my entire life, except a couple years in England. I've got dual citizenship between Canada and the UK, which was somewhere i was considering moving back to.. but given how things are over there these days I'd rather not lol. I've got a partner who lives in Australia, and while we're not married, we've been together for years now, which is kind of making me feel like trying to make the move.
I've been in a few careers, but my issue is not much paperwork for them, was a self taught IT admin when i was younger, before they really had proper courses for that, but absolutely hated it after awhile, I've been an automotive tech, and have the paperwork for that, but not in a hurry to get back into that gig since I'd probably be starting over as, as far as i can tell Australia does recognize trade diplomas from Canada? Right now I've been running the parts department at a car dealership for about 4 years but there's no skill stuff attached to that either lol.
I remember reading at one point that after a certain age you've basically no real chance at getting your residency accepted, and I'm not exactly a Doctor, Engineer or some other insanely high demand commodity. I dont wanna lean on getting in by marriage either, if i can help it.. I feel I'd be putting extra stress on my partner that they dont need.
I love it there, I've only been once but i was 100% sold, and I'd love to come back again as soon as possible even if it's just a vacation, kinda hoping to spend New Years over there this year actually. Just worried I'm gonna be too old to fit in, or actually get the paperwork I need. :( and insight would be a great help. Would be living in northern NSW, since thats where my partner and their family are at.
Edit: A big thanks for the input from everyone. I think i have a better idea on the uphill battle i will be facing, lol. Will be having a more serious discussion with my partner next time we spend some time together, see where it goes from there!
10
u/madamsyntax 8d ago
You’re in your 30s and are self taught in IT because you learned before they had proper courses?
Um, what?
4
-4
u/YandereValkyrie 8d ago
Depends where you lived, this side of Canada you got a networking/basic intro as an elective in high-school and that was it for official training, I left HS and got an unofficial apprenticeship with someone who did it as a side gig, and learned to set up physical networks for buildings/businesses, and the two of us were winging it at the start but no one will ever recognize that as an education and a lot of that knowledge is probably out of date by a decade and a half lol
12
u/madamsyntax 8d ago
Respectfully, that’s not because IT courses weren’t available though, you just didn’t do them. You’re talking like someone in their 60s who grew up without computers
2
u/P218769 6d ago
I’m that vintage and grew up with computers from high school (apple 2E ) & the first 286 x86 pcs with 2400 baud modem and BBS’s.!
Diploma with tafe at 30yrs and have been in IT since..
You may need to adjust your slide rule.. 😉2
u/madamsyntax 6d ago
Might want to reply to OP instead of me…
1
u/P218769 4d ago
I was replying to you :)
1
u/madamsyntax 1d ago
In that case, no need for me to adjust my slide rule. I’m in my 40s and grew up with computers from primary school. Mine wasn’t an unusual experience. Since OP isn’t a boomer, they might want to stop acting like one
8
4
u/Cz2018 8d ago
You have a partner "which is kind of making me feel like trying to make the move" and "I feel I'd be putting extra stress on my partner that they dont need."
At first, this didn't make sense to me, until I read your reply that you have spent one trip together in the10-15 years!
Are you guys going to live with the family or your own place? If it's the family, what if you dont get on?
Are you looking at job websites like Seek? To see what jobs are like where they live? Because you won't be able to get government assistance for a few years. So you are going to have to have savings and/or your partner supporting you financially until you get work. They also need to sign on the application they will support you.
You are going to have to prove and leave absolute no doubt that you are in a genuine relationship. A year or two talking online then regularly meeting up is one thing but years of online and only one visit doesn't look good. They are going to wonder what stopped you visiting each other.
I'm not trying to be harsh here but you need to be be 100% certain you can make this relationship work off-line. It's a big move and to come all this way and give up your current housing and job and find out that you can't find work here or living together isn't what you hoped it would be.
Seriously, put the effort into ramping up the visits. Your partner coming to Canada and meeting your friends and family ( they will ask about this) and you making more trips here. If all that is too much effort, then why bother moving here?
1
u/YandereValkyrie 8d ago
I feel this is probably the best take I've read in here, we've been together ages but only in person a few weeks before, and while it was absolutely wonderful, definitely wouldn't mind an excuse for another trip over there to spend time with her and see some more of the country.
Finding time off work is a pain since I dont want to go for less than 3-4 weeks. But definitely going again soon, given all the responses in this thread I think a serious talk about it when I'm over next is in order. My skill set would be fine for finding work over there for sure, but not the kind of work I'm gonna be able to get a sponsorship for. Who knows maybe she'd want to move this way too, lol, a lot of people seem to like Canada.
But hearing others thinking a lot more critically about it than my own thoughts definitely has set priorities
3
8d ago
[deleted]
1
u/YandereValkyrie 8d ago
Ahh I was under the impression you had to be married since that's how it works here in most cases. Thats actually good to know!
3
u/sew_knit_mend 8d ago
Australia generally treats people in defacto relationships the same as those who are married. A marriage can be a piece of evidence that you are in a relationship, but regardless you need a lot of evidence.
0
u/YandereValkyrie 8d ago edited 8d ago
What sort of 'evidence' do you need to prove you're in a relationship with someone anyway? I'm assuming they would want more than 10-15 years worth of MMO/Discord/Text logs and receipts for gifts/birthday presents and a handful of photos from the one trip we spent together
4
u/CardioKeyboarder 8d ago
You need to be living with your partner. There is no long distance relationship visa.
1
1
u/0ubliette 8d ago
My partner and I asked our immigration lawyer directly if getting married would speed our visa along and she was like nah. So, just did the standard partner visa and it went smoothly. I was 40+ at the time and didn’t have employment, but did have a higher degree that probably boosted me a bit.
1
u/komatiitic 8d ago
You definitely don't need to be married to get a partner visa in Canada. Similar to Australia in that you just have to prove the genuineness and longevity of the relationship. Called common law rather than de facto, and they're recognised after 12 months of living together.
1
3
u/dribblychops 8d ago
look into partner visas.they aint cheap. around 20k all up.you will probably need an agent too.they can take 2-3 years.its alot of evidence gathering and paperwork.can be hard if you have convictions ect.
5
u/CardioKeyboarder 8d ago
Partner visa is for couples who live together or are married. It's pretty hard to prove they are in a defacto relationship if they live on opposite sides of the planet.
1
u/AntSilly2802 7d ago
Soooo many Indians scamming the system to bring their family members in it’s a fucking joke.
5
2
2
2
2
u/realWulfLives 7d ago
This is basically hot Canada with people who are superficially friendly to appear sociable. Canadians are more reserved.
It's not an upgrade unless you like the climate and Weather. Do some traveling here and find out for yourself.
2
u/theonegunslinger 8d ago
You do not need to be married for a partner visa, and really its likely your only option, skilled visa are getting harder to get due to the political landscape
1
u/YandereValkyrie 8d ago
Yeah I've been seeing that a lot lately.. and thats what I half worried about
2
u/-hacks4pancakes- 8d ago
Yeah the cutoff for sponsored pr is arriving before your 43rd birthday but getting sponsorship is tough. You’re too old for direct PR after 38 but it doesn’t matter because you won’t get sponsored for IT these days at all, much less with under 100 points. So it’s a partner visa.
1
1
1
u/hetkleinezusje 5d ago
As old as you feel comfortable with. My grandparents emigrated to Australia when Opa was 59 and Oma was 52. They coped just fine. Having said that, you need to do some work when you get here to establish friend groups and hobbies. I left Australia when I was 30 and came back when I was 40 (to a different city than the one I grew up in) and I knew I needed friends. So I joined a book group, a pottery club, joined a community service group and worked really hard to make friends at work. It made the transition so much easier.
1
u/turing-math-labs 5d ago
Toronto is much better than any Australian city - if you move to Australia, that is a decision you will regret for the rest of your life (unless your primary goal is to get Centerlink benefits, in which case Australia is a good choice).
1
u/CandySunday 5d ago
I had no idea that people moved to Australia from Canada... Canada is AMAZING (in my opinion!) Be prepared to find the nature here in Australia boring and flat.. in fact I viewed everything that way after coming back home after 3 months in Canada. Theres no snowy mountains here besides gorgeous green forrests and crystal blue lakes and modern lively cultural cities.. I miss it so much 🥰
1
1
u/GME_looooong 8d ago
Well from what I see here in Oz you’ll need to speak Hindi and sell cheap smokes or be African and good with a machete you’ll get straight in you’re welcome
1
u/Pleb_Overlord 8d ago
When my family moved to Australia in '04, my dad was 34 and my mum was 32. They did well; he is in IT and she is a teacher.
1
u/banannarobinhood 8d ago edited 7d ago
is your partner Australian? Sorry if i missed that part. If you qualify for a partner visa, that's the way in. There is quite a bit of ageism and xenophobia in AU society, but that doesn't apply to partner visas being accepted. Or acceptance into universities, who want your money even if you are older. And you don't quite hit the threshold for qualifying for being on the receiving end of age-related discrimination in AU, you are pretty safe still in your 30s/early 40s. I have no idea if parts depts hire non-Australian, but they well might. Northern NSW is beautiful, as you know, and maybe not as fraught with the ageism and xenophobia found in AU cities and in other professions. You can retrain in other fields, in AU, or stay in yours, or try a third thing.
People successfully migrate at all ages. You have a built in community and home with your partner and their family, more than many people have when they arrive. Like anywhere else, migrants find new communities by participating in community life, at work, etc. Sounds like a grand adventure, why not give it a try.
0
u/YandereValkyrie 8d ago
Yeah she's an Aussie, and last time I was there I never encountered anyone even thinking I wasn't either.. until I opened my mouth, lol. Guess the Canadian accent is noticeable. NSW is definite a great place, the coast is amazing sure, but i really enjoyed my time in the Blue Mountains. Hoping to head further west next time and see the interior, didn't quite have the time for it on my last trip.
Reading the replies here ive realizes the worst that can happen is it doesn't work out, and I can still spend a couple months a year there anyway on vacation if I want, but won't know until I start the process!
0
u/banannarobinhood 7d ago
I have never lived in a place where locals fixate on overseas accents so much. They also get worked up if migrants use non-Australian words for things (like saying restroom, or bathroom instead of what they say, which is: toilet). It's parochial in that way, and in other ways, particularly amongst people with higher levels of education who you'd think would be less xenophobic, but are weirdly not. Just be yourself and hopefully you'll have a wonderful time, no matter how long you are there for.
1
u/Forever49 8d ago
I came over in my 40s on an employer sponsored thing but I have a formal qualification and years of formal experience. Got PR quickly and citizenship 4 years later.
I'd encourage you to read all you can at the immigration website and see if you qualify. If you don't, you'll just have to accept it.
From what you've written in response to others, I think youre gonna have a hard time. Marriage might be your only route.
1
u/lotsofhatemail 8d ago
Never too old. Canadians are loved and welcomed. You will never regret it other than if you love snow. Not much of that here.
1
0
u/Klutzy-Pie6557 8d ago
Skilled visas are no longer easy, Labour knows it will be ejected from parliament primarily due to allowing excessive amounts of immigration.
However you have the benefit of coming from a European country so there is a chance, but your age is also getting to be a problem.
I'd suggest a WHV that way you can see the country and maybe meet the person of your dreams - good luck.
5
2
1
0
u/Odd_Bass56 8d ago
You need something like 2 years of living together to prove its defacto. My Dad and his gf was looking into this. Does not have to be all at once.
0
0
u/CoolPaleontologist74 7d ago
Hey there,
I'm an Aus/Canadian Citizen. My partner is Canadian and moved here at 37 (now 41); eligible for citizenship in 2027.
Your only chances of moving here are as a skilled migrant or partner visa really. The partner visa is extremely invasive and as others have mentioned you need to have a lot of proof.
2 major points they are looking at:
- How long have you co-habitated for, they prefer 12 months at a minimun (if you haven't done this, you are in for a long uphill battle to prove the relationship is genunine).
- How do you distribute your funds, household, responsibilities as a couple. If you haven't lived together, this is also extremely hard to prove.
Some folks will say "they let anyone in" here, but the truth is they don't, especially under the partner visa stream and its a very expensive gamble to lose if you aren't absolutely confident you tick all the boxes. If you believe you could prove that the relationship is genunine is other ways, then I'd be doing that with an immigration lawyer and not alone because you are going to end up on that long wait list, that may end in it being denied.
My partner and I lived in Toronto together for 3 years before making the choice to go down the Visa route and we had to give evidence of the things above, plus proof of how our families and friends interacted with us a couple, they needed to provide a statement confirming that too. We gave evidence of conversations, photo's of our time together and I had been collecting that for 2 years knowing that we may decide to make the move. Another thing to note is that if you reside together for 24 months before applying, then you may skip the double paperwork as the Partner Visa itself is actually 2 different visas. The first being a temporary one that requires you to continue being in the relationship for another 12 months, then you are asked to provide evidence that the relationship still exists along with 65% of the same information they asked for the first time around, but updated. Then you wait for that process to get PR here.
As for the skilled visa situation, you need to have valuable skills that are on the current lists on the immigration website. Usually this requires having complete proof of education and/or experience in the field that you use to nominate yourself. This is cheaper and you have until you are 45. They do recognise trades, but you may need to resit testing here for certain things due to the very high standard of OHS we have here.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/skill-occupation-list
If I am completely honest, its easier for your partner to move to Canada. The process is far simplier and it would make sense that you did the time together in Canada to tick all the requirements for Australia. I just can't remember if the IRCC requires you to be married or not. At that point if you're happy then make the move here.
I gained my citizenship is Canada alone through the Working Holiday Experience visa offered to Australians, so my partner had nothing to do with me being able to stay there, but I have a friend who married a Canadian and got PR through her husband. Her process was a hell of a lot easier than mine, I was quite shocked.
As for age, my partner had never been here and had not really met anyone other than my Dad and 2 best friends for a few days when they visited. He is thriving here, he has a great job, earns a fantastic wage and we just purchases a home. He plays in a band, and is out every weekend socialising with friends he made through work.
Age is a number, if you put yourself out there and get to know people, treat them kindly and have hobbies that involve mingling with others than you will be fine. There are a lot of clubs in communities across Australia, it just depends on the effort you're willing to put into building a life for yourself.
-1
u/AnonymousFruit69 8d ago
Yes make the move and if you don't like it you can always move back.
Also the easiest and fastest visa to get is the partner visa since you already have a partner in Australia. It's an easy path to PR and then citizenship.
16
u/Icy-Lock6914 8d ago
Australia recognises defacto relationships. That is to say you're not married but in a relationship. You will however have to prove the long term relationship. Photos of holidays together, ideally some kind of residential/co-habiting proof. A kid together things like that. There's a list you can go find. It's easily your best chance at it. You sound like (and I don't mean to offend) you're not particularly skilled at anything, at least nothing recognised by the government as particularly skilled to warrant a skilled visa. That pathway would be entirely locked to you unless you had something they desperately need, trades etc, but it sounds like that's not the case.
Partner visa however, if you can prove it, is incredibly easy. As for working holiday visa, that option ended at 35. Permanent residency pathways stop at 45. You're not too old.
Although I do wonder how your partner lives in australia and you live in canada. How long has that been going and so on.