Rob2160

I visited the Outback Steakhouse in Wichita Kansasa few times..

The food was quite nice but the attempt to simulate Australia.. Highly Laughable..

It was as close to "Australian Food" as a food court chinese takeaway is to the meal an average family in Shanghai would consume..

What the heck.. is a "Bloomin' Onion"??

So I clicked my ruby slippers and went back to OZ...

The outback Steak houses in Australia have completely different food..

You want real Aussie food.. go to a fish and chip shop and order a hamburger with the lot.. http://www.upfromaustralia.com/inausfisnchi.html

Some further reasons to come over...

A typical weekday..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa7wr2xoZuI[/youtube]

And we got the best National Anthem!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcMuf8wE52k[/youtube]

And make sure ya fly Qantas to get here.. We fly the most miles in the world andnever crash! (Yes they even spelled it wrong in this Vid..)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmF1Lh4f3OM[/youtube]

Tommygun

My Feedback: (2)

I suppose another question would be how will you be able to fit in as a prior American citizen. Just going by many of the online exchanges between Americans and Aussies, I don't think they're all THAT fond of us, so that might be an issue to consider.

SyCo_VeNoM

IMO probably a hell of a lot better than an american trying to relocate to a middle east country

GerKonig

Follow your dream. Heck you are 21, you have to! It is a win win proposition. You will gain real life experiences, if you travel abroad, with an open mind you will learn a lot. Besides, if you do not get kicked out (from the US), you can always come back (like my grandparents used to say).

All the few Australians I know are nice people! I travel abroad as much as I can (leaving to Spain and the South of France (Provence and Riviera) in 2 weeks) and I love it. Also, you learn good and bad things from other people, other countries, other cultures, other languages, other foods. And you get to find out on your own if the grass is really greener from the other side. And yes, the Aussies do not speak English, but they try...:-) They live in a country that is a continent in itself! Will have to visit eventually:-)

Gerry

The_Shark

i have considered that already, even if they dont like the people where i come from, im sure they would like me, i dont think of Australia as a bunch of crockidile dundees drinking fosters in the middle of the outback, and im sure they will pick up on that.

and quite frankly, i wouldnt blame them if they felt that way, do you want everyone to think that your a inbread, slackjawed hillbilly drinking moonshine feuding with your neighbors? or a bunch of sue happy uptite buisness men ripping people off? or the land of where the the government is thirsty for war and is so twisted you dont know whats up and down?

no, and if they feel that way, i wouldnt blame them, many people's idea of Australia is based off of hollywood, ours by news.

here are a few reasons i want to move
Warm weather (big plus for me)
more skill jobs availible
told its a more laid back way of life
low population
the beaches to visit to
... the number of blondes

your avatar says it all, im doing what neil did.

FahrtAutoRC

Eh, I was making a funny. I know Aussies are pretty much nothing like we depict them, but then again, America loves her stereotypes. Apparently since I'm German my diet is suposed to be flat meat, cheap beer, saurkraut and wife beating.I am also supposed to be an overbearing father and have no love for fun or ANYTHING that does not denote the utmost efficiency. I am also supposed to stink a little bit, I think. Oh well

tommygun32

Uhmmmm, beg to differ there on that one SyCo.....

The ONE AND ONLY THING that makes it or breaks it when moving ANYWHERE is accepting the localle. It was stated previously. The biggest FAILS are going somewhere and trying to turn it into what you left.

Lunchboxer

Yeah?! Guess you don't qualify for the elite group of Team America then..

SyCo_VeNoM

never heard the flat meat, and wife beating stereotype before for germans


tommygun32 I was more talking the countries where the US's AF's more than pissed off the local populace, and anti-american sentiment runs deep. Not places like UAE (which I hear is cool with the US mostly) I will admit I was way off topic, but I kinda also threw it out as a joke which lunchboxer captured so well with the pic he put up

I heard over seas from a few people who have traveled abroad that I've known when they hear that they were from chicago they automatically think were in the mob like al capone. Let me stress though that was told to me by people I've worked with, and knew in the past(none of who knew each other), not 1st hand experience

tommygun32

Hahaha....LB, PM for the real story or else I'll have to kill ya if I make it public... (joke)

flat meat = schnitzel....wife beating = beer drinking...., schnitzel, beer, flour and bread crumbs....yummmyyyy...[&:]

I hear you SyCo....no problems bro...just wanted to make sure the big ME doesn't get pigeon holled.

As a Yank, living and working overseas benefits America as a whole. The US government actually realizes that and gives US citizens a bonus for doing this. They encourage US citizens who wish to do this because there is an element of cross culture sharing and understanding.

Lunchboxer

Technically, US does not recognize dual citizenship.. i.e., you are supposed to only have 1 passport..

Not like they will crack down on regular folks like us but I think that's the law..

You also pay tax if you are a US citizen working oversea.. you got an allowance of amount that you don't have to pay tax, but once it goes over, you have to pay US tax on those amount..

tommygun32

Correct LB, that's the incentive.

I hold only one passport, US. My 2 kids also hold US passports.

There are special circumstances for dual citizenships, but I'm not entirely clued up on that.

The law states that no matter what, as a US citizen, living over-seas, I must file my annual tax returns, in full and honestly. If I make more than US $ 80K per annum I will have to pay taxes on anything over and above that amount.

I can tell you something interesting though;

My wife is originally Indian, born and raised in Dubai, went to college in Philly, finished a 3 year degree in 2 years. Even though she is not a US citizen, as a student / resident she was given a SS number, and now as we are married, she has to file a tax return every year with me....., Even though she only holds an Indian passport....

I'm not even going to get into what it will take for her to get her 'green card' or US passport....[:@]

Lunchboxer

As a spouse of a US citizen, that should be pretty easy, no?!

tonyob

As a former and current U.S. citizen I went through some interesting exchanges and changes in mindset in the 30 years I've lived in Australia.

There is some resistance to Americans from some Australians, there are others who really love America and want to know all about it. I moved here just around the time that Australia challenged and beat America in the America's cup, it was a time of wild celebration over here, with good reason. After all, the America's cup really symbolizes the stereotypical behaviour that causes both the resistance to Americans and the love of Americans. America dominated the America's cup and turned it into a worldwide competition which symbolizes the love for the can do attitude of Americans. America dominated the America's cup by rigging the rules in their favour and playing a dirty game over and over again to stay on top which symbolizes the resistance felt to Americans.

You will always face some degree of intolerance as a foreigner in another country, but if you treat others decently and look at things from their perspective, you'll fit in just fine.

One funny local quirk is rhyming slang, some people say "Sand shoe" as a slang for "Thank You", that sort of thing. American's get nicknamed "Seppos", which is slang for Septic Tank.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=seppo

tommygun32

I wish mate....no it's not. I don't want to go too far off topic, I'll send you a PM tomorrow....it's bedtime for me LB.

Good night.

yojoelay

Shark,

I moved here in 1999 at age 26 with a backpack and a dream from Canada. I'm a citizen now and have gone through the whole process.

Life here is good. Very good. Just came back from walking my dogs - it's autumn here around the equivalent of your mid - November. I'm quite comfortable in shorts and a polar fleece.

People here are great, we give Americans a bit of stick but if someone is teasing you it's likely a sign of acceptance.

Wages - if you're trade qualified and here on a proper work visa - like a 457 Work visa - you might find yourself a job in the mining industry. A new article just quoted the average in mining at $109,000. Likely a third or more of that will go in tax - that will depend on your situation. The feeling is that we're on the crest of another mining boom so jobs are looking good. You'll likely be 'fly-in fly-out' but you'll have cash.

Cost of living - groceries will be between 50% to 100% higher than you're used to (just my bet). Rents are by the week - to live in Brisbane rent would be between $200 and $400/week depending on the arrangements (sharing / size / etc).

Beer supplies are good year round.

Make sure you come here legally with all paperwork in place. You should speak with a Registered Migration Agent for any visa advice. Rules change regularly and they are complex.

Good luck.

tonyob

That used to be the case, i.e. when I moved here in the 80s, but the rules no longer prevent dual citizenship. I hold both U.S. and Australian passports. If I remember correctly, it was actually Australian rules that prevented dual citizenship.

The U.S. consulate tried to discourage me from holding dual citizen ship, they claimed that if I was in trouble in a foreign country traveling under my Australian passport, that they wouldn't be in a position to provide assistance. But they also acknowledged it was completely legal for me to proceed with getting dual citizenship.

tommygun32

Hahaha...

the amount of times I've been called a zeppo....

Cockney Rhyming...."go answer the dog and bone" = go answer the telephone.

zeppo comes from septic, which came from septic tank, which came from tank, which rhymes with Yank...

Never did understand how that came about....boredom me thinks...

Lunchboxer

Yeah, the laws does not really state that you can not have dual citizenship.. but in his case, he is moving there, applying to be a citizen of Australia (I think that's the plan).. in that case, in theory, he would lose the US citizenship..

Here's the quote from the government website:

"a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship."

So by applying for another country's citizenship, it is different than say, if you for some reasons were granted the citizenship of another country..

Who knows.. like I said, it is probably not a big deal for regular folks.. unless you are some type of politician that might come back to haunt ya, etc. !!

tommygun32

It's "The Shark".

Has a plan, thought it through, made up his mind....has a goal. Good on him.

Wish most 21-22 year old's had the same....

I still wish you all the best Shark, but I still do recommend you take a 6 month cushion with you mate...[&:]

Go Well....

It's also still the "trible dub-ya", don't think we're going to lose contact with "The Shark"

tommygun32

Quoted for truth LB.

1bwana1

There is nothing stopping an American from having multiple citizenships, and passports.There are a few things that cancompromise yourU.S. Citizenship such as serving in Foriegn Armed Services and some othe GovernmentServices, but they are few.

In many Countries there is the concept of citizenship by "Right of Blood". Which basically means that if your parent, grand parent, or even in some cases great grand parents were citzens of that Country, you can assert your right to Citzenship in that Country. You do not give up your U.S. Citizenship in doing so.

My entire family is now embarked on a program to assert our Citizenships in various Countries. Between myself, my 6 Brothers and Sisters, and our Spouses, we have been successful so far in Italy, Germany, Norway, and Poland, with other pending. This has given us many rights and financial tools, including Estate Law.. It is a great way to hedge against our rapidly deteriating political structure here in the U.S.. Once established, these rights of Citizenship extend all the way through to our Children and Grandchildren. They will also assert their rights.

By the way, having traveled, and lived in other Countries myself, I highly encourage the O.P. to pursue his dream. No matter how it turns out, he will have gained a wonderful life experience. Take risks, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Uncas

My Feedback: (1)

There are very good reasons to expatriate. The current President is not one of them.

pmerritt

My Feedback: (118)

Well, look at it this way.  This nut might be flying at your local field some day.  Let's all chip in and get his butt out of here asap.  21 and knows it all.  Woo woo. YOU GO BOY!  ADIOS Tootie Fruity!

Lunchboxer

That is true.. but when you are voluntarily seeking / applying for citizenship of another country, that's when you might lose your US citizenship. (see the quote above) Like I said, for most people, I don't think the government is paying attention to everyone regarding this kind of stuff.. but I bet if some high profile businessmen / politicians are doing something in that nature, they would run into some issues..