Australia has long been a top travel destination for Brits looking for sunshine, warm weather, and people who speak English. But now new economic ties between the two nations are changing the dynamic. After Brexit, the UK is seeking partnerships with friendly countries around the world, including Oz.
1st Move International, a company that helps people relocate to far-flung destinations, says that changes in international trade policy are driving the trend. The signing of the recent UK-Australia Free Trade agreement means that more professionals are moving to Australia to find work and opportunities than ever before. The rules mean that skilled professionals can more easily find work in the country, freeing up movement and eliminating some of the onerous restrictions that used to apply.
A major part of the agreement, 1st Move International says, is the changes for doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, and architects. The ruling means that these professionals don’t need to go through the same rigorous registration process.
The agreement also means that Businesses in Australia no longer need to prove their inability to find local candidates before seeking UK employees. Now they can go straight to the British labour market and seek talent directly, again without any additional paperwork.
1st Move International also reports that the new rules mean that more British workers advising Australian clients on projects are no longer subject to the country’s strict skilled occupation lists. Existing professionals pretty much have guaranteed access to visas when they apply, following some fairly loose criteria.
Why Is This Happening?
Australia is opening up its country for several reasons, and they are not just political. The first is the significantly changing demographics. Like elsewhere in the developed world, the country’s birth rate is falling and it needs new workers. Unskilled labour from fast-growing nations is not appealing to voters, so the country is seeking to increase horizontal migration from competitor states, like the UK.
On top of this, Australia wants to build ties with the world’s sixth-largest economy. Despite its relative decline, the UK remains a formidable trading partner, and securing a free trade relationship with the island is likely to increase wealth for everyone.
At the same time, Australia knows that it needs to improve its economic standing in the world. Tensions with China, a major trading partner for coal, mean that the nation needs to start looking elsewhere for friendly countries willing to do business with it. Reducing the strictness of labour migration policies is a good compromise with the UK and allows the nation to benefit from a much larger skilled labour pool.
Why Do Brits Want To Go To Australia?
Of course, that’s not the end of the story. Movements of people aren’t just political; they are also personal. And there are many people in the UK who would love to trade their regular lives for something more exciting down under.
The primary reason Brits are flocking to Australia is the weather. While 70 percent of days in the UK are overcast, over 70 percent are sunny down under. Workers tired of long, cold, and wet winters want a change of scenery in places like Gold Coast and Darwin.
Australia is also home to a large British diaspora because of the two nation’s shared histories. Around 1 million Brits call Australia home, making up a whopping 3.8% of the population. As such, the likelihood of feeling isolated in cities like Sydney and Perth is extremely small for migrants. Opportunities to make connections are everywhere.
Travelling to Australia is also a dream for many British people. Located on the opposite side of the world, many people view it as an exotic destination. While the coastal regions in the southeast of the country are a little like home, the rest of the land is alien and unique in the world.
The reduction in paperwork is also encouraging people to make the move. Wages are slightly higher in Australia than in the UK, which will convince many people that making the jump is worth it. While Oz doesn’t have the long history of the UK and other European countries, it more than makes up for it with quality of life advantages.
Australia is also a wealthy country, which means that Brits don’t need to worry so much about leaving their old lifestyles behind. Cities like Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Gold Coast offer all the modern conveniences people want, from takeaway deliveries to banking. While it’s not quite a home away from home, Australia isn’t quite the same culture shock as living and working in India or the Middle East.
Finally, Brits want to go to Australia because it is a dream vacation destination for many. The country is not a crowded island but a vast continent with true wildernesses that stretch for thousands of miles. It also offers many of the most interesting geological sites in the world, thanks to its red rocks and unique tectonic history.
For people living in the UK, swamps, deserts, and crocodiles are totally unheard of. Hence, sheer curiosity is probably driving many people to explore the country.
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The Future
The trade deal with Australia represents a major milestone for the UK, which has been reeling since Brexit. With the new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, at the helm, the country is moving forwards quickly to make the best of what many view as a bad situation. If all goes well, there’s a chance that the new relationship with Australia will help the country thrive and become a dynamic player on the world stage. Britons can move to Australia and vice versa, improving the labour market and, ideally, making everyone more productive.
1st Move International believes that demand for moving services will pick up substantially in the coming years as people become more aware of the opportunities. The two-way movement of individuals across such vast distances will create large new industries.
Moreover, all of this is going to feed back on itself as the process gets easier. The more convenient moving becomes, the more people will do it.
