Emigrating to Australia the top choice for self-employed Brits

A new study has found that almost one in four people who are self employed are considering moving abroad to work in the next five years.

Emigrate to Australia

Self-employed Brits see Australia as a possible destination for migration in the next five years.

The survey of 2,000 bosses of small to medium-sized firms in the UK by currency broker Foreign Currency Direct found that main reason for emigrating abroad was to achieve a better work/life balance.

Emigrating to Australia or New Zealand were the most popular options.

Two out of five of those considering moving abroad said it was because of the prospect of further tax rises, while a third believed that overseas countries offered greater business opportunities.

The possibility of working overseas was most popular among smaller businesses in the banking and finance, hospitality and leisure, and professional services sectors.

Stephen Hughes, director of Foreign Currency Direct, said: "Given the state of the UK economy it's hardly surprising that so many self-employed people are considering moving their business interests abroad.

“We've seen a significant jump in self-employed people transferring money abroad to set up their businesses as well as paying for big ticket items such as rental deposits and cars,” he said.

The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people lodge their Australian Visa applications with the Australian Embassy.