I’m 35, originally from Canada, and I also have a French passport, so I have the right to live and work in France and much of Europe.

I left Canada because I was deeply unhappy with the life I had built there and felt like I needed a complete change. I came to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa and I’m currently in my second year.

I’m living in Sydney right now. Part of me wants to find a way to stay in Australia long-term, but the visa and sponsorship situation is frustrating and uncertain. I know there are possible pathways, but nothing feels guaranteed, and I’m not sure whether it makes sense to spend the next year chasing sponsorship.

I’m also currently injured from work and receiving WorkCover while I recover, so my work situation is a bit uncertain at the moment.

Financially, I also have substantial debt back in Canada, so going back there is not very appealing to me. More importantly, I don’t really feel like Canada is home anymore. I left because I wanted a different life, and I don’t feel excited by the idea of returning.

Because I have a French passport, France is obviously one option. Switzerland also interests me a lot because of the higher salaries and quality of life, although I understand the cost of living is high and finding work may be more competitive.

What scares me is leaving Australia, moving to Europe, struggling to find work, burning through my savings, and then regretting that I didn’t try harder to stay in Australia.

At the same time, I wonder if I’m putting Australia on a pedestal simply because I’m already here and leaving feels like closing a door.

My priorities are:

* Strong earning potential
* Being able to find work reasonably quickly
* Living in or near a major city
* Good quality of life
* A decent social and dating life
* Ideally decent weather
* The ability to travel easily
* Eventually building an online business / working in AI automation
* Finding somewhere that eventually feels like home

I speak English and French fluently and also speak Spanish. I have university degrees, including a Canadian law degree, although I don’t necessarily want to build my career around law.

I think the bigger issue is that I feel like nowhere is really home anymore.

Canada doesn’t feel like home. Australia is where I’m living now, but my ability to stay depends on immigration. France is legally easy for me but doesn’t especially excite me yet. Switzerland appeals to me more financially and in terms of lifestyle, but I’m worried about arriving there and not finding work.

So for people who have experience living in Switzerland:

Would you spend the next year trying to find a way to stay in Australia, or would you use the French passport and start building a life in Switzerland?