On the shores of Coogee beach in Sydney, British fitness expert Rob Derbyshire gently reminds his British client Judith that gain is normally accompanied by pain.

Dashing up the beach together, they look like part of a "pom" invasion of Australia. And in many ways they are.

The number of British people emigrating to Australia has already increased from 8,749 in the year from 2001 to 2002 to 23,290 in 2005 to 2006.

And it has just become easier for Brits to make their homes Down Under.

Changes to the points system, which come into effect on 1 September, will award five valuable extra points for people who can pass a standard English language test, a Brit-friendly policy partly designed to lure more "poms" here.

'No looking back'

The Lucky Country is facing a chronic skills shortage, and wants Brits to make their home in this "help-wanted" nation.

For people like Rob, it should make the passage from Britain to Australia a whole lot easier. Despite being a fully qualified aircraft mechanic, the type of skill which Australia desperately needs, it required a four-year struggle to get permanent residency.

"It was very laborious, on and off, and back and forward to the immigration office. So it was a big relief when that magic piece of paper arrived in the mail one day telling me I was in. There's no looking back," he says.

Rest of story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6972076.stm