UK, US, and Australia have similar work ethics. The Aussies, based on my anecdotal experiences, seem better at relaxing and do so less pretentiously than folks here in the US.<p>Immigrating to the US is easy if you have an employer lined up, however getting a green card or full citizenship can take awhile (5 years?)<p>In the US you will absolutely need employment for health insurance. Don't get sick while unemployed, or you will have to move to Australia anyway to avoid the bill collectors :-)<p>If you plan to stay in a city, London, San Francisco/LA, Sydney, etc. all have high costs of living.<p>I am from the US, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else permanently.<p>But if I were an immigrant, particularly from UK/Europe, I would have to have a very specific reason to move to the US.<p>If I wanted to start a business, live in a suburb, own a gun, lower taxation, etc. the US is great. Though you will only find lower taxation outside of NYC/Boston/Chicago/San Franscisco/LA/Seattle, etc. Diverse climate and people.<p>Quality of life is very subjective. If you plan to live here through retirement to death, the US is a terrible place to retire with low social security payouts. You would need to move to low cost area, unless you can afford a nice condo in Florida. If you plan to stay in a city unto death, make sure you find a rent controlled place...<p>Australia is probably a better fit if you don't care about any of the above, but we would welcome you here regardless.<p>If you are more interested in exploring the East, then Australia is the obvious choice. If you want to be able to explore Central/South America, and get back to London relatively quickly then the US might be better.