An Immigrant’s Journey

24/09/2023

Return and Earn policy has been proven effective to reduce litter. For each eligible beverage container, we get back 10 cents refund each.

30/05/2023

Why Migrate?

When you hear of a friend migrating, you often wonder what made them decide to give up a high-paying job and venture in the unknown. Will it be worth the risk? Is it something that you can do as well?

If you are contemplating on whether or not to migrate, you should list down the reasons and weigh them. These should be personal to you, depending on your situation. This is essential to have a purposeful goal.

As an example, here are some of the reasons listed by one living in the Philippines.

✅Reasons to Migrate

1️⃣Economic Factors. Based on the data by iPrice, the average cost of living in the Philippines is 168 higher than the average income, thus the reason why a lot of Filipinos are struggling. As a cross-country comparison, WorldInfo data shows that cost index for Australia is 263% higher than the Philippines, however, the income is higher by by 1564%. This means that Australians can afford about 1301% more than Filipinos.

2️⃣Traffic Issue in the Philippines. Who doesn’t complain of the traffic situation in the Philippines? Traveling for 4-5 hours a day is a lot of time wasted, a time we could have spent playing with the kids, or doing something more productive. The traffic situation has gotten worse over the years. Transferring to a nearer location to the office would mean living in a condo, higher cost of living, giving up fresh air, and a whole lot more. This doesn’t mean that there’s no traffic in other countries though.

3️⃣Education System. The purpose of educating the kids is for them to learn. Teach them to analyze, not memorize. Have you noticed how the education system in the Philippines have changed over the years? If we talk about global competitiveness, we are far from the standard. As an example, a 4-years Bachelor’s degree in a state university is equivalent to an AQF Associate degree in in Australia, or a three-years Bachelor’s degree in Canada. Or a Bachelor of Law in a private college is equivalent to AQF diploma in Australia. If you want a better education, go to Ateneo or La Salle, which both cost a fortune.

4️⃣Healthcare System. Even if you save up millions, a family member with cancer may mean losing this money. Private health insurance are available but you need to pay thousands. In other countries, the public healthcare is even more comprehensive compared to private health insurance coverage in the Philippines.
Security and Safety. Did you know that the Philippines is ranked 134th out of 134 countries in Global Finance's Security Index Score on July 6, 2021? In comparison, Canada ranked 6th of the safest most country in the world by World Population Review. Thus, if you think of your kids' safety, consider this factor.

❌Reasons NOT to Migrate:

1️⃣Adjustment Process. When we migrate, we have to start again. That means giving up your properties in your home country, looking for a house when you transfer, giving up comfort food you were used to, even adjusting to a right-hand drive.
2️⃣Giving up a stable job. If you don’t have an employer to sponsor you, chances are, you have to look again and while looking, you can land a job as a waiter, room attendant, and the likes. If you are a Manager in you current company, don’t expect to start as a Manager when you migrate.
3️⃣Being away from the family. For some migrants, they would start alone in a country and would only bring their families once stable. Homesickness is one of the battles you have to face.
4️⃣Investing on a risky migration plan. Immigrating is never cheap. You have to pay for the visa fees and processing of documents, save money as a start-up and buy essentials when you move.
5️⃣Giving up the comfort of having a nanny and a house-help. If you are used to having one or two, you would have a hard time adjusting. Moving to a country would mean working and doing all the errands at home, taking care of the kids, buying groceries, etc.
6️⃣Racial discrimination and bullying. Some migrants have reported having experienced discrimination at work or being bullied at any place. Be prepared and research on the country’s culture.

You can add more to the list. Research on economic, social benefits and living conditions of other countries to know more.

04/04/2023

Finding peace amidst chaos.

29/05/2022

Topic: Preparation Essentials - Vetassess Assessment

https://migrantsjourney.blogspot.com/2022/04/how-to-prepare-for-vetassess-assessment.html?m=1

Disclaimer: The post below was written based on the writer’s experience and shared for general information. This does not in any way correspond to a legal immigration advice.

05/05/2022

Topic: Immigration Doubts and Tips

Some of us want to migrate to Canada, Australia, US, UK and the likes but we have a lot of questions and doubts. We think migrating is just for the well-off or for those who found love and married foreigners. This isn’t so and I tell you, you will reach your dreams if you aspire and pray.

Listed below are some of the doubts and tips to clear off your mind:

1️⃣ I don’t know where to start.
✅ Each country has immigration websites which offer the visa options, the requirements and even the step-by-step procedures. These information are free to guide immigrants, students and tourists. You just have to google “Immigration Australia” or your country of choice and the immigration website would come up on your search results.

2️⃣ I don’t know anyone in that country.
✅ Well, why don’t you start and make way for your family and friends? You can join Facebook groups and communities from your country. A lot of people in these groups are willing to help you out from the processing of documents to accommodation. See below examples of great groups for Filipinos:
👉Canada -
👉Australia -

3️⃣ I don’t have the financial capacity for this.
✅ There are specific visa types which don’t require much funds. For example, if that is an employer sponsored visa, you just have to pay for the visa fees, or better yet, your employer will pay for you. If it’s a student visa, yes that is expensive BUT it comes with working rights so you may be able to fund for your education. If you're lucky, you may even receive a student visa grant! You have to select schools which offer lower tuition. For proof of funds, you may seek sponsorship from family and friends. It doesn’t have to be lent to you, a sponsorship letter would suffice in some instances.

4️⃣ I’m not good in English, I may flunk the test.
✅ If you go for a student visa, there are some schools which don’t require an English Test. You just have to present a Certificate from you secondary/tertiary schools that English was the Medium of Instruction used. There are also visa types with this option.

5️⃣ I don’t have an employer to work with.
✅ Explore other visa options, don’t limit to employer sponsorships. Yes, this is a better way, however only a few are lucky enough to land a job in your country of choice. You can set-up a good LinkedIn profile, apply on Job Ads, etc, but while doing so, it’s also best to look at other options. As an example, you may have been looking for jobs in Canada for 2-4 years, if you started on a skilled entry on the first year, you could have gotten a bigger score with your younger age.

You may have more questions and doubts, but if stop with these, you will never reach your dreams. Above all, pray and trust God. If He’s with you all the way through this journey, you will be able to withstand every hurdle.

What about you? Are you afraid to start? Feel free to comment below and like this page if you think this is informative.

03/05/2022

Topic: Planning Stage 3 - Selecting an Occupation

The common question I have come accross with is how do to start and which visa options to choose from. First, you have to know which occupation suits you best and if this qualifies for a skilled entry for a specific visa subclass.

Read through my blog as a guide. Like my page and watch out for more immigration and AU visa topics.

Have fun! ☺️

https://migrantsjourney.blogspot.com/2022/03/part-3-selecting-occupation.html?m=1

02/05/2022

The Decision to Migrate

Growing up, I never thought of migrating to another country. I have been raised to love the Philippines and enjoy the peace and culture we grew up with. Now, I have a nice job, a great circle of friends and a big family. With my work, I can also travel. So what triggered my decision to migrate?

1️⃣ PH ASEAN Integration. In my opinion, Philippines is not ready for this. Yes we speak English, which is a major advantage, however our current labor force isn’t globally competitive. Twenty years from now, with the current educational system and with this integration, the future seems bleak for my kids.
2️⃣ Traffic situation. I commute to work, travel 4 hours a day and fall in line 2-3 hours. That’s a total of 6-7 hours of time wasted. Sure it’s more practical to drive a car but not economically wise if you spend a lot on gas and parking and still have to hurdle the traffic for half the usual commuter time.

Will my family’s move to Australia avoid these issues? In some ways, yes. Australia government’s responses to issues and future plans seems to be better than the Philippines, at least in my opinion. Gearing towards sustainable development means ensuring the future generation. So as other developed countries as well.

These two are the main triggers why I decided to start planning on migrating way back November of 2019. I have listed more reasons in my blog on the below link, which you may refer to.

How about you, what are your reasons for migrating? Feel free to comment below and follow my page if you think this is informative.

Disclaimer: This is just my opinion and I know the Philippine government together with the regional partners are implementing measures to ensure readiness for the ASEAN integration.

https://migrantsjourney.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-planning-stage-why-migrate.html?m=1

30/04/2022

A Memorable Oz Experience

I visited Australia twice for client trainings wayback 2018 and 2020. I had the chance to explore New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland and ticked off quiet a few tourist destinations in my bucket list. Thanks to my employer for letting me experience this.

Listed below are some of the places I have visited and I guarantee you, you should visit these places too:

NEW SOUTH WALES (Sydney)

✅ Sydney Opera House
✅ Sydney Harbour Bridge
✅ The Rocks
✅ Cadman’s Cottage
✅ Discovery Museum
✅ Museum of Contemporary Arts
✅ Darling Harbour
✅ Royal Botanic Gardens
✅ Queen Victoria Building
✅ George Street
✅ St Mary’s Cathedral
✅ Sydney Tower Eye at Centrepoint
✅ Bondi Beach
✅ Manly Beach
✅ Hyde Park
✅ China Town
✅ Paddy’s Market
✅ The Blue Mountains
✅ The Three Sisters
✅ Bathurst’s Panoramic Track
✅ World’s Largest Blowhole at Kiama
✅ Taronga Zoo
✅ Captain Cook’s Landing Place

VICTORIA

✅ The Federation Square
✅ Flinders, Collins and Bourke Streets
✅ Shrine of Remembrance
✅ Brighton Bathing Boxes
✅ Toorak
✅ Little River (an old movie experience)

QUEENSLAND (Brisbane)

✅ The Story Bridge
✅ Kokaburra River Cruise
✅ Scuba Diving at the Great Barrier Reef (Lady Musgrave)
✅Bundaberg and a lot of zoos along the way

And of course, Aussie experience wouldn’t be complete without tasting their iconic foods. So I ate kangaroo and emu meat, Anzac biscuits, Pavlova, fish and chips, Vegemite, Tim Tams, and Meat Pies! There’s so much more to love and learn!

Key Takeaways:

☝️Visit these places as much as you can
☝️ Walk around with your Google Map, some of these are just within the city. Just don’t forget to fully charge your battery.
☝️Each State has its unique features. NSW (Sydney) has a “city” feel and beautiful beaches. VIC (Melbourne) has more of an artistic vibe. QLD (Brisbane) is more laidback and humid.
☝️The most common for all is the smiles of the Aussies. May it be a driver, a bystander, a fastfood crew, or a restaurant owner.
☝️You would see a lot of Chinese, Indian, Filipinos and a whole lot of other races. Everyone is warm and welcoming.

Make the most of your Australia experience. Feel free to suggest and comment below if there’s anything you have done or want to do when in Australia. 🏟🦘🇦🇺🌏

Stay tuned for more posts! Like and follow my page if you think this is informative. You may also visit my blog, I’ll be posting detailed insights of the places visited soon.

29/04/2022

Topic: Hiring an Immigration Agent

1️⃣Is hiring an immigration agent mandatory for Australia Visa processing?
👩🏻‍🦰No.

2️⃣What are the advantages of hiring an immigration agent?
👩🏻‍🦰These are the following:
✅You could save time and effort as you don’t have to research as much. Your agents would readily answer your questions.
✅Lesser chances of visa rejection due to technical errors. Australia Home Affairs is very critical on every information submitted that a simple Yes or No if answered incorrectly would mean visa rejection.
✅Immigration agents will guide and explain to you what your options are. So if you have zero knowledge, this will be a big help.
✅Some immigration agents help you get a job in Australia who may offer visa sponsorship.
✅Clearer goals are outlined. For example, if the fastest pathway for you is a student visa, they would be able to guide you what course to take to ensure a permanent residency pathway once you graduate.
✅Drafts your documentation and helps you prepare with what’s required. With the right documents, you could be assured of a visa approval.

3️⃣What are the disadvantages of hiring an immigration agent?
👩🏻‍🦰These are:
❌Immigration agents require an additional budget on top of all the expenses for visa processing. Each agency has a different rate for the services required, so you may have to spend more, depending on the visa type you are applying and the complexity of your case.
❌For some of the documents (example Identity documents, Character clearance, Medical Clearance, etc) you have to prepare on your own. You have to submit these to your agent and they will collate these for you.
❌You still have to approve the documents prepared by your agent.

4️⃣Do I need to hire one?
👩🏻‍🦰It depends on each individiual curcumstances and on the visa your are applying for.

5️⃣For which visa types is it advisable to hire an immigration agent?
👩🏻‍🦰For all Visa Types, however it is advisable to really hire one if you choose the Employer Sponsorship pathway. This is because for Employer Sponsorship, there are various stages and more documents are required for both the employer and the nominee employee.

The key takeaways are:
☝️If you have enough financial resources, hire an immigration agent.
☝️If you don’t have the time to research, hire an immigration agent.
☝️If you are not confident that you can do it on your own, hire an immigration agent.
☝️If you opt for employer sponsorship and your employer is willing to spend more, hire an immigration agent.
☝️If you have an employment sponsorship offer from your current employer and you have readily access to the documents required and you know the specifics, you and your employer can do the visa nomination and application, though you must have the absolute confidence that you can do this.
☝️Lastly, hiring an immigration agent doesn’t mean you will leave them off to do everything for you. You have to review, read, and still learn the process. There is a lot at stake, so you need to spend time and effort to ensure you will reach your goal of moving to Oz.

Feel free to comment and add your own opinion on the matter. Happy to hear your thoughts here. 💬🧐

Please follow my page for more information.

28/04/2022

Welcome to our page.

We will be sharing all the steps taken to make our dreams happen. We are not immigration agents and all information on this page will be free for all.

As we planned out on our move, we spent a great deal of time researching, contemplating and discussing. We did not have enough money to pay for migration agents. Sure, it would have been a smooth ride if we had one, but we had to deal with the resources at hand. And here we are, about to start on our new journey to Oz. Exciting times ahead!!! 🙏

Hoping this could be of help to those who are looking for information on Australia immigration. See you on our next post!

22/03/2022

Struggling to hit the desired IELTS Score?

Here are a few tips to guide you through:

https://migrantsjourney.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-to-prepare-for-ielts.html?m=1

In this blog, I’ll be listing down the steps on my journey as an immigrant. This is subdivided into different stages to properly guide you with your research. Enjoy reading!

22/03/2022

Permanent residency (and eventually citizenship) is one of the goals for migrating to other countries. Thus, you need to choose the best visa with a pathway to PR.

If you plan on Student Visa initially, you need to ensure that you lay-out what program to take, location of the school, etc. Each step must lead to the ultimate goal. Without proper planning, you may spend years on a Student Visa and end up going back to your home country beacuse your age wouldn’t qualify for any PR visa anymore.

You can check out my blog as a guide.

https://migrantsjourney.blogspot.com/2022/03/part-4-pathways-to-pr.html?m=1

In this blog, I’ll be listing down the steps on my journey as an immigrant. This is subdivided into different stages to properly guide you with your research. Enjoy reading!

02/03/2022

Ever wondering which country to migrate to? Check out my blog:

https://migrantsjourney.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-planning-stage-which-country-to.html

In this blog, I’ll be listing down the steps during the Planning Stage. Planning Stage Timeline: November 2019 to January 2020 Enjoy reading!

02/03/2022