Category: Filo Expat

Filo101: A Guide for Filipino Student Immigrants in Australia

Moving to a new country can be both exciting and challenging, especially for student immigrants. As student immigrants in Australia, you are not only faced with the pressure of adjusting to a new academic environment but also with the responsibility of finding a place to live, handling your finances, and maintaining a healthy work-life-school balance.

In this post, I will discuss practical tips and things to do after first arriving in Australia that will ensure you survive the rigors of being a student immigrant, help you cope with homesickness, and guide you with adjusting to your new surroundings.

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Top things I do not miss in The Philippines

There are a lot of things I love about my home country, The Philippines. The year-round warm weather, the crystal clear waters, and the delicious food, to name a few. But there are also things that drive me nuts, things that make me take deep breaths and long sighs, and things that really test my patience.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who feels this way and definitely there are a lot of great things to be loved about and to miss in The Philippines. But I have lived overseas for a while and I just can’t help but compare. And if you are an expat yourself, then I’m 100% sure you are going to agree with me.

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Migrating to Australia? Here’s what you need to know

Planning to venture out into the world and leaving your home country behind is probably one of the toughest things you can do. The amount of courage you have to build up and the things you’ll have to sacrifice, not to mention the huge sum of money you have to save, are just unimaginable. And if you’re really keen on migrating to Australia, you have to accept that these are inevitable.

But like what I clearly emphasised in THIS POST, living the expat life can be rewarding. And while our motivations (which may not be totally related to Philippine politics) may differ, the end goal is almost always the same: to provide ourselves and our loved ones a better life.

So now that you’re considering to live the expat life in Australia, you may wonder, “where do I start?” Lucky for you, I’m here to outline what you need to know – and DO – should you decide to finally migrate to Australia.

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Australian Citizenship: basic guide to becoming an Aussie

About a month and a half ago, I became a full-fledged Australian citizen. For most migrants and expats like myself, finally getting that ever-coveted Australian citizenship is a dream come true.

But how does one become Australian? What are the necessary steps that you need to take so that one day you can be a full-fledged Aussie? In this post, I will outline the basic steps that will guide you to get your Australian citizenship.

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Expat life: why you should and shouldn’t do it

Six years ago, I decided to be an expat. I wasn’t pressured nor forced into it. It was a decision that, after two months or so of careful thought process, I made for myself. There were no external factors either, such as the need to feed a family or a desire to please parents who obliged me to. Simply put, I had the freedom to choose whether or not I’ll go.

Unfortunately not all Filipinos who decide to go overseas and be an expat have the same circumstance as myself. While the need to provide for the family isn’t always the reason why Filipinos try their luck overseas, in most cases, it is. And I can just imagine the pain and sacrifice one has to go through when deciding to leave everything behind, whether they like it or not, just so they can provide a better future for their family.

Expat: noun, a person who lives outside their native country.

However, if you are one of the lucky few who have the luxury to say “I’ll think about it” should an opportunity to go overseas arise, then I suggest that you really really reeeeeaally do think about it. It’s definitely not a walk in a park but if you manage to pull through, 9 out of 10 I guarantee you, you will become 100% way better than you are right now in so many ways you can only imagine.

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