Orly

January 16 2007

-Where were you born?  

In the Philippines

-In which country and city are you living now?  
Melbourne, Australia

-Are you living alone or with your family?    
With my family

-How long have you been living in Australia?    
7.5 months

-What is your age?    
45

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Australia?
7 years ago; it is a good country to raise a family.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?   
Yes, Australian immigration rules are complex. It is quite time-consuming to learn all the details and requirements needed to lodge a Permanent Residency Visa which is why there are a lot of Registered Australia Migration Agents out there who would do the process of lodging the application for a significantly expensive fee. Hiring the services of an agent does not guarantee approval of application, this I learned personally.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?    
Not for Permanent Residents. We were automatically qualified for Medicare.

-How do you make your living in Australia? Do you have any type of income generated?
I have a full-time job as a Refrigeration and Airconditioning Mechanic. I applied for an advertised job in the newspaper. I got a full-time job 2.5 months after arrival here, but before that I had a part-time job as a Mechanical Tradesperson. It was a bit hard at first because of job uncertainty. But after submitting many resumes, calls started coming in after 2-3 weeks.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
English is the local language, which is my second language. But Australians speak very fast and sometimes it is difficult to catch what they mean because of the accent.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Of course, I miss my relatives back home. For recreation, we just go to some leisure places and scenic views.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
Hopefully, my family will travel to the Philippines to visit after 4 years.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We are presently renting a 3-bedroom house for Aud 952/month.

-What is the cost of living in Australia?
Cost of living is a bit expensive. Here is an example of our monthly bills:

House rental:     AuD 952
Electricity:                     80
Water:    50
Telephone:   50
Internet:    60
Mobile Phone:             75
Food:                          600
Fuel: variable  
Gas: variable to season

-What do you think about the Australians?
Most locals are very welcoming and friendly.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Australia?    
Positive aspects are that Australia is family friendly, the clean environment, well-planned communities, booming economy, great support by the government. I can't think of negative aspects at the moment.    

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Australia?
Australia is a very beautiful country; it is an ideal place to raise a family.    

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Australia?
http://www.freewebs.com/filipinomigratetoaustralia (info about Australia)
http://www.aussiebolinafamily.blogspot.com (my wife’s photoblog)