Anyone who moved to Australia solo, no family/friends/connections?

jcrdream · December 2020

Planning to migrate, pero medyo natatakot. Most of my acquaintances kasi na nasa Australia ay nandun dahil may family/relatives, or at least friends or connections. So curious to know if merong super solo talaga na nag-migrate, independent sa finances, housing, job hunt at lahat. And what your experience was like, and how it was acclimatizing.

Salamat po sa mga makakapag-share! Fyi I'm in my 20s and no responsibilities, just myself to look after.

JohnPatrick · December 2020

hi jcdream....ako din planning to migrate solo in AU next year and i'm hoping na mag open na South Australia early next year. kaya yan laban lang hahahaha..:)

Captain_A · December 2020

@jcrdream said:
Planning to migrate, pero medyo natatakot. Most of my acquaintances kasi na nasa Australia ay nandun dahil may family/relatives, or at least friends or connections. So curious to know if merong super solo talaga na nag-migrate, independent sa finances, housing, job hunt at lahat. And what your experience was like, and how it was acclimatizing.

Salamat po sa mga makakapag-share! Fyi I'm in my 20s and no responsibilities, just myself to look after.

we came here as a couple, no relatives and friends yet, naghanap lang kami ads online for a place to stay. as in total strangers sila, we also looked on fb for someone to pick up us from the airport. Luckily, all payments are upon arrival, so hindi kame worried na baka scam or what.

in term of connections and friends, before arriving i look for common friends, schoolmates na nasa same location na pupuntahan namin, to chat with about things like job hunting, transport, place to stay, budget etc. we found some schoolmates though hndi sila ganun kalapit sa place titirhan namin, but their info was helpful. join fb groups like pinoy au etc, you'll learn more..

researching and asking those who did the same before u are very helpful to adjust.

also, bawat sulok dito sa australia ay may pinoy, almost all of them will be truly help you.
most aussies are also very helpful, you will have one friend at least. all the best to you.

jcrdream · December 2020

@JohnPatrick said:
hi jcdream....ako din planning to migrate solo in AU next year and i'm hoping na mag open na South Australia early next year. kaya yan laban lang hahahaha..:)

Ang comforting pag alam mong there are others doing the same thing! Wala akong kakilala na nagttake ng same route na 'to, most are backed by their parents so low risk or kaya naman ayun nga, may "intel" na. Salamat! Hope your application will be a breeze.

lunarcat · December 2020

@jcrdream said:
Planning to migrate, pero medyo natatakot. Most of my acquaintances kasi na nasa Australia ay nandun dahil may family/relatives, or at least friends or connections. So curious to know if merong super solo talaga na nag-migrate, independent sa finances, housing, job hunt at lahat. And what your experience was like, and how it was acclimatizing.

Salamat po sa mga makakapag-share! Fyi I'm in my 20s and no responsibilities, just myself to look after.

Hi, I came here sa Sydney as a student solo, walang kakilala, no relatives may sumundo Lang saken friends ng supposedly kasama ko papunta dito. I was 27 nong dumating ako dito. After a month, I moved out na and gone solo. It might be hard at first but later on you'll gain friends, connection sa work, school or kahit sayang community. You can find genuine people ☺️ You have resources where you can find jobs online like it took 6 months for me to find a decent one especially may work restrictions yong student visa. May bad times but you'll overcome it. I think if you can work full time, everything will become smooth. Student pa din ako ngayon lol. I just arrived early this year before pandemic.

athelene · December 2020

@jcrdream said:
Planning to migrate, pero medyo natatakot. Most of my acquaintances kasi na nasa Australia ay nandun dahil may family/relatives, or at least friends or connections. So curious to know if merong super solo talaga na nag-migrate, independent sa finances, housing, job hunt at lahat. And what your experience was like, and how it was acclimatizing.

Salamat po sa mga makakapag-share! Fyi I'm in my 20s and no responsibilities, just myself to look after.

Although I did have distant relatives who picked me up at the airport and let me crash at their place for a few weeks, I was starting from scratch as well. It was quite nerve-wrecking to have to find my own place (on Flatmates), learning to budget, and finding friends.

As I was on a student visa (I still am at the moment), it took time for me to find real and good friends from among my classmates. Not all of your first set of friends will be the best ones, sadly, but you'll find good ones eventually. I met more friends through volunteering (even the short-term ones), both local Australians and foreigners (kasi mostly foreigners ang mga classmates ko sa uni). Don't be afraid to attend local events and activities (check out Eventbrite, Meetup, Seek Volunteer, etc.), as there are tons of people who are just like you and me---people who are new to the city and looking for acquaintances. Attend events organized by your professional organization (if meron for your profession), get to know people (and let them get to know you). Connections matter a lot in Australia (please just don't ask for a job the first time you meet them).

For housing, you can look to rent your own place at Realestate, Flatmates, or Domain. Pwede rin sa Gumtree, but there are fewer listings than Realestate and Flatmates. You'll only get a feel of how far things are from where you live once you get here. Sa Google Maps, sasabihin sayo walkable ang isang lugar, pero pagdating mo dito hindi pala. I would advise you to look for places that are within 10 mins walk to the train station or bus stop that would take you to where to work or where you can do grocery. Sometimes we underestimate how important access to facilities and services are. Transpo is Sydney is not too bad (def better than Manila), but they are always delays and trackwork, so ideally you have several transpo options (like bus if the train tracks are in repair).

Yung access to grocery stores is important, especially since you will be doing your own shopping and won't have a car to drive on your first few months. Imagine having to carry the canned goods, fresh produce, and other pantry stuff all the way home. Kung may madadaanan ka on the way home from work, you can do your grocery bit by bit (every other day). For me, the grocery was so out of the way from my route to uni, so kailangan sadyain ang pagpunta.

engr_boy · December 2020

Landed in Perth back in 2014. Knew absolutely nobody. Got my first place here in Pinoyau. Rented with flatmates after that. Bought my vehicle from carsales. Founds job(s) at seek and linkedin. First few months were the hardest. no car. substantial walking from the train station to my place. paunti unti mag-grocery. First job was all over Greater Perth Area (construction). (nasaulo ko na TransPerth train lines end to end). Now living in Sydney. This group is a treasure chest of knowledge on how to live in Australia. Search bar is your friend. Disclaimer though, I did live/work in Singapore for 6 years having done the same thing. Both being former British Territories. same transportation setup (sort of). language familiarity (sort of). mas mabilis ako naka-adopt. also i'm kind of a loner (introvert) kaya di masyado nalungkot during the early days. FYI, mas nakakatakot lang mawala sa Australia (ang laki-laki LOLs) one time I took a wrong turn and ended up atop a mountainous area.

brainsap · December 2020

I don't know anyone from Australia when I moved there last March 2020. It was a great experience pero mahirap. thankful enough that there are Filipinos who are willing to help you out throughout my stay in Adelaide and Queensland, from getting your drivers license, Centrelink, Medicare and pieces of advice kung paano mamuhay doon.

jcrdream · September 2022

Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences dito sa thread. Dahil po sa inyo, lumakas loob and have since started my application, nearly 2 years later hehe. Hopefully a year from now (or less, God-willing) ma-start ko na po ang pangarap sa Australia.

EricTC · September 2022

Currently planning for my solo migration to Australia. For me, it's the most difficult part of my journey compared to the visa application itself, as I need to do tons of research for accommodation, employment, and connections since I am going to a regional area.

Eto na siguro yung last obstacle course, so konting push pa.

ispidprik · September 2022

@EricTC said:
Currently planning for my solo migration to Australia. For me, it's the most difficult part of my journey compared to the visa application itself, as I need to do tons of research for accommodation, employment, and connections since I am going to a regional area.

Eto na siguro yung last obstacle course, so konting push pa.

Goodluck! Balitaan mo kmi dito once nka-settledown ka na para matulungan dn un iba na with the same situation

MACINOZ2023 · September 2022

@EricTC said:
Currently planning for my solo migration to Australia. For me, it's the most difficult part of my journey compared to the visa application itself, as I need to do tons of research for accommodation, employment, and connections since I am going to a regional area.

Eto na siguro yung last obstacle course, so konting push pa.

Good luck and God bless Sir!

anne_001 · September 2022

Interested din ako sa topic na ito. Sana may mag-share pa

Nag-che-check palang ako ng details about AU pero mukhang solo din ako kung sakali since wala naman akong family.

Currently in IT industry, Quality Engineering (Software Testing)

lunarcat · September 2022

Quick sales are my life time hack!! Hahahaha. I go to shops every Wednesday and Sunday. If weekdays naman during lunch and after 7pm kase minsan they do quick sales in a short period of time!! It saved my life!!

jobxxx · September 2022

sharing my experience:

i came to australia way back 2018. sydney to be exact, since i am under 482 during that time, i have one week hotel accommodation from my employer. what i did was, requested that one week in advance before my actual start with them. wala naman akong relatives nor friends na malalapitan when i moved here. so what i did was, before flying, i thoroughly research kung anong mga websites and pwede kung gamitin for house hunting, ease of transpo etc.

for house hunting, i only rested for one day upon arrival. ni hindi muna ako nag sight seeing. i used flatmates as my search engine and google map as checker bout proximity sa trabaho ko and essentials. i also downloaded immediately tripview (not sure kung sa nsw lang to) to check the travel time in between stations.

well i would say, na it was not really hard for me to do so those kind of activities before. sanayan lang talaga about connecting with other people. and lakas ng loob. travelling solo has its perks and also cons. but definitely, liberating and self-fulfilling

anne_001 · September 2022

@lunarcat said:
Quick sales are my life time hack!! Hahahaha. I go to shops every Wednesday and Sunday. If weekdays naman during lunch and after 7pm kase minsan they do quick sales in a short period of time!! It saved my life!!

nice. student ka pa rin ba? or naka-graduate na? nakita ko yung post mo sa taas way back 2020
kumusta na yung 2 years mo dyan?

anne_001 · September 2022

@jobxxx thanks sa pag-share! tas nakita ko sa signature mo na may PR ka na. congrats! Pwede malaman kung anung field ng work mo? TIA!

jobxxx · September 2022

@anne_001 said:
@jobxxx thanks sa pag-share! tas nakita ko sa signature mo na may PR ka na. congrats! Pwede malaman kung anung field ng work mo? TIA!

external auditor ako

lunarcat · September 2022

@anne_001 said:

@lunarcat said:
Quick sales are my life time hack!! Hahahaha. I go to shops every Wednesday and Sunday. If weekdays naman during lunch and after 7pm kase minsan they do quick sales in a short period of time!! It saved my life!!

nice. student ka pa rin ba? or naka-graduate na? nakita ko yung post mo sa taas way back 2020
kumusta na yung 2 years mo dyan?

Hi @anne_001, currently naka bridging visa ako to working visa po (Visa 482). Mag 6 months na ako nag aantay this October. 😊
First two years, sobrang struggle talaga with the 20 hours working rights. Lockdown, limited resources, and no relatives here. Nasa IT field ako hindi kasali before sa unlimited working hours until December. After two years, medjo maluwag2 na yong life pag maka FT work 😊 Thank you Lord talaga!!! 🌻

anne_001 · September 2022

@lunarcat question ulit sorry medyo ma-OT pero anung ni-take mo noong Student ka? tas magkano yung nagastos mo dito sa Pinas + pocket money mo nung nasa AU. Bali magkano dapat yung kailangan i-prep na pera. TY!

lunarcat · September 2022

@anne_001 said:
@lunarcat question ulit sorry medyo ma-OT pero anung ni-take mo noong Student ka? tas magkano yung nagastos mo dito sa Pinas + pocket money mo nung nasa AU. Bali magkano dapat yung kailangan i-prep na pera. TY!

This was during my time po. Pero not sure, magkano na now may nakita ako mga 100k+ to 200k+ depende yata sa course.
I took a package course (Diploma of IT and Adv. Diploma of Computer System Tech). Almost 300k yong nagastos ko mahal kase DP ko sa course. Not included sa pocket money ko which is 100k PHP. If you have enough money po, best is Bachelor or Masters, take advantage of years na pwedi maka FT for visa 485, and add on points 😊

lunarcat · September 2022

@anne_001 said:
@lunarcat question ulit sorry medyo ma-OT pero anung ni-take mo noong Student ka? tas magkano yung nagastos mo dito sa Pinas + pocket money mo nung nasa AU. Bali magkano dapat yung kailangan i-prep na pera. TY!

Feel free to ask po. I don't mind to help what I can help based sa experience ko lang naman to. 🥰

anne_001 · September 2022

@lunarcat salamat sa inputs!

maguero · September 2022

I moved to SA na walang kakilala. May kapatid ako interstate pero never pa syang nakapunta ng SA and wala rin kilala dito. My advice would be to research as much as you can about the cost of living and also possible one-time expenses that you will incur. I-research lahat ng possibleng gastos - rent, transportation, groceries, mobile phone, furniture, etc. Para maging clear sa iyo kung gaano katagal kakayanin ng baon na walang trabaho. Lahat naman ng prices pwede makita online sa websites ng shops. Dapat din may Plan B - kung hindi makahanap ng tamang trabaho bago maubos ang baon, what jobs are you willing to take on and how much can you earn from these jobs? Based on your research, what will that salary level pay for? Para hindi mabigla and hindi mataranta. Para din realistic ang expectations. Wag mahihiya to reach out to people and to ask questions.

EricTC · September 2022

Prior to moving, anong emotional preparation ang ginawa nyo? Right now, para akong paralyzed with my preparation, yung tipong eto na yu eh kaso may parang resistance sa mind kasi aside from being solo, I am taking one of the biggest steps of my life. BIG move nga talaga sya at di pa pala talaga ako prepared dito.

Additionally, mga ilang months po kayo nakapag adjust sa new environment and living condition in Aus?

era222 · September 2022

@EricTC said:
Prior to moving, anong emotional preparation ang ginawa nyo? Right now, para akong paralyzed with my preparation, yung tipong eto na yu eh kaso may parang resistance sa mind kasi aside from being solo, I am taking one of the biggest steps of my life. BIG move nga talaga sya at di pa pala talaga ako prepared dito.

Additionally, mga ilang months po kayo nakapag adjust sa new environment and living condition in Aus?

Congrats! Ang galing, within roughly a year lang nakamit mo, sana ganito rin maging journey ko hehe. Nasa early stages pa lang ako pero as someone who previously had the opportunity to move overseas nang mag-isa, familiar sakin yung resistance due to uncertainty. Only thing I can impart is to beat the fear with information, para walang excuse yung brain mo na mag-catastrophize at mag-jump to conclusions. Para may certainty ka na panghahawakan.

Wishing you all the best in your new journey!!!

EricTC · September 2022

@era222 said:

@EricTC said:
Prior to moving, anong emotional preparation ang ginawa nyo? Right now, para akong paralyzed with my preparation, yung tipong eto na yu eh kaso may parang resistance sa mind kasi aside from being solo, I am taking one of the biggest steps of my life. BIG move nga talaga sya at di pa pala talaga ako prepared dito.

Additionally, mga ilang months po kayo nakapag adjust sa new environment and living condition in Aus?

Congrats! Ang galing, within roughly a year lang nakamit mo, sana ganito rin maging journey ko hehe. Nasa early stages pa lang ako pero as someone who previously had the opportunity to move overseas nang mag-isa, familiar sakin yung resistance due to uncertainty. Only thing I can impart is to beat the fear with information, para walang excuse yung brain mo na mag-catastrophize at mag-jump to conclusions. Para may certainty ka na panghahawakan.

Wishing you all the best in your new journey!!!

Thank you. Need ko nga i-supply ng certainties lahat ng uncertainties ko.

Also, all the best with your visa application journey. Always do your best with the preparation but don't forget to enjoy the process, kasi minsan nakakatamad na rin mag-comply sa mga requirements per stage.

lunarcat · September 2022

@EricTC said:
Prior to moving, anong emotional preparation ang ginawa nyo? Right now, para akong paralyzed with my preparation, yung tipong eto na yu eh kaso may parang resistance sa mind kasi aside from being solo, I am taking one of the biggest steps of my life. BIG move nga talaga sya at di pa pala talaga ako prepared dito.

Additionally, mga ilang months po kayo nakapag adjust sa new environment and living condition in Aus?

I thought it would be easy knowing the work experience na meron ako sa Pinas, pero mali pala ako. I thought na in a span of weeks, may mahanap ako na work na inline sa profession ko. Given the work strictions, pandemic and no connection. Wala pa akong social media. Hahahaha. I'm still beyond grateful sa na experience ko dito na I never thought I would experience. It shaped me to who I am now. Looking back sa days na, I was working for 42 days straight left and right just to earn money pero wala pa din ipon. Hahahahaha. There was one time na nasa bus ako, napaisip ako, how did I survive? Emotionally, physically, mentally. $35 dollars nalang pera pero hindi din ako nagugutom. Eto na now uncertain pa din pero the fact I survive my first two years, I know kaya na kaya ko kahit ilang years pa yan!! Mabait si Lord!! Good luck everyone! Share your own success stories and sa process din how you cope up to cheer up others!!! 🌻

athelene · September 2022

@EricTC said:
Prior to moving, anong emotional preparation ang ginawa nyo? Right now, para akong paralyzed with my preparation, yung tipong eto na yu eh kaso may parang resistance sa mind kasi aside from being solo, I am taking one of the biggest steps of my life. BIG move nga talaga sya at di pa pala talaga ako prepared dito.

Additionally, mga ilang months po kayo nakapag adjust sa new environment and living condition in Aus?

In my opinion, you'll never be completely ready for when you move overseas. Kahit anong daming research mo at pagtatanong sa kapwa tao about their experiences in Australia, there will always be some curveballs/unexpected stuff you wouldn't know until you actually get here. My suggestion is really to come to Australia with minimal expectations, and keep an open mind about their local culture. Culture shock is always a possibility when moving overseas, especially in a predominantly Western/Caucasian country.

Of course, as a newcomer hindi mo maiwasan magcompare between Australia and PH (kesyo mura ang bagay-bagay sa pinas, mahal ang services, etc.) for the first few months, but you'll eventually get used to things. You'll also have to learn to do things by yourself, like cooking (spaghetti at pancit canton lang alam kong lutuin bago ako nag-abroad), cleaning the house, doing laundry, grocery shopping without a car, atbp. You learn to be very independent kasi nga wala kang pamilya dito, but I feel happy to be independent kasi marami talaga akong natutunan dito.

I've been living overseas for over 10 years now, and Australia was definitely a big change for me because of the laid-back culture here. Work-life balance is a priority here, so it took me a few months to really get used to the shops closing at 5pm (so you really need to plan ahead for your errands/shopping trips). PH and Taiwan lifestyle are so fast-paced, na feeling mo kailangan talaga magcompete with everyone. But not here, dito you do the job you are assigned to do, pero walang masyadong pressure (yung tipong kailangan araw-araw na overtime).

One big issue about job hunting as a migrant is local experience, which is a catch-22 thing. Of course as a newcomer wala kang Australian work experience, but then you can't get any because no one will hire you (as they want someone with Aussie experience.) This is usually the challenge for international students and new migrants (like may PR na). You're essentially competing with local Aussies who have been working casual/part-time jobs since they were 15 years old, so minsan pagkagraduate palang nila from uni, may 3-4 years local exp na sila while you don't have any.

The tip/advice I've received as workaround for the local experience is to do volunteering or do casual/part-time jobs. So I did just that. I volunteered for non-profit orgs to do admin assistant and data entry work for over 2 years (which is 1-2 days of commitment per week lang), and my supervisor became my referee (character reference in PH terms) for the paid job I applied for. I also work a casual job in retail on the weekends, to help pay for my living expenses as a student. Both volunteering and casual job aren't directly related to my profession, but I've learned transferable skills, which I know would be an advantage when I look for a job that's more in line with my profession down the line.

Australian workplaces value soft skills/transferable skills (i.e. communication, leadership, self-motivation, etc.) more than hard skills/technical skills (using specific softwares, having professional knowledge). As a migrant, you will need to learn the skill of relating your previous experience (even if volunteering or casual job lang sya) to the job you are applying for. It may take time for you to find a job that's really aligned with your previous experience, so you need to be open to whatever job opportunities that may come your way. If you know you're strapped with cash when you arrive, consider doing casual jobs (retail, hospitality, etc) for the first few months because they can help pay your bills, give you time to prep in job hunting, and at the same time you can start building your local Aussie experience.

Public transport is not as efficient as other first world countries (Japan, Taiwan, HK, Singapore), but it's definitely better than PH. In Sydney and Brisbane, buses are sometimes early or late, so you need to budget extra time for those unreliable predictions on travel time on Google Maps. If Google Maps tells me it takes 30 mins from my house to school/work, I would double the travel time (so 1 hour ang travel time allowance ko), because Google Maps doesn't account for the time it takes to cross intersections (nakakainis pag marami kang tatawirin na intersections), waiting for the bus (nakakabadtrip kung late sya, pero mas masaklap pag masyado maaga ang dating nya at namiss mo sya).

You might be surprised by some things when you get here, though. You'll see people walking barefoot on the street, shopping malls, beach (hindi naman lahat, iilan lang). Minsan naka-pajama lang sila kung mag-grocery. May mga homeless people din sa CBD area (being a first world country doesn't mean wala silang homeless people). Minsan may madadaanan kang mga irate/angry people na bigla nalang sisigawan ang ibang tao. Australia definitely has its share or quirks or oddities, but as they say "Keep Calm and Carry On."

maguero · September 2022

Agree ako sa volunteer work. I got that idea from this forum before I moved here. Pagdating ko dito I signed up to do volunteer work twice a week. Yung nakuha ko slightly related naman sa line of work ko, pero syempre sobrang junior role. Nung naka one month na ako, nilista ko na yun sa CV ko as work experience and napansin ko during interviews tinatanong ako about my volunteer work. Specifically gusto nila malaman how I found office culture and work ethics here vs sa atin. So naisip ko na baka ang hinahanap kasi nila yung siguradong kaya mag-assimilate sa local work culture. Ang technical skills kasi napapag-aralan pero mas mahirap remedyuhan if the employee cannot assimilate. Meron talagang immigrants na nahihirapan with assimilation so it's important that when you get here you quickly work on this. It's very disruptive kasi sa workplace pag may teammate with assimilation issues. Napansin ko rin na kapag naghhire kami ang hesitations nila about new immigrants are assimilation and grasp of English. At the application stage their only clue about your communication skills is your cover letter, so make sure you write it well so it doesn't work against you.

angelou · December 2022

Anyone po living toowoomba, queensland? Ask ko lang po kamusta ang cost of living sa lugar na yan. Solo po ako at first time makapunta australia thru 400 visa january 7 ang aking flight.