Migrant stories

With a Master of Social Work from India and 12 years’ experience in a range of social work settings, Ajeesh Sebastian came to Australia after a friend suggested there were good opportunities for social workers in the Northern Territory.

Ajeesh found a role in Alice Springs where he gained experience in remote areas like the Central Desert and Barkly regions. He and his family have since moved to regional Victoria, where he works as a community mental health clinician. 

Ajeesh said he enjoys his work and having supportive colleagues, and he appreciates the rewarding salary and the opportunities to upskill. He also likes the work-life balance in Australia.

He said his children enjoy going to school. “They love the way they learn things and benefit from mingling with children from a range of multicultural backgrounds,” Ajeesh said.

When Anderson De Oliveira Bertucci started looking for international career experience and a better quality of life, he decided Australia was the place for him and his family. With a Bachelor of Computer Software Engineering and 10 years’ experience as a systems and business analyst for corporations in Brazil, Anderson now works for an IT solutions and products company in Adelaide.

Anderson appreciates the career development opportunities and clear path to advancement his employer offers. He enjoys working in a multicultural environment where he can exchange experiences with talented colleagues from all over the world and learn new ways of doing things.

“Australia is a wonderful place to work due to its strong economy, competitive wages, and attractive lifestyle,” he said.

Anjali Awal Prajapati’s passion for helping and caring for others led her to a career in nursing and a new life in Australia. With the support of her family, Anjali completed nursing training in India and then critical care training at a government hospital in Nepal. After graduating she worked in 2 hospitals in Nepal before coming to Australia to undertake her Master of Nursing at the University of New England.

On graduating, Anjali decided to practice in Australia, and she now calls the New South Wales Hunter Valley region home. Working as a nurse in a hospital and in aged care, she feels she has an opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives.

Anjali likes to explore new places, skills, people and cultures. She has found the multicultural community in the Newcastle area helpful and respectful of individual rights and freedoms.

Candice de Beer holds undergraduate and post-graduate qualifications in both Psychology and Education. Before she moved to Australia she worked as a teacher in the private sector in South Africa.

Although the first months in Australia were challenging for Candice and her family, she is now working as a primary school relief teacher on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and the family is settling in and making the most of the opportunities available. She says she enjoys the flexibility of her work and the many opportunities for professional development.

Candice says she has found her local community to be supportive, and everyone is valued. She is volunteering in her community, and her family have made friends quickly and adapted to their new environment.

Originally from the Philippines, Cecilia Bolasoc migrated to Australia in 1992 with a Bachelor of Education. She now lives in Perth, where she works as a disability education assistant. Having spent half her life here, Cecilia has adopted everything Australian and loves the culture and the lifestyle.

Cecilia believes the special needs education sector is perfect for migrants who want a worthwhile career where they can develop and grow, as it’s well supported and the rewards of the job outweigh the challenges.

“We're really lucky that everything is here,” Cecilia said. “Most of our students can receive funding from the government and we have everything we need to support them.”

Clara enjoys teaching and feels supported to further develop her skills as an educator. She is now studying for a Master of Learning Intervention to qualify as a special education teacher. As a recipient of a Commonwealth supported place, her university fees are subsidised by the Australian Government.

Based on her experience as a teacher in a government school, Clara said that school children in Australia are nurtured and well developed physically, mentally and academically.

Clara enjoys the multicultural aspects of life in Melbourne, including the wide variety of Chinese foods available so she can always get a taste of home from shops and restaurants. Besides work and study, Clara also finds time to pursue her interest in ballet dancing.

Emma Duthart has a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Prosthetics and Orthotics from the University of Salford, England. After graduating she worked for Steeper Group at The London Royal Hospital and various other hospitals in England, where she provided inpatient and outpatient services including a diabetic foot clinic.

After doing some travelling, Emma moved to Australia and settled in Cairns, far north Queensland, where she now works as an orthotist in private practice. She sees patients with a variety of disabilities and conditions that need orthotic bracing and splints, ranging from helmets to spinal braces to footwear. Emma assesses her clients for prosthetics (artificial limbs) and orthotics (braces), takes casts and works with technicians onsite to help make the devices.

She enjoys providing a local service to people from all walks of life. “I love improving people’s gait and seeing them achieve their goals by using orthotics,” she said.

Emma says Australia is a fantastic country to live and work in and she’s enjoying the diversity of people in her local community.

As a senior health and safety professional in the steel manufacturing industry, Fran Moreira has worked all over the world. But it was Australia's workplace culture and family-oriented lifestyle that finally saw him settle down for good in Melbourne, a place he intends to call home for many years to come.

Fran believes Australia is a global leader in workplace safety and he encourages workers to consider the benefits of building a career here. “There are many opportunities for skilled workers, particularly in the health and safety management area,” he said. “If people work hard, the pathway for career progression is huge.”

Settling in Melbourne has been a welcome change for Fran's whole family. They enjoy the open-air lifestyle and often head outside to play sport or ride their bikes.

Since arriving in Australia Hein Kamffer, pictured above in front of his spouse Benjamin Summers, has worked as a secondary school teacher in the regional Queensland towns of Mount Isa and Townsville. He has recently started teaching in Brisbane and now calls himself a proud Queenslander.

With a Bachelor of Commerce and postgraduate qualifications in both Education and Law, Hein had no difficulty getting a job in Australia.

“I’m grateful to be living in a country where I can excel within my career and experience ongoing professional development with equal opportunities for all,” he said. Hein notes that both the culture and the development opportunities in the education sector in Australia are second to none.

Australia is also where Hein met his spouse. “Australians are incredibly welcoming of people who come from all over the world and integrating into Australian society is a seamless process,” Hein said.

Ivan Vargas Diaz is a mechanical engineer now working as a senior test well engineer in Western Australia’s offshore gas industry. He has 14 years’ experience working in the oil and gas industry for a number of different operating companies – in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye and Albania. Among the projects he’s been involved with are ultra-deep water exploration wells in Türkiye and Colombia.

Ivan says he and his family are still exploring their new community. “I really like that it’s a young cosmopolitan community rich in culture and different backgrounds.”

His advice to skilled visa recipients is to ensure they understand the scope of their visa and that they have savings to cover the initial costs of living, including accommodation and transport.

An IT programmer and developer, Jaco Smith moved to Australia from South Africa to further his expertise in clinical data management and analysis for research companies undertaking drug development trials which can then be used for gaining regulatory approvals.

Jaco has a postgraduate degree in Information Systems from University of the Free State, Bloemfontein. Before moving to Australia, he worked in the clinical research organisation (CRO) industry. Jaco says that in Australia he enjoys meeting other highly skilled people in his field and exchanging ideas that contribute to the science of drug development and clinical research.

Jaco now calls Adelaide home. He enjoys the quality of life, the ease of getting around (especially on public transport), participating in the local Parkrun and going on walks.

Working internationally was a childhood dream for Jenalyn Del Rosario. It’s a dream that became reality when she arrived in Australia from the Philippines.

Jenalyn now works as a clinical care coordinator in an aged care facility in south-west Sydney. She previously worked as a registered nurse in a public hospital in Central Luzon in the Philippines, having completed a Master of Nursing before moving to Australia.

Jenalyn says people treat you equally in Australia, and there are great opportunities if you work hard with passion in your heart. She says the community has been welcoming and friendly.