Real voices

Share your story

Moved to Australia from somewhere else? What you went through is exactly what the next person needs to hear: what surprised you, what was hard, what you wish you had known, and what you love about living here now.

Answer as many questions as you like. Short answers are fine. You can use a pseudonym, and we only publish with your permission. We will email you before anything from your story goes on the site.

About You

Your Name (or pseudonym if you prefer)(Required)

Country of Origin(Required)

Your Age

Visa Type(Required)

e.g., Skilled Independent, Partner, Student, Employer Sponsored, etc.

Where in Australia do you live?(Required)

City or Region

How many years have you been in Australia?(Required)

Pre-Arrival

What motivated your decision to move to Australia specifically?(Required)

What did you think Australia would be like vs. the reality you experienced?(Required)

What research did you do beforehand? What do you wish you'd known?

What was the visa process like for you?

First Days/Weeks

What were your first 72 hours like?

What was harder than expected? What was easier than expected?(Required)

What were the first three things you had to sort out?

What surprised you most about Australia?(Required)

Ongoing Challenges

What's the hardest thing about living in Australia?(Required)

Have you faced any discrimination or felt unwelcome?

Your honesty helps others prepare

What do you still find confusing or frustrating about life here?

What support did you wish existed but doesn't?

Integration

How long did it take to feel 'settled'?

How did you make friends?(Required)

What helped you feel part of the community?

Do you feel Australian? Why or why not?

The Good Stuff

What do you love most about living in Australia?(Required)

What freedoms or opportunities do you have now that you didn't before?

Would you recommend Australia to others from your country? Why or why not?(Required)

What advice would you give someone from your background moving here?(Required)

Practical Wisdom

What's one mistake you made that others could avoid?

What's one thing you did right that you'd recommend?

Where did you waste money? Where should people invest their money instead?

What resources were most helpful to you during your migration?

Looking Back

If you could do it again, what would you do differently?

Has it been worth it?(Required)

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Contact & Permissions

Your Email Address(Required)

So we can follow up if we'd like to include your story in the project.

Permissions(Required)

We only publish with your permission, and we will email you first. See our privacy page.

I give permission for Move to Australia to publish my story, or parts of it, on movetoaustralia.co and in future Move to Australia guides or books

I am happy for my real first name to be used (otherwise we use a pseudonym)

I would be up for a longer interview or profile feature

Any other comments or aspects of your migration story you'd like to share?