A bridge over water at sunset.

The road to residency part 5: bridging visa

Last April, I wrote that I would soon be applying for a de facto partner visa subclass 820. That went through without a hitch and Immigration issued me a bridging visa. A bridging visa is a temporary visa. It bridges the gap between the expiration of my previous visa and the time it takes to … Read more

Review: Australian Culture and the Workplace

I visit my local library two or three times a month. Browsing, I came across this little book and I had to share it. G’day Boss!: Australian Culture and the Workplace, by Barbara A. West and Frances T. Murphy, is a study into the diverse cultural environments of Australian workplaces. It is specifically aimed at migrants … Read more

Facebook Messenger.

Expats, stay connected with Facebook Messenger

In August 2012, I wrote about three tools to help expats stay in touch with family and friends abroad: Skype, the magicJack, and Viber. Here’s an update starring Facebook Messenger. As it turned out, I rarely use Skype. My family never caught on to it and I don’t keep it open to see if friends … Read more

Hand writing on papers. Visa process.

10 tips for your visa process

I’m not an expert and I’m not a lawyer or migrant agent. But I’ve spent a year working on putting my visa application together. With the benefit of hindsight, here are tips to make your process smoother.   I applied onshore. That is, from within Australia, as opposed to offshore, from another country. I applied … Read more

Coffee cup and notebook with to do list on blue rustic desk from above. Visa process.

The road to residency part 4: all the extras

I started on the road to residency in June 2013, almost a year ago. The process is finally coming to an end. Well, sort of. I’m applying onshore (that is, from within Australia) for a de facto partner visa subclass 820. This is a temporary visa. When granted, if the relationship is intact after two … Read more

A portion of the dingo fence near Coober Pedy for more fun facts about Australia.

10 more fun facts about Australia

Two years ago, I wrote an entry called 12 fun facts about Australia. It turned out to be pretty popular and I’ve learned a lot in two years so I thought I’d do another round. Here are 10 more fun facts about Australia. Australia’s first police force was a band of 12 of the most well behaved … Read more