List of Filipino Australian Websites and Personal Tips

List of Filipino Australian Websites and some personal tips for you.

Collecting list of Filipino Australian websites here at Collection of First. I hope this short pack of Filipino Australian list websites may help you find info you are searching for. My personal experience would be different to yours and similar to others. Dates or years of application vary changes of information since the date of your arrival to Australia and the year you forwarded your first documents to Australia Immigration. For those who applied stages of visas within five to eight years like me upon arrival as I post this blog now, such as from Temporary Migration Partners visa, Report of Marriage to Philippine Embassy Australia, Permanent Partner Migration visa, Australian Citizenship, Australian Passports, Dual Citizenship and Philippines Passport in Australia, you already know the intensive requirements you have to meet and other kinds of visas.

Personal TIP: I did not use migration agency when I applied for all my visas. I applied for my first Temporary Partner Migration Visa for Australia in Thailand. Other friends I knew, they also applied their visas directly to the Australian Embassy in the Philippines without applying to an agency. It’s up to you if you want to use Migration agency.


AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION WEBSITES
1. The first and foremost website we all should read! If you are not using migration agency this is the very first website we have to go through and read thoroughly before you start doing your checklist to do requirements! http://www.immi.gov.au/ - updated website now http://www.border.gov.au/
2. Finding a Visa http://www.immi.gov.au/visawizard/
3. Living in Australia http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/
4. Becoming a Citizen http://www.citizenship.gov.au/
5. Australian Passport https://www.passports.gov.au/

Personal TIP: Watch out for those unexpected racism treatment in the Australian post office when you are applying for your Australian passport. It was a nightmare experienced catching up our holiday date visiting to our dear Pinoy land when I bumped into this racism treatment in Ballarat post office at Howitt Street! I have five witnesses with me during that process too.

6. Australia Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/philippines/philippines_brief.html

Personal TIP: For applying Philippine passport, dual citizenship in Australia the process is much easier and less intensive process our Philippine Embassy required than how you would have went through all the stages of Australian visas prior to this stage.

Our own Philippine territory in Australia as our history professor back in the Philippines might have taught us, is our embassy :) Driving to Canberra was a great personal experience than flying. If you don’t mind paying for higher costs of flight in comparison to Sydney’s lower cost of flights offer, you may choose to fly. Not sure myself why Canberra only have one airline (Virgin) going there so they can have their cost of flights they want. (Or maybe just security reasons as the capital city of Australia).

1. For Passport, Dual Citizenship, Marriage Report applicants if you live outside New South Wales, the Sydney consulate will refer you back to apply to Canberra only, not the consulate in Melbourne or other states either by the time I filed and completed my dual citizenship application in June 2013. The speed of Dual Citizenship application process for me was only after one week before they approved and presided my oath-taking. Any changes you have encountered please share on the comments below. http://www.philembassy.org.au/

2. For Dual Citizenship applicant or Petition under Oath to Re-Acquire/Retain Philippine Citizenship under R.A. 9225. The forms are all downloadable but make sure you change the date of the “date sworn” as the link of the PDF file in Canberra Philippines Embassy did not change the date from 2011, unless it is not necessary as they only have brief information on their website in comparison to Sydney Philippine consulate website which is far better laid out when it comes to the process information. I put a suggestion on their website email and also left suggestion in Canberra Philippine Embassy office myself and still there was no change so I guess it’s not all important, you can just change it with white ink :)  (Please do ring them up to do so) or edit it on Word Document program http://www.philembassy.org.au/images/authentication/RA9225-oathform.pdf

3. For Passport application after Dual Citizenship, it was a surprise the Philippine Embassy asked me to apply straight away after my oath-taking the same afternoon. It’s good I have brought all the requirements with me that paid off my one-time visit! For those who are looking for other options as Sydney consulate or other state office is not an option if you are living outside NSW, there was recently launched MOBILE EPASSPORT MISSIONS FOR 2013 but you have to “pre-register and secure an appointment/slot with the Embassy on or before the deadlines indicated in the schedule” it says here http://www.philembassy.org.au/schedule-of-mobile-epassport-missions-for-2013.html

4. For Sydney or NSW applicants, the consulate website has more complete process of information in my surfing experience than our own Philippines Embassy (they should delegate it for those who have time). http://www.philippineconsulate.com.au/



General list of Philippines and Australia website information, forums, migration tips, migration advices and bloggers tips at your hand all in one page. Feel free to add more links on the comment box that I missed or new websites coming in.

PINOY AUSSIE FORUMS and SOCIAL NETWORKING MEDIA:
1. Australia Forum not only for Filipinos  “AustraliaForum.com has grown to become one of the largest international expatriate immigration communities for Australia on the internet.” http://www.australiaforum.com/
2. Pinoy Australia Information Forum http://www.pinoyau.info/
3. “The Filipin-Oz directory provides a much important link to the growing Filipino community and is of significant value to anyone with a special interest in the Philippines and/or vice versa.” http://www.filipin-oz.com/
4. PinoyAu Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pinoyau.info
5. For Filipinos in Australia, or considering coming to Australia. http://www.pinoy-australia.com/
6. Pinoy Global Forum http://mabuhaycity.com/index.php?err_id=9&route_to=%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3Dmy_handshakes
7. Nursing Connect Forum Australia http://www.studyconnect.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18501
8. Australia Export Forum http://australianexportforum.blogspot.com.au/
9. “Bayanihan Australia Community Network Incorporated (BACNI) is a non-profit community volunteer organisation formed by a group of Filipino and Australians on 13 November 2005 to meet the urgent need for skilled younger leaders and in response to changing needs of local Filipino communities in Australia.” http://bayanihanaustralia.org/
10. Filipino Living in Australia blog http://www.ozpinoy.com/category/making-a-living/
11. Filipino Australia Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/thefilipinoaustralian
12. Australian Filipino Business and Workers Club Incorporated (AFBWCI) based in Sydney http://www.afbwci.org/


PINOY AUSSIE MEDIA WEBSITES
1. The Filipino Australian dot com about page description: "The Filipino Australian is a media website, and a member website of Australia’s Philippine-related award-winning website emanila.com, that provides online news services with focus on the Filipinos in Australia, the Filipino-Australian community and events in Australia, in the Philippines or in other countries with impact on the Filipino Australian community. The Filipino Australian operates under the domain names thefilipinoaustralian.com, thefilipinoaustralian.com.au, thefilipinoaustralian.net, thefilipinoaustralian.org, filipinoaustralian.com.au, filipinoaustralian.net, filipinoaustralian.org, and filaustralian.com. The website officially opened, and succeeded emanila’s News Section, on 12 June 2005 with its maiden front-page presented in a simple ceremony before Filipino-Australian community leaders and Philippine Government officials in Australia.” http://www.thefilipinoaustralian.com/
2. Bayhanihan News dot com don't have "about" page so their description quotes "The community newspaper of Australia - Philippines" http://bayanihannews.com.au/
3. Australian Filipina Business & Lifestyle Magazine by publisher Michelle Baltazar “In late 2005, a group of people had a dream: to launch a woman’s magazine filled with stories they can read, enjoy and relate to. Four pregnancies, a funeral and a few false starts later, that dream has finally become a reality.” http://www.australianfilipina.com/
4. “Established in 2010, the Ang Kalatas (English translation: The Message) monthly newspaper has quickly earned the reputation for being the most progressive Filipino-Australian publication. It has moved into the ranks of Australian publications by engaging its audience in three modern-age platforms: print, digital, and online.” http://kalatas.com.au/
5. “Australia’s Filipino Newspaper” http://philtimes.com.au/


PINOY BLOGGERS' TIPS at YOUR FINGER TIPS:
For co-pinoy aussie bloggers feel free to link your blog links with us. The information can be old and new but sometimes bloggers are also easy to connect with whatever ways you can get the information you need in Australia. Experiences that are shared direct from their Oz journey what to do and what not to do can be great stuffs to take note.

1. Philippine Fiesta in Victoria http://www.philfiesta.com/orglisting.htm
2. Pinoy sa Australia blogger tips http://australianfilipino.com/
3. Tips for Pinoy Migrants to Australia Part 1 http://palabok.wordpress.com/2005/07/27/tips-for-pinoy-migrants-to-australia-part-1/
4. Filipina Aussie blogger http://filipinoaustralianjournal.com.au/home/
5. Down Under Visa blogsite http://downundervisa.wordpress.com/
6. Filipina Wives http://www.filipinawives.com.au/
7. Romeo Cayabyab Blog http://romeocayabyab.com/filipino-australian-community-blogs/
8. List of Filipino Australian Websites  http://collectionoffirst.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/list-of-filipino-australian-websites.html


OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
1. History of immigration from Philippines “At the start of the twentieth century, just 16 Philippines-born people lived in Victoria.” http://museumvictoria.com.au/origins/history.aspx?pid=46
2. SBS.com.au Radio and TV News for Filipino and its Page http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/filipino/home/page/in/english
3. [PDF] Philippines Community Information Statistical Summary http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/country-profiles/_pdf/philippines.pdf
4. [PDF] HOW CAN FILIPINO NURSES WORK IN AUSTRALIA instead of USA or UK? http://www.iargel.com.au/Portals/Iargel/articles/nurse.PDF
5. What Australia Whirlpool Forum site talks about Tagalog, Filipino or Pinoy language http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1966138
6. Wikipedia Filipino Australian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipino_Australian


COST OF LIVING IN AUSTRALIA MAJOR CITIES:

 Data based on Numbeo.com. It's most likely updated even after this post. Numbeo’s reports indicated that Perth has the highest rate of living standard in Australia currently. Ballarat City includes in the major cities since it is the third most populous urban area in the state and where I live.

• Cost of Living in Melbourne Victoria, Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $112.88]
• Cost of Living in Canberra, Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $109.30]
• Cost of Living in Sydney, Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $115.50]
• Cost of Living in Ballarat, Victoria Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $91.90]
• Cost of Living in Brisbane Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $110.35]
• Cost of Living Gold Coast Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $101.38]
• Cost of Living in Darwin, Northern Territory [Australia Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): 115.60]
• Cost of Living in Adelaide, South Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $109.18]
• Cost of Living in Perth, Western Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent) $125.15]
• Cost of Living in Hobart, Australia [Consumer Price Index (Excl.Rent): $109.73]


By Jennifer R. Baulch – @ queentulip.com and jenniferramirezbaulch.com