Settle

If you’ve applied for citizenship recently, you might still be waiting to get your invitation to write your citizenship test. You’re likely also wondering what to expect when you write your Australian citizenship test.

Last year we were privileged to become Australian citizens. The whole process seemed to take forever thanks to the previous government’s decision to try and change the citizenship laws. Thankfully they were unsuccessful in the end, but it really did create a massive backlog for application processing.

By the time our test date came along I was super nervous! But in the end I didn’t need to be so I wanted to share our experience with you to try and put your mind at ease.

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When you’re a new migrant in Australia, there are a lot of new things to experience and become accustomed to. From new cities and where to drive, to supermarket shopping and where to buy the most mundane things that you never batted an eyelid about before, it’s a lot to take in.

Some things can be harder to adapt to than others, so here are some of the things that you might struggle to adapt to as an expat in Australia.

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What would you say if I told you there was a way to completely furnish your new home in Australia for free? You’d probably think I was mad, but there is actually a way – it’s called bulk waste collection!

Also known as verge collection, bulk rubbish, or kerbside collection, this is an annual event in many suburbs across Australia, where households are allowed to put out items they no longer want. The local council then sends a truck around and picks up your waste and disposes of it. For free. Nada. Niks!

How amazing is that? Considering the cost of tipping your unwanted junk this is an awesome initiative.

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Choosing where to live in Australia after your visa has been granted is a very exciting part of the migration process.

The internet and Google Maps make it a lot easier to do than a decade ago, but it’s still a tricky decision.

It’s also a question I see asked time and time again online, so here’s my advice on how to choose a suburb to live when you move to Australia.

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Emigration is hard. Flipping hard. It’s not something that anyone can really say they enjoy 100%.

With all the excitement of a new country can also come the heartbreaking pain of leaving another behind.

All the new, shiny things are amazing, until you realise what you’ve also lost.

New friends are lovely, but nothing compares to the decades of friendship that you’ve built up since childhood.

The next time you’re feeling low, here are 10 things to remember when going through tough times.

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When you move to Australia, you’ll probably need to convert your overseas driver license for an Australian one.

Each state has its own rules when it comes to the process for converting your overseas driver license for an Australian one, so here’s a breakdown of each state’s regulations and links to more information on each.

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When it comes to setting up your new home in Australia, you’re going to have to buy some stuff.

If you’ve shipped everything under the sun, you’ll still have to wait for it to arrive and will be without some of your essentials for a period of weeks or even months.

If you haven’t shipped much (or anything!) you’re going to be starting over from scratch to set up your new home in Australia.

When most people migrate to Australia, they’re on a tight budget until they’ve settled in and started earning dollars (rands don’t go too far here unfortunately!).

So I’ve put together a list of where to look when it comes to furnishing and setting up your new home in Australia.

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