"I've run into more South Africans here than I ever expected I would”

Izette and her family arrived in Brisbane in March 2020. It was a very unexpected, whirlwind journey that they made to Australia.

After Izette’s husband who is a Pharmacist, turned 45 in 2019 and an unsuccessful attempt to move to USA, and then Canada, Izette received an unexpected email from a company in Australia wanting to arrange an interview with her. Izette is a Clinical Researcher, and after a successful interview, they then started their visa process in September 2019. They applied for the TSS 482 Medium-term Stream Visa and submitted their documents on 29 January 2020 and received their visa approval on 1 February.

At the time though, the Covid Pandemic was looming, and they had to make the decision to move over very soon thereafter. They both gave notice for their existing jobs, sold up their house and their belongings and boarded a plane to Australia on 1 March 2020.

Izette was supposed to start work on 16 March, and then full lockdown was announced the very next day.

Never having been to Australia before, Izette shares with us how they settled in, arriving with only their suitcases in hand and what they endured whilst in lockdown. She shares the in’s and out’s of what to expect as a newbie, and how things work as a SAfrican in the “Land Down Under”.