A Guide To Australian Migration

Last September, my wife and I were granted our Australian permanent resident visas. It came to us as a surprise. I have a friend who just migrated to the Land Down Under, and he got his visa after two years of waiting. I lodged our online application only last January. Nine months of waiting for our visa application to be approved is certainly a quick turnaround. We are very thankful for that. To those who are interested in taking the same path, I am writing this article to guide you.

First of all, you have to read through the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship. This is the official website on migrating to Australia. I like the way the site is set-up. It offers very comprehensive and detailed write-ups on how to migrate to the country. Under the General Skilled Migration Program, you can decide which visa subclass would you like to apply to. I opted for a Skilled - Independent Visa Subclass 175. This is good for people who have the qualifications to migrate to Australia, but do not have an employer or a relative who can sponsor their migration. There are a lot of other options which are suitable for your circumstances. The visa wizard on the Department's website will guide you through this.

One thing that you need to remember when applying is that Australian migration is based on a points test. There are specific qualifications which would merit you a certain amount of points. If you pass the points test, you can proceed with your application. In the Visa Subclass 175 for example, the passing mark is 65 points. Your age, English language ability and job experience will determine how much points you can accumulate.

Once you are certain that you can qualify for a visa application by passing the points test, you now need to work on completing the requirements. I took up IELTS first. I gave it my best shot, because the higher your band score is, the larger points you can earn for your points test. The next step that you need to complete is to have your job experience and credentials evaluated by an assessing authority. I am an engineer, and I had my credentials reviewed by Engineers Australia. If you are an engineer like me, you will have to submit a Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) to prove that you are qualified. The website of Engineers Australia provides a good explanation on how this is done. My advice would be to carefully make your CDR. This is your ticket to Australia. This has the biggest weight on whether or not your application will be granted. I edited mine a lot of times. It took me a month and a half to complete it. I never regret staying up late just to make it the best way that I can. On December 2010, I received a letter from Engineers Australia. I got a positive result from their assessment.

After completing all the requirements, you can now lodge your visa application online. If you have complete documents, your application can progress swiftly. The Department will tell you if you're ready to get your medical examinations. If you are told to do this, you can assume that the likelihood of your application being accepted is really high.

There are people who hire the services of migration agents to get them through this. This is not to discourage people from seeking their help, but personally, I'd recommend people to apply on their own if they can. It's cheaper to do that. The only thing that needs the most attention is creating the CDR. If you are confident you can complete it by yourself, then you're okay to lodge an application on your own. It's not that difficult.

I have outlined the basic process of immigrating to Australia. I hope this helps, and good luck to your application!

Creating Abundance - My Next Goal

How does a person create abundance if he is spending more than what he earns? That's easy to answer. He must increase his income. But what are the ways of increasing it? These are not as easy to find. Each day I think about this, and up to now, I still have not been able to think of that brilliant plan which will turn my finances around.

I have learned a lot of ways in order to earn extra cash. Some recommend finding a second job. Most say selling and getting into business will do the trick for you. Others tell you to go into trading stocks and invest in mutual funds. In the past two years, I have tried to expose myself to these.

While I have made money out mutual funds, the rest of these said vehicles of financial freedom are not really that easy to get on. Take investing in stocks for example. I had been into stock trading since last year. At the start, I was earning. The market was bullish, and although I did not get good buys, I would still earn after a few weeks of waiting. Now that market volatility is something that we see on a daily basis, things have changed. I have lost some money. Investing my emergency funds on stocks further added to my losses. There were times when I had to sell what I had in my portfolio, even if they were not ripe to be sold. I needed the money to finance family matters that needed immediate attention. That was a mistake, and I learned it the hard way. I lost thousands. But for me, that was part of the learning curve. I don't regret doing that, as long as I have made myself better. I have read that one must build his emergency fund first, and those that go to investments must really be what are extra. This is certainly good advice. I should have did it that way. Next time when I will have the money, I will invest it more intelligently.

I have also tried to venture into some small business. Franchising was the first option that came into my mind. However, I had realized that a franchise needs to be managed well. Without a trustworthy individual overseeing its operation, a franchise is doomed to fail. I have seen a lot of them fold up and close lately. Without ample readiness, the money you have invested may easily go up in ashes. I was lucky not to have started it. I still am not ready. When the right time comes, definitely, I would like to pursue this. A well-managed franchise generates passive income. That is what I want to have in the future. 

My next goal is really to find financial abundance. I am on my way to be free from financial strings. I have a lot to learn, but I can build from the experiences that I had on these different strategies. It is certain that if I commit myself to achieving this, I would succeed. I have never failed when I put my whole self into something. I think that is true to all of us. I have made my decision to leave this life of always having to settle for less. I have not been the best that I could have been. I don't want myself to stop at where I am now. I know I am destined to be greater. Financial freedom - here I come!

On Leadership

Leadership is one of the basic skills that men need to have. At some point in a man's life, he will have to lead. One day, he will be head of his family. He will drive and inspire his kids and bring the best out of them. He will have to take a deep look into his wife's interests, and help cultivate them so that she would continue to bloom. He will need to have vision. He must see the future of his family. He must bring them towards abundance, bliss and success. 


As a kid, I remember trying to decide whether I would become a manager when I grow up, or just an ordinary worker. My dad had a lot of friends who were managers. All I could see was their children complaining that their fathers no longer had time for them. They were too busy. My dad was an ordinary employee. He and my mom worked in a school. Even though they did not hold high positions, they had quality time for us. We were so swamped with their attention and care. Because of that, I promised myself never to dream of becoming a manager. Never would I allow myself to be in the spotlight and be the center of attention. 


Now, I am a man. I am married. A year or two from now, I will be on my way to being a father. I find myself re-evaluating the decision I made years ago on being a leader. I have come to realize that as a husband, leadership is a necessary skill. Where my family can reach will depend on how far I can take them. Without my vision, we would stall. Instead of moving forward, we would be moving around in circles. There would be no progress. I must be strong for them. When they will feel down, they will look to me for inspiration. I must learn how to influence their thoughts and remove any negativity in them, replacing them with good ones. Eventually, I will have to build my career up and become a manager. As I grew up and met more people, I realized that holding higher positions do not mean less time with the family. Time management is what is important. Work, dream, and plan for your family, but always find time to be with them. 


One Sunday morning, I heard this from a preacher's sermon. "You will never follow a dumb ox. You will never follow a guy who is dumber than you are!" There is a lot of truth in these very strong words. This is a challenge to husbands to become the best that they could be so that they could lead their families. I would not allow myself to be a dumb ox. If  I was one, I would not allow myself to remain that way.

In the end, we come to the basic rule of leadership. A leader will be followed if he has the trust of his members. He will be trusted, if he is able to show them that he is leading them to a very bright tomorrow. I have made my decision. I want my wife to believe in me. I will want my children to be grateful for what I have done for them. I will become that great manager, and I will be the best leader that I can be.

The Sweet Taste Of Victory

A year of inactivity... but that does not matter now. This time, I can put something up. SUCCESS - this very elusive thing - is now in my hands.

The year 2011 would go down as one of the most memorable years of my life. After almost two years of waiting, working hard and enduring all the trials, I now got what I wanted. Many thanks to our one true God, who made everything possible! Indeed, He has prepared the best things for us.

I started the year flying over to Singapore to attend a job fair. It was time to be more aggressive, and find that job abroad which I have yearned for so long. I had tried applying for jobs online the previous year, but to no success at all. I grew tired of this. Online applications didn't get me the interviews that I wanted. By March 2011, I was off to the Merlion City for the JobsDB Career Expo. Three days later, I was back in the Philippines, facing the reality that even with my aggressive stance, I still didn't get the results that I wanted. I had applied for hundreds of jobs in the career expo, but there was no single call for an interview.

Things didn't go the way that I planned, but I never go down without a fight. When I got back from my Singapore trip, I was sending online applications again every night. By the middle of April, I was interviewed by AMD Singapore. Two weeks later, I got the news that I didn't get the job. That was tough to swallow again, but that didn't keep me from going. On the 6th of June, I was interviewed by an Austrian semiconductor company. This time, I passed!!! They had me scheduled for a final interview in Austria!

On the 3rd of September, a Saturday, I boarded a Lufthansa flight to Austria. I could still remember that day. My wife sent me off and wished me good luck. She was always praying for me. I needed that. I was scheduled for a very tough interview schedule. Four managers would each interview me for an hour. I had interviews before, but none as hectic as that. None of them ran over an hour.

When I arrived in Austria on a Sunday, I couldn't get enough sleep. I was anxious. I was excited. I was afraid of failure. But I was hoping for success. With all those emotions going through, I just could not doze off. Monday was the big day. I took my lunch early in the hotel. By 1PM, I was in a room with my first interviewer. An hour later they put me in another room for my second interview. Then the third interview and then the fourth. By 5PM, everything was done. I was exhausted! Not having a clue on the results made things even more agonizing!

After the interview, I still had a day to spare in my schedule to look around the place before I went back home. The company was situated in Villach, a place very popular during the winter for its skiing resorts. It was summer when I arrived, and I just contented myself with walking into their city center, checking out the shops and trying to discover what else was in there. I took pictures of each nice view that I saw. I wanted to show them to my wife when I got back. Villach was a very nice place. In my mind, this would be a very good place for us to settle.... but that would only happen if I passed the final interview.

I was back in the hotel at around six in the evening to start packing up my things. My flight was early in the morning the next day. As I was putting in the last of my clothes in my suitcase, my phone rang. My friend, who also happened to be working with the company who had just conducted the interviews, was on the line. "Great news!!!" she said. "I had spoken with one of the managers. You passed the interviews!!! You will be working here soon!"

My eyes lit up as soon as I heard those words! I couldn't forget that feeling! I was in ecstasy! I jumped. I pumped my fists in the air! I slammed my feet on the floor. I let out a shout of joy! I was just so happy!

2011. Yes, finally, success! Nothing could be that sweet! At last, a sign of relief... a taste of victory!!!

Where Have I Been?

I'm back.

I was really busy the last couple of months. From the last time I wrote, these were what I have done.

- Job applications.

I sent hundreds of job applications already, both abroad and locally. Only a few have called so far. This is a testament to how hard it is to land in a good job.

- Job interviews.

Since I had my first two failed interviews with companies from Singapore, I've been invited to five other job interviews, three from local companies, and two from abroad. I'm proud to say I've passed four out of the five. Practice, exposure, confidence and that "seller" mentality is the key.

- Preparations form Migrant Visa Application.

I had my eyes set on migrating to Australia. I had to prepare the needed requirements for that. The first was taking the IELTS examination. I completed it last July. I got a grade just enough for me to pass the "points test" for a Visa application. The next thing was having my profession assessed by Engineers Australia. I needed a month and a half to work on the documents. It was hard writing all those stuffs about my career, but in the end, I was able to submit it. Engineers Australia received it last August, and I'm still waiting on their decision on whether my work experience could be credited. I'm hoping for a

- Decision making.

I got this job offer from a good company, and I had to make a really tough decision which would directly affect the course of how my life would be. I had to choose between my current job and the new one. On one side, I had a new career waiting. It would have been nice to start something new. That job would take me back to my home province in Cebu and it would bring me closer to my wife and family. On the other hand, I could stay put in my current company, receive some salary increase and possibly be sent outside the country from time to time. In the end, the financial needs weighed more, and I decided to keep the job that I have in exchange for immediate increase in earnings.

-Stock trading.

I also learned how to trade stocks. I opened my first online trading account and I was impressed by the potential earnings of this kind of investment. So far, my largest gain was 16% of my total investment. Not bad for a newbie. I just need to learn more about it, so I can maximize my gains.

- Back in Ireland.

In keeping my job, I was given another opportunity to travel outside the country. I'm back in Ireland to work on another project. I'm writing this article now in Ireland.

Mazda 323 Idling Problems - Unstable RPM

I purchased a Black Mazda 323 (1996 Model) last November. I didn't know much about cars at that time. I took it for a test drive, and it seemed to be in very good condition, so I got it.
After weeks of driving, I now became more familiar with the car, and one thing that I noticed was its RPM was unstable.

Here is what you can see on the Mazda 323 dashboard. Take a look the tachometer or RPM gauge at the left side. Ideally, this shouldn't be fluctuating. At idle, this should be at around 800RPM. If you push the gas pedal, the RPM should increase, but once you remove the pedal pressure, the RPM should move back to its original 'idle' position. If you started at 800RPM prior rev-ing up, expect it to still be at 800RPM when your foot is off the pedal. My Mazda's RPM did not return to where it started. Either it was higher, or it was lower. This is an indicator that you have some problems with your Mass Air Flow Sensor. I didn't know that when I tried checking out this car. So for would-be buyers of second hand cars, watch out for this.

My RPM issues was at its peak when I noticed that the engine would turn off when I changed gears, usually in the lower ones. Let's say I had my gear set to 3rd gear, and I needed to slow down and so I had to set it to 2nd gear. As soon as I shifted the gears, the RPM would go very low, to a point very near zero, until the engine would stop. Good thing my car did not have starting problems. Whenever it happened, I would just restart my car. But you could imagine all the hassle it was giving me.

I did a Google search on "unstable RPM". To my surprise, there it was... IDLING STABILITY was a common Mazda 323 problem. There are a couple of forums which discuss these. They might even offer better solutions. I just would like to share what I did to solve this issue.

The Mass Air Flow Sensor is located in under your Mazda's hood, just in between the air intake hose and the air filter casing. You may notice that there are wire connectors attached to this. This is one of the many sensors your engine uses to achieve optimum performance. Its funtion is to send information to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) regarding the amount of air mass entering the engine.

I had a mechanic check my car and his first reaction was that the sensor needed to be replaced. I asked him how much it would cost. He told me it was around P3,000. If it was true, then it's a quite expensive part, so I decided to see if we could do anything else. The mechanic tried moving the air filter casing, and he noticed that the RPM fluctuated by doing that. That should not happen. With our new observation, we both agreed that there was something loose. Next, he pushed on the wire connectors in the Mass Air Flow Sensor and asked me to push on the gas pedal and check the RPM. The result? Even after pushing the pedal, the RPM now settles back at its starting value. Sucess! We fixed it.

So it seemed the connector was just loose. I drove the car for a week with no problems. But soon after that, my RPM woes were back. My car'r RPM was fluctuating again. I needed to find a more permanent fix.

I was convinced there was nothing wrong with the sensor. If there was, pushing the wire connector wouldn't have lead to a significant improvement in the idling RPM stability. So one day, when I got home after driving, I detached the connector and cleaned the metal electrodes. I sprayed them with a good quality contact cleaner. I got back to the driver's seat, rev-ed up the gas and check the RPM again. COOL! No more of the unstable RPM's!

My final conclusion: the dirt in the metal electrodes of the Mass Air Flow sensor was interfering with the quality of the electrical signals coming out of the it, and it was causing errors. The ECU was getting the wrong information. If you're a Mazda 323 owner, and you're having idling problems, it might be worth doing what I did. It's going to save you some cash. But again, the engine is a complex system, and your RPM can be affected by a lot of other parts not working well. If doing this does not work for you, trying checking other parts.

God's Plan On Fortune

Short but straight to the point... Here is God's plan on fortune... the best quote I've ever heard.

"When fortune lavishly accords you with a hefty wallet... Choose charity over greed, love over hatred, nobility over blasphemy... Gracious are the people who do so. For they just wielded their fortune wisely as God entrusted them."

- Norwenda -