To leave, the native of Xalapa, Veracruz approached VisAustralia, a law firm and immigration agents, who recommended that he first travel and study at the Canberra Institute of Education and Technology (CIET), due to his academic interest, the objective of migration and budget.
According to Emmanuel Rodríguez, representative of the Australian migration consortium known as Somos Australia in Mexico, the amount for a Mexican to leave through a training process ranges from 180,000 to 200,000. This includes visa, health insurance, English test and the first semester of training, but working there the return on investment is six months.
Upon arriving in Australia, Villalobos joined Latino groups on social media and asked for advice on how to find employment. A Colombian contacted him and offered to work in his company as a house and office painter. “It took me just three days to find that first job,” he says. After a few months he made his debut as a cook, waiter and bartender for different businesses that were created by other Latinos and native people.
“Here it is common to have several jobs. They pay you by the hour and deposit you every week. There are jobs that pay less and others more, although a normal salary is around 25 Australian dollars an hour (approximately 288 Mexican pesos). Currently, I earn $800 a week; about 36,960 pesos a month, which is more than double what I earned in Mexico as a teacher,” he reveals.
Australia: A promising destination for entrepreneurs
Australia has become an up-and-coming destination for those seeking to settle in the land of kangaroos. Rodríguez assures that both the visa and the Australian laws facilitate the process for young people who have finished high school, who have a truncated career, who want to learn a trade, change their profession or start a business, since technical careers are the backbone of the place.
Camilo Peña, director of business development for the education sector at the Australian Embassy, confirms that technical work and trades are what drives the national economy, which is why an entrepreneur or a technician earns three or four times more than a professional. of office.
“It has to do with lifestyle, Australians are very inclined to run their own businesses and have a work-life balance. Technical occupations allow them to have that, plus they pay very well,” he says.
Australia is recognized globally for the quality of its educators and technical industry. Peña points out that entrepreneurs and people who want to establish themselves there have the possibility of growing in areas such as gastronomy, electricity, carpentry, community services, plumbing and mechanics.
In fact, “a high percentage of students started business in their country and, instead of coming to Australia to work in office jobs, they choose to start their own businesses and employ other foreigners. Many of them sell products from their country of origin , like coffee in the case of Colombians,” says Peña.
One of the Advantages of starting a business in Australia it is the high employability rate during and after studies, as well as high salaries and the possibility of obtaining permanent residence. “A plumber doesn’t come to your house for less than $250 an hour, especially in regions with little labor,” Rodríguez emphasizes.
And while Australia’s costs of living are high – an average monthly cost of $1,200 – it is also one of the countries with the highest minimum wage at $21.38 an hour. Mexican entrepreneurs can take advantage of this favorable environment to establish their businesses and obtain a return on investment in a relatively short time.
Data from the embassy show that last year, 2,160 Mexicans went to study and work in Australia, and only in January and February 2023, 2,005 students traveled, reflecting a 120% growth compared to the same months in 2022.
“Not all of them stay to start a business there, but they return with studies that have official validity in the world, with advanced English and a multicultural vision to start a business from another point of view in their country of origin,” says the director of Somos. Australia.