As more Filipinos explore Australia move, TikTok becomes their essential guide
Viral videos created by Filipinos who’ve already made the leap offer relatable, real-life insights into a complex migration system
Filipinos in Australia listen to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr during an event in Melbourne last year. Photo: AFP
When Reicelene Joy Ignacio first posted short videos about migration opportunities for Filipinos considering a move to Australia, she never imagined they would strike such a chord with her compatriots.
“Did you know that as a registered nurse, you can migrate to Australia without the need to study again?” she asks at the start of a clip posted in 2023, which has since drawn more than 20,000 likes.
Another video by Juneca Mayer, addressing the question “Is it still worth it to study in Australia in 2025?” has been watched more than 193,000 times since it was first posted in September 2024. In it, she breaks down the process – from visa requirements to financial commitments – for Filipino students eyeing furthering their studies down under.
Ignacio and Mayer are part of a growing community of Filipino content creators on TikTok who act as informal guides for their compatriots navigating Australia’s complex migration system.
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These videos not only reflect their personal journeys, but also a broader shift in how migration advice is increasingly being dispensed – through the swipe of a screen rather than the traditional channels of relevant agencies or licensed brokers.
Ignacio, who moved to Australia in 2023 on a partner visa, said her husband – a nurse in the Philippines – was initially the one drawn by the promise of better opportunities overseas. Over time, she too came to embrace the lifestyle and support systems available to newcomers in the country.
“Australia offers a lot of opportunities and support that an average Filipino cannot access in the Philippines,” she said, citing the accessibility of public services and the country’s “fair go” culture valuing work experience over formal education.
Mayer, who arrived as an international student in 2022, described her migration as “a life-changing experience”, which motivated her to share what she had learned online.
“I remember how confusing and overwhelming the process felt when I was going through it,” she said. “There were so many unanswered questions, scattered information, and not enough relatable content for Filipinos. I wanted to be the voice I needed back then.”
The number of Filipinos studying or working in Sydney and elsewhere in Australia has surged in recent years. Photo: AFP
Rising presence in Australia
Most of the questions that Mayer has received from her viewers are about student visas, permanent residency, course recommendations, and agency referrals.
“Others ask about the cost of living, English requirements, work opportunities for students or partners, and even emotional questions like ‘Is it worth it?’ or ‘Will I survive alone?’” Mayer said.
For creators like Mayer and Ignacio, the flood of inquiries reflects the rise in the number of Filipinos who are prepared to explore living in Australia despite a maze of rules they have to navigate.
As of June 2023, there were 361,860 Filipino-born residents in the country, a 65 per cent increase from a decade earlier, according to Australian official statistics. The broader Filipino community, including naturalised citizens and temporary visa holders such as students and migrant workers, is estimated to number about 400,000.
Filipinos now represent the fifth-largest migrant population in Australia, with the biggest contingent in the Northern Territory. Many are employed in healthcare and skilled trades like welding and auto mechanics but international education has also become a fast-growing pathway for them.
The number of Filipino students in Australia has surged, with the Philippines being the fourth-largest source country after China, India and Nepal. A relaxation of work-related rules, visa rebates and aggressive digital marketing after the pandemic have helped drive a rise in international students enrolling in Australian educational institutions to a record 1 million in 2023.
At the same time, videos addressing migration and life abroad on platforms like TikTok have gained popularity, many of which regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views each. For many Filipinos, the appeal lies not only in the information shared but in the relevance of the lifestyles led by the content creators.
“These content creators [serve as] conduits for crafting aspiration of [living or working in] Australia,” said Earvin Charles Cabalquinto, a senior lecturer at Monash University who has studied Filipino digital communities. “They depict life here, relationships, communities … and they often romanticise life abroad, which gets all of these views and subscriptions.”
Students of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology attending their graduation day. More Filipinos are exploring furthering their studies in Australia. Photo: Shutterstock
Filtering out fake news
In a recent study titled “Filipino content creators brokering migration to Australia on TikTok”, co-authored with fellow academic Cheryll Soriano, Cabalquinto described such influencers as “informal brokers” who shaped migration narratives in ways more personal – and at times more persuasive – than traditional media or official channels.
Their rising popularity also reflected a growing mistrust of formal migration brokers, who were often seen as opaque or exploitative, he added.
“This has led to an increasing reliance on informal networks as well as digital platforms, where aspirants can access information more directly from those who have successfully migrated, and at a lower or no cost at all,” Cabalquinto said.
“Imagine if you’re a farmer wanting to move to Australia and you’re thrown off by an Australian website that’s heavily in English. You go to TikTok and find a farmer in regional Australia, and they’re talking about their life. So that becomes a following.”
After looking at over 80 such videos since 2023, Cabalquinto has observed popular trends depicting the everyday lives of content creators in Australia, and challenges faced by migrants and international students.
While the content may be relatable, it is not always reliable, according to Cabalquinto. Many creators prefaced their videos with disclaimers that they were not licensed migration agents, yet went on to provide advice that could mislead viewers, he said.
Considering that the Philippines faced major challenges from fake news, the level of discernment among Filipinos to filter out misleading information might not be high, Cabalquinto said. Moreover, such content creators might not be keeping pace with evolving Australian migration rules, he added.
Digital platforms should also bear greater responsibility for curbing misinformation and governments could consider partnering with creators to ensure the dissemination of accurate content, Cabalquinto said.
“I think we need to think about [the fact that] people come from different backgrounds, different literacy levels … content creators can actually work with different organisations and groups to translate accessible information that is also validated and verified,” he said.
