Naomi Wangemann is proud to work as a cleaner in Australia, but knows it is utilising just a fraction of the skills she has to offer.
"I feel like I'm doing an easy job and I could probably do something a little more challenging," she said.
In Japan, Ms Wangemann worked as a chef, an accountant, and in various office roles, but like many migrants has found it hard to get a skilled job in Australia.
"I did all sorts of things in Japan, but I can't do it in Australia," she said.
"I don't have that knowledge, it's very, very hard."
The experience of migrants has been in the spotlight this week, after a review of Australia's migration system labelled it "broken" and in need of "major reform".
While the federal government has promised to take action, the impacts of the system continue to be felt by migrants on the ground.
Ms Wangemann settled in the northern West Australian city of Karratha, 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, and said she would not have applied for the cleaning job if she could speak English fluently.
The disconnect between qualifications, expectations and reality is a problem faced by many migrants, particularly those in regional Australia.
"When you move to a big city, it's not so bad because you can meet a lot of people from your same country," Ms Wangemann said.
"But moving to a small rural town like Karratha, it's hard for some people because you may feel very isolated."
Northwest Multicultural Association (NMA) chair Karen Huang is working hard to fill the gap in social support for culturally and linguistically diverse people in the Pilbara.
"I know how hard it is being someone who has a different appearance, who speaks different languages and we've got an accent," Ms Huang said.
"Maybe your co-worker wants to say something, what they did on the weekend, what happened to their family, what's going on.
"You can't go deeper because you have very limited vocabulary."
Cultural differences impact social life
Pub culture and exploring the outdoors are pillars of social life for many in the Pilbara, which can be challenging for those with different hobbies.
"When you don't have the same hobby, or you don't get the same interests, what you can do is just go home and then after a while you start feeling very lonely," Ms Huang said.
Curtin University sociology professor Farida Fozdar said this difference in interests could exacerbate loneliness.
"In Australia we like to see ourselves as multicultural, but we don't often think about what that actually means," she said.
"For people who don't share that dominant culture, it can be isolating and you can feel as though there's something wrong with you."
Professor Fozdar said social connections sustained humans, but these connections often became more important to migrants.
"There's a whole lot of barriers to to overcome feel settled and kind of at home in that community, then add to that, cultural differences, language differences," she said.
"It can be quite a challenge."
Work a key facet of identity
Professor Fozdar said many migrants moved to Australia to work and the struggle to utilise their expertise could impact their mental health.
"Our work is often one of the key facets of identity," she said.
"If we aren't able to work in what we've been trained to do, having a sense of pride in who we are becomes challenging.
"But too often we see a downgrading of the types of jobs that they are able to access."
Lack of support in the regions
There are various government initiatives, such as the Designated Area Migration Agreement, encouraging migrants to move to WA's north.
Regional Australia Institute (RAI) chief economist Kim Houghton said there was less settlement support available to migrants in regional centres compared to capital cities.
"There's no point in having just a migration program," he said.
"You actually need a more holistic approach where the government, state and federal, are committed to making all small towns, liveable, vibrant and attractive places.
"It's not as easy to find somebody who can be a broker between you as a new arrival and different parts of your community."
Supporting the CALD community
Mr Houghton said celebrating cultural diversity was important for the sustainability and prosperity of regional Australia.
"People are more likely to stay and contribute to that community that they've just arrived in, if they feel welcome," he said.
"One of the best ways of expressing that is a willingness to listen to the experiences of people that have come from another place.
"Ideally, a willingness to share some of those experiences and partake in some of those cultural activities."
The Northwest Multicultural Association has hosted a range of events to promote the region's diversity, from a multicultural fashion show to cooking workshops.
For Ms Wangemann, these kinds of events help give her a sense of belonging and pride in her Japanese heritage.
"It keeps me being Japanese, not forgetting my culture," she said.
"And also it keeps me connected to other Japanese people anywhere.
"So I'm the really lucky one I think."
