A migrant who set up a furniture moving company and now earns $10,000 a week says it is unfair to blame people like him for Australia’s housing crisis.
Francisco Bonifaz, 32, moved to Australia from Chile in early 2022 and set up a furniture moving company in Sydney before moving to the Gold Coast and hiring.
The university graduate was attracted to the Australian lifestyle after working in marketing and sales at global food giant Unilever in Chile.
The Gold Coast reminded him of his hometown Vina del Mar, northwest of the capital Santiago.
“It’s similar: regular sunny days, good summer, good waves, good beaches, very nice,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr Bonifaz was attracted to Australia’s laid-back lifestyle, and he decided to take the plunge and get a working holiday visa after Covid restrictions were lifted.
“Chile is very traditional and conservative, so I’ve always wanted to travel,” he said.
‘I heard a lot of good things about Australia and decided to come and see what it was like, not having any idea what to do here.
‘It was fantastic and I am very happy here. I started looking for more options.’
A working holiday visa holder who set up a furniture moving business and earns $10,000 a week says it’s unfair to blame migrants like him for Australia’s housing crisis
Francisco Bonifaz, 32, moved to Australia from Chile in 2021 and founded a furniture moving company in Sydney before moving to the Gold Coast
He initially rented a Ford Transit van in January 2023 and set up a furniture moving business in Bondi in Sydney’s east, where he operated for 11 months before moving to the Gold Coast earlier this year.
In between, he worked as a coffee barista as hospitality businesses struggled to recruit staff while many were not working and still collecting payments under the Jobkeeper scheme.
Goat Removals Services is now focusing on south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, moving furniture from the Sunshine Coast to Byron Bay.
After getting good reviews on Airtasker and Google, his company can now charge $150 per hour plus GST, generating revenue of $7,000 to $10,000 per week.
The company became so successful that he was able to buy a Hino and a Mitsubishi Fuso truck and employ six people; four full-time.
While high immigration has been found to be causing a severe shortage of rental housing and increased competition for real estate – sending prices of both to skyrocketing levels – Bonifaz said long-term migrants like him have also contributed to the economy.
“A lot of immigrants, who are good for the country because they have their knowledge and can show here that they are willing to help Australia grow,” he said.
While high immigration has been linked to Australia’s rental crisis, Bonifaz (left with business partner Sergio Arze) says long-term migrants like him have contributed to the economy.
Mr. Bonifaz earned a degree in business administration from Adolfo Ibáñez University, where he met 33-year-old Sergio Arze, who now runs the moving company with him and ensures large items are properly packed with blankets and straps.
“They want to come here and do something good.
‘The great thing about Australia is that it is a country with opportunities. If you see that, you can do something good.’
Mr. Bonifaz has a degree in business administration from Adolfo Ibáñez University in Santiago, where he met 33-year-old Sergio Arze, who now runs the moving company with him.
“We know how important it is to take care of your customers,” Mr. Bonifaz said.
“We know that moving is very stressful when it comes to moving your stuff.”
The business partners hope that their good work will eventually lead to them becoming permanent residents.
“I’d like to, but the problem with the visa is that it’s not that easy,” he said.
The majority of Australia’s immigration inflows are long-term arrivals, with the permanent component now capped at 185,000.
A net of 432,150 migrants moved to Australia in the year to July, with international students and working holidaymakers classified as long-term arrivals of at least 12 months.