Wagga welcomed its newest Aussies into the fold at a citizenship ceremony held on Thursday as part of national refugee week.
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A total of 29 people, including 13 children, became true-blue Australians at the Wagga City Council chambers.
One of them was Ghana immigrant Michael Bewong, who said it was a great feeling to finally become an Australian citizen.
"It's quite interesting, because just before the ceremony and just after the ceremony feels a bit different," Mr Bewong said.
"I guess I should get a slab of beer to celebrate."
Mr Bewong has lived in Australia for seven years and has spent the last two in Wagga, where he teaches IT at Charles Sturt University.
Mr Bewong plans to settle down permanently and start a family in Wagga with the love of his life Raini Nailer, who has a baby on the way.
Indian immigrant Dr Rajneet Kaur Uppal is an agricultural scientist at CSU who was also sworn in as an Australian citizen on the day.
Dr Uppal said it was good to be formally recognised as an Aussie, since she had long felt like she was an Australian deep down.
"We were already pretty much Australians, now it's a formal thing," Dr Uppal said.
"It's been seven years now in Wagga, so we're pretty much into the system and into the regional flair of the country."
She has joined the ranks of her husband Damandeep Singh Uppal, who got his citizenship a year and a half ago.
Mr Uppal said the two of them had travelled the world, but truly felt at home in Wagga.
"It was a pleasant journey for us. It is a welcome country and we love it here," Mr Uppal said.
"We've been to England and other parts of the world, but you can't compare Australia with any other country. That's what I have so far figured out."
Fillipino immigrant Froilan Astillo first came to Wagga in search of "greener pastures" on a 457 visa, working at the Teys factory.
He said he was very grateful for the opportunity to come to Australia, since life in the Philippines was hard for him and his family.
"It's very challenging back home. Back home I worked two, three different jobs but at the end of the month you're still struggling making ends meet," Mr Astillo said.
"Here the pay is multiplied - it's so different. Not only that, but the country, and Wagga itself, suits our personality. It's laid back, but everything is here and it's a good place to raise a family."
He now works at Wagga Base Hospital as a registered nurse, a job which pays enough for him to be able to support his extended family back at home.
Another Fillipino immigrant who now calls Australia home is Sherwin Manipis, who became an Australian at the same time as his 13-year-old son Siegfried Pueblo.
Mr Manipis said he misses his extended family back home in the Philippines, but he stays in touch with them over online messages.
Mr Manipis said it was a daily struggle to provide for his family back in the Philippines, which is why he was so happy to be able to come to Australia.
"Australia gave us the opportunity to find a better life," Mr Manipis said.
Pakistani immigrant Umair Syed and his wife Anam Rashid became citizens on the day, joining two of their children who were already Australian-born citizens.
Mr Syed, who works at a canning factory, said he feels welcome in his new home.
"It's a land of opportunity, that's what brought us here. It's a really multicultural society and easy to settle down in," Mr Syed said.