This paper examines life course transitions of tertiary educated Korean women who arrived in Australia during the 1980s and 1990s as skilled migrants or dependent migrants of their husbands. The study attempts to find an informed theory or frame of reference by which to explain the circumstances of Korean women’s life experiences post migration to Australia, women whose transitions were constrained by micro-level family situations underpinned by cultural values, macro-level migration policies and labor market arrangements. The constrained choices made by these women can be seen as ways in which they exercise agency in negotiating work and family. Some of their choices differ from mainstream expectations as reflected in government policies and academic discourse. This article draws on life stories to explore the contradictions and tensions experienced by tertiary educated Korean women following their migration to Australia.