A fieldwork experience working with people of a refugee background can facilitate the development of cultural awareness and competence, as well as foundational professional skills. In this setting, the importance of occupation-based, client-centred practice can be fully realised. Results indicate that this fieldwork setting is a suitable environment for experiencing occupational therapy principles and that labelling fieldwork experiences working with people from a refugee background as 'non-traditional' may be inappropriate. Learning experiences reported by students also reveal the benefits of working independently at times without direct supervision of an occupational therapist.