Why don’t we do work or student visas?

Down Under Visa are Registered Migration Agents in Manila Philippines, and we specialise in partner visas to Australia, ie. prospective marriage visas (aka fiancée visas, PMV’s) and partner visas (aka spouse visas, spousal visas, de facto visas) and tourist visas for couples, and we mostly do these from Philippines, ie. partner visas for Australian Filipina couples.

We don’t do work visas, student visas, significant investor visas, refugee visas, 457’s, skilled visas or any of the umpteen other visas available.

Someone asked me the other day why we don’t do these other visas. A reasonable question.

I call it a matter of vocation. Wikipedia says “A vocation (Latin: voc?ti? “a call, summons”) is an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which she/he is suited, trained, or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.”

And that’s exactly what it is to us. It’s a calling. It’s something we feel drawn to.

I met my wife Mila a number of years ago, and this was after several disasters. I went stumbling in knowing nothing about Filipino culture. I went to the Philippines. Got bowled over by culture shock. And I made some dreadful mistakes, and this was all before I ventured into the minefield of migration. All did not go well, and it took a few mistakes before it all came together and I ended up the happy and spoilt-rotten man who sits behind this computer. There is some truly rotten advice out there, and plenty of predators.

So given that experience, I had thought it would be great to help others to get through the process easier. For a number of years I ran a Filipina/Westerner relationship advice forum. And when it came time to change careers, this seemed natural. Many of us have worked at jobs we hate. We don’t! We bring couples together, and I know that in our small way we’re making the world a better place.

And given our particular experience, we’re highly suited for what we’re doing. I’m an Aussie with a business management and a management consultancy background. Mila is a Filipina and pretty cluey. I can straight-talk with the Aussies, and Mila can do the same with the local ladies (and gents……yes, we do get male partner visa clients too).

Business visas? Job placements? Students getting into courses? May I be honest here? It doesn’t do much for me. But when a lonely and neglected Aussie bloke finds a good woman in the Philippines, and a few years later you see him in clean, ironed clothes, 10+ kg heavier, and with a contented look on his face that you only see in a happily married man, this is a great thing to know you’re a part of! We helped, and we do this every single day! This means a lot!

So that’s why!

If we can help you? Please go to our website www.downundervisa.com and we would be very happy to get you through to the other side.