Merry Christmas from Down Under

Season’s Greetings to all of our old and new friends, and the present and future clients of Down Under Visa. The Harvie family would like to wish you and your family and very MERRY CHRISTMAS, and hope that you are able to spend it with those you love, and who love you.

Tis The Season To Be Jolly, and Jolly – and Jolly

We have all been rushing around getting ready for Christmas just as many of you have. Christmas in the Philippines is a very special time for Filipinos. If you have been here this time of year you know it starts almost as soon as the “er” months begin, we like to joke. Our holiday season seems to go from September – October – November to December – a Christmas marathon of sorts! It starts as early as September in some malls, where you will hear Christmas Carols playing.
Of course, there is no cold weather or snow to signal the start of the season here, so why not start early? It is the happiest of holidays, full of family, great food, and the kids will say their favorite is, the gifts! Our best wishes and gift to you would be for you and your lady to get your Partner Visa (Fiancée visa).

It Was A Very Good Year!

2014 has been our busiest year ever. We have processed a record number of visa applications and visa grants with an impeccable record of success, regardless of some difficult cases. Challenging situations only make Down Under Visa work harder. Working so hard, however, means that we need some time to unwind, so we will be taking a couple of weeks off for some well-deserved rest. But, no worries, we will still be checking our emails for basic assessments, just be patient if we don’t respond as quickly as usual.

Please note: Down Under Visa is taking our annual holiday starting TODAY – the 20th of December 2014, and returning on 5th of January 2015. 

 MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Best Regards

Jeff and Mila Harvie

How Down Under Visa Approaches Clients

At Down Under Visa we know how anxious you can get wanting to get that special Filipina to Australia as quickly and smoothly as possible. Of course not knowing all the requirements and paper work may make you a bit nervous. No worries mate! We know the ins and outs because my wife and I have been through the whole process ourselves in the beginning, and since then have helped many, many couples, achieve their dream of being together in the land down under.

We want you to relax and enjoy the process and not feel like you are just another visa client to us. Many of our clients are thousands of kilometers away, so there is a good change we may not meet in person. Most of our communication will be through email. But sometimes we do get to meet our clients, and when that happens, to us, it is like seeing a friend whom we haven't seen in a while.

Like Seeing an Old Friend

Last weekend, we were very happy to meet in person a lovely couple that we had only spoken to through emails back and forth. Meeting our clients for the first time for lunch at the Manila Club, Christopher told me that he always felt like he was talking to a friend when he emailed me. I was very happy  to hear him say that, because this is exactly the feeling we try to encourage at Down Under Visa. 

I really didn't want to present the "serious face in front of book shelves" image when I started our immigration service, like many other Australian Registered Migration Agents do. It isn't just that the image doesn’t go over very well with Aussie blokes, and the “maarte” (pretentious) thing can be off-putting to Filipinas; it is also because that is just the way Mila and I are!

The fact is, we can really relate to our clients. Like I said, we’ve been there before, and we know what you're going through. Seeing Christopher and his beautiful Filipina fiancée Grace, reminded my asawa (Tagalog for wife) and I of ourselves many years ago. Knowing the excitement and anticipation of starting a new life with your Mahal, gives us immense satisfaction helping our new friends achieve their goals of obtaining a down under visa.

Friendly and Fun - But Serious About Your Visa

I would like to stress one very important point. While we strive to keep everything on a friendly and somewhat informal level, we are very serious and professional when it comes to getting your Visa. We find that it is much better to put in a thorough application, than a make a rushed, incomplete application.

Down Under Visa hasn’t had a client turned down yet, something we are very proud of, and would like to keep it that way. We can get fussy and hair-splitting at times about the details of your application, and will tell you in no uncertain terms if something isn’t good enough, or if we need something more from you. We only do this because it is in your best interest as a valued client, and our friend! And because we know what is required to achieve your goal of a Down Under Visa.