The Philippines are full of scam artists. And in truth, if you deal with anyone who is not a Registered Migration Agent you are taking a huge risk with the outcome.
I’m just in the middle of my annual re-registration right now, actually. That means I have to show them proof of:
- Professional Indemnity Insurance currency
- Professional Library currency
- Professional Development course attendance
- Various other things
And they will already know from their own records to see whether I have any complaints against me and my practice, which of course I don’t. Down Under Visa is and will remain squeaky clean. We don’t need the headaches!
Would you buy a used visa off this man?
It’s all about protecting the consumer. Registered Migration Agents have a Code of Conduct that what must adhere to at all times. If we don’t, we risk losing our Registration which would be professional suicide. If you don’t use a Registered Migration Agent, ie. if you use “Rosie’s Travel and Visas (and takeaway siopao)” somewhere downtown, you have no protection whatsoever and no comeback if the application is refused due to it being mishandled. And you have no way of knowing if Rosie or her staff are qualified or even vaguely competent. Probably cheaper, but if you want proper professional help you need to be prepared to pay for it. Simple as that. If you pay for a rusty jeepney, don’t complain when it doesn’t handle like a Mercedes!
We get the occasional client where generally the Filipina lady wants to come in and check us out to see if we are legitimate. And yes, in a land where scams take place all the time, it’s understandable. However to be honest, most of the scammers will have offices and staff just like we do. You don’t learn very much by merely looking at people to see if they’re wearing a black cape and do the evil-laugh.
How can you find out if you are safe? Go straight to the MARA website, which is the Migration Agents Registration Authority. MARA are part of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and they are the authority who oversee the registration of Migration Agents in Australia. They are also the ones who deal with complaints of misconduct.
Watch this video HERE and you can see how you can look us up.
Any disadvantages to using a MARA-registered Registered Migration Agent?
Well, it won’t suit you if you wish to sneak something through, or if you wish us to assist you in something fraudulent. You will find us very difficult to deal with, because we won’t do it. And if you don’t want to disclose all your details, then we are definitely the wrong ones.
We have a Code of Conduct that we need to follow, and this probably makes the process a bit pedantic sometimes. And those who want to rush in, give us what they assume they need for the application, then rush out again expecting us to lodge the application as it is? You probably won’t like us at all, because we don’t work like that. But then, once you get your visa grant you will most likely take a different view.
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When looking for someone to act on our behalf, it was a very overwhelming decision who to trust. Not only was it a lot of money, but we wanted it done quickly and without any drama. Paperwork can be confusing and should something be missed then the risk of being rejected or delayed is increased. For us the only choice could possibly be “Down Under” and now my fianceè is in Australia, we could not be happier with our decision. Cheers everyone!