Those who have been following the Down Under Visa BLOG may remember me telling you how a gutter-level “current affair” show in Australia had planned a program on “romance tourism” and wanted our participation a few months back. We of course refused!

Well, it seems they did it anyway, and never let the facts get in the way of a good story which the knuckle-draggers of Australian society would enjoy. One destructive and patronizing trip to the Philippines! Nothing like a bit of Asian-bashing to boost ratings, eh? They stated that the “invasion” of Asian wives was bigger than the boat people problem. They could have pointed out how refugees account for less than 1% of Australia’s migration intake, but that wouldn’t suit the xenophobic agenda now, would it?

They went to what was probably Angeles City and interviewed a collection of bar girls, and projected them as being the issue. And they found someone who would introduce men to groups of bar girls, and there was the basis of their story.

I was hopping mad, I don’t mind saying. We process easily a dozen or more fiancée visas and partner visas for Australian men and their Filipina wives and fiancées every month. All bar the occasional doubtful relationship, our clients are made up of normal people. Most of the men are decent and kind, many of whom are marrying for the first time. Most simply believe in marriage for life, and haven’t been able to find women sharing the same values back in Australia. They meet sweet and kind-hearted girls, and decide to marry after developing close and loving relationships often after spending a year or more talking on Skype or Yahoo for three or four hours every night. How dare these gutter journalists condemn these fine people!

Nothing I can do, of course. Morons exist, and there will always be bottom-scrapers out there willing to feed them garbage.

Then, I get an enquiry today from somebody wanting to have a sham marriage with somebody he certainly doesn’t love. I won’t even begin to describe the reasons he had for this, but it most certainly wasn’t legitimate. It would have involved faking a loving relationship, and apart from the fact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship would see right through the scam, it’s simply not what we do! We take pride in what we do, which is bringing loving couples together and building families. We don’t lie and cheat and commit fraud, and we don’t help clients to lie, cheat and commit fraud either!

If you want help with a GENUINE partner visa application to Australia, please feel free to contact Down Under Visa anytime for a free visa assessment. We’re Registered Migration Agents (MARN 0959797), and bound by a professional Code of Conduct.