A client asked my son Jeremy today if he preferred being called Jeremy or Jeff. He said he preferred Jeremy, but he’d got quite used to being called Jeff. The prospect of confusing people was one of the reasons I chose his name in the first place, and it continues to work to this day! And my son has had no choice but to imbibe aspects of my sense of humour.

For those of you who are not aware, Down Under Visa is very much a family operation here in Manila.

Jeff Harvie: Registered Migration Agent (RMA), and overall man in charge. We function according to the Code Of Conduct, which is written into Law. All advice comes from me. Other staff assist, but no advice is given without my approval.

I view all emails and at times I modify them. We do NOT employ cheap local staff and put them in charge of managing clients cases. Everything is managed by Jeff Harvie, RMA.

Mila Harvie: Administration Manager, and Filipina wife of Jeff Harvie. Mila is my business partner, and she acts as a go-between with Filipina fiancées , wives and partners who find it easier to talk to a lady in Tagalog. She has a great skill at extracting the real issues when ladies are having problems, and the former school teacher in her comes out when she needs to put them back on track.

Jeremy Harvie: Office Manager, and my right-hand-man. He’s also my son, and future RMA. He supervises the office procedures and ensures that client documents are checked and filed properly. He also sends reports on what has arrived and what is still outstanding. He has a role of following up existing clients and helping them with their documentary requirements. His role was created when we became busier and we needed to ensure that all clients received a personalised service.

We also have two secretaries who do administrative work and filing. This is Julie Ann and Sarah. Sarah’s role will shortly be upgraded, and she will do something similar to what Jeremy is doing except with the ladies. Sarah is Filipina, and will be able to communicate with the lady clients in Tagalog. She’s also my sister-in-law, and we trust her absolutely otherwise she would not be considered for this role. We also have eight other staff members who check documents, do data-entry and other admin tasks. No giving advice, of course. And Jeremy’s wife Sherry will soon take an active role in the office where we can take advantage of her great English skills and fairly sharp mind. Well, she IS marrying a Harvie after all! [NOTE: This article has been updated in November 2017 to reflect changes since May 2013.]

You can be assured of the highest standards of care with Down Under Visa. We ARE in Manila all the time. We don’t leave our office unsupervised and in the hands of unqualified staff whom Australian sponsors cannot communicate with while we sit around in Australia. You will always be met by a middle-aged Aussie who understands your situation only too well, because this middle-aged Aussie has been in your shoes before. And your lady will feel comfortable in the hands of a very smart Filipina lady who has also been through it all.

AND we do nothing but Australian Partner Visas, ie. prospective marriage visas (fiancée visas) and partner visas (spouse visas), as well as associated tourist visas. We don’t water our skills down by trying to be all things to all people. We are here for the Aussies who have had the good fortune to fall in love with good Filipina ladies.

Please have a look at Down Under Visa, and please use our Partner Visa Assessment Form so we can see if we can help you.

NOTE: This is an updated version of a May 2013 article