Important Announcements from the Visa and Immigration Section

NEWSFLASH – Australian Immigration Scam identified

The Visa and Immigration Office of the Australian Embassy Manila recently has come across a scam that victimised some Filipino nationals.

The Online Visa Verification Service (OVVS) with website addresswww.ovvs.org is a SCAM. The website appears to provide a service that will allow an applicant to enquire about their Australian visa status by entering a Visa Control Number and person’s Date of Birth. The website also claims that the following types of visas may be verified through the online facility: Visitors, Students, Tourists, Business and Work Permit. The general public is advised to be cautious of recruiters or agencies that are recommending this internet facility as a means to verify Australian visas as information obtained from their website is fraudulent.

The OVVS website does not represent the Department or Australian Government and does not have any influence on the application or visa decision process.

An organised syndicate using the company name Venus Asset Management Ltd – located in Ghana – and claiming to provide manpower services to Mahathon Oil Company in Australia uses the OVVS website to trick applicants into paying large sums of money for non-existent visas. If you have been a victim of this or similar scam, please get in touch with us via email at immigration.manila@dfat.gov.au and put VISA SCAM on your subject line and we will get in touch with you.