We have clients with this problem all the time at Down Under Visa.

In the Philippines they have a different attitude towards being accurate. Not like in Australia where everything has to be perfect. No one cares too much if the dates are right or if the spelling is right. And in the government offices like the NSO (National Statistics Office), the NBI (National Bureau of Investigations), they are no better.

The problem is the difference between what the Australian Embassy thinks and what average Filipinos think. And the Australian Embassy is where they decide to give you your visa or not. Even if you think it was an innocent mistake it can mean you don’t get your visa.

Now the Australian government are getting very tough when they are not so sure of your identity. If they are not convinced 100% of who you are they will refuse the visa application and you will get a 10 year ban! No visas for 10 years! Imagine how bad that would be.

Some of your documents might already have mistakes in them especially if they come from NSO. We are very careful when we check your documents and we take a lot of time. Do not get annoyed if we tell you about faults because we are only trying to help you.

And if we find problems we will advise you what you need to do. You must follow what we tell you. If you don’t understand you must always ask us because we are happy to explain.

And make sure you don’t send us any fake papers. Don’t get anything from a “fixer”. If somebody approaches you and says they can fix these problem papers quickly for a fee you must not do this, because you will be caught. Sometimes the Embassy will make checks and phonecalls and if they find out you send fake papers you will definitely be refused and you will have a 3 year ban.

So remember to always be honest and always cooperate with Down Under Visa and always follow our advice. We have a lot of experience and we want your visa to be granted.

Mila Harvie is the wife and very active business partner of Jeff Harvie, Registered Migration Agent. Together with their son Jeremy Harvie and some dedicated staff they run Down Under Visa, that well-known and very busy Migration Agency in Manila, Philippines. She takes care of the needs of our Filipino clients, especially the Filipina ladies who find it much easier having another Filipina to talk to and to discuss their issues and problems.