Identity issues come up all the time with Australian visa applications, and we at Down Under Visa need to deal with these issues in a way that will help you in the long term. This may be annoying and frustrating in the short term, but so be it. You engaged our services to help you get a visa, and not to tell you lots of easy things.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship changed its name a while back to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. They did that to emphasize that key area of border-protection so everyone can see that a primary part of their job is to do just that……to protect Australia’s borders. And identity fraud has been identified as a key area to prevent just that from happening. They want to keep out those who don’t meet the Migration Regulations strict criteria, and this will always take priority over whether you miss each other or you want your lady in Australia in time for your cousin’s wedding. Character requirements, false statements and bogus documents…..these are all matters of law.

Not trying to sound dismissive. Not at all. We do understand and we do sympathise, but the Department’s priorities will be on protecting the borders by only letting in those who match what’s written in the Regulations first and foremost, and that won’t change.

The Philippines has its terrorists, and whilst I’m no expert on this I can say they appear to be busy enough with trying to establish a Muslim state in the south. I don’t think there’s a flood of them heading to Australia. The issue here is mainly identity issues to cover things up, and mostly around the person on the application not being who they really are. This is done to:

• Cover up that they, or the child included, had their birth late-registered to give them a different identity to avoid the cost and hassle of going through adoption
• Cover up the fact that they are still married to somebody else
• Cover up the fact that they were (or a child was) born out of wedlock
• Cover up a criminal record

Mistakes and typos on documents

Sometimes (ie MANY times) documents have mistakes on them due to carelessness of the clerk in the office or by the person doing the registration in the first place. But due to the risks of letting the wrong person get a visa, mistakes need to be corrected and they need to be corrected through the proper channels.

So yes, most of the time when a document needs correction it’s because Marilou behind the counter was thinking about how handsome James Reid is and wrote down the wrong thing. Annoying, frustrating and time-wasting. No arguments here. But it still needs to be fixed. We will tell you what needs to be done, and how to do it. This will take time and it will take legwork.

Late birth registration

You never hear the term “late-registered” in Australia, do you? Births are registered there at the hospital when babies are born. Here, it’s left up to the parents. Sometimes they simply forget to do it, and other times they do it a second time to cover something up.

Second registrations we need to know about! If you don’t tell us, the Embassy will get two birth certificates delivered to them, and you will have some serious explaining to do! Let us know and we will tell you how to fix it.

If you were simply registered late, they will need additional documentation to prove that you are who you say you are. These additional requirements are listed on the Migration Hub (for Down Under Visa clients only). Please follow these instructions to the letter and never try to short-change them or they will become rightfully suspicious.