Down Under Visa – Visa News 1 July 2024

Visa Fee Increases – 1st of July 2024

It happens every year, and I’m sure most are aware. The long-standing clients know this already. Every 1 July they put the fees up a bit, and they’ve done so this year as well.

Nothing too scary. In line with everything else, I guess. Note that Down Under Visa have NOT raised any of our fees! Just the Government (in their compassion and wisdom). 

Please ask if you have any questions. I won’t list all the government charges here.

I’ve already signed up. Will this effect me?

Yes, sorry. We can’t hold back Government fee increases. But (unless you’ve signed up years ago and never completed the application) of course we will honour our part of the bargain. We’re not making anything extra. 

Work And Holiday Visa from the Philippines

This visa….Subclass 462 Work And Holiday Visa…..it was announced last year when the Australian PM visited the Philippines President. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding that Australia would offer these for Filipino citizens from 1 January 2024.

Well…..that didn’t happen, and we all thought it was dead as a doornail. Never to be spoken of again!

Come 1 July 2024 they said it was actually happening, so as of 1 July 2024 these visas are available!

However…….

They are offering 200 places per year only! If you apply and you are 201 in the line, you will wait in a queue until next year!

Now, I know a colleague who did a seminar on these. VERY simple applications, so my colleague is not managing them because it’s questionable whether professional input is necessary, and I feel the same. What I know is that she filled 200 places very quickly, and ran another seminar the following day!

What does that tell you??

It tells me that those 200 places are probably already gone!

So…..again….we will not be managing these applications for people. For one thing? They are too easy and you don’t need us. Secondly, I don’t want to have hundreds of clients in a queue possibly for years waiting on a visa grant. Not a headache I would welcome.

So anyone trying to get one of these? I wish you luck, and I hope you get to spend some time in Australia and can make some good money. But I know it won’t be many of you.

Jeff Harvie is a Registered Migration Agent from Australia, but resident in Philippines since 2010 with his Filipina wife Mila and large extended family. Experienced with the Philippines culture, cross-cultural relationships and bureaucracy as well as Australian visas and Australian Migration Law, he writes with authority and fortunately with enough informality and humour that the average Aussie gets it! Down Under Visa specialises in visas for Australians in relationships with ladies and gents from Philippines, Thailand, China and Vietnam. Read MORE