As the plane approaches the runway, there’s a feeling of excitement. I don’t mind going back to my favorite cities in Asia but this new feat of exploring a new territory is truly remarkable. Australia was a far-fetched idea before, until a beautiful coincidence. And yes, me and my buddy conquered the land down under, together, after we sealed our union.
Hope for the best, expect the worst. This is my
mantra in facing challenging situations. I've heard a lot of visa
application horror stories, and as a traveler, I don't want that to happen to
me. I am extremely keen when it comes to planning and executing these applications because whatever the outcome might be, I know I did everything. Indeed, you need to plan your attack because the aim here is to pass, on the very first try. For the third time, I've been fortunate to get a visa approved, and
this time, for an Australian Visitor Visa. I did hope for the best and
went home glorious in the end.
Last year, I had the opportunity to travel
to places I never thought I will. South Korea, Japan, and China are three countries just
four hours away from the Philippines, but are so hard to
get to due to their visa requirements. I had the chance to travel to these
countries and I embraced it completely.
After completing all the required documents and
carefully filling out the application forms, I aced the Korean Tourist Visa Application and Japan Tourist Visa Application on my very first try. The
secret? Just be honest, no matter what.
My buddy and I have always been on the lookout
for new places to explore. We've been to Southeast Asia, South Asia and East
Asia for the past five years now and were captivated by its very diverse
culture. But we're yearning for more.
Right before our commitment ceremony last month, we already planned to have a short-term getaway for celebration, a honeymoon of some sort. We planned to veer away from our comfort zone and explore a new territory, a new continent perhaps. One happy place at a time, there's no rush.
Right before our commitment ceremony last month, we already planned to have a short-term getaway for celebration, a honeymoon of some sort. We planned to veer away from our comfort zone and explore a new territory, a new continent perhaps. One happy place at a time, there's no rush.
Australia. I've heard so many nice things about
this country from friends and even social media. It seems like the
perfect place to have our next backpacking trip. All our trips start with
the desire to explore uncharted territories and the rest just fall into
place.
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| Australia's Great Barrier Reef source |
After discovering a great deal on airfare and realized that a trip to Australia on a low-cost carrier isn't that expensive at all, we considered it and took the first step to our next backpacking trip.
Scoot provides Filipino travelers the opportunity to travel to different parts of Australia without breaking the bank. Our hard-earned money will be put into good use by filling our memory banks with meaningful trips.
Me and my buddy checked our travel calendar and targeted February (right after the wedding) to be the perfect time to go to Australia. It will just be a short two-week trip and we will try to cover as much with whatever budget we have. Plus, with great deals on Australia's activities, tours and transportation from Klook App, our ever-reliable travel partner, we're sure that we would be able to cover the country's best sights and experiences.
We plotted our itinerary and checked the fares to key cities in Australia. For as low as PHP6,417 you can book your dream honeymoon to Australia (with layover in Singapore which means we'll have the chance to have one of our favorite Asian noodles-laksa).
Scoot provides Filipino travelers the opportunity to travel to different parts of Australia without breaking the bank. Our hard-earned money will be put into good use by filling our memory banks with meaningful trips.
Me and my buddy checked our travel calendar and targeted February (right after the wedding) to be the perfect time to go to Australia. It will just be a short two-week trip and we will try to cover as much with whatever budget we have. Plus, with great deals on Australia's activities, tours and transportation from Klook App, our ever-reliable travel partner, we're sure that we would be able to cover the country's best sights and experiences.
We plotted our itinerary and checked the fares to key cities in Australia. For as low as PHP6,417 you can book your dream honeymoon to Australia (with layover in Singapore which means we'll have the chance to have one of our favorite Asian noodles-laksa).
After setting the dates, we had to research on the visa application process for tourists in Australia for Philippine passport holders. And as we did our online research, we learned that there are so many types of visa that a Filipino can obtain. We were confused and didn't know where to start so we consulted some friends who have been in the same situation. Some got approved and some got denied. Of course, we don't want to end up on the latter.
After scrutinizing all online sources, we
stumbled upon the website of One Vine Migration Australia. Apparently, you need
not go personally to the Embassy of Australia in the Philippines to apply
for visa. Everything is done online. But to ensure that we get approved
the first time around, we checked the company's profile and were convinced
that we needed their help.
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| One Vine Migration Australia |
There are only 26 authorized Immigration
Consultants in the Philippines and Mr. Alfeo Salcedo of One Vine Migration
Australia is one of them.
So why did we seek the help of a consultancy
firm? To guide us on the proper flow of Australia Visa Application and to
perfectly align our qualifications to the right visa type, this usually causes
confusion.
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| The One Vine Migration Australia team |
Just a little backgrounder; I am a public school
teacher for almost ten years now but also have online freelance writing jobs on the sides while my buddy is a full-time writer and photographer.
Once we're sure about the consultancy firm, we
took these four easy steps that helped us to achieve our goal.
First
step: Online Booking for Appointment
With its user-friendly interface, we browsed and
found the easy one-click online booking for an appointment. Please note that
for each consultation, a fee will be incurred that will be deducted to the
final bill once they set it. The fee will all depend on the visa type you're
applying for and the severity of the case.
We chose the date and time for the initial
one-hour consultation, then filled out the necessary information.
Second
Step: Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Survey Questionnaire
We received an email from One Vine Migration
Australia that confirmed our appointment for the initial consultation. We were
also asked to accomplish a survey form and to supply our CV for
characterization to maximize the one-hour consultancy time.
Certain reminders were also included such as bringing
of a valid ID for proper identification and Tax Identification Number (TIN) ID
for taxation purposes.
Third
Step: First Consultation
We arrived on our scheduled date and time at their office and personally met Mr. Alfeo Salcedo, the Licensed Immigration Consultant
(MARN: 1574601 / IAA License Number: 201501375).
In compliance to the Code of Conduct for
Registered Migration Agents, the company is required to provide us with a copy
of the Consumer Guide for Licensed Advisers. We countersigned the said document
after thoroughly going through it.
A brief summary of the services offered by the
company was given and we were assured of the privacy clauses with regard to the
personal information we will provide them. Other documents might be needed so
it's better to be clear about it on the very first meeting to avoid the rush when the time comes that they would need it.
The consultation was an eye-opener on the step-by-step
process of acquiring our Australian Visitor Visa. We also got the chance to
raise our concerns regarding the application which, I doubt, you'll not be
having when you apply online by yourself.
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| One-on-one consultation with Mr. Alfeo Salcedo, a licensed Immigration Consultant |
Fourth
Step: Second Consultation and Document Presentation
Three important factors were stressed during the first consultation; Gracious Intent, Incentive to Return, and Financial Capability to support the travel.
With this, we had to provide evidences or documents to back up our desire to travel to Australia. And just like my other visa applications, I'm totally keen on this part of the process.
We were given a rundown on the documents we needed to present and we set another appointment for it. Here are the specific documents that we presented (take note that it's better to have a photocopy or scanned copy of each document for faster transaction):
Valid Philippine Passport – We brought our old and new passports with visas we acquired and stamps of the countries we've visited.
Birth Certificate – Issued by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Valid I.D. – I presented my LTO Driver’s License.
Passport-size photo – White background, collared short, and no editing.
Bank Certificate and Bank Statements – I provided the latest statements from all my deposit and investment accounts.
Credit Card Billing Statements – I presented the recent three months.
Certificate of Employment – I got this from the HR Department of my school.
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Form 2316 – I presented the latest which I got from my school.
Pay slips and Proof of payment from my freelance jobs – I presented the recent three months of my pay slip and receipts from my online jobs.
Three important factors were stressed during the first consultation; Gracious Intent, Incentive to Return, and Financial Capability to support the travel.
With this, we had to provide evidences or documents to back up our desire to travel to Australia. And just like my other visa applications, I'm totally keen on this part of the process.
We were given a rundown on the documents we needed to present and we set another appointment for it. Here are the specific documents that we presented (take note that it's better to have a photocopy or scanned copy of each document for faster transaction):
Valid Philippine Passport – We brought our old and new passports with visas we acquired and stamps of the countries we've visited.
Birth Certificate – Issued by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Valid I.D. – I presented my LTO Driver’s License.
Passport-size photo – White background, collared short, and no editing.
Bank Certificate and Bank Statements – I provided the latest statements from all my deposit and investment accounts.
Credit Card Billing Statements – I presented the recent three months.
Certificate of Employment – I got this from the HR Department of my school.
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Form 2316 – I presented the latest which I got from my school.
Pay slips and Proof of payment from my freelance jobs – I presented the recent three months of my pay slip and receipts from my online jobs.
*Additional requirements are necessary for other visa types*
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| Document Presentation |
The
next day, just 20 hours from lodging it, I got an email from One Vine Migration
with the subject IMMI Grant Notification. At that point, I was already ecstatic
as I knew that it was positive news from their end.
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| Mr. Salcedo is the key to success for that Australian dream. |
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| Australia Visitor Visa approved on the very first try! |
One Vine Migration Australia
Unit 302 Avenue Square Garden,
#532 J. Bocobo corner U.N. Avenue,
#532 J. Bocobo corner U.N. Avenue,
Malate, Manila, Philippines
Contact
Number: (+63) 2.562.9889 | (+63) 2.562.9878 | (+63) 2.562.9882
Email
Address: enquiry@onevinemigrationaustralia.com
Scoot Philippines
Contact Number: (+63) 2.798.4499 | Mondays to Sundays | 24 hours a day
Congratulations Chong! I will try to visit this office next year.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Flight tickets na lang ang pag-iipunan :)
DeleteHow much is total consultation fee and visa fee
ReplyDeleteThe consultation fee depends on the type of visa eh. Yung assessment you can probably email them or visit their website :)
DeleteDid you choose 12 months visa upon application? Also, did they ask you to do medical? :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't get to choose the validity of the visa and I didn't need to have a medical check-up. :)
Delete