Cebuanos applying for Subclass 500 Student Visa (Agency feedback)

purla18 · June 2017

Hi All Cebuanos,

I am making this thread based on personal experience so future applicants will consider which agency to apply.

First, I applied Student Visa via Enhance Agency in Mango Avenue. I applied with them May of 2016 and lodged visa November 2016. It didn't turned out well. I was visa refused for their negligence and lack of information. I had no idea actually of what subclass 500 is all about and of course by paying them a fee of 75k (which is very expensive) you expect them to explain and advise you everything, but they didn't. They have not advised me of the exact amount of the proof of funds. I was only advised 1.2m and this money stayed in my account from summer until November as this was the only amount I expected. But since I have a common law partner and 1 child, it should add to the funds including tuition and travel fare and they overlooked this details knowing they had my papers for more than 6mos. They asked me to present 1.6m and since dollar value sometimes increases, it is safe to present 1.8m - 2.0m and they only advised this a day before target of lodging visa. Of course, it will take time for you to look for funds, Dli man ta inana ka datu no? You need enough time to get this amount. And funds is better to be deposited atleast 3mos so they wanted to defer class on APRIL but my partner who works as a seafarer insisted to go on for January class as he had signed early contract because he thought I will be able to go to AU in January. So he let me pushed through because NASAYANG NMAN IYAHA VACATION ky mosakay siya ug sayu ky para naay maipadala nko while in AU. After his last contract 2weeks ra sya ngbakasyon which is normally 3mos.

Then I asked Enhance if I get refused (which I have expected as my funds was deposited last minute), they said it can be defered to APRIL class. Then here comes refusal notice and I would like to reapply, enhance said the school could not offer another COE as it is their policy not to provide another COE if visa not granted. I didn't know this and I only later found out it's hard to apply to other schools if you had a refusal.

I was soooo STRESSED!

Then I seek legal advise and my lawyer sent them a letter and enhance decided to fully refund me (but it is not enough payment para masayang ang imuha time). And wala nasad ko plan mgpdayon nila knowing DI SILA KABALO SA ILANG GIPANGBUHAT.

So I went this time to AMS in Apple one. I tell you they have the best service and they are FREE. They only process STUDENT VISA in Australia and no other countries so they are really expert when it comes to student visa in AU. They explained everything in the process and helped me find school. Too bad I was refused all 4 TAFE schools that i applied with all the same refusal reason: "PREVIOUS VISA DENIED". Since they no longer have other schools to offer me, I was left no choice but to find another agency.

This time I applied through IDP (which is also free). Two schools also rejected me with the same reason so I decided to apply on my own.

I made a reserach online and applied a total of 14 schools and got 3 letter of offer. I decided to go through the school with good reputation and lodged my visa all by my self.

GOOD NEWS: VISA GRANT for JULY 17 2017 intake.

MORAL LESSON:

Make sure you know first what type of visa you are applying and the downsides. And dli kay abi MAHAL ANG BAYAD nindot na ang agency. I would recommend AMS to all students aspiring as student in AU even if wala cla nka process nko ky walay school man modawat nko.

Ayaw mo ug pataka ug lodge visa kung dli cgurado. Like me, more than 20 good schools rejected me. lol

Good luck nnyo tanan ug pacensya taas kaau.

aishee5 · June 2017

Amazing story! mao na maski naay agency kailangan magbuhat jud ta ug own reasearch. kay maski expert na cla, naa ghpon mga sayup ginagmay,usahay naay makalimtan ug attach or pangayo nimu. maski naay agent maninuod ba gyu dug paningkamut ug atoa.

ali · June 2017

Wow grabeha ato nga experience. I didn't know nga naa diay ingun ana nga pwede diay dili mu accept ang school maski qualified ka. Pero congratulations gihapon ug sa hard work sa imung partner!!!

purla18 · June 2017

@aishee5 yes, tulo baya ka classification ang schools. Ang mga universities ky level 1 assessment. Most who enter universities with bachelors degree or masters degree ky mas taas ang rate ma visa grant compared to VET and diploma courses ky they are considered good reputation schools. Mao na nga kung na refuse ka before strict kaau cla dli ka dawaton because if ma refuse ka again it will be against their reputation. So ayaw mo pataka ug lodge visa kung feel nnyo dli ma grant. I learned my lesson the hard way.

purla18 · June 2017

@ali yesss samot na kung universities. Katu ako school gani karn ky abi sad nko dli ko madawat ky gi-gisa gyud ko nila ug maau. Mo appear man na sa application form kung naa ba ka refusal na nd kung naa mangayu cla ug financial details..It's like applying na pod for visa ang level sa assessment nila and thankfuly gidawat ghapon ko. hahahaha!

aishee5 · June 2017

@purla18 ako man sd twice ko nag lodge ug visa. Sa first agency nako sa cebu wa ko na guide ug tarung. Unya after pa gyud na reject akong visa, wa nako tabangi. So nibalhickog agency. Aecc. Maayo kayo cla, naningkamut jd clag pangitag school na modawat nako kay daghn na sd dili modawat lay naa na lage ko cisa refusal. Maayo lang gyud na approve na ko.

purla18 · June 2017

@aishee5 good for you.. confratz!!! unsa na nga agency man na wala ka gtarong? ug oo sakto gyud ka lisod mangita school basta na refuse na sa una ky ingon sa IDP basta natagaan kag COE na dli mg comence ky na refuse ka mo-mubo ang ranking sa school mao na nga dli modawat ang schools ug dli sure.

Samantita · June 2017

@purla18, sorry sa imo experience sa enhance. It was my agency also but unlike sa imo experience, they were so accomodating and well-feed us with all the details needed for our application. They suggested us 1.5M show money with husband and 2kids included in the application, though c hubby ra ang nikuyog nko. Its true that you shud also have your research. They suggested us schools nga pasok sa amo budget and course that could be a pathway to PR. Parallel to that, we also search our own. We were in abu dhabi that time so it have 7hrs difference here in Oz, so adjust sad cla sa amo time. We even have access to emails regarding convo of schools and immi. Overall, i can recommend enhance with high recommendation.

Still congrats for the job well done and visa grant. Welcome to OZ

ambry · June 2017

Wow, nice. Mabuhian man sad tag dugo ani na story.

Working pa sad mis among show money kay 2M man gipangayo namo sa IDP ako ug akong hubby. CQU akong school giapplyan. Basig naa moy ma recommend na bank na mubo ug interest rate, I would appreciate any inputs on this. Aja mga igsoon!

)

purla18 · June 2017

@Samantita good to hear nindot imu experience. But cguro mo dpende sa document officer.. Mine was actually sanctioned and ang manager ky maghugas sad ug kamot that's why i won't recommend them. They are usually good at CANADA as the owner is canadian. BUT for a student visa in AU, you can get a better service with AMS, IDP, AECC for free and enhance charges 75k, not a wise investment for that kind of experience.

Naa pod ko travel atu sa HK around SEPTEMBER unya naa nami ticket wala ko nkabyahe atu na time ky wala ko kahibalo na stamp free na ang AU karn (ky sa ako pg adto sa korea nd japan gkuha man ang passport nko gbutangan ug visa stamp so i thought its the same). And wala ko nila gi advise ilaha gkuha ang ako passport nd wala ra sad ko coz i thought ilaha ipadala akoa passport sa embassy so i was not able to use it (only to find out stamp free ang AU) so they should only need a scanned copy. And my document officer was not aware of the new changes.

DLI GYUD CLA KABALO!!! My fault coz wala sad ko nag research nd 1st time nko mangaply sa AU so wala koy idea and since 75k imuha bayad ABI NKO NAHATAG TANAN INFO. It's still better to DIY with help sa mga free consultancy, na trauma nko ug agency. DLI lang cla mka usa kasayop nko, it was THREE STRIKES!!!

Furthermore, nindot ilaha pagdala basta mo visit ka sa ilaha office. Tagaan pa ka ug coffee nd nindot ang ambiance. But kung sa tawo pa cla, gwapa ra pero bogo.. I think angayan cla mag COFFEE SHOP nlng.. lololol!!!

REALLY sa tanan diha, inyo choice kung asa mo na agency. It's case to case basis man..

Goodluck sa tanan!!!