bbsheng’s corner

The day after we received our visa grant letter, i called VIA center to have our passport picked up for the visa stamping. VIA embassy located in Manila, so i have to call them but if you’re living in Luzon then you can visit their office, if you really want to give your passport in person.. but still, they will deliver the passport to you after 3-5 days…

I used PLDT and ring the Australian Embassy… The call was not that long, it took me 15 minutes, maybe 5 minutes for the recorded operator and 10 minutes conversation w/ the agent. They will billed us 32/minute and i paid 580pesos for a 15mins call! whew!

They required the Passport number, Complete name, Passport Date issued and expiration, Place of issuance.. So, better have the passport with you when you call them…

That was friday when i called, and they scheduled to pick up the passport the next day.. Then you’ll pay 320pesos for each of the passport to the courier (air21).. then it was returned to us on Wednesday w/ the Visa label in our passport! weee!!!

Here are some important details for visa evidencing:

Street Address
Level 23 - Tower 2
RCBC Plaza
6819 Ayala Avenue
Makati City, 1200
Metro Manila
Philippines

Postal Address
PO Box 1071
Makati City, 1200
Metro Manila
Philippines

For information on mailing or couriering applications
See: Visa Information and Lodgement

Telephone
General enquiries (SDP - VIA Centre)
63 2 845 9200

Calls to this number are toll-free from within metro Manila. All other calls will attract standard NDD or IDD rates.

Lodgement of Applications (SDP - VIA Centre)

1909 3622779 (PLDT/Digitel)
1900 3622779 (Globelines)
1903 3622779 (BayanTel)

These numbers are only available to telephones within the Philippines with NDD access, or by calling 109 on a PLDT phone for operator assisted connection. Calls will be billed at PhP 32 per minute plus VAT.

Recorded information
63 2 757 8340 (DIAC)

Recorded information is available 24 hours a day. Clients with ongoing applications will have an extension number for their case officer and can contact their case officer between 1400 - 1600 hours, Tuesday to Thursday.
Fax
63 2 757 8269 (DIAC Visa Office)

Email Contact
aus_inquiry@via.ph (SDP - VIA Centre)
immigration.manila@dfat.gov.au (DIAC Visa Office)

Website:
www.philippines.embassy.gov.au

Client Counter Hours
0830-1500 Mon-Fri (SDP - VIA Centre) for lodging applications
0830–1700 Mon-Fri (SDP - VIA Centre) for general information
0830-12 noon Sat (SDP – VIA Centre) for lodging applications and general information
0900–1200 Tue-Thu (Visa Office) for scheduled appointments only

Access to the Australian Embassy Visa Office is by appointment only - clients need to call the SDP Call Centre to schedule an appointment.

Client Telephone Hours
0600–2000 Mon-Fri (SDP – Call Centre)
0800–1800 Saturday (SDP – Call Centre)
1400-1600 Mon-Thu (DIAC Visa Office)

Clients with ongoing applications will have an extension number for their case officer and can contact their case officer directly during these hours.

Is this really important? Yes it is, coz as what I’ve known, if we’re an immigrant holder we must have a CFO sticker in our passport in order to get out of the Philippines.. They will hold us if we don’t have one… This is a must for the immigrant people like us and also for fiance/spouse visa holder…

We attended the CFO Pre departure orientation seminar last February 19, 2008, Cebu city around 2pm-4pm based on the schedule for OZ, NZ & other countries while USA & Canada, the schedule is from 10am-12noon Monday-Friday… The fee for the PDOS seminar is P400 each even for the infant…

My and Tabs were wondering if how long will it take coz you know government offices… We arrived there at 1:30pm then good thing they have this website because I already prepared the requirements for the seminar… like the our passports, the form that i just downloaded it from their site, 1 picture 2×2/passport size, and the visa grant letter…

We’re wondering how many are we that will going to attend, After registering, we went outside first to buy something to eat since Tabs is kinda hungry already and a cigarette break before the seminar stated…

In the room, we we’re amazed! hehe Only the two of us were attending the seminar… just me and my husband Tabs.. hehe it’s kinda funny… They played a dvd about migrating… we thought that was the start of the seminar, but when the utility guy get inside the room and turn off the tv and dvd without even saying “Excuse me, I’m going to turn it off before the seminar starts.” or even just a simple “Excuse me”… tsk tsk tsk.. no manners! We were both silent after that.. and when the guy came out the room.. we we’re laughing.. hehe what the!

Then after a minute, the lady, conductor of the seminar came in.. and the seminar started w/ a slide show… well, i find it informative and very helpful for those who doesn’t know much about the immigration… but the seminar is just kind of limited… it’s better to explore on the DIAC website: http://www.immi.gov.au for more information..

Also for the requirements of the CFO: http://www.cfo.gov.ph

Contact Informations:

CFO Cebu
Telefax : (032) 255-5253
E-mail Add.: cfocebu@cfo.gov.ph

CFO Manila
Tel. Nos.: (632) 562-3848,
(632) 561-8321
ext. 104, 105, 201- 203
Fax No.: (632) 561-8332
E-mail Add.: info@cfo.gov.ph;mieo@cfo.gov.ph

We got our visa granted last February 7, 2008… We we’re so happy and excited that we were given an extension of our initial entry date from our Case officer… From April 17 to July 17, 2008… It’s a good thing coz we still have a lots of time to prepare… BUT, there’s a lot of changes coming in our way…

Our first plan, we’ll be leaving 2nd-3rd week of June and my husband Tabs will submit his resignation on the First week of May.. then a change of plan again, tabs will be going by April and we’ll still go after by June… but they said that July is a winter season in Oz… That would not be good for me and especially the baby if we’ll come by June, so we decided to moved it by April…

We bought a ticket last week March 8, 2008… We’ll be leaving April 7… from Cebu - Hong Kong - Sydney through Cathay Pacific airline… We availed the promo for the first time migrant.. we got the ticket for about $550 each of us and $257 for Reece.. it’s kinda cheap already compared to other agent here in Cebu.. But, one thing that made me upset was the baggage allowance… they told me before that we’ll have an extra of 20kgs for first time migrant so that would be 40kgs each of us but after we purchased the ticket.. We only had 20kgs each… due to changes of Cathay Pacific! that sucks…

We have to trim down our stuffs.. or else we have to pay for the excess baggage fee.. I’m not contented w/ the information they gave me.. I still have to call Cathay Pacific to see if it’s really true… hehe

i’ll share our experienced on the CFO Seminar and also w/ the Visa evidencing on my next post…

I’m starting a new page for me to share my journey in going to Oz… Let me introduce myself first…

Real name is Sherilyn, I have a very adorable handsome son named Reece Scot.. I was married to the most wonderful husband in the world… His nick is Rocknolds but i call him “Tabs” for short…

I made this blog for my experience in Australia… We’ll be leaving this coming April 7, 2008.. I hope I can update this once in awhile coz i know i will be very busy when we get there soon…

I will miss my families and friends…. I hope to see them soon before I leave and we could keep in touch…

This is my first post… Welcome to my blog.. I hope you will enjoy reading it.. I’ll share my experiences and hope i could post here once in awhile.. Hope I can help you w/ some of the informations i will be posting…

Thanks for visiting this site and Welcome!