(L-R) William Joseph Yap, branch manager Cariza Lim, Stephanie Feret, DTI provincial director Elenita R. Ordonio and Susan Dimabuyu pose for posterity at the inauguration of Fenix Visa and Immigration Consulting, Inc. Photo by Ning Cordero)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A visa and immigration consulting firm is now open at the ADSG Building, Greenfields Commercial Square in Barangay Sindalan here.
On Wednesday, Fenix Visa and Immigration Consulting, Inc. was opened with a simple ribbon cutting ceremony led by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial director Elenita R. Ordonio and partners Cariza Lim, Stephanie Feret and Susan Dimabuyu.
Lim, the branch manager, said Fenix is basically offering visitors’ visa, business visa, spouse/partner visa parent visa, work visa, student visa, resident visa, as well as declined applications and soon visas to Canada and Australia.
License immigration adviser Stephanie Feret clarified that Fenix is not a recruitment agency.
“We are not a recruitment company, so we don’t do that, that is why we are not accredited with the POEA,” she said. “We don’t provide jobs in New Zealand,” she added.
Fenix handles immigration consulting for student services and immigration services, Lim said.
“Not all agencies or consultancies can handle work visa, resident visa and other visas for New Zealand, but because we have a license immigration adviser, we are able to process a lot,” Lim explained.
“We are planning on opening Canada and Australia in the future, but we are still looking for right partners,” she added.
Fenix is headquartered in Makati and has a branch Alabang. Lim said Fenix also has partners in Zamboanga, Tacloban and Bicol.
Feret said Fenix decided to open a branch in Pampanga because there are a lot of applicants for New Zealand in Pampanga.
“We decided to have a branch here because we noticed maraming gustong mag apply dito but there is no proper guidance, so we want to have a base here, so they know where to go,” she said.
At Fenix, applicants undergo assessment, she said. “We need to know your qualifi cation first, then after you qualify, we process the visa application,” Lim said.
“We process almost all the visas that can get you to New Zealand,” Lim added. A consultation fee of P2,000 is charged for applicants who seek advise on what to do for a smooth processing of visa, she said.
However, Feret said “it’s different for the processing because here we do everything from start until we lodge the application with immigration and any concerns with immigration they might have regarding your application.”
She said Fenix also do other services before clients leave the Philippines. “We can help with accommodations, airlines or basically we try to help them get settled hassle free,” she said.
“But the most important thing is they won’t be declined visa,” said Feret, a license immigration adviser governed by the New Zealand government.
“There are protocols that we follow when we provide immigration advise to clients, so I think that’s one thing important,” she said.
“In all honesty, you need not be careless in your visa application because that will reflect on the data base. If you get declined because of your negligence you will have a record there so the moment you apply for another visa you will be questioned from that history,” she said.
“So, it is always best to get a consultant,” she added.
“What is also important is that we give the right information to people,” Feret said.
Some are interested about work visa or residency visa but not most of us don’t qualify so we have other options to go there. So, we explain to them how to go about those options, she said.
New Zealand is one of the most peaceful and least corrupt only country in the world, Lim said. There are only about 4.6 million people in New Zealand, she added.
On Saturday, Fenix is giving a free seminar on how to migrate to New Zealand at the Prime Asia Hotel in Angeles City.
