We are Immigrants ourselves and have been through the process. We know how confusing and frustrating the immigration process can be. We pride ourselves in our attention to detail and our applications are second to none when it comes to professionalism and attention to detail. We will keep you informed throughout the process.                                              

Helena Smith-O’Connell MBA, AIPM, Grad Dip in Immigration Law is a qualified Migration Agent registered with MARA and the Migration Institute of Australia. She has lived and worked in Ireland, UK, USA and Australia.

She worked in the corporate space middle management role for almost 18 years. She has an MBA from RMIT University in Melbourne and is a member of the Project Management Association of Australia, accredited in the Master Project Director Cateogry. She completed her Migration Law studies at Victoria University and is a member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA number 4628).

Kieran O’Connell has had 20 years experience as a sales / marketing and business manager for several big companies in both medical and Veterinary fields. He is the business and administration manager of Visashop. In 2002-2003 started Father Flanagan’s Irish Pub in Melbourne and from 2003 to 2011 he was the owner and general manager The Corkman Irish Pub in Carlton. Kieran is also a member of the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce and has many close links with the Irish community in Victoria. He has been a judge on the panel for the Melbourne Rose Of Tralee for the last three years. He is a musician and songwriter and plays with his own band Shanakee. He played Gaelic football and hurling with Young Ireland’s and St Kevin’s and also represented Victoria in the Australian Gaelic games in hurling.

“We fully understand the stress and anxiety that comes with moving to another country – We were once in the same situation ourselves,” Helena says.
“The last thing you need to be worrying about is whether you have understood and followed the procedures involved in getting your visa. We are therefore committed to providing the highest level of service to our clients and focused on taking the stress and anxiety out of the entire migration process.”

As for the company side of things we make it a very easy and straightforward process for any company wanting to sponsor. We take the confusion and hard work away for you and will assist you in every step of the process. We go above and beyond for our clients, great service is top of our list.

Unlike most countries Australia requires all migration agents to pass a university course in Immigration Law before they can become registered. For their annual registration to be renewed, migration agents must also attend regular professional development courses and maintain a professional library.

Helena migrated from Ireland in 1990 and understands the migration process very well. She became an Australian Citizen in 1994 and has dual Irish/Australia citizenship. She has lived in the UK, the USA (Boston MA), as well as Australia for the last 20 years and has a deep appreciation and respect for the diversity and cultures of different peoples.

She has over 20 years experience in the business and corporate sector and uses these skills to fuel the genuine passion she has for bringing about positive outcomes for people who want to migrate to Australia. Helena has developed a unique understanding of the processes and practices of State and Federal Government departments and their roles over the years. This is supported by the following values:

• Professionalism
• Great work ethic
• Friendly and courteous
• Commitment to clients
• Trustworthy
• Integrity
• Respect

The Visashop application process involves an initial assessment gathering key information to consider the best possible visa option, and from this assessment we will advise you of your best option. If you decide to engage us, an agreement is signed and we proceed with the application within the required timeframe.

You will be given a checklist for all documentation requirements. We will communicate regularly with you and the Department of Immigration via phone, e-mail and in person throughout the application process.