Why Visa Shop
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WHY USE VISA SHOP?
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 attention to detail and our applications are second to none when it comes to professionalism. We keep you informed throughout the process.
Helena Smith-O’Connell
Australian Registered Migration Agent
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 world 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 Category. She completed her Migration Law studies at Victoria University in 2008 and is a member of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA number 4628).
Kieran O’Connell
Business & Marketing Manager
Kieran O’Connell has had 20 years experience as a sales / marketing and business manager for several large Australian companies in both medical and Veterinary fields. He is the business and administration manager of Visashop. In 2002-2003, he started Father Flanagan’s Irish Pub in Melbourne, and from 2003 to 2011 was the owner and general manager of The Corkman Irish Pub in Carlton, Melbourne. Kieran is a member of the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce and has many close links with the Irish community in Victoria including Gaelic Football and Irish music. 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 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 and professionalism 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 remove the confusion and complexities for you and assist 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, registered migration agents must attend regular professional development courses and maintain a professional library.
Helena migrated from Ireland in 1990 and understands the migration process extremely well. She became an Australian Citizen in 1994 and holds dual Irish/Australia citizenship. She lived and worked in the UK, the USA (Boston MA), as well as Australia for the last 25 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 maximises 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:
Helena
Why VISA SHOP?
The Visashop application process involves an initial assessment leading you towards the best possible visa option, and from this assessment we will advise you of your best option to give you the best chance of success. If you decide to engage us, we send you a service agreement with an outline of the high level process and costs. Once we receive the signed agreement, we proceed with the process within the given time-frame.
You will be given a checklist for all documentation requirements. We will communicate regularly with you and the Department of Home Affairs on your behalf and you will be kept informed throughout the entire end to end process.