Testimonials
What are we like to work with? This is what some of our previous clients have to say:
Our family required assistance with a complex last remaining relative visa for our daughter, it was a long hard slog but we could not have done it without Cathrine, and her most amazing support and guidance. We are forever grateful of the ease of advice and the support given every step of the way. My family could never say thank you enough for the fantastic outcome, our daughter is now a permanent resident and is here to stay. I cannot recommend Cathrine and her team highly enough. A huge job very well done.
Carole Lee
Cathrine is efficient, friendly and successful. We were very surprised at how quickly the application was granted and this is no doubt due to Cathrine and her team's competence, experience, and diligence. Not only are their services top notch, but they are also accessible, friendly, and relatable. We always felt we were in safe hands, and it turns out, we were. Many thanks to Cathrine and her team, who have our highest recommendation!
Amy Russell
Cathrine provided and invaluable service in securing a visa for one of our staff.
As a medium sized public accounting practice the view was that we could deal with the visa process ourselves. How wrong were we!
After having our previous visa application rejected, I turned to Cathrine and with her expertise in this area she carefully navigated her way through the red tape and idiosyncrasies of the Immigration Department and succeeded in overturning the Departments initial rejection and securing the visa
A job well done and at a reasonable fee. I can't recommend Cathrine highly enough.
Angelo Covelli CPA
A rating of 5 stars is the minimum. Cathrine was assigned to our case and I cannot thank her enough and would recommend her anytime for what she has enabled for us. We have obtained our VISAs which now opens a lot of doors in Australia. I want to point out the insane level of thought and passion put in by Cathrine into this work. She is relentless and truly shares the happiness of seeing us obtain these VISA. Her attention to detail is unsurpassed, because that's really needed with such applications. Cathrine has been available day and night for us throughout this process. She is very organised and detailed. She has incredible experience in dealing with such requests, and she doesn't let one little bit uncovered. Cathrine has made our Australian adventure a reality and we really feel like we got the red carpet treatment. As work visas are temporary, we will need to renew them at some point, or seek permanent residency, and for this, we will not hesitate to get in touch with Cathrine again.
JC
Cathrine, and all the staff have been wonderful in handling all the visa requirements of our family.
Would very highly recommend their services to anyone.
Alexander Somerset
Cathrine and the team are awesome very professional and helped us get one step closer to reuniting with our last family member.
Wajma Jawlan
Dear Mrs Cathrine Burnett-Wake
Thanks a lot for the good news! My family and I really appreciate all the efforts,guidance and assistance you provided us. You have been a great support for me, I was losing hope of getting my student visa applications granted before my brother got in touch.
I would like to thank all the team as well, they are amazing lawyers who will be there for you at any time, who will guide you in every steps of the application process and who will also answer all of your questions. Without you I don't know if my visa would be granted today, so one more time, thank you.
Sincerely,
Sheryline.
My partner and I required guidance and information in order to apply for a partnership visa. We were unsure if the information we had was sufficient and conformed to the criteria of what was actually required. We made an appointment for a migration consultation and were very fortunate to speak with Cathrine as she is not only knowledgeable but extremely easy to talk to, understood our concerns and answered our questions clearly and concisely, and also gave us information and advice on applying that we hadn’t even thought of. We are very happy to be able to recommend Cathrine to anyone else who is involved in this very stressful process.
Coralie and Ben
Ooooh!!!! My sister's 117 Visa was just approved!!! I am beyond words! I'd like to really extend my family's heartfelt and sincere gratitude for helping us get my sister's visa process from initial discussion to the grant. From the onset Cathrine kept us up to date with the requirements and decisions. She was very professional and open with the prospects of getting my sister's visa approved. She really knew much more than I had read on the DIBP Website and led us every step of the way. The way the paperwork was prepared was amazing and the attention to every detail was very impressive. They also empathised with the anxiety that we at times felt when the process seemed to take longer than we expected. Thanks to Cathrine my sister now has a brighter future as I can give her more than just financial support miles away and to help her grow up and achieve her lifelong dreams. Keep doing what you are doing guys. From the moment I met Cathrine and discussed the application with her I knew that my sister's application was in good hands.
Regards,
Elijah
Orphan Relative visa subclass 117
We hit the jackpot when we assigned Cathrine to our case. She provided an amazing service offering guidance, advice, support and her level of knowledge and expertise was second to none. She worked so diligently on our visas and succeed in securing them for us in record time. We received our visas and have Catherine to thank for that.
When the time comes to renew our visas or apply for residency we will of course be using Cathrine.
Jenniffer
Hi Cathrine,
Jane and I would like to thank you for your amazing effort in successfully getting Jane's spouse and her daughters visitor visa approved. We came to you confused and frustrated with the complicated immigration laws, however, you quickly explained everything and managed our expectations particularly around standard processing times. We gave you two very challenging applications to process and thanks to your experience and intimate knowledge both were approved and we cannot thank you enough. I am happy to report that Jane, her daughter and I have booked our first family trip to Sydney.
We can't thank you and your team enough!
Regards,
Mark & Jane
My wife and I have no hesitation in writing this testimony based on our experience working with Cathrine.
Our application for a Visitor (subclass 600) Sponsored Family Stream Visa was refused by immigration and from my initial appointment with Cathrine and the assistance that followed it was like working with family.
The staff had a caring attitude and excellent communication skills, integrity, professionalism, and a thorough working knowledge of migration matters.
We sincerely thank you and highly recommend their services to others as we are so grateful for their assistance and believe engaging this company was the difference between winning and losing.
Rob & Rho
AAT appeal - Subclass 600 Visa - Family Sponsored stream
Hats off to you Cathrine! Following my arrival to Australia, we tried a "DIY" approach to obtaining my visa, but were met with lacklustre government personnel who never really answered our questions, instead referring us to online sites, which were overwhelming to a newbie! When my husband decided to hire an Immigration Agent, we had no idea who to go with, so we took a chance with the Yellow Pages - and what a blessing to find Cathrine and the team we got!! They are knowledgeable, competent, friendly, and easily-accessible. They embraced us as family, giving guidance and support throughout the process. We couldn't be happier with their service, and would recommend them to anyone in need.
Kathy G - Subclass 820
Thank you so much for the good news. We are forever grateful to you and the team. My family and I have been through a lot in the past 9 years and we were lost and without hope, when the application for my mother in-laws carer visa was refused.
After my initial consultation with Cathrine, I knew that they were the right people to engage for the AAT review.
They really took ownership of the tribunal review and helped with preparing a detail submissions, preparing all the documents to support the submission and advising us with constant updates on progress.
I always felt like everything was under control from the beginning until the end.
If you are looking for the best in the business with great people and exceptional service then I highly recommend Cathrine.
Best Regards,
Jawed Mirranay
Successful MRT outcome - Carer Visa
Hi dear Cathrine, I would like to thank you for your hard work and efforts to make my visit possible to Australia. Although it takes a year but highly appreciate your professionalism and your managing process to make the visa finally happening. I will definitely refer you to my friends and family members who would like to get the Australian visa. For sure that all the credit goes to Ms. Cathrine and her team, thank you once again and you will be our point of contact for any future visa process as well."
Jamal - Visitor visa
Hi this is garry ,guri and sam.
We would like to say thanks to Cathrine. I have no words to explain how much happy we are, they have been very helpful and answers all our questions. I always bother them with my questions and they never mind and always answer happily. Even Catherine answered my calls from home. Im glad that they did all the paperwork for us. We will definitely refer them to others. Thanx to the whole team."
Subclass 309 visa application
Dear Cathrine,
I would like to thank you for your support and assistance during my application. After looking for a migration agent I realized that it can be really hard to find a proper service, but fortunately I came across your firm and thank to your expertise everything couldn't be any easier.
During the application process not only I felt in good and expert hands, but I was sure that behind all of that there was someone who cares - someone who deal with their clients like they would do with a friend.
On top of that, being quite a meticulous person I think I couldn't find a better match!
Looking forward to see you again,
Marco
We would like to say thank you very much to Cathrine. She helped us to gather all the paperwork, she has been very helpful and answers all our questions. My family and I are blessed to know Cathrine. With her, you will feel secured and having peace of mind that everything will go well. Every time we receive an email from her, it is always good news and she kept us updated, it is truly a great news for us.
We will refer her to others and will let them process our future visa application. More power to Cathrine.
Rg LS
Dear Cathrine
What fantastic news!! My family and I would like to thank you so much for all the hard work and efforts you put in to help me get my permanent residency back so quickly. You are very knowledgeable and have answered any questions we had about the visa and the process and were always very warm and welcoming whenever myself and my father came in to see you. We couldn't of asked for a better service! We will definitely be using you again for any future applications.
Thank you again for the best early Christmas present :)
Rachael
Subclass 155 Return Resident Visa (residency had lapsed 5+ years previously)
Cathrine Burnett-Wake assisted me with the Migration Review Tribunal application for my elderly mother’s Visitor Visa from Afghanistan. It was rejected by the Department and I understand how difficult it is for a successful application. Cathrine drafted the application for review days after my initial appointment. Cathrine and her staff wrote statements for myself, my mother and my family. She also provided clear guidance as to what documentation I would need and was very helpful at the Tribunal Hearing. I highly recommend her services. And behalf of my mother I would like to say thank you so much for help. I would like to say thanks for your ongoing support of my mother application. Many Thanks
Badshah Taniwal
Visitor (subclass 600) visa:Sponsored Family Stream - MRT appeal - remitted
I would like to thank Cathrine for the support she gave me towards renewing my student visa and how quickly she processed my application. The team have been of great help from start to finish of my application process and i couldn't have asked for a better service. I especially thank Cathrine Burnett-Wake who, from the beginning, guided me through the steps that i will have to go through and what was needed and expected from me. Also lot of thanks to the team who helped for my application to be so stress free and who answered every little question that i had and help me wherever i had doubts. Without all of you guys i don't think that i would have been able to do it. So thanks a lot.. again.
I will definitely come back to get them help me with my other applications.
Thanks a lot,
Yours Sincerely,
Jerome Empeigne
Dear Cathrine
I just want to say Thank you for all the hard work you have done for me. The amount of effort and hard work put in my families application is fantastic and i appreciate it.
I have never had to book an appointment to come and see you which i really liked.
I have financial problems and the amount of help and offers i got to get through it was amazing.
I would recommend and have already recommended you to all my friends and family.
Thank you so much and i pray that you be more successful in your life and you and your family have all the happiness in this world.
Nawroz Ali
Working with Cathrine and her team has been an absolute pleasure and the wonderful outcome of obtaining a Partner visa is a dream come true. The guidance, advice, timeliness and efficiency of Cathrine’s team in our opinion is unprecedented. Testament to the thoroughness of the advice and feedback provided by the team, is to have received our Visa approval without having to go through the interview process. We highly recommend Cathrine, especially if you are looking for a team of “people” to walk with you through this oftentimes daunting process. Thank you Cathrine et al.
Marlene & Sandy
Subclass 309 Partner Visa
Dear Cathrine I just want to say thank you for all your help, and encouragement that you have given Tina and myself throughout the last twenty two months, the timing was perfect, the day before my Birthday, what a wonderful Birthday Present. I am over the moon. Thank you.
Kind Regards, Marie Curtis."
Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa (subclass 143)
Cathrine and the team have been fantastic to work with. They made the complex process of applying for a prospective marriage visa manageable, and were very responsive throughout the entire process. We appreciated our many queries being responded to swiftly, and the assistance they provided in completing the mountains of paperwork for the visa application was very handy. Our visa was approved in three and a half months when the standard processing time is supposed to be twelve months - we put this down to the fact that our application was completed very thoroughly and very professionally. We couldn't have done it on our own. Engaging Cathrine as our migration agent was worth every cent.
- Rudolf Conradie & Anelia Heese
Prospective Spouse Visa (subclass 300)
Cathrine Burnett-Wake is a highly professional migration agent with in-depth knowledge of the visa application process. She was prompt in her replies and always available to chat via phone, email or Skype. She answered all questions, clearly explained visa policies and managed expectations along the way. She also helped adapt my application to changing scenarios, reviewed the necessary materials on time, and sometimes worked outside of business hours to minimize delays in document submission.
I am grateful for her help in gaining Australian Permanent Residency, and have already recommended her services to two other parties interested in migrating to Australia.
VN
Skilled Nominated Subclass 190
Dear Cathrine
What great news! Thank you for all the help and direction you have given us in attaining such a great result. Likewise to all your staff who tirelessly worked behind the scenes to make this happen.
After a long and enduring journey of hopefulness, heartbreak, elation, hardship this will be truly a blessing not only for me but also for the future of my family. Positive result would not have been achieved without your legal expertise, dedication and hard work.
Again, thank you! With much appreciation.
Zimwock, Kelsang, Lhazom, Khando, Chime
Successful MRT application - Distinguished Talent Visa - Remitted
So you’ve made the decision to immigrate to Australia?
We did too and I have some advice for you – dot every I and cross every T because this is going to be one of the biggest decisions you are ever going to make and one of the bumpiest rides you will ever take! We made the decision to immigrate in April 2008 and eventually arrived on Australian shores in December 2009. This month – February 2013, we were granted Permanent Residency after three years of battling with the immigration law, struggling with personal tragedies and trying to move forward without disrupting our two boys. Was it worth it? Yes! Would I do it again? Yes? Would I change the way we immigrated? Absolutely Yes!
To immigrate with a family of four has got to be one of the toughest decisions my hubby and I have ever made. We saw the writing on the wall in South Africa and with two boys who would later need to study and be employed – we agreed that South Africa was no longer a safe place to live. So with four suitcases and a heavy heart we left to start our new life in Australia. My husband studied for two years and I looked after the boys and our home. The one thing to remember about Australia immigration is it CHANGES all the time – they guarantee it. So as we moved closer to get PR, the goal post moved further from us. We realised that if we wanted to stay in the game we would have to up our game, get migration advice and place our future into the hands of someone who knew the system, someone we trusted and someone who had integrity, patience and our best interest at heart – we needed Cathrine Burnett-Wake in Melbourne.
Cathrine and her team took us on as clients and never was there duplication of work, or ref-axing and re-emailing of documents which seemed to consume my daily life previously. Documents were requested and we slowly watched the progress. We arrived on a Student Visa 572 which entitled us to less than nothing and we had to pay for everything. A few months after communication with Cathrine we received a bridging visa on the basis of her submitting our subclass 485 visa. So we were allowed to stay in Australia for an additional 24 months. But we wanted more, we had worked so hard, lost all our assets in South Africa and we felt it must be worth something more. So with the guidance of Cathrine and her team, we applied for the RSMS 857 Permanent Residency Visa. There were many who thought we were just wasting money, many who said it would never happen and even more who just did not support us. But we had Cathrine and if it could be done – it would be done by her.
On the 19.02.2013 I received a call from Cathrine. I thought it was just a follow up on the Visa or a pleasant chat. But her words “Nicci, today is the day” still plays in my head every time I think of that day. “Nicci today is the day – they have granted you and your family Permanent Residency”. My husband had to take the rest of the call because three years and two months of waiting, hoping, dreaming, wanting and praying had just come to a grinding halt – it was ours – we were here to stay and I sobbed like a child.
I started my letter with “So you’ve made the decision to immigrate to Australia?” and I will end with it too. The move is nothing you can fully plan for, it eats at the soul because you are in a Country that you were not born in. You are surrounded by people who you do not know and who do some things just a little differently. If you choose to go ahead with this move then do the wise thing, get somebody like Cathrine to steer your boat in these unknown waters. She will make sure that what you want is obtainable and she will tell you when it is not and offer an alternative option. Cathrine is easy to work with, she has soul and a huge heart and this is more than just a job to her. She fights for the rights of people who want a better life, people who seek a safe home for their children. I asked the question – would I change the way we immigrated? Yes – I would. I would start the entire process with Cathrine and not seek her services halfway through the process like we had to.
We are living and thriving in Australia and in twelve months time we will apply for Citizenship. Our two boys are happy at school and both are enjoying the new life. There are no words to express our gratitude to Cathrine and her team. She has taken our dream and made it come true – and we are living it! If you are thinking of immigrating, make sure you have Cathrine taking care of the legal aspects while you adjust to the personal ones.
I wish you everything of the best and hope that your “phone call “comes sooner than later!
Veronica Prins – Queensland.
Charlie Bears is a family run business owning offices in the UK and Australia and we wanted to expand our business operation in Australasia with the assistance of one of our family members. What seemed like a daunting process was made very simple by Cathrine not only to assist the company to gain sponsorship status but also to assist with a personal business visa. I would recommend Cathrine to any prospective client wishing to gain assistance with what could be a very tricky process.
William Morris
Director
Charlie Bears Ltd.
Good morning Cathrine,
I can not thank you enough for all your amazing assistance through the whole procedure of obtaining the Visa for Thomas. I personally found the task rather terrifying and without your assistance; I would have not have coped very well.
Again a huge thank you.
Regards,
Gayle Gomez
Randalls Equipment Co (Vic) Pty Ltd"
"I can say that Cathrine is very efficient and professional in assisting me and my relatives in the difficulties and queries that we had. The complex procedures were simplified by her instructions and guidelines, thus, making it simpler to choose which documents and information were relevant to the application. I do not regret going through your agency as at first I was a bit sceptical thinking that it might be a waste of money. I do not regret choosing you from the many different agents listed on the web. I have already recommended your agency to some of my acquaintances who are considering moving to Australia. Thanks a lot for your help.
J.C."
Subclass 155 Resident Return Visa - Granted (after spending 6-years outside of Australia)
Scott and I have known each other since November 2008. He is American. I’m Australian. By March 2011 we were engaged and shortly thereafter engaged the services of Cathrine for the submission of our Prospective Marriage Visa to get Scott out to Australia. Upon submission, our processing time was a miraculous 2.5 weeks! After our marriage in March 2012 we had 3 weeks to submit our Onshore Partner Visa Subclass 820, along with Bridging Visa B due to Scott needing to tour overseas to work. Due to the extreme time constraint, Cathrine was able to secure a personal appointment with the DIAC office the day before Scott left the country and on this day a second miracle took place. DIAC bypassed the Bridging Visa B entirely and our Onshore Partner Visa was approved on that same day! I cannot recommend the services of this company highly enough. Cathrine was always available to support and guide us every step of the way, fielding our innumerable phone calls, rational and irrational, with calm and understanding. Thank you so much for supporting us through this difficult and emotional process with such grace and generosity. The results speak for themselves. See you in two years!"
Subclass 820 Partner Visa
Hi Cathrine & team,
Just to send you a big thank-you for all your help in obtaining my permanent residency visa, I would not have worked my way through the mine field of visa' and forms etc with out it.
I am still stunned that this has happened so quickly the God's must have been smiling on me.
I hope you had a good Easter and I wish you all the best for the future, keep up the good work.
Once again thank-you
Angela"
Subclass 864 Contributory Parent Visa
Dear Cathrine,
Thank you so much for bringing me the wonderful news! We are overwhelmed by the great happiness~
It has been a long journey collecting all the documents and waiting for the visa. Thank you for guiding us every step
of the way. You have always been there whenever we have questions. And you have always passed us the messages from our Visa Office at the very first opportunity.
And now the visa is granted. We are so happy with the result and very grateful to your timely advices and hard work.
It will be our pleasure if you would like our words in your website. And for sure I will introduce our friends to you if they are considering migrating to Australia in the future.
Best wishes
Angela
Subclass 309 Partner Visa - China
Dear Cathrine
I would like to thank you all for your overall support and assistance, starting from the start to finish, I am very excited to see the applicant approved status today, you have been a great help.
I am not sure if I would have had done it without you, you have been truley professional and answered all questions I have raised through out the process (even the silly ones) with out getting tired of.
Thank you again,
regards,
Dereje
Skilled Independent
Dealing with Cathrine was an absolute pleasure! Given that our situation was quite complex (previous visa refused), her knowledge and guidance during our PMV application gave us great peace of mind. We also valued their sense of humour and reassurance throughout the process. Due to our geographically locations, we really appreciated that Cathrine facilitated Skype conference calls and were always on hand to answer our queries.
Her understanding of our situation, attention to detail and instinctive ability to offer the right advice was extremely valuable. As a result, our visa was granted without any complications which was undoubtedly thanks to the efficient team at Migration Matters. Without hesitation, we would thoroughly recommend their services to anyone seeking migration advice.
Thanks again
A Lynch & T Orfanos
Subclass 300 - Granted
One of our best moves was to use Migration Matters to immigrate to Australia; the next best move will come in January 2012, when we move to Australia.
Thanks to Cathrine, our agent, who made us both feel comfortable, gave us feedback every step of the way, truly gave us the belief that we could have the Australian dream. We knew that the road ahead was not going to be an easy one or straightforward, we put all our trust in Cathrine, and we are grateful for her patience, knowledge and support!
Cathrine made each step as easy as possible, even when the steps seemed to be too much for us, they were there with calming words, answered all our questions immediately, and gave us the confidence to move to the next step of the process. The advice given to us was always accurate, there was no hidden agenda with Cathrine, she was upfront with the advice and guided us to a successful outcome.
Our dream has gone from a thought to reality, thanks to Migration Matters. When Cathrine sent me the email, to say our visa has been successful, I was delighted, if not shell shocked! A massive thank you to you Cathrine and all the team at Migration Matters for making our dream come true!
Lorraine and Phill
Thanks for all your help over the last 5/6 years, you have been awesome and if anyone asks me to recommend a migration agent, you are the one for sure.
C. Lodge - South Australia
Migration matters (Cathine Burnett) assisted myself and my 2 daughters to obtain our offshore 309 partner visa. We had been told by other agents that our application would be hard going and unlikely to succeed as my two daughters have a hearing impairment. Cathrine put us at ease and was upfront and honest about the difficulties we may face. She gave us sound advice and helped us to collate all the reports that were needed.
Cathrine was prompt with her replies and always on hand with reassuring words. She is professional, yet very approachable and friendly. She always kept us up to date with what was happening with our case.
I would highly recommend Migration Matters to people applying for a visa."
Tracey Downes
309 Partner Visa
Cathrine Burnett is assisting my partner and i in immigrating to Australia under General Skilled Sponsored category. She has been very patient with all our questions. She always keeps us updated and provides us with all the options and information we need. She also makes suggestions that would help increase our chances of getting through.
She has always been very prompt with replying to emails or calling back to clarify some point. I have heard of bad experiences with other agents who try everything possible to take you for a ride.... Cathrine has never done that and is a very honest person.
I would definitely recommend her to anyone who is looking to immigrate to Australia or any of the other countries that she provides assistance for."
Praveen