An honest immigration business

Would you tell a few words about yourself? Why did you decide to move to New Zealand? And why New Zealand and not any other countries in the first place?

I first arrived to New Zealand in the early of 2000s, straight out of a high school in Ho Chi Minh City, for the purpose of obtaining tertiary education in New Zealand. At that time, my family believed that New Zealand was the best choice for me to study and grow up without them by my side, due to the peaceful living environment and the high ranking education system. I graduated from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) with a Bachelor of Business and a double major in Marketing and International Business since then.

After more than 10 years of studying and working, I established my own company, Best Immigration Service Limited (BIS), in 2012 in New Zealand.

How did you come up with the idea of opening BIS?

Being in the position of a consulting manager at my previous company for six years, I realised that it was time for me to face a new challenge, to start something on my own. I knew it would not be easy to start and to run my own business. I knew that I would not only have to be responsible for my own work, for my clients, but also for my employees. The most difficult thing I found in my years of work experience is when you have to tell someone that they no longer have a job. It does not matter how horrible they are or how bad the situation is. Anyhow, after I came back to Vietnam in February 2012 to refresh myself, I decided to take the new challenge and started my company in April.

What were the first difficulties and challenges that BIS faced at the beginning? Are there any drawbacks now?

I must say that my business has fortunately experienced a smooth start. From the many years of working as an immigration adviser I developed a wide network of contacts. I remember we had about 12 clients already in the first month of opening, way over my conservative target of only two. Up until now, we have put very little effort into marketing, but our business continues growing steadily. Many of my past clients keep referring their friends and family members to us. I have come to realise that this is a very powerful way of marketing. It costs us almost nothing and is far more effective than other alternatives.

Certainly, I have also made mistakes when setting up the business, some of which the company is still paying for. I have many times told my clients that the worst client I could have is not the one who knows nothing, but the one who knows only half, and that if you pay peanuts, you only get monkeys. But I made the same mistakes myself. I do tell my clients this as an example from time to time: get professional advice, as in many cases the damages of failed immigration applications are unbearable, which money cannot fix.

How many successful cases have your company achieved so far? Can you please give us a successful case study as an example?

More than a hundred successes are on our record. The most recent successful case was an application under the partnership category, which had already been declined by Immigration New Zealand twice due to “bona fide” issues, before it came to us. By our experience, our understanding of law, our logical interpretation and meticulous checking of every detail, as well as our passion for seeking out a fair and just decision, we eventually convinced the immigration officer and successfully obtained the visa for our client.

The immigration process can be rather lengthy and troublesome, what advice can you give to your clients?

Clean and clear. The process mainly depends on the documents you submit. It is very important that your application must be transparent, honest and up to date to avoid misleading, potentially concerning or non-bona fide issues. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide appropriate information, evidence and the necessary submissions to convince the immigration officer that they should be given a visa.

Furthermore, it is critical to obtain competent and professional immigration advice from the start and throughout the application process. As I have said earlier, the worst client I have is not the one who knows nothing, but the one who knows only half. Due to limited knowledge of immigration requirements and procedures, many migrants have applied for the wrong visas or chosen the wrong pathway for residence. The extra money and time that cost them is astounding. It is also important to engage the services of a professional and competent adviser to advocate your case in the event of any unexpected problems being found with your application. In many cases, this can be the deciding factor.

How could your potential clients gain confidence in your immigration services?

My philosophy in business is that I look after my clients, and my clients look after your business. When I say I look after my clients, I do.

Can you share with us some of your contributions to the NZ immigration that got you elected as a Board Member of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment (NZAMI) in 2011?

Although I held different roles in the NZAMI before, I enjoyed being a member of the Policy Committee the most. My position before I left the NZAMI was Vice Chair of the Policy Committee. Our role was to advocate practical immigration policies to the Government, maximizing immigrants’ contribution to New Zealand. During this period, I also wrote a number of papers on issues related to immigration policies and procedures, for the purpose of bringing up the issues for discussion and to find productive and cooperative solutions.

Do you think one day you will come back to Vietnam to do business or do something to contribute to your motherland?

Since starting my company in 2012, I have always kept developing business opportunities between New Zealand and Vietnam in mind. Given that bilateral trade between the two countries has been growing dramatically in the recent years, in addition to the support of our company’s partners and clients in both New Zealand and Vietnam, it is my plan to set up a representative office in Vietnam. This can be considered as one of our company’s business expansion strategies to the field of trading, as well as my contribution to the motherland in terms of promoting the development of its market-based economy. I believe the business opportunities will be huge once negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership are finalised. Fortunately, we have received the official license issued by the Department of Industry and Trade for our representative office in Ho Chi Minh City a few days back. I am personally more than happy that my desire can be gradually realised.