The company

Koru is a visa consultancy that focuses on New Zealand immigration.

It is our goal to help people make significant life decisions by giving them sound advice. We work hard to be recognized as a trustworthy, transparent, reliable, and competent source of immigration advice and assistance.

The relationships we have with our clients are central to our business. You can expect high levels of professionalism, personal service, and engagement with a licensed immigration adviser (LIA) in your dealings with us. All visa applications we process are managed by our experienced in-house LIA.

Over the years, we’ve helped dozens of people with their visas and immigration concerns. We’ve had great success with clients interested in:

having a smooth application process

ensuring that the investment they’re making is sound

addressing concerns identified by Immigration New Zealand

re-applying for a visa after having been declined

Koru Adventures & Travel Inc was founded in 2015 and is a Philippine corporation duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA)

Raphaela (Raphie) Amat is Koru’s founder and in-house LIA. She is a highly experienced immigration professional who has been working specifically with New Zealand visas for over a decade.

Raphie previously worked for Immigration New Zealand (INZ). She started out as a Visa Officer and later on took on technical and management roles there throughout a period of over 6 years. She then shifted to the private sector and established Koru in 2015.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs, De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (2007)
• Graduate Diploma in New Zealand Immigration Advice, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (2017)
• Licensed Immigration Adviser since 2017
• Trained and accredited by International Standards Education Agents (2019)

Raphaela Amat
Licensed Immigration Adviser
Licence #201700549

Testimonials

We first sought Raphie's advice when we got our visas but weren't sure if it would be a good idea to have them replaced with a longer validity date. Great thing we heeded Raphie's advice to simply appeal to Immigration New Zealand, otherwise we would have to pay for renewals every year. We saved a lot of money on visa renewals. If your odds are low or you're not sure of the processes, it's well worth it to seek professional advice. It will save you a lot of money in the end.

The second time, Raphie submitted our documents to INZ for our resident visa application. Resident visa application is always nerve racking so having a professional deal with it on our behalf took a lot of weight off our shoulders. There was a hiccup with our application then, but Raphie dealt with it swiftly. When we received the update, it was already taken care of.

Raphie puts a lot of thought and care in her clients and their cases. She would consider the possible scenarios and guide you to the path with the highest chance of success. She sends updates during every step of the process. Raphie is very honest, efficient and transparent. Raphie is the bomb.

Owee, Permanent Resident Visa

Raphie was very professional and always shared information. She did not appear like she was hiding something and was very transparent in her dealings with us. She also customized her services for us, taking into account our requirements like traveling together and by a certain date. She gave us options always, and never appeared to upsell her services if she didn't think we needed it. [Raphie is] very professional and objective. She always provided information to address our questions.

[The advice we received was] a lot, and all of it was geared toward increasing our chances of getting approved, like details on additional evidence to submit. It helped us focus our search for evidence better.

[Looking back, difficulties we might have faced if we did not receive advice from our LIA] The application might have been delayed due to insufficient evidence, and we might have gone crazy not knowing what to expect after submitting our application. She assured us that the wait was still within the normal time frame of application evaluation.

Excellent job Koru, we don't regret having gone with you from all the other options we considered. Thank you for helping us move to the next chapter of our lives.

Oh definitely engage her services - it's worth every cent!

Lee, Work Visa

I lacked knowledge on such [immigration] matters. She [Raphie] makes the process easy to grasp. The advice sped up the process.

Kendrick, Student Visa

We didn't know what to do.

We received advice [from Raphie] on changing [my] guardianship visa and extending [my child’s] student visa. If we did not receive the advice from our LIA, we would've taken a huge risk and paid more expenses on our visas.

What I appreciate most about Koru is that Raphie gets the job done. [She is] straightforward and efficient. Raphie is great, young, efficient Immigration Advisor if you're applying for an NZ Visa.

Amelia, Guardian Visitor Visa

[What I appreciate most about Koru is] the transparency of the service. The service is fast and reliable. She's [Raphie] honest and very professional. She can be trusted and she will do everything she can to get your visa approved.

Angelica, Student Visa

[I sought immigration advice] to avoid confusion and denial of visa without expert’s opinion. I felt initially sad when the NZ immigration only approved the visitor visa for me. However, Koru reminded me of the options we can make in order to make it work once I am in NZ. It made me feel grateful.

Raphie is very accommodating, capable and honest. [She is] the best. Koru is probably the best and most honest immigration advise provider we have in the PH. I look forward to working again with you [Koru] in the future for my visa needs.

Ramie, Partnership-based Visa

My first application was denied due to lack of knowledge about immigration matters. So I thought it would be best to seek help from a professional. The difficulty I might have faced if I did not receive advice from the LIA would have been convincing INZ that my application is genuine.

I received advice for my student visa application. I was able to get approval.

I would highly recommend Koru to those who are seeking professional guidance and services when applying Visa for NZ. [What I appreciate about Koru] is the client interaction, timely [responses], reasonable fee and professionalism. [Raphie] is professional and helpful.

Edgardo, Student Visa

About Koru

The company

The Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA)

Testimonials

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