Australian residency

Our Principal Solicitor - Imelda Argel

QUALIFICATIONS
• Solicitor of the High Court of Australia (1998) Imelda Argel
• Registered Migration Agent (1996-2013)
• Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1991-2013)
• Solicitor and Barrister of the Australian Capital Territory (1990)
• Attorney-at-Law in the State of New York, United States of America (1989)
• Attorney-at-Law of the Philippines (1971)

EDUCATION
• MASTER OF LAWS (1995)
The University of Sydney
• GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN PRACTICAL LEGAL TRAINING (1991)
University of Technology / College of Law, New South Wales
• BACHELOR OF LAWS (1970)
The University of the Philippines
• BACHELOR OF ARTS (WITH DISTINCTION) (1966)
St. Theresa's College, Manila

AREAS OF SPECIALTY
• IMMIGRATION
• Conveyancing
• Commercial contracts
• Wills & Probate

CAREER HISTORY

Before migrating to Australia in 1988, Imelda Argel has had 17 years of successful legal practice in Manila, Philippines. Her expertise in the area of corporate, international commercial contracts, turnkey infrastructure projects and advocacy in government, gained for her, admission to the USA New York State Bar, without examination in 1989.

Notwithstanding, her overseas qualifications were not readily recognised for admission to practice as a Solicitor in the State of New South Wales. She had to undertake the bridging course in the evenings while working at Baker & McKenzie Sydney as a paralegal during the day. She also worked at the Department of Lands while completing her practical legal training and Master of Laws degree. Her perseverance and determination paid off. She has been operating a thriving sole legal practice in Sydney since 1994.

She offers a range of legal services focusing on conveyancing and immigration for multicultural communities. Abreast with the ever changing Migration legislation, she has managed to maintain a 90% success rate for Australian visa applications and MRT appeals.

Her integrity, honesty and competence have earned her an enviable reputation which has resulted in the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA), Australia appointing her as an EVALUATOR of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars for migration agents.

Despite being immersed in her legal profession, she finds time for community involvement providing advisory and advocacy services which has served to enhance Philippine Australian relations. She advocated at the review of “The Philippine Country Education Profile”. This initiative has led to the Philippine professional licensure examination being comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree. She has also served as volunteer migration consultant for the Immigration Advocacy and Rights Centre (IARC).

Imelda Argel is the author of Time-Saving Immigration Practice Solutions (TIPS) on General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visas, published online at www.migrationprecedents.com.au (enter under "immigration").Her migration agent registration no. is 9682957.

She has one child, Victor Guevara, who now works as a Group Finance Manager for Procter & Gamble, in Sydney.

Awards:

Presidential Awardee (Banaag Category) from President Aquino. - See more at: http://pcherald.com.au/national-news/nsw/item/513-argel-receives-2012-presidential-award#sthash.ej198FTw.dpuf (2012).

University of the Philippines Achievement Award (UPAA) for legal practice and community service (2007).

First NSW Filipino Australian Women's Achievement Award (FAWAA) for Corporate practice or entreprenuership (2006).

Published Articles about Imelda Argel in:

Timpuyog Journal, May 15 2012

Work Life Balance

The Philippines Bayanihan News (FAWAA awardee)

Business Sydney

The Philippines Bayanihan News

The Philippines Community Herald Newspaper