About visa documents

Without much to go on, and from my personal experience, I do not think your agent is lying.   In the Philippines, you will need dozens of the same original document.   

I like to say few things about documents here, in Australia like birth certificate, we can get one only, if you want more, it will be extract only, but same thing happened to us, when we got our son's registration in the Philippines they asked for originals, and my Wife supplied on the day of Interview they wanted to keep original, I said you can not this is only one we can get from Australia, and we need this, he said they can not process our paperwork without original birth certificate, I said ok see you tomorrow, on the day I got some copies here and next day i supplied co[ies, and they took copies, so go and figure it out, crazy system at its best. I am happy i get to keep my original and it is from Australia, will never show this one again, from now on is copies only..

The government authority will not return the original documents once being submitted. To keep the original documents you need to have certified true copy of the original document. then proceed for authentication the certified true copy before submitting to the authority.

We did make certified true copy, but they wanted originals only, they do not always take certified true copy, any way now I know what they want and know how to go about it my way, just like silly games they will plan all the time, the systems is not clear to them not to me, no one really knows what they are doing or the policies.

I remember I once had to provide a copy of my daughter's NZ birth certificate authenticated by New Zealand consulate here in Manila. My daughter was born in NZ to NZ/Philippine mother. The duly authenticated copy was then sent to Foreign Affairs here in Manila for authentication of the authentication! It's more fun in the Philippines!

Only passports can be counted upon being returned.  Otherwise the government loves to generate business for the NSO.

YES ..............