GoingIn2011

I know this may not be an acceptable question, but I've had a really duff one and I want to make sure I get a good one!

Thanks
G2011

simonsi

Define good? I´d suggest DIY with help from the peeps on this site and save $$$

Lee Lee

Hi there Goingin2011!

I've found its not very wise to mention agents on here as everyone has a good old moan about them But if your like us we have decided we would rather pay the money and make sure no mistakes are made (we already mucked up with our first eoi) We thought that if its helps get us there then its worth the money.

Most people on here will suggest you do it yourself. They are right in saying that the agents only copy the info you have given them but we feel more confident having someone to check everything over.

Migration Associates is the agent we are using, they seem really honest and will tell you straight if they think you have a chance or not. Another thing we like is that you pay in stages so if at any point you decide not to continue or you aren't invited to apply you dont have to pay anymore money. We found out about them from another lady on here, she used them and I think they have moved or will be moving to NZ very soon. She was very happy with the service. I'll pm you the contact details if you like.

Hope this is some help, good luck

simonsi

People quote agent fees of £4000-£6000 on here, I defy any agent to add that much value to an application. Plenty on here are willing to advise on any tricky bits on the form and NZIS staff are very willing to discuss aspects of your EOI (in my experience), to refine your EOI to reflect reality if you have made an error either way, giving you 14 days to correct any errors or supply any additional information...

People who make these anti-agent comments are usually very willing to spend their time giving help where they can. Hope your agent does a good job for you, at £6k a pop I could well investigate that as a career!

Persephone

Yes, people moan about them simply because of the massive fees that they charge relative to what they actually do. It is an individual preference, if you can afford to spend the cash and want that extra help then go for it. The other thing is that most of us have done it ourselves and know that is isn't that difficult; obviously your personal circumstances determine whether you may need more experienced assistance from an agent.

In most cases it would be cheaper to phone NZIS on their £1/min phone line to get answers to any tricky questions or ask on here rather than spend thousands on an agent. Again personal preference

If you do go for an agent then make sure they are licensed by NZIS

BEVS

It's an acceptable question . It's been asked before many times and will be asked again.

I don't think people moan about agents as such.
What they do tend to write is that it is perfectly possible to DIY and save $$$. Of course, it is a personal choice whether you use an agent to fill out your forms or not. If one is not confident with forms and prefers to have someone check the work, then a licensed consultant can help with that for a fee.

Goingin2011. If you feel the consultant you hired was not up to scratch, then it is very important that you let the IAA know about this. Licensing came in to regulate the service and to hopefully weed out sub-standard immy consultants who do too little, charge too much or simply don't know their stuff.

You can search the IAA for a licensed immigration consultant which matches your requirements.

You can also cross check that with NZAMI to find an advisor

For a personal recommendation I can suggest a chap called Peter Croxson. He handled a very difficult case for some friends of mine with a positive outcome. His price was very reasonable and he accepted staged payments. He was particular , thorough & had great communication. There are a couple of others on this site that know of him and have used him for their applications.
This recommedation comes from what he has done for others. I did my own application.

Jan and Neill, from this site, used immigration lawyers called Lane Neave and were extremely satisfied with their service.


In General for anyone else looking in .

The New Zealand Immigration service will also give free help and advice. It is possible to travel to London for instance and have a chat to them there. Or you can contact them via email or telephone ( phone call costs are high) If you do make an error with an application, then NZ immigration will explain what is wrong and give you time to correct it.

Where an application may not be straightforward, then it would be prudent to solicit the advice of a reputable immigration consultant. The consultant should be NZ licensed.
What might not be straightforward in an application would be things like a medical problem; police record; or simply that one does not have the skills that NZ requires at this time. It might be the type of visa. A long term business visa, for example, is not for the faint hearted

Just as with anything that will cost you shed loads of money, shop around. Read the fine print about what is included and what is not. Read about refund policy. Be aware that you will still have to collate your own paperwork, certificates, work experience etc. You will still need to obtain your own police checks and attend your own medicals

It will not matter where the immigration consultant is physically located. It matters more that they work the best they can for you.

Lee Lee

simonsi, I was only being cheeky hence the smiley wink that you left out of your quote!

In reply to your comment of £6k, our agent is charging us about £2000 in 3 stages. We only have to pay when or if we get to proceed to the next step and if it gets us there then its worth it to us.

I also mentioned people are right when they say all agents do is transfer the info you have supplied them. I also agree that they charge loads of money just to fill out forms, but we dont have a straight forward case and so we felt more confident this way.

simonsi

No worries, hope it works for you

kaztayli

Do it yourself

We also looked at going through agents and then for financial reasons - decided to do it ourselves.

It took us about 2 weeks to tweak our EOI to our satisfaction and we were selected.
Our application was also easy (even though we had one or two minor transgressions).

Seriously save yourself loads of money and do it yourself - It's easier than we thought it would be

We started our process in Nov and got our visas in May - that was even after the delay of an operation and South African and British government officials not knowing their heads from their backsides