elty

Hello all,
Have filled in the skilled migration booklet and at the moment going through the trade recognition application(bricklayer).Here are a few questions which i hope someone can answer for me.
1;Is it better to go through a migration agency or go alone and any agency recommendations
2;What are the total costs involved from start to finish(approx).
Also would like to chat to someone who has moved to australia on the skilled migration application preferably in construction.

karawara88

For Migration agents take a look at

http://www.movingdownunder.co.uk/files/usefullinks.php


As for using them, my opinion for what its worth is - if your application is straight forward and you have enough points. You don't need one. Just read your application and double check everything.

However if you are unsure or need peace of mind find yourself a good agent, Go Matilda get an excellent press. Some of the others don't. !! Do your homework before parting with cash.


AS for total costs start to finish . £ :scared: !!

elty

thanks for the help.it just seems a minefield of paperwork and references!

bored_bean

Brief schedule for Skilled Independant

Get your skill recognised. Bricklayer is assessed by TRA http://www.workplace.gov.au/tra/
You'll need ALL your paperwork (certified copies) from your apprenticeship/diploma. That takes an age to get it to the stage where they'll look at it and say yes. We were warned that if anything is missing that they won't ask for it, they'll just assume that you haven't got it.
Once that's OK, you need to send all of that paperwork (and the OK from TRA) along with your skilled migration form (+4 photos each + photocopies of info page of passport).
After an age (8-9 months) DIMA will finally write and say that you need to get medical and police checks done (your visa lasts 1 year from the date of the tests so don't do them too early). You send those off and in theory after 3 months you get a reply.
If you can afford it an agent takes a load off the mind (if they're good).

wongstonn

From experience, I agree with an earlier post. If the application has no complicating factors then avoid the migration agent. Friends of mine who used them thought the ones they used a waste of money. I managed fine without one even though my daughter has a medical condition, I'm asthmatic, and my wife needed security clearance from three countries and an English test.

Cost? Well my application was based upon a family of three. By recollection,
the costs broke down very roughly as follows:

ACS skills assessment: GBP 130
Main application to DIMIA: GBP 430
Medicals: GBP90 per person on application
Xrays: GBP 45 per person on application
UK security [police] clearance: GBP10 per person.
Stress of waiting for application decision: free and plentiful

I had other costs relating to my wife's foreign origin, but I'll spare you that.

stotty

Regarding using agents: I've used them and found them great for simplifying what you need do, checking stuff before it's sent and generally looking after the details and taking the hassle out of it. They're not cheap though - about £900 (dearer than the visa!). I used Ian Harrop Associates and found them very good.

Initially I had 5 points clear of the pass mark for a skilled indpendent visa, then the pass mark went up just before I got my application in! At this point the agents came into their own (I had questioned their worth up until this point). They sorted all the stuff for an STNI visa, checked it all and sent it all off.

Start to finish, the STNI route took 6 months (plus the skill assessment bit - about 2 months). The only restriction on the visa is that 'cos it's sponsored by South Oz I've got to spend a year or so there - no big hardship really!

I've just got my visa last week so the house is on the market soon and then it's off to Adelaide!

If I can be any help to anyone just PM me, or if anyone has recently emigrated - any advice to pass on?

The Clarkes

Hi elty,
we are currently waiting for our tra to be sent back all o.k, hubby is a plumber and we did not use an agent.We looked into using one but found out that you still need to collate all your refs, they just make sure you set it out correctly!
The tra emailed us for one more peice of info and said once we had faxed it back to them then our cert will be sent back asap! Dont be scared to go it alone although we agree with the others when they say if your circs are complicated then you may need agent help.
Best advice is to read and re-read everything, also e-mail tra with any queries. Good luck!