Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Has anyone used Pathwaytoaus.com migrating agent?

We are a family of 3 (2adults+2years old child) living in UK. My husband wants to come over to Australia to study and gain a qualification. I would be added onto his visa together with our son.

We have come across Pathwaytoaus and so far they have been excellent with info provided, reply times etc. I have checked the MARA website to search them out with the mara number shown on their website,but nothing is coming up??? The agent I have been talking to is on there as an individual and linked to a different company name? It has just confused me a bit , am I missing something?

They said their service is free and they are getting commission from the college instead, but we still dont want to waste any time...

I would appreciate to hear about any experience anyone has with them.

Thanks!

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

The MARA number Pathway to Aus display on their website belongs to a woman (not Nicholas Yock, Pathway to Aus agent who claims to be a registered MARA agent). See below from MARA website:

Registered Migration Agent Details
Yoland Amanda Swasbrook
Migration Agent Registration Number: 1278493
Current Status: Registered
Business: Inbound Migration Pty Ltd

Please exercise extreme caution Huske

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Thank you Spouse of scouse for the info...I am confused about the fact that he is registered as an individual migration agent on mara website, but not linked to pathwaystoaus?
Something not quite right there me thinks and that is why I am questioning it...

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Hi Huske - in your situation, you may be better looking at retraining while in the UK to hopefully move at a later date. It is probably something he could do alongside his current job - or indeed something you could do.

In response to the info above, I sent info to MARA who will check the legitimacy of the company.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Thank you Old.sparkles! We have considered retraining in UK, but it is not something we want to do. We want to move soon ish. Unfortunately his current job is not on the Skillselect, therefore we have to go down the retraining route.

Although we could apply for the visas ourselves, we thought finding an agent would save us time as there is lots else to organise...

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

As an international student, fees will be higher, you have no access to government support so will need to pay fees in advance - and only have emergency medical. All GP visits will need to be paid for, etc.

In the UK, your partner or yourself can carry on working while retraining. There is access to government funding, benefits, etc.

You may want to move soonish, but student visas only allow you to work 20hrs week - it will be hard to earn enough to cover fees let alone living costs for 3 of you - and that is if you can find work. Retraining in the UK may not be what you want to do, but it may still be the best long term option.

What is your husband hoping to train as?

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

What is he going to study?

You need to be aware that a student visa is not generally considered a pathway to Australia. It is extremely difficult to progress from a student visa to a permanent visa. I would only be considering this myself if I had plenty of money behind me and was mentally prepared to come back to the UK at the end of it.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

He wants to retrain to become a carpenter (certificate III in Carpentry). We have looked into the course fees and other info, so we are aware of the cost. We are hoping that once he has gained this qualification as well as the required 900 hrs of work experience , he will be able to apply through Skillselect for a permanent independent work visa.

@Bermudashorts, what do you mean by " It is extremely difficult to progress from a student visa to a permanent visa." Could you please explain that a bit more?

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

We have looked into the cost and it will by no means be a cheap option, still it is the one we want to go through with. we will obviously have a medical insurance cover for emergencies too..

Please let me know if MARA gets back to you regarding the pathwaystoaus .

Thank you!

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

I mean just that. The chances of progressing to a permanent visa after taking a carpentry course are very low as the student to permanent visa route was all but closed some years ago.

You should be aware that when you come on a student visa it is a requirement that your intentions should be for a temporary stay too.

Why do you think he would be able to get a permanent visa? How would he get the relevant experience to pass a skills assessment?

I think you have been sold a dream here.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Given that carpentry requires apprenticeship and those are hard to come by, not sure if that would be even possible without a PR or citizenship?

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

It is not just medical emergencies that need cover. Visiting a GP or dentist for regular treatment costs.

A trade apprenticeship is 4 years, at which point your OH will be qualified but wil no experience dor a skilled visa. It may not be possible to pass the points test depending on age. And I'm not sure how possible it is to study a trade on a student visa since there is a requirement to pay apprentices, but students are limited to only 20hrs week paid employment (and partners on this visa will have the same restriction). How old is your OH currently?

Depending on what state you are in, you may need to pay for education of your child when they reach school age.

Again, the best route would be to retrain in the UK where you have government and family support. There is nothing to stop you holidaying in the meantime.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

The problem with this route is that if you want to stay in Australia afterwards, he would need to pass a skills assessment. The assessment requires a combination of qualification and POST qualification experience - usually several years. So, he would find himself in the catch 22 that most students do - cant get the visa without experience but cant get the experience without the visa

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

A common misconception is that an agent makes the application easier/quicker. They don't. All they do is advise you what you have to do, how to do it and then check what you've done. You still have to do all the leg work, get the info together, chase references, fill in the forms etc.

Disclaimer: I say 'all' with no disrespect to any agents, many people are more than happy with the service they get from their agent and they obviously (if MARA registered) have a great deal of expertise which is necessary if your case is complicated.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Huske

I am going through a similar process to yourself at the moment and am managing fine without an Agent. My husband and I will by arriving in Melbourne in Jan 2017. We are currently living with my parents to allow us to save as much as possible to cushion the fact that we can only work 20 hours a week whilst I study. I am aiming to study for 2 years then hopefully apply for the temp graduate visa (somebody may tell me that route wont be possible but that is the plan for now!)

The college have been brilliant in helping me with my application. I now have my Confirmation of Enrolment and OSHC and now I am just waiting to apply for a student visa (you cant apply before 124 days before intended arrival) in the meantime I have all of my paperwork ready to go. The visa for my husband and I is working out at about £500.00. The process is really easy to navigate yourself and I can see no benefit of having an agent in this type of scenario. We did consider applying for skills select but I was shy of points due to not having a degree, if we had pursued this route I would def have used an agent as it was a minefield!

Hope this helps!

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Don't get me wrong, I think having a trade is a great profession, but gambling your family's future to go on a student visa to study carpentry in Australia is crazy for all the reasons stated above.

-limited hours available to work compared to cost of living
-higher tuition fees, no government support
-difficulty for non PR/citizens to get an apprenticeship to complete schooling
-lack of family support for childcare, emotional connections
-user pays medical/schooling (depending on state)
-no guaranteed pathway from student to PR

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

There is nothing particularly hard about applying for a course or a student visa, I would not consider that that is where the value of an agent lies. What an agent can do in your scenario is help you to develop a visa strategy.

I would not be doing that with any agent that is affiliated with an educational institute though, because they might be rather more interested in getting you into college than getting you a permanent visa.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Thanks Bermudashorts, might be worth me chatting to one. I have a strategy in my head but sure an agent could point out 100's of things I hadn't thought of.

Current plan is 2 years study then temporary graduate visa then hope to secure sponsorship. I have a job/skill currently on the consolidated list but didn't hit the points requirement do to lack of formal education. Hopefully its still on the list by then!! :fingerscrossed:

Hopefully can secure sponsorship before then but planning out the what ifs first then anything else would be a bonus!

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

What is your job/skill and can a 2-year diploma be enough to qualify as formal education (you mentioned not having a degree in a previous post)? What does your assessing authority require?

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Hi msmyrtle,

Apologies for the delay in replying, I had to dig back through my research to answer this as I had parked the info at the back of my brain for a while whilst going for the student option instead!

I am a bank/building society manager which when I last researched this was only being nominated by SA. The assessing authority is VETASSESS and has special conditions applied. The special conditions are that I must have graduated in SA and the qualification must be linked to the role. The advanced diploma I will study ticks the requirements even though it is not a degree and only 1 year in duration.

Now by typing this the first thing I have realised is that I am studying in Melbourne!! However the plan was to study 1 x advanced diploma in leadership and management (all booked in to start Jan 2017) and then possibly a second year studying an advanced diploma in banking services management. So looks like we will move to SA for the second year!

If you spot any obvious mistakes any advice would be appreciated. I did liaise with an agent originally and to be honest found them very unhelpful. They basically said "no where is nominating your skill, end of" I replied pointing out SA were and they responded "yes but you don't have the qualifications and wouldn't meet the special conditions so that's the end of the road for you" I was disappointed that they seemed to give up at the first hurdle not even asking me if I'd thought of training etc.

Not being one to give up I've tried on my own to explore other options and came up with the plan I mentioned earlier but as I've said any pointers are most helpful as all of my ideas are complied through trawling the internet!

My husband and I are living with my parents saving every penny to allow me to study for at least 2 years with then the hope of getting employer sponsored, state sponsorship or even then trying for the temp graduate visa (which again these qualifications are sufficient for)

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

You are taking a HUGE gamble here and a lot of planets are going to have to line up for you to pull this one off.

I think that the agents have done the right thing by you by not taking your money and selling you dreams. The SA special condition sponsorship is in all honesty not intended for people that are currently overseas, it is really for people that are already working in the state but don't currently have a permanent visa.

So firstly vetassess, your iccupation requires a diploma and doesn't necessarily have to be in a highly relevant discipline so long as you have the work experience so yes you might pull that off and get a positive skills assessment.

The thing that really worries me is the sponsorship. I believe the chance of employer sponsorship as a bank manager are between remote and zero (I worked in this sector so have some knowledge). There is a reason that occupations are not on the SOL or sponsorship lists!

I would also be very concerned about getting the state sponsorship. The special sponsorships are few and far between, the occupation might not even be on there at all in 2.5 years when you have finished your studies including the SA bit. And finally, unless I am reading it wrong you need to be studying and working in the occupation to secure the sponsorship? So you need to find a part time bank manager role?

You have mentioned living with parents and saving every penny so I am going to assume you don't have money to burn. In which case you seem to be risking all your financial well being on this slim chance. :(

Australia is a wonderful place, but honestly when you are already in a first world country, it isn't worth that kind of sacrifice.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

I see it the other way. We are a young married couple who want to see more of the world than the 5 mile radius we were born in. Financially we are treating this as a gap year or 2. We are living with parents to save money to fund us while I study but we also both own a house each and are renting those out whilst we are away.. These are with agents and being rented out at the moment with very little issue. We don't feel we are taking a huge gamble as we aren't putting all of our eggs in one basket. If we like it there we can push to stay on and try and secure jobs/ sponsors etc.. If we don't then we've had a blast. We can head back to the Uk, will still be on the property ladder and could secure jobs with relative ease in our respective industries with qualifications that would help me progress to Area Manager level. To me it's worth a gamble whilst we haven't got responsibilities such as children etc :-)

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

I'm not trying to make light of any issues you point out just I'm probably the most annoyingly positive person you could ever meet!!

My motto in life is "if you think you can't then you won't, but if you think you can you might!"

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

So long as you know it is a gamble then that is ok. I was reading it that you thought this was a real pathway rather than the huge gamble that it is. My bad.

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Good Luck with it all Sarah. I'm sure you'll have a blast in Melbourne. It's fab - especially for a young couple with no kids. So much to see and do around here. Can't really comment on Adelaide. Only went there for a long weekend and it was enough for us x

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

I hate to burst your bubble but you're really not. ;) :lol: As long as you go in with your eyes open and are looking forward to the experience then go for it and have a blast. :thumb:

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

hi Sarah, I have sent you a private message. Let me know if you have received it!

Re: Pathwaytoaus agent
 

Got your message x