jon&kate

We are using an agent for our move and the bill is at over £6000 thats excliuding the costs for my TRA and the cost of our visa.We have been accepted for stni by canberra and are just putting together what i hope will be our last major paper work for DIMIA.During our application we have had to change visa type as my wifes brother let us down (he was going to sponsor us)This didnt cause to much upheavall with our application as we suggeted to our agent going down the stni route.Bearing in mind my tra was done before being let down.We get a bill every month with a breakdown of work done.We have been charged for reseaerch into stni visa (surely an agent know's about the different visa's on offer.I can understand that paperwork had been done for a 138 visa as this was our original route but this bill only came to £750.The agent we are using is a very famous one and not some backstreet job.I n the e-mail it says a bill for £1600 is in the post but since last month we have been putting together our paperwork for DIMIA i:e birth a marriage documents updated letters from work etc and although i have contacted agent by e-mail i fail to see how they come up with theses costs.I have just sent an e-mail to the accounts department expresing my disgust at the costs.

steandleigh

Sounds a bit OTT, to be honest. Ours was around the 3000 pounds mark - all up inc. TRA for a 136 Skilled ind.

JulesM

It does sound a bit much - ours was also around the £3,000 mark and this included everything.

andicee

Me too. Under 3K all in. TRA, visa app and phone calls at 7 am. 136 skilled independent.

Well known agent!!!!!

Andy

TeresaG

Sounds a bit over the top to me. Ours is way cheaper.

toon williams

Same here ours was just over the £3000 mark for 136 Skilled!! Also a well known agent!!

julie hilton

Have you actually given them £6000.00?
Have they given a full listing for this cost?

We didn't us an agent, but what I have read on here, they seem to be taking the p@**s.

They should be named and shamed

busterboy

We used workpermit.com for a 138. All costs including medicals and vetasses and lodgement around £3000, with about £1200 going direct to the agent.

Tableland

Are these guys throwing in free flights and a fortnight on the Gold Coast?

Oz wannabe1

I can just about see the light at the end of the cost tunnel, just meds and p.c's to do. The final cost using an agent will be approx £4,500.

I asked around and was told that was average, and they allowed it in stage payments with everything itemised.

Dunno if that helps or not.

busterboy

The price I quoted included quite a good discount because I was able to pay the agents fee upfront, it was more expensive if we went the installment route.

lang81

That is a shocking amount of money to be paying for migration services.
You should report them to the Migration Agent Registration Authority www.themara.com.au We used an Australian Agent and the total was around GBP2,600 including all DIMIA and TRA fees.

Oz wannabe1

Dunno who you have used but I would demand a recount!!! I am with O.E. in Scotland so I think they have looked after me quite well.

Where are you hoping to head to in Oz?

GinaUK

£6,000 is WAY over the top!!!

Our agent fees were £940 for the skills assessment and the visa application. All other fees we paid directly to skills assessment authority, DIMA etc. The breakdown from our spreadsheet:

Fees to agent for skills assessment: £282
Fees to agent for visa application (136 - skilled independent): £658
Skills assessment fee paid to ICAA: £150
Visa fees paid to DIMA: £779
Medicals (2 adults): £320
Police checks: £20
Miscellaneous expenses: £196
(e.g. getting uni transcript, getting docs certified at solicitors, courier and Royal Mail Special Delivery costs)

GRAND TOTAL: £2,405

Our agent did our skills assessment and visa application on a fixed fee basis. In other words, he told us upfront that he would charge £282 for the skills assessment and £658, payable in two instalments for the visa application. In my view, that's the only way to go: If you accept an "open-ended bill", it's like handing someone a blank cheque.

Gina

Tiggs+Graz

I completely agree with this. NEVER sign up with an agent who isn't working for a fixed fee.
Our agent even gave us an estimated total cost for the whole visa process - broken down into sections showing their own (fixed) agents fee plus estimated costs for skills assessment/visa/medicals etc. This made it much easier for us to budget to cover the costs.

Tiggs