andrewdaddy2

Hi all,
Travelled to Edinburgh yesterday to have a meeting with a visa consultant this morning total mileage 328 miles plus night in hotel for the wife and I and meals and drinks.
After about 10 minutes he went straight in to the price....£5054!!!!
I then went on to tell him that I had the chance to go on a LMO he then basically seemed to lose intrest and wrapped up the meeting less than an hour.
What did I find out for my money 3 things how long it takes, how much minimum I require and... eeerm the price of a cuppa at costa coffee.
I know even if I paid him this money I have to do most of the chasing round so I never sighed anything today thinking I would get some advice off here
So here is the question...how hard is it to get your visa by doing it on your own and how long does it take by doing it on your own???
If someone could put it in to steps for me even better.
Thanks all,
Andy and jue

fletcher m

let me guess - starts with Bra and end in lot? Might have a za in the middle...

andrewdaddy2

Hmm, Maybe.
Is £5054 a lot whats the norm??

cheeky_monkey

From memory it cost me around 700 notes that was 2005-2007 though so im guessing CIC fees have increased since then?

Tangram

What do you want the consultant to do that you cannot do yourself I think is a question you need to ask.

R I C H

The norm is to do it yourself.

£5054 is disgusting. I had a complex/unusual route to emigrate (self employed TWP applicant, plus separate PR application), and employed an immigration lawyer at well under half that cost.

fletcher m

With him - Yes.

if you have the right skills/trade and experience, you should, with some help from many of the nice people on here, manage it yourself. Free.

fletcher m

You still need the fees, IELTS, registration with the trade body, and of course money for flights, recce, removals, deposits, you need loads of money..but, you could save £5054.

fletcher m

Chrisoompa will be along with some excellent advice very soon.

dgagitw

Spell emigration?

andrewdaddy2

700 notes cheeky monkey to 5054 in 7 years now thats what i call inflation!
Tangram I just needed to know really what it all entailed really that was the main reason for going but I was shocked by the price if it was just over a grand I might of been thinking about using them I knew already that I had to do all the leg work.
He also said we would have to have all the paperwork in by the end of june as all the paper had to be in for july 1st...why? and is that right

andrewdaddy2

soz....dgagitw...lol :-)

fletcher m

Well you pin your ears back and listen very carefully to everything he/she says....then ask him/her for the alternate stategy if you fail 1st time (knowing time lines are tight for some NOC) and then finally decide if you can afford to wait another year,(they might change the age criteria) or is it worth doing anything FSW, your trade might not be on the list. Pay the £20 for the consultation and then take his card in case you change your mind.

How is that.

Before you spend anymore money, make sure you know what you are letting yourself in for, especially costs, sleepless nights and expectations unfullfilled.

andrewdaddy2

im a crane driver which is on the skills critical list so I have the skills and so does the wife as a.......cook

fletcher m

Alarm bells ringing

CIC expect the list to have closed in the next week or two, you have no chance through FSW as they will have reached the 10000 permitted 1 Jul 11 to 30 Jun 12.