Keely

I'm looking for someone who can assess my partner and I to find out if its even worth applying to emigrate to Australia or New Zealand.

Can anyone recommend someone, along with their charges?

I dont want to waste money on an agent to find out we dont even meet the basic criteria! lol (NB: The internet info becomes more confusing the more I look into it...)

Cheers in advance

Wendy

You can get a free online assessment at www.visabureau.co.uk - no obligation to use them if you pass.

I did use them and I thought they were worth the fee as it just helps to have that support and knowledge behind you're application, but the decision is your and if it's a straight forward case wouldn't be too difficult to DIY.

I can remember the exact cost of using them but it was in the region of £2000

mick69

Hi Keely, We looked into using an agent but decided to go it alone. Hopefully it was the right decision. This link might help you to start with http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269083

WESTLY

If you want a free initial assessment by a Registered Migration Agent, email [email protected]

CathnPaul

we got invalid information off the visa bureau which would have resulted in our app being turned down, I know a lot of people have a good thing to say about them, but due to their fees being so high, we double checked our info before signing their contract only to find out just how far off the mark they were for us.

welshtony

So I think the lesson is to get at least two separate assessments - send your c.v to me at tonycoates[at]eircom.net and I'll give you a thorough going over, so to speak.

Regards


Tony

WESTLY

It is extremly unlikely that a Registered Migration Agent, in possession of the full facts of your case, will give you basically incorrect advice. There could well be different opinions about strategy.

George Lombard

Hi Keely,

I'm not going to suggest you use us or anyone else, but there are a lot of issues you need to consider in choosing an agent, eg are they MARA registered or not (MARA registration involves a large number of consumer safeguards, see www.themara.com.au), their years of experience, membership of the Migration Institute of Australia, etc, in addition to cost. If you get advice from any registered agent you should receive the MARA brochure explaining your rights, I'm not sure everyone reads that closely enough.

Cheers,

George Lombard

www.austimmigration.com.au

welshtony

You have great faith in registered migration agents Westly - many registered migration agents will only get the straight-forward cases right, many specialise in certain visa classes and have little or no experience in other classes of visas. Even if Registered Migration Agents were as competent as you mistakenly believe, a second opinion is always advisable.

Regards


Tony

kitty4

I'll second this advice from bitter experience.

zermanedz

Hi there

Please cany anyone let me know what happens after you send in your Medicals. I had already provided the police check and all they wanted back was the medicals and a form to say if any info has been changed. Does this mean they have been through everything else, completed their checks and are only needing a positive medical before deciding???

I would appreciate any advice.

Tonya

p.s is a modl application

welshtony

Sounds pretty positive to me that your case now just needs final assessment before grant of visas - so give them say 8 weeks to grant your visas after they receive your clear medicals

Regards


Tony

zermanedz

Hi thanks for getting back to me. Do you know how they process applications, what they look at and in what order??

Many thanks

Tonya

CathnPaul

i have sent you a PM so as not to deter from the thread for keeley

WESTLY

Thank you for your comments.

As I understood it, the original post asked where to get an opinion about 'basic eligibility', to paraphrase; presumably for a skilled visa.

If a prospective applicant cannot satisfy the core visa criteria then any Registered Migration Agent should get this right. I made no assertions about the general competence of Registered Migration Agents. By the way, there is no such thing as a straightforward case. The best you can say is that a particular case is apparently straightforward. I have lodged applications across a range of visa classes that, except for name, rank and serial number, were essentially similar and Wham! So far I have managed to pull them all out the fire, but there was nothing straightforward about it.

Perhaps I did not express myself clearly, but I was trying to encourage the party to seek a written opinion from a Registered Migration Agent as the first step. As you know there is a remedy if Registered Migration Agent offers incorrect advice, even pro bono.

There are other sources of information, DIMIA, this forum and others, education agents, travel agents, lawyers, ‘experts’ who have done it themselves and found it straightforward. For the most part only Registered Migration Agents are held accountable for the advice they give.

A problem with second opinions is that some people continue to seek opinions until they hear what they want to hear. Our Company has stopped offering telephone advice, except to established clients, and even then we always follow up by reducing our advice to writing. We prefer to eliminate the prospect of being held accountable for advice from elsewhere, or numerous elsewheres.


Best wishes

Westly Russell