Palescots

Hi all,
were a scots family (nr Glasgow) looking to move to the warmer climes of Austrailia, by the initial look at the points system we pass! Woo hoo so far. Whats next?
Would you use a visa agency and pay for the help, or would you recommend the DIY approach.
We are looking to the better climates of Brisbane etc, but we have a lot of reading up to do first, where is the most popular for expats?
Is there a good simple timeline based instruction manual that is used by this forum?
Well we look forword to chatting to you all soon.

David & Janice

65 million

Hi David and Janice,

Good luck with your application. I suppose it depends upon your position. If you have the spare cash and not the time, then an agency could be a big help. If like me however, you need to keep a close eye on the budget, then DIY is the better option.
In all honesty none of it is rocket science, and all information is available on the net if you search hard enough. If you have the patience then I'd recommend DIY.

Good luck,
Neil
Mornington, Vic

Uuuh Patsy

It depends greatly on if your Qualificatiosn or Experience are clear cut and will get you in. If they are easily assessed then I would not bother with an agent. The process is very simple. We are all hear to help you out with the forms. Just ask

alipally

How tenacious are you?

Do you pay close attention to detail? As with all things the use of an agent is deeply personal.

If you are prepared to spend time and energy on reading the small print on all of the forms and you find it all quite easy then, perhaps you can go alone....

As for a timeline, well it goes something like this.
First point of call
www.immi.gov.au... read it ALL!!!

1. Do it yourself points test...
2. Look up occupation and find the assessing body to have your job assessed (In other words you pay the Aussie authority to assess that you can really do the job you say and you have the right qualifications and experience.)
3. Apply to have your job assessed, sending in all the right documentation, correctly certified as true copies, with full and complete answers
5. If you are going down the state sponsored route, apply for state sponsorship.
4. Once you have a positive skills assessment and you have gathered all of the documentation together, apply for your visa (online is possible now for the 175 VISA)
5. Apply for police checks and medicals with approved doctors when requested (although it appears that they want them straight away now!) And send to DIAC.
6. Practice patience!!! You could be in for a very long wait!

PLEASE NOTE; I AM NOT AN EXPERT, THIS IS A SIMPLIFIED LIST AND THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN FIRST MEETS THE EYE.
if you choose an agent you still have to sort out documents, and you still have to wait, but you don't have to stress that you've answered all the questions in the 'correct' way.

My final word would be go and take advantage of a free appointment with a migration agent.... then decide what you really want to do.

Ali x

UKEagle2Aus

Hi David & Janice, I used an agent and the costs were high, however I was short of time and wanted to make sure, so their obligation to properly assess you up front (or face stiff sanctions from DIMIA) was the best way forward for us.

It still took a while and you still have to pay the associated costs (medicals, police clearance, visa costs, Vetassess and even medical records charge from our GP). We started the process in June 2005 and were finally granted sub class 139 visas in December 2006. We have now made our entry, bought some land in Oxenford (Gold Coast area) and have houses being built. We are off in Nov, so it all worked well. I would say it probably cost us in the region of £3,500 in total including the use of the agency. I think you could trim a good £2,000 off the bill if you do it yourself.

Good luck with the application and be sure to feel good about taking the biggest step of all by applying. Keep in touch on the site, it is a great way to keep you focussed as you go through the processes.

Kind Regards,

UKEagle

Lenmil

First time to NZ we used an agent and cost 2K, next time we did it ourself to NZ than again to OZ. Just download the forms etc and take your time and ask for help on here or the internet. It's your choice but it's not as hard as you think. Saves a lot of money that you will need.

webb50

Hi David and Janice

I agree with Ali on this one it is personal choice, if you're good at completing forms and reading all the small print and have a skill that OZ needs, then go it alone. But if like us you don't have a skill that's in demand and the thought of all getting all the documentation done correctly, then contact an agent and get a consultation. We used Overseas Emigration in Edinburgh and yes it cost us £3,000 aprox, but it took the hassle from us and we now have our visa and we move in 4wks time.

Hope this helps.

Angie

biggles7374

Hi Pale Scots

I am in glasgow too and did the visa app myself and saved myself circa £1,500.

The complexity depends on what you do for a living, so tell us what you and the mrs do for a living and I will tell you how complex your case is likely to be.

ANdy