jonah38

Hi All

This is my opinion and no offence is intended. Please read and lets see what the general views are. This is an open forum after all. It may help you to help yourself and others.

How many of you have difficulty in determining what is best to send/not send as documents and evidence to support your application. How many lists have you made? Regardless of the type of application, 139, 136 etc etc etc. I believe we can improve the ammount of information on this forum - but only if we are prepared to share information and if we can just get over the implied assumption that we always need the help of an agent. Maybe you do. But maybe you dont. If the information was there would you need one? Do you need a milkman? Take it or leave it. Your choice. Try it. People achieve their dreams and get into OZ either way. Your choice.

I am simply proposing that we share information by the simplest way. Posting it on the forum. To highlight my point on producing and sharing documents or evidence lists and the specific exchange of information, please log onto Mov****.com. Take a look. You will then agree with me that these lists do help greatly.

Although Mov****.com is obviously a forum for migration to New Zealand it was set up by two brits who migrated to NZ themselves. They had the usual issues with lack of knowledge with the migration paperwork minefield and devised this forum to help others. This forum and its members actively encourages its members to submit there own application. Granted, there are those who pay and still use the forum. So it cant be that bad. We do have a choice. Members post all manner of ideas. List upon list upon list of suggested documents to supply, how to word things, specific formats for letters, formats for character references, examples of evidence to support this and that. All manner of information that is on the forum for everyone to download or PM. Some may work, some may not - what is there to lose.

I accept that the procedures for OZ may differ to NZ and agree that each case is individual but the general details and evidence required for the initial completion of any forms for OZ are generally the same. Yes, procedures may be slightly different but we all know the easy stuff of having our trades assessed, to supply certified copies of birth certs, marriage certs, passport photographs, police checks, passports, school quals, trade quals, employment history, evidence of work experience, evidence of marriage, evidence of dependency, evidence of custody, etc etc etc. But it is the supporting evidence that becomes the problem. An applicant may well send more evidence/documents than another, so what. But if we have a general list as guidance what harm can it do - absolutely none. If a CO determines each case on its own merits then what harm can it do. Surely it can only do good and should be encouraged!!

Nobody likes to work blind! Hence the request for specific details. Get this right from advise from previous, current and potential applicants and your half way there. Pool your ideas and experiences. Surely your appointed CO will then be telling you what else is required, as they very often do even with an agent!

Basically the idea is to list the paperwork/evidence you have supplied or think you need and post it on the forum. Or tell people on the forum you have made a list that may be helpful and they can request that you PM them. No personal details need be included. You simply delete them before posting. Simple. If you are then successful or unsuccessful with your application then let everyone know what it was you sent.

So if you are having problems in determining what paperwork to supply for e.g TRA, proof of dependency, proof of relationship, proof of qualifications, proof of work experience, student issues, spouse issues, any issues etc etc etc you will have a library of information that you can build from. If your then still not confident in submitting your own application - then get an agent.

But dont forget, you are still be required to gather all this information yourself and then give to an agent anyway. So what have you to lose.

Just a suggestion. Like it or not - reply

Blue Skies

CathnPaul

Jonah our checklist was on the DIMA website...why would we need to do the same thing on here???

Pollyana

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't that exactly what we are doing anyway?

CathnPaul

Plus with all the information provided on this forum I still chose to go with a reputable agent and one who actually did a considerable amount of work themselves for our application. Due to the changing criteria, I had to make sure it was up to date and accurate. Glad we did it and dont feel it was a penny wasted.

jonah38

Please then, if we ask, direct us to the relevant lists of documents and not an agent

Pollyana

From what I remember, the query you had was not something that could be answered with a mere list of documents. Wasn't your original query to do with police checks and records? There is no "list of documents" which answers that, and your question was specific to your case, thus needed a more personal answer (in my own opinion) which is why I referred you to an agent. I think some agents had the same view. Incidentally, the specific company that I referred you to, iarc, are often mentioned on here as giving advice for free - and I have seen many agents referring people there for tough queries. have you spoken to them about your case yet?

I didn't use an agent when I emigrated, I used just the free advice on the forum, but I had a straightforward case. This forum must be doing something right, judging by its size and number of members.

Maybe if you told us specifically what visa you are going for, and thus need a definitive list for, someone will come up with the answer. We are all quite helpful really

Pollyana

I would also like to add that when cases get into very specific details - for example medical/police records, the mere language and terminology used in a post on a public forum can harm a case more than help it.
DIMA officers read this forum frequently, and an indepth discussion is certainly going to alert them to someone with "issues" that may affect the visa. That is a reason why many people are referred to agents. A private discussion is just that, and equally a public forum is exactly what it says on the tin.

jonah38

Yes i do think you are missing something and dont agree that this is what the forum is already doing. If it was then i and hundreds of others wouldnt be asking the same questions over and over and again. Where then on the DIMA website check list or this forum does it tell you specifically what evidence/documents are required for proving:

1. your 18+ child is a dependant
2. What type of military dicharge papers are required
3. Evidence of english language ability - even though mother tongue
4. Evidence of recent work experience
5. Evidence of employment experience for 4 years
6. Evidence of having a MODL
7. Evidence of eligibilty for bonus points
8. Evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship
9. What to supply to mitigate a criminal record

It doesnt. The check list simply asks you to supply evidence/details to prove the above. What evidence/details??? Neither the check list nor the DIMA web site details exactley what is required or what they want to hear. The only people who can do this is the forum members or an agent and i have yet to come across any specific information other than you need the help of an agent.

If these questions are asked on the forum, an agent or moderator simply suggests - an agent. Please direct us to the posts with answers that dont require an agent if that is what the forum is for

jonah38

As i remember, all my posts are of the open discussion type. I have nothing to hide from DIMA and dont believe by asking questions i am allerting them to any issues. Are we simply not discussing an opinion on the lack of open information or has it become an agent/moderator defence of the forum?

jonah38

IARC state that they are a means tested advise service and not open to all

Clan Fortune

Hi bud
Now you know why so many of us go through agency's dont ya. they cost a lot but they get paid to delve through this minefield and belay some of our worries, I warned you already about the PUBLIC forum and I was right be careful. What we did was watch the posts for a little while and get to know a little about who is who. You are quite new to this as your 12 posts shows. Take a step back I am new to this site and have been watching for months before I joined in so I had saw a few names banded about. The one thing you have is time, from what I know about you already you are just as I was 7months ago its a long old wait, wait and see what comes back from the tra first then ask for help with the next bit, nice deep breaths and face the problems one at a time
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Why is this Smiley not working

Pollyana

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ependent+child
Ones that say you are discharged, maybe?
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...scharge+papers
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=proof+english
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...perience+proof
Depends on the occupation concerned, but heres a start
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...=evidence+modl
For what? Spouse skills? Community language? family? Financial bond?
A start....
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...y+bonus+points
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...g+relationship
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...riminal+record

Hope this helps

jonah38

Many thanks and much appreciated. Sorry for appearing to be antagonistic. Just so frustrated - thanks again

Pollyana

Been through it, so I know how it feels! All those searches are just done on the terms you used, to give you an idea of the wealth of information on here. One of the good points about this forum too, is that many posters stay around for years, even after they have migrated - I'm still on here after over 3 years on Aus but many people out do me! So its a fairly safe bet that whatever your problem either someone has been through it, or knows a poster that has, and can point you in that direction.

You already know that my previous life (!) involved police checks and criminla records, so I tend to post on those threads - thus, if you use the Search thing and loom for my posts, on this forum, you would find a lot of stuff on criminal records. Other people have other specialities - you want citizenship stuff, search for JAJ, info on diabetes - Podgypossum, life in Cairns - Bix, credit/finance - Martin Luther, Centurion and a couple op f others, medical stuff you may see Peter Bollards name mentioned - yes, he's an agent, but if someone suggests hos advice is needed, then it means its beyond the capacity of a general forum.
Make sure you visit the Lifestyle forum as well
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=54
Mountain ranges of info there.

and if you have a specific question, ask away, someone may well know the answer.

jonah38

Again very much appreciated. Blind as well as stupid at times. Already visited the links to posts you suggested earlier - thanks. Hadnt seen them before. One box ticked as info gained.

Thanks gain