leon colborne

Hi can anyone help??? always been a dream of mine to move to Australia am thinking Brisbane/Melbourne, in the uk I am a residential care worker brain injury/disabilities/mental health.. I hold NVQ level 2 and 3 also Hnc level 4 in health and social care, first aid, medication trained. my partner who is a cook has NVQ 2 and 3 in catering and hospitality.. I have 8 years service in residential work and partner 5 years as a cook... can anyone recommend an approved agent in the uk that is not over priced.. my age 32 partner is 26. we are working on a two year plan to be in Australia.. thanks for your help.

Bermudashorts

Before you find an agent, there are some simple steps you could take yourself. Like check to see if your occupations are eligible for migration. I would go to www.immi.gov.au and do that first, search for the SOL or CSOL. If your occupation is only on the CSOL, then it means you need sponsorship.

To the question, no I can't think of any UK migration agent, the ones that spring to my mind are in Australia. There is no advantage to having a UK agent, are you very set on that?

leon colborne

It don't have to be a uk agent, both our jobs are on the CSOL list.. thanks for the reply.

Bermudashorts

Ok so the CSOL is the lesser of the two lists and it requires sponsorship. So are you jobs on any of the state sponsorship lists? I would be very surprised if cook was.

leon colborne

cook/chef on the NSW/VIC. not looking good for me, may have to get an agent. thanks for the advice..

Dorothy

Is your partner a chef or a cook? They're different trades and will be assessed differently by the skills assessment body.

And NSW has closed nominations for permanent visas until July 1. They're only sponsoring for the temporary regional sponsored visa ATM. And cooks/chefs have been suspended. Looks like NSW is off the table at the moment (no pun intented)

leon colborne

lol.

leon colborne

NVQ 3 COOK..

leon colborne

not looking good is it..

Bermudashorts

Victoria had cook on the list.

Kuv

Hi there, I'm in a similar position, looking to move to Australia as it's always been a dream. My job is in the CSOL list so I will need a sponsored visa. I've been researching agents as I don't think I have the mental willpower or the nous to go through it all myself, I would rather pay for the help.

I've spoken with IXP visas and they are sounding more dodgy by the minute, having researched them online I doubt I will go with them. Very pushy sales-y people as well. Not impressed. Also spoken with OE and they sounded way more promising and a friend of mine used Visa Go who are based in Edinburgh so I reckon I will go with one of these two.

Good luck with the process! Fingers crossed we get there.

old.sparkles

Even going with an agent, you will still need to do a lot of the work yourselves - and definitely a good idea to get an understanding of the process, and what you need, to know if you're being strung along at all. Also check for MARA registration - all agents should have a unique number and you can check registration on the MARA site - https://www.mara.gov.au/

louie

If you do particularly want a UK based agent, Ian Harrop is often recommended on here.

leon colborne

HI does anyone have an idea of the cost of an agent to deal with our visa application? is it better to have one in aus or the uk. thanks

old.sparkles

I think fees may vary with applicant - £2k to £3k from figures I've seen in the UK - but I guess that also depends on the type of agency used - some seem to be only after your money. Have a look at the MARA site - https://www.mara.gov.au/ - for some reputable agents and contact them for guideline prices