Visa/agency advice
 

Can anyone recommend the best agency for applying for a Visa to Australia?

I have tried before and the ones that I have been in contact with haven't been very helpful.My biggest hurdle will be getting a skilled visa as I have an abundance of experience but without many qualifications.

I am aware that there is some sort of assessor that can assess your skills then once he is satisfied he can give it to the case officer and he can determine whether you are eligible for a permanent skilled visa. This however is twice as expensive as the normal procedure of applying for a visa.

Also I have read somewhere that the Australian Government has become a little more lenient with their Skilled visa laws due to the high demand of skilled jobs out there, Not entirely sure how accurate this is though.

Any advice or suggestions would be extremely grateful.

Cheers.

Re: Visa/agency advice
 

You don't have an assessor that gives information to a CO. You must get your skills assessed before you lodge an expression of interest (EoI) for a visa. I wouldn't really say that Australia has relaxed the laws as such, but there has been a change recently. The twelve month recent work experience requirement was removed, which can make it a bit easier for some people. There are still a fair amount of hoops to jump through for migration.

As for recommendations for an agent, there's not much I can suggest (we're applying without an agent). I've heard nothing but good things about George Lombard & Alan Collett though.

Hope that helps.:thumbup:

Re: Visa/agency advice
 

Okay thanks for the advice, The agency I tried with last year gave me a financial breakdown of how much it would cost if I went with the "assessment" route all of which seemed to be extremely confusing and expensive.

I know it isn't cheap to get there either way, I sure there is easier and more affordable ways than the one I tried with.

I shall look up the place you mentioned, where are you looking to move to?

Re: Visa/agency advice
 

We're looking at Queensland. :)

I can't think of any assessment route they could have been talking about. The actual cost of a visa application is AUD $3060 (for the 189/190/489).

Re: Visa/agency advice
 

This is the email I received last year.. ( part if it )

Costs:
I confirm that our professional fees for arranging a skilled visa (and including your spouse and children) are A$3,800 plus GST (if applicable). Payment of our fee is made in 3 installments:
• Payment 1 Deposit of £500.00 plus VAT (if applicable) at the time of instruction before we commence work on your skills assessment.
• Payment 2 of A$1,800 plus GST (if applicable) when work has commenced on the migration and sponsorship papers; and
• Payment 3 of A$1,000 plus GST when your visa application is complete and ready to be lodged with the Department of Immigration.

In addition to the above professional fees, we confirm that the following fees apply:
• WORKPLACE ASSESSMENT fee (A$4500 ) - to be paid to the assessing body at time of lodgement of skills assessment
Skills assessment fee – A$300 to be paid direct to the TRA
• State sponsorship fee (A$200) - to be paid to the State at the time of lodgement of a sponsorship application
• Government visa application fee (AUD$2960) - to be paid to the Immigration Department at time of lodgement of visa application
• X-rays and medicals (approx A$280 per applicant 16 yrs of age and over and approximately A$100 per child under 16 years of age) - to be paid after visa is lodged and when medicals and x-rays are undertaken (not to be undertaken until requested by the Department)
• Police clearances (approx £35 per clearance) - to be applied for at the same time as medicals and x-rays
• IELTS test (if applicable) approx £112.00 – only if necessary. To be paid when booking the English test - usually before visa application is submitted.
• Solicitors’ fees for certifying documents.

It was quite a lengthy email, but that's the jist of it.

Re: Visa/agency advice
 

AUD $4500 for a workplace assessment??? It might just be me, but that seems excessive! Why have they mentioned TRA? If you're a mechanical engineer, you should be assessed by Engineers Australia. If you're in the UK, there's a list of medical costs on the green sticky threads at the top of the main page. They've mentioned IELTS being "usually before visa application is submitted" - if you were intending to use IELTS for your proof of English language ability, you must take it before you apply. You need to have the proof of English & skills assessment at the time of submitting your EoI. Police certificates increased in cost a couple of days ago. It's now £45 per person for standard service (ten working days) or £80 per person for premium service (two working days). There's a new form for it too. The cost of the state sponsorship will depend on which state is sponsoring you. Some don't charge.

If you're intending to go with an agent, make sure they're MARA registered.