Where and how do you start?!!

[jennywright]

Please, can somebody help. I literally do not know where to start with the whole application process. I am eligable through the SOL and do not really want to use an agent. There are so many sites offering help for varying amounts of money I am really quite baffled. What sort of fees am I looking at if I do the paperwork myself? It all seems like such a minefield.

We are planning to get our visas then activate them next year sometime on a recce. As I understand it we will then have 5 years to take up permenant residency. Is this correct?

Any advice will be gratefully accepted.
Jen x

[rache76]

Hiya,
It's all quite complicated, i can tell you what we have to do.
My hubby is a motor mechanic and is on the occupation in demand list, so we are able to go over to Oz on the 'general skilled' application. Before you can apply on this application you have to have your skills assessed, for us it was Trade Recognition Australia.
We got all our info from www.immi.gov.au which is the official site.
My sister was in a similar situation, she used a migration agent, i can't tell you the number of times i have had to ask her for help.
Best is to have a look on the website and then see if you need an agent....
We have paid $300 TRA, $1990 for application and then there are medicals which i believe to cost quite a lot aswell.
Hope this helps, there are other visas, which i nothing about!!!!!!!!!
Rache76

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Jenny

I am no expert on skilled visas. There seem to be about a dozen different ones as far as I can work out.

I would suggest that it is worth getting two or three Registered Migration Agents to do a free assessment. That narrows down which visas to swot over, for a start. Phil Olsen, who posts on here, is willling to give you a free assessment. Please see here:

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1916

Go Matilda in Southampton (UK) are very well known and hugely experienced. I think they talk people through it on the phone so that the Agent can ask questions and really narrow things down.

Personally I think those on-line aassessment forms are a pain. I wouldn't have the patience fo fool around with them myself.

Depending on your skills, some people choose to get an Agent to help with the skills-assessment, because that seems to be the tricky bit with skilled visas. The application itself is usually fiddly rather than difficult in terms of ensuring that the forms are fully-completed, everything in the checklist is in the bundle and so on. Many agents are prepared to check what you've done, correct you if you have made a mistake, help you to get the application right in the first place, and then they will leave you to do the rest by yourself.

There is a package to suit everyone out there.

As Rache says - don't try to decide yet. Talk to a few Agents and then see how you feel about total or partial DIY, or whether you would prefer just to leave an Agent to take all of the strain of handling DIMA for you.

Cheers

Gill