Victoriwa Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Hey all, My beau and I have decided the time is right to look to make a better life for us in Australia now. I've been trying to do the whole process myself... But I'm struggling to find the time (and energy if I'm honest!) whilst racing around after our 17 month old. Plus my other half (self employed plasterer) isn't one for keeping organised records and paperwork... So, who used an Agent, and would you recommend them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Go Matilda used to be who I would recommend, I have had lots of advice along the way. However, I emailed them last week and I haven't had a reply yet asking about costs. To me, I would like to instruct an agent that gets back to me in a short period of time, as that is the most important factor through all the stress of the process, so for that reason, Go Matilda have lost my business. A week without a reply is not good enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoriwa Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Funnily enough, I was just checking out their website... And their claims of upfront, honest and transparent fees! The very least you'd want from someone with your future in their hands is a quick response... It'd be great to hear from you when you finally find an agent. And good luck on your journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicBlue82 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I would highly recommend Mark Northam (mnvisa.com). Mark is based out of Sydney and handled my appeal to the Migration Review Tribunal and we won our case! Mark is really on the ball and is in the know. I swear he never sleeps haha. I've gotten e-mails back from him at 11 or 12 at night! Always very quick to respond to your queries, he's very very knowledgeable and very friendly and professional. I couldn't say enough good things about him. And his fees are reasonable too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoriwa Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thank you for tip Sonic; I'll be sure to check him out... And way to go on winning your appeal - wahay!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Go Matilda used to be who I would recommend, I have had lots of advice along the way. However, I emailed them last week and I haven't had a reply yet asking about costs. To me, I would like to instruct an agent that gets back to me in a short period of time, as that is the most important factor through all the stress of the process, so for that reason, Go Matilda have lost my business. A week without a reply is not good enough. Hello Jac. I'm sorry to hear you haven't had a response yet. Can you send a PM or email to me (click on my name to the left of this post) with your name so I can look into this? It is most unusual for us not to reply promptly, so I'd like to find out what is going on. Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Funnily enough, I was just checking out their website... And their claims of upfront, honest and transparent fees! The very least you'd want from someone with your future in their hands is a quick response... It'd be great to hear from you when you finally find an agent. And good luck on your journey Hello Victoriwa. Please feel able to send your details to us - I can assure you that we are upfront and transparent with our fees. Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMay24 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I agree with the recommendation for Mark Northam. Go Matilda (Alan Collett above) is also very well-respected and gets a lot of positive reviews, and Westly Russell (WRussell on this forum) is also incredibly knowledgeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoriwa Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Many thanks for the assurance Alan... Will look forward to hearing from someone in due course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoriwa Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Thank you Maggie. I will look into your suggestions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Funny you say that. I love Go Matilda but am also waiting for a quote from the GMTax side of it that I was told would come on Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Funny you say that. I love Go Matilda but am also waiting for a quote from the GMTax side of it that I was told would come on Tuesday. On the tax side - it is a busy time of year - but keep faith, and we'll be in contact ... Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Iv replied to your PM Alan. I checked my emails and the email was sent on the 17th July. The initial advice and help I received from Marina was always fantastic, but it does concern me that if I am looking for answers to questions, or reassurance that I may not receive a reply. I work long shifts and am often unable to make calls during the business day for 3 days in a row, so I come to rely on email. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Hi jac2011. You have a PM reply from me. I am on the case ... Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Grey Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Should be worth noting that an agent is undoubtably a benefit, but your husband is still going to have to gather a certain amount of information himself for the application. If he's self-employed this involves a large amount of documentation including tax records, self-statements, references from clients etc. Agents can help with drafts and templates for references and statements, but if he hasn't kept a lot of paperwork it starts becoming an issue. http://Www.migrationagentreviews.com is the largest independent review site. I recommend only dealing with a MARA registered agent and the register can be searched here: http://www.mara.gov.au The company I work for has 5 MARA registered agents and a very large number of great testimonials from clients on the site mentioned above. Of course I recommend them, but obviously a very bias position. Go Matilda have good reviews on here and Alan has shown his knowledge over a number of posts. I know Mark Northam to be very knowledgable too and I'd have no trouble recommending him. Quick note on emails and speed of reply, if my own company is anything to go by the volume of general enquiries received on a daily basis is huge. Everybody wants tons of information and answers to very specific questions before they engage our services. It's often quite clear that enquirers are contacting multiple agents, asking different specific questions on various aspects of the process to gain the information needed without any intention of signing up. It's a very difficult task to prioritise enquiries and determine who has a genuine enquiry and who is just using you as a free information service. The one thing that I'm sure is common to all agents is that an engaged client receives top priority and a speedy reply to questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Should be worth noting that an agent is undoubtably a benefit, but your husband is still going to have to gather a certain amount of information himself for the application. If he's self-employed this involves a large amount of documentation including tax records, self-statements, references from clients etc. Agents can help with drafts and templates for references and statements, but if he hasn't kept a lot of paperwork it starts becoming an issue. Www.migrationagentreviews.com is the largest independent review site. I recommend only dealing with a MARA registered agent and the register can be searched here: www.mara.gov.au The company I work for has 5 MARA registered agents and a very large number of great testimonials from clients on the site mentioned above. Of course I recommend them, but obviously a very bias position. Go Matilda have good reviews on here and Alan has shown his knowledge over a number of posts. I know Mark Northam to be very knowledgable too and I'd have no trouble recommending him. Quick note on emails and speed of reply, if my own company is anything to go by the volume of general enquiries received on a daily basis is huge. Everybody wants tons of information and answers to very specific questions before they engage our services. It's often quite clear that enquirers are contacting multiple agents, asking different specific questions on various aspects of the process to gain the information needed without any intention of signing up. It's a very difficult task to prioritise enquiries and determine who has a genuine enquiry and who is just using you as a free information service. The one thing that I'm sure is common to all agents is that an engaged client receives top priority and a speedy reply to questions. Its easy to say this, but my email was following some initial advice earlier in the year, all my email asked for was a breakdown of costs to go forth with the agent. I was not looking for free information. I was ready to sign up for their services and had emailed for a breakdown of costs and how I would go about making payments. If this isn't genuine enough, I don't know what is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 OK, I have a reply from the member of our team with whom you communicated in April, jac2011, and about whom you were most complimentary in your emails to her. It appears we didn't receive your email last week - did you receive an acknowledgment, or did you phone us? Our last contact from you as per our records appears to have been in April. We would very much like the opportunity to act for you, as I have noted. But saying on a public forum that we haven't responded to an email we seemingly haven't received really isn't appreciated. Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Alan, all I can say is I have evidence I emailed Marina last week, and I haven't had an email to say the email failed. I have always been complimentary of Marina, but I do not like being made out to be purposely putting down your company. I have complimented it on plenty of occasions, in fact most threads asking for recommendations. However, I did email Marina, I do have proof and as much as you want to protect your company this is a public forum and I feel I have the right to state the facts. If Marina, has not received it that is not a problem with my email server. I never received acknowledgements from emails I sent to Marina. I believe in being honest on this forum, where credit is due I am the first to give it. Email systems are pretty reliable these days and apart from an email being delayed by a few hours, I have never had any other problems since using my email account in 2003. It is for that reason I stated that I am disappointed by not receiving a reply, and I stand by that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Grey Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 [/b] Its easy to say this, but my email was following some initial advice earlier in the year, all my email asked for was a breakdown of costs to go forth with the agent. I was not looking for free information. I was ready to sign up for their services and had emailed for a breakdown of costs and how I would go about making payments. If this isn't genuine enough, I don't know what is. Hi Jac, I wasn't commenting specifically on your situation, more of a general note highlighting some of the issues that can be faced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Hi jac2011. I'm sorry this hasn't worked out - we didn't receive your email, and a follow up email or phone call might have been appropriate - or a PM to me - rather than the approach in this thread. Good luck going forwards. Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 If Marina, has not received it that is not a problem with my email server. I never received acknowledgements from emails I sent to Marina. Email systems are pretty reliable these days and apart from an email being delayed by a few hours, I have never had any other problems since using my email account in 2003. Please can you share with us the proof that your mailserver didn't have a problem (email headers, message delivery receipts will do)? Also, can you share with us what uptime / availability guarantees your ISP is making? Otherwise neither statement is substantiated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Please can you share with us the proof that your mailserver didn't have a problem (email headers, message delivery receipts will do)? Also, can you share with us what uptime / availability guarantees your ISP is making? Otherwise neither statement is substantiated. I don't think need Jac needs to provide proof, I believe she sent it but I also believe that Go Matilda haven't received it. We receive thousands of emails a week and when I do reply not everyone receives it. There can be a number of reasons for this and as Peach has said (he is also an IT buff) there are many reasons why an email can go AWOL. I recommend anyone to send a follow up email ASAP. On the tax agent replies I'm sure Alan will be quicker than our current one that usually takes 6 months and lots of phone calls to get back to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I don't think need Jac needs to provide proof, I believe she sent it but I also believe that Go Matilda haven't received it. That is my position too :wubclub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 That is my position too :wubclub: :hug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 The approach wasn't aimed at you, I was giving my opinion to the OP based on the fact this is a public forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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