To agent or not to agent.....that is the question

**CelticSatsuma** · 11-02-2008, 08:58 AM

Hello All

This is my first post on here (I've been watching in the background for a while!). We have decided to move to OZ and have been looking into either using an agent or going it alone.

OH is a computer programmer and so we will be appling for a 175 visa as he's occupation is on the MODL but he doen't have a degree and so the skills assessment seems a nightmare - I take it from reading other peoples posts he will have to do the RPL thing.

Although I'm loathed to spend money on an agent if we dont need one I'm wondering if it might make our life a lot easier???

Any advice would be wonderful please!

Sally

**calNgary** · 11-02-2008, 09:06 AM

Hiya and welcome to poms in oz ,,having an agent certainly made things a whole lot easier for us and i wouldnt do it any other way.We used Visa Bureau who were great ,Go matilda are another reputable company too.Many folks on here have done it on there own and had no problems ,it really boils down to personal prefernce and finances,,good luck with everything
Cal x

**Phoenix** · 11-02-2008, 09:10 AM

My criteria fo using an agent or not is 'how straightforward is your application?', if you are a perfectly straight down the line case and can easily manage the skills and family issues then you are probably OK with DIY, however, if you have many unusual circumstances that would benefit from an agent giving you an and and preprocessing the application before it goes off then maybe you should consider the agent route.

**alanblockley** · 11-02-2008, 09:23 AM

This is a very popular question. I wrote a blog entry on this the other day, have a read and see if it helps. It's just my 2 cents on the scenario.

Agent or DIY ?

P.S. Welcome to PiO

**Alan Collett** · 11-02-2008, 10:08 PM

I have read your blog. Where does £3,000 come from?

Best regards.

**Bones** · 11-02-2008, 10:52 PM

Sally, read my thread here.... http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migrat...-scammers.html
There is some good advice on it and some suggested agents to use, 1 being the poster above me, Alan Collett, who has a company called Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - Visa, Tax and Financial Planning for Australia

There's also 1 or 2 you should avoid ;)

Bones

**alanblockley** · 12-02-2008, 05:44 AM

£3,000 is an approximate estimate of the fee you could pay with an agent.

**Alan Collett** · 12-02-2008, 06:01 AM

It is also at least 40% higher than most of us charge for a typical skilled visa application, even if you include VAT ...

Best regards.

**calNgary** · 12-02-2008, 09:44 AM

I think that may include ,visa costs and medical/police checks fees too,i know ours was just over 3000 all up with an agent.
Cal x

**Gollywobbler** · 12-02-2008, 06:50 PM

Hi All

Thisthread reveals some of the figures currently being bandied around. Obviously, we don't know exactly what they include.

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/genera...paperwork.html

However, it does seem to me that it is not impossible for an Agent to ensure that a potential client understands what the Agent's own profit-costs will be and how much else has to be paid to DIAC etc?

I think there could be an element of caveat vendor in this, unusually! If I knew the Latin word for "wannabe" I would have included it between caveat and vendor!

Cheers

Gill