Agent near Edinburgh...?

Hi all,

After receiving a quote for our visa where the agent fee is approx £3k we are looking to get another quote for comparison.

Either that or we are considering completing the visa on our own. Our case is not totally straightforward so a bit worried about this....

Can anyone suggest an agent they had a good experience with?

Thanks

SM x

We used Overseas Migration who are based in Edinburgh - we wanted a local agent but to be honest after an initial face to face meeting everything was done by phone and email anyway & by the time our application was submitted we were already living in Australia on a 457 visa so I don't think having a local agent really matters.

There are a number of agents who post on here who have good reputations. Have a browse in the 'Ask an Agent' section of the forum and see who appeals to you.

You don't need a local agent. We opted for Emergico Migration (based in Brisbane with offices in Essex) due to good reviews and lots of happy customers. Professional fees will depend on visa type and number of applicants ours was reasonable and certainly worth the cost as we want it to be thorough and done right.

Thanks for the replies. I had wondered about an Australian agent too. Its such a dilemma, save significant amount of cash versus feeling a bit more confident that all bases are covered.

I can't shake the feeling that you end up doing most of the work anyway as I have already pulled together everything for my skills assessment and can see the form for my profession is relatively straightforward.

Thanks all...SM

What is it about your case that isn't entirely straight forward?

If you don't mine sharing that then others with similar issues may be able to advise.

For example any kind of health issues I would definitely use an agent.

In our case I would say the agent saved me months of work as I was all set to do an RPL for Australian Computer Society. When OE reviewed my life story/experience they suggested I applied as a 'Social Professional' - I had a relevant degree and 3 years Social Work experience so all this required was a degree transcript.

I am sure we'd have got the visa anyway but an ACS RPL is a huge undertaking.

hi, im not sure who you where quoted by, but I used VISA-GO in Edinburgh although it was 8yrs ago so not sure if they are still going...

I did find them very helpful although very expensive, but very straight to the point... there was times when I thought it was a bit much what they where asking for..ie letters from my work, references written in a certain way..etc this was a bit stressful.

but as I am rubbish at paperwork and forms, to me it was well worth the expense, especially when you consider the re application time and possible expenses.

When the approved letter came through I was ecstatic.. and looking back I realized that the reason they wanted everything done that way and timely was that they knew what they where doing and what the Australian government needed.. so to me..it was brilliant.. expensive but TOTALLY worth every penny.

Thanks for the replies. I had wondered about an Australian agent too. Its such a dilemma, save significant amount of cash versus feeling a bit more confident that all bases are covered.

 

I can't shake the feeling that you end up doing most of the work anyway as I have already pulled together everything for my skills assessment and can see the form for my profession is relatively straightforward.

 

Thanks all...SM

Maybe make enquiries of one or two agents other than OE Visas and Visa Go, which are Edinburgh based?

There are a few firms that have offices in the UK and in Australia - which would give you a local contact as well as representation where your visa application is being processed; maybe speak with a couple of them?

Best regards.

Hi I'm in Edinburgh going through visa process (189). We're using Go Matilda and it's all been through phone calls and emails and so far it's all worked out fine.

Hi all,

 

After receiving a quote for our visa where the agent fee is approx £3k we are looking to get another quote for comparison.

 

Either that or we are considering completing the visa on our own. Our case is not totally straightforward so a bit worried about this....

 

Can anyone suggest an agent they had a good experience with?

 

Thanks

SM x

After my years on here and having 3 visas to Oz, I am a big fan of agents. You would be surprised how easy it can be to get a refusal. I know of a recent case where an incorrect date was put on a piece of the application that resulted in a refusal. A refusal means also the loss of the fee and even a potential ban from reapplying for 3 years

Hi everyone and thanks for your responses.

I have now engaged with a second Edinburgh based agent and received a further quote which isn't a million miles from the first. We are pretty much certain that we probably should go ahead with an agent for some of the reasons you mention VERYSTORMY. A refusal due to a small mistake would be devastating and we certainly don't have the cash to do it twice! That and the fact that our case isn't totally straightforward. Just need to make the final decision and get it moving...