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Hi All, After a 3 month traveling trip in Oz in 2015, I am finally preparing to start the process of application for 189 visa for Australia. I believe this is the best visa option for me (please suggest otherwise if not) Location - I have narrowed areas to either Brisbane or Melbourne, but I am still flexible. About me - I am a Bachelors Degree Engineer in mechanical engineering with over 10 years experience, mainly in automotive and manufacturing quality. I have been working for my own company as a freelance consultant since 2015 I also used to be a mechanic but I do not have the official qualification as I opted for university instead. I am 35yo, single and solo applicant which should make things simpler. I have done quite a lot of research, however I am aware that the process and criteria is under constant change, and now covid has made it even worse I have tried a couple of agents but they have not been very helpful, and I have had big problems trying to book an appointment. I have also previously completed an EOI but I had nothing back and it consequently expired. Is anyone able to advise me next steps, or a well recommended agent? Kind Regards, Geoff

My partner and I are wanting to migrate from England to Oz. Doing my research I think the best visa option for us 190 state sponsor as my partner is a mechanic and could get 70 points. HOWEVER I have been in contact with different migrant agents, 1 wants us to apply for two visas at the same time which I have since been told should not be done, 1 said there is no point starting because of the pandemic, the other said to start the ball rolling after 6th October when the updated state skills list will be known, 1 is a lot more expensive than the others in terms of fees and the other is eager to help but I have read bad reviews. Feeling a little overwhelmed and would appreciate any help in finding a migrant agent. thank you

Thanks for reading this post, I am desperately tying to find out the answer to this and my agent is unsure. We are hoping to move to SA this year and have applied for a Skilled - Regional (Subclass 489) (Provisional). I currently work for a global financial company and my current job, although based in the UK - requires time to support many countries. my question is: if I was to continue working in this job but be based from my new home (in an acceptable regional postcode in SA) for the 2 years. Would it satisfy the requirements of the 489 visa? any help would be greatly appreciated! thank you

Hi all! I'm in the midst of choosing a registered migration agent to handle my case and have spoken to about 10 so far. Out of these, I've come down to 3 agents who have similar service charges and experience. However, I'm still not able to decide which one to go for. You could say that reading stories of people getting scammed or the agent not being helpful enough in sticky situations has got to my head. The whole visa process is already so daunting to me and I haven't even started it Any advice or tips on this would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello I'm just looking for advice and a good visa agent to take on our case... I am currently living and working in Broken Hill, NSW on a TSS visa. My partner is living in NZ but is from the UK, he is wanting to join me in NSW as a subsequent entrant as my partner on my visa. The issues we are facing is that we have been together for slightly over a year however only lived together for 3 months, so not sure what our chances are of him coming on my visa as de facto. I have read that registering your relationship in the state you live can waiver the requirements however not sure how true this is. We have plenty of evidence to meet all other requirements. Secondly my partner has a conviction from Australia in 2017 for assault on an officer- he was not placed in jail and released with 12 month good behaviour order. He also has 2 previous cautions from the UK from 10 years ago. No criminal record from the past 3 years in NZ. Obviously before applying for the visa we wanted to know how likely it is that he would be granted a visa especially based on the fact we haven’t lived together for a long time and his criminal record. Does the fact he is coming to live in a remote part of Aus with me have any benefit to our case? Would like some honest advice on the likelihood of a grant and a rough price from an agent. Thanks

Hi Everyone, Newbie here. My partner and I are in the process of applying for the new 491 Visa under my partners skilled occuptation of Pastry Chef/Cook. We were in contact with a company based in Edingburgh who gave us a successful assessment and we were confident that he would get the ball rolling for us, after our conversation. We provided him all the relevant information and was told he was resarching/confirming my partners french qualification. Since then, he has stopped replying to messages and has gone cold on us. I was wondering if any of you could recommend reuputable mirgration agent in the UK, who are used to dealing with applications with French qualifications and keep us through the loop throughout. My partners qualification was obtained in Rennes, France. Qualification - CAP (Certificate D' Appitude Patissier) - Patissier, Glacier, Chocolatier, Confiseur Thanks

Hi Guys My spouse has applied for South Australia Visa 489, Occupation : Illustrator 232412 with 75 Points (including State Nomination) The date of submitting our EOI was 27th September 2018. Now, that Category says "Special Conditions Apply" and color coded "Red" today on 19th November 2018. (a) Will this affect our EOI response ? (b) My agent is saying no need to stress out as this is only applicable for new entries! Is this correct? Is he saying right thing ? Please advise. Thanks

I'm looking for an experienced agent to speak with to help put together an application with the AITSL.

Hello all, I'm British, and my husband has joint British/Australian. We've been together in London for 5 years, and now are looking to move to Australia, so I'm applying for a 309 visa. What are people's thoughts on applying with an agent vs handling the application ourselves? Have many people here handled the process themselves - and been successful or unsuccessful? Any advice and experience gratefully received. Thanks, Dave

Submitted EOi, but wondering if we should use an agent? We can do the form, just not sure if agents know things we don't know, and if it speeds things up? Anyone changed to using an agent and found any significant improvement? Thanks

Hi has anyone ever heard of or ever worked with Australia Immigration Professionals? They are a registered MARA and what sort of charges have your agents charged AIP is charging US$6500

Agent fees Why fees vary Under the Code of Conduct for registered migration agents, the amount your agent charges (fees) must be fair and reasonable. Your agent will set their fee based on your circumstances. Agent fees vary and depend on: Your visa application type. The amount of time it will take to prepare your application. Some visa applications take longer to prepare than others. You can check how much your agent might charge you in the list of fees in the Agent fee data table below. The level of service you need. If you need extra help or have complex circumstances. For example your agent might charge more if you have dependants on your application (such as children). The experience and qualifications of your agent. If your agent is a lawyer or has many years of experience, their fees might be higher. If your agent’s fees seem too high, discuss this with them before signing a contract. Consider talking to a few agents about their service and fees, before you choose one and sign a written contract with them. Agent fee data Every year, agents give the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority information about the average fees they charge. This table represents the range of fees charged by registered migration agents for the period 1 January to 31 December 2015. It gives you an idea of how much you might pay an agent to help with your visa. Agent fee data - 1 January to 31 December 2015 Temporary visa services Bridging visa Business (visitor) Graduate - Skilled Other temporary resident Other visitor Student Student Guardian Temporary Graduate Temporary Non-business Temporary Work Skilled (457) Tourist Working Holiday $150 - $700 $500 - $1,500 $900 - $2,200 $550 - $2,800 $400 - $1,500 $500 - $1,650 $500 - $1,800 $900 - $2,200 $500 - $3,500 $1,800 - $5,000 $300 - $1,000 $200 - $1,100 Permanent visa services Australian Declaratory visa Business Skills Child Migration Employer Nomination Scheme General Skilled Migration Humanitarian Offshore Onshore Protection Other Skilled Parent Migration Partner Migration Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Returning Resident Skilled Independent Special Migration $500 - $4,000 $4,000 - $15,000 $1,100 - $3,300 $2,000 - $5,500 $1,500 - $4,400 $1,200 - $3,500 $1,500 - $4,000 $1,500 - $4,500 $1,500 - $3,800 $500 - $4,000 $2,500 - $5,500 $500 - $2,000 $1,800 - $4,000 $1,600 - $4,400 Other New Zealand Special Category visa Review Application $500 - $3,500 $1,300 - $5,000 Note: These fees are in Australian dollars and include Goods and Services Tax (GST). These fees do not include visa application charges payable to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP). Initial consultation fees Many agents will meet with you in person or by telephone to provide general information and answer your questions before you sign a written service agreement with them. This is an initial consultation. Some agents do this for free and others charge for this service. Those who charge must tell you in writing how much you have to pay before your meeting (in person or by telephone). Agreement to Services and Fees Before starting work, your agent must provide you with a written estimate of fees you will be charged for their services. The estimate of charges will include: professional fees, either by the hour or by the service disbursements (these are other costs such as visa application charges). You should accept these financial terms in writing through an ‘Agreement for Services and Fees’. This agreement must include: services to be performed fees for the services (either charged per service or per hour) disbursements (money paid by the agent on your behalf, such as a visa application charge). Do not pay your agent until you have read, understood and agreed to the Agreement for Services and Fees. Payment in advance or on completion of services Some agents charge by asking you to pay in advance into their clients’ account (see below). Some only charge when their services are complete. Clients’ account Before your agent can take their fee, they have to give you a written statement of services. The statement must show: the work your agent has performed how much your agent charges—by service or by hour. The statement of services must match what your Agreement for Services and Fees says. A flowchart comparing how your money is handled by your agent if paid before or after services is provided is in this guide. Guidance for Registered Migration Agents: Parts 5 & 7 of the Code of Conduct (169 KB PDF) Clients' account If your agent charges you before services are completed, they must have a bank account called a ‘clients’ account’. This has to be separate from their business accounts or personal bank accounts. When your agent takes money from you before providing services, they are holding on to it for you. They must deposit it in the clients’ account and they cannot use it unless they need to pay for something on your behalf, such as your visa application fee. Your agent can only take money from the clients’ account to pay for their professional fees once they have completed a service or a large amount of work, and provided you with a statement of these services. Changes to your fees Your agent must give you written notice of any change to the amount they will charge for providing you with services. Your agent has to do this as soon as they become aware of the change (for example, extra work your agent did not know about when they agreed to work for you). Your agent must not carry out work for you in a way that unnecessarily increases the cost of the work, for example by seeking advice from specialists when not needed. Fee disputes

Hi, I am looking forward to employ AIVES as my migration agent. The person who head the firm,also a MARA agent, named Rasheed Backer. Could anyone give me positive/negative about them. They have office in Oz,India and UAE. Any feedback will help me a lot. Cheers Mandhani

Good evening Can anyone recommend a good agent in Perth that could process an ENS 186 visa? I am currently over in Aus on a 457 (med to long term) visa and working for a company that is willing to sponsor me. My 457 visa was processed by an agent recommended to me by the company I work for. Am I obliged / is it recommended that I should stick with this same agent when applying for the ENS186 now? (perhaps to ensure continuity of the whole process, since he holds my initial documentation from when he processed my 457?) I haven't been entirely happy with him, as he can be very sketchy when it comes to giving me answers, his prices are way up there, and he's using 'scare tactics' to pressure my wife over the phone to get things done 'now' (he has said certain things over the phone, yet in writing/over email he won't/contradicts) Thanks in advance

Are these fees unreasonable?

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are looking for some advice on the best way to apply for our PR visa as we are both skilled, can anyone recommend a good agent to use in Perth please? Thanks in advance.

Hi there, long story short i have been looking for child care agency in NSW area that could help to find a job and assisting in visa application for RSMS but if there is any good agency located outside of NSW i am more than happy to travel to the office. I would like to ask for help to recommend any child care agency that could help me in my situation, any information would be helpful and i would like to say thanks in advance. Thanks. Regards, Alexander

Hi guys, Am just asking around for any info on good migration agents here in UK. Any recommendations? We had some bad luck earlier this year with one particular company (sorry can't say who) but we are now up and running and are looking for an agent who we can trust to do the job and get us to sunny Oz! Any info would be much appreciated. Cheers Woody.:unsure:

Hi all, Very helpful forum. Has anyone here used true blue migration? They have a no visa no fee policy. I will be applying for Victoria state nomination 190 visa as life scientist nec. I submitted my skills assessment with Vetassess 9 weeks ago and I will sit IELTs in 3 weeks. I live and work in Qld with my partner (both on WHV) since July. I will be applying from QLD. The Victorian state nomination website states you need a job offer but when I called they said it's not completely necessary as long as I convince then I want to live there. So I will write a letter with friends address and number in Melbourne (who I will live with) and a list of jobs applied for and a contract from my current job stating that I will finish in March and my employers number to confirm this. True blue have quoted me 2200 despite the fact that I've done a huge amount of it already. Any suggestions??? Or has anyone used True Blue before. I really want this PR visa but don't want to risk doing the state nomination part alone in case I don't get it but it's a lot of extra money. Sarah

Hi, Can you recommend an agent (in Australia or UK) who has good and successful Aged Parent Visa (subclass 804) experience please? Thanks, Steve.

Hi everyone. I'm new to this site and joined as I'm currently trying to get started on a visa application for a spouse partner visa. Im from the UK and my girlfriend is from Perth. We've been together for about 2 years now living in Australia and traveling in Asia. My first question is, has anybody applied for this visa and done it WITHOUT a migration agent? We would like to this as our funds are low and my working holiday visa expires in Septemeber! how do we get started?? Any advice or nfo would be a massive Help Thanks

Is someone able to recommend a UK migration agent based in Melbourne? I need to seek advice from a UK Migration Lawyer/Specialist.

Dear all, I am the main visa holder on a 475 visa which we hope to convert to an 887 visa in 2 years. Can anyone recommend a good migration agent that is experienced in this type of visa please? Also, our UK agent advised that although I am the main visa holder, it could be either myself or partner who fulfils the work requirement. I am hearing advice to the contrary but the application form for the 887 visa does seem to indicate that my partner could be the main applicant for that visa. I would be very interested to hear from anyone that has been in a similar situation. I have consulted immigration and am waiting to hear back from them. Many thanks, Vickie

I'm legible for permanent residency this July through my skill. However there may be a couple of other options with the same outcome but I would like to talk to an agent to clear any questions up. Apparently you can pay to sit with an immigration agent to discuss your options and see which is the best for you. Has anyone done this? And if so can you recommend any reliable ones? I want to get the ball rolling early and prepare well. I live in Sydney. Thank you for your help Tara