emcgiv Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hi...me, my husband & our 2 year old daughter are planning on moving to Brisbane in 2015. We had initially looked into migration agents to assist with our 189 visa application however, we are now wondering if we could do this ourselves (to help save some cash for the big move!). Wondering if anyone is willing to share their experiences of applying themselves without an agent & how you found the whole process?? Thanks x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxlornaxx Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Easy..just do lot of reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest100417 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Easy..just do lot of reading Agreed, do it yourself. Me and the wife did, took 11 months including IELTS academic, ANMAC and then the main visa application... Plus saved a few grand!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Many people handle their 189 applications without using an agent and if your situation has no complications and you're well organised, you will probably manage it without any issues. No complications means that it's obvious which occupation you should nominate, that you understand the skills assessment requirements and are confident you meet them, that your work experience is all post qualification and readily verified and there are no medical or character issues. Any grey areas, it would be a good idea to consult a good agent for an initial evaluation and advice - you don't need to have them do the whole application. Edited January 21, 2015 by Ozmaniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emcgiv Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thanks guys! We have been quite methodical in our reading on the immi website & thought it seems managable on our own just needed to hear it from others! I am physio so already been through the whole skills assessment & AHPRA registration so have alot of the relevant documents already certified which should make the process a bit less time consuming. Don't anticipate any issues with police or health checks. The final thing will be passing IELTS. Looks like we will be submitting an expression of interest soon then!! Thanks for all your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyd Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 It's all simple enough to do yourself, I did last year, the wife just let me get on with it and signed anything she had to or attended medicals. As it's a timely process, you have so long to research or ask on here if you need help. I started early 2014, grant came Oct 2014. Much of that was waiting for stuff to come from the UK. You'll manage fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thanks guys! We have been quite methodical in our reading on the immi website & thought it seems managable on our own just needed to hear it from others! I am physio so already been through the whole skills assessment & AHPRA registration so have alot of the relevant documents already certified which should make the process a bit less time consuming. Don't anticipate any issues with police or health checks. The final thing will be passing IELTS. Looks like we will be submitting an expression of interest soon then!! Thanks for all your help! For the visa application process DIBP accepts colour scans of documents that are not certified. Good of luck with the IELTS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graemsay Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I applied for a 175 visa off my own back a few years ago. | found the most difficult part of the process was the skills assessment. Once I'd done that, I was fine. I also found that my CO was helpful, and when I'd made a mistake, I was able to correct things. Basically I turned out to have a few less points than I thought because I'd had a patch of unemployment during the recession, so I ended up doing an IELTS test to get the extra needed. As others have said, if you're capable of reading, can follow instructions, and don't have anything problematic with your background then you're probably OK. At risk of upsetting the agents round here, I don't see an awful lot of advantage in using one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Basically I turned out to have a few less points than I thought because I'd had a patch of unemployment during the recession, so I ended up doing an IELTS test to get the extra needed. Under the current rules, a visa applicant in that position would be refused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emcgiv Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thank you for all the information, its been really helpful! I appreciate you taking the time to reply to my thread. Planning on submitting an expression of interest with immi at the end of the week!!! wrussell I have spoken with someone from immi regarding which visa I would be eligible to apply for and was advised that I would be able to lodge an application for a 189 visa?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Hi...me, my husband & our 2 year old daughter are planning on moving to Brisbane in 2015. We had initially looked into migration agents to assist with our 189 visa application however, we are now wondering if we could do this ourselves (to help save some cash for the big move!). Once upon a time I would've said, do it yourself. However nowadays, the application fees are so expensive I don't think it's worth risking. If you make one small mistake it can cause you to get rejected and you've wasted your application fee - is that really worth it? Let's face it, migrating is going to cost you at least $50,000 by the time you're settled, so in the scheme of things, an agent's fee isn't going to make that much difference - and it will give you a lot of peace of mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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