CameronsDad Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Hi Folks First Post Here, so hello to you all. The forum is excellent and we have gained a fair bit of insight already. We are looking to start the process of applying for the Subclass 309, my wife is Australian and our son is dual citizenship. My employer is trying to arrange a transfer and we have agreed that if I apply for this visa and they arrange the transfer, they will contribute most or all of the cost, however it is down to me to go through the process without their help at this point as they cannot guarantee a transfer. We have tried to pull together some kind of checklist and have found that there are loads of questions we need to ask and are seeing the option of an agent becoming more appealing. I've spoken to Overseas Emigration in Edinburgh already and have a good first impression. Also I have read a limited number of reviews, most of which are positive, but several years old. Can I ask if anybody is currently using or has used an agent, Overseas Emigration in particular and how you find them in terms of lessening the burden and stress? Cheers Cameron's Dad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Welcome to PIO majority of people,do a partner visa without the help of an agent. The current processing time for the Partner visa applying offshore is 12 months - will your employers be prepared to wait 12 months +until you have a visa? I spoke to overseas emigration at the start of our visa process and found them very helpful, and if we were going to use an agent we would have used them. we decided not to use and agent and found our visa process straight forward. Go matilda gets good recommendations from other PIO members, but I'm sure you would be in good hands if you used Overseas Emigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 An employment transfer and a subclass 309 application are not mutually exclusive, but they are unrelated. May I sugest that you consult a registered migration agent to develop a visa strategy and perhaps your employer should too? Any of the registered migrtation agents who regularly post on this forum are OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Hi Folks First Post Here, so hello to you all. The forum is excellent and we have gained a fair bit of insight already. We are looking to start the process of applying for the Subclass 309, my wife is Australian and our son is dual citizenship. My employer is trying to arrange a transfer and we have agreed that if I apply for this visa and they arrange the transfer, they will contribute most or all of the cost, however it is down to me to go through the process without their help at this point as they cannot guarantee a transfer. We have tried to pull together some kind of checklist and have found that there are loads of questions we need to ask and are seeing the option of an agent becoming more appealing. I've spoken to Overseas Emigration in Edinburgh already and have a good first impression. Also I have read a limited number of reviews, most of which are positive, but several years old. Can I ask if anybody is currently using or has used an agent, Overseas Emigration in particular and how you find them in terms of lessening the burden and stress? Cheers Cameron's Dad I assume here that you are intending to migrate regardless of whether your employer can transfer you. If not you could be paying a fair bit of money for a visa that you will not validate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronsDad Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Thanks for the advice. I'm sorry I wasn't too clear on the job transfer, you're right gbye grey sky, we are moving to Australia anyway. The transfer thing came about due to me being up front with my employer (and knowing full well they have an office in Sydney). I asked if there might be an opportunity for a transfer and they said maybe. So there is a verbal agreement that if the transfer comes off, they will pay a substantial amount of the cost. If not, we go ahead with the move anyway and I try to find a job. I doubt if I could justify the agent fees in their cost if the move comes off, hence the unknown financial liability, it could end up costing us around £5k, around £3k or nothing depending on the outcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 We sorted out the visa without an agent. If you have a son together it is likely that you could go straight to a permanent 100 visa (it's the same application). As long as you take a methodical approach and are well organised you can do this on your own really. An agent is useful if there are complications but if your circumstances are straightforward then save the money I say. Even if you used an agent the evidence you need you would still have to collate. Bear in mind it will take you at least a year now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Most people don't need an agent for a straightforward Partner visa application. It sounds like you've been married for a few years and you have a child so a Partner visa application should be very straightforward and pretty easy to do without using an agent. The Partner Migration booklet is very comprehensive and easy to follow so have a read of that and don't bother with an agent unless you feel you won't be able to manage the application without one. http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1127.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Your strategic question may well be whether to apply for the visa offshore or onshore. Processing times for partner visa applications are some 15 to 18 months. Onshore applicants for a partner visa are granted a Bridging Visa A with no restriction as to work rights. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Your strategic question may well be whether to apply for the visa offshore or onshore. Processing times for partner visa applications are some 15 to 18 months. Onshore applicants for a partner visa are granted a Bridging Visa A with no restriction as to work rights. Best regards. Yes, but unless the employer offers a transfer (and they are not at the moment) the OP would probably need to give up his job now to go. Would you advocate entering on a tourist visa and then apply for an onshore partner visa with Bridging Visa A on arrival so enabling him to go and find work. Onshore applications are more expensive and lengthier too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronsDad Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 Based on your advice, guys, we have decided to give it a go on our own first. Methodically as you say, we think it should be something we can cope with on our own. It it will be done from the UK but applying onshore was something we didn't even consider so thanks for the suggestion. First thing ink we need to get is a good quality all in one printer scanner copier. Thanks for for all your help, I'm sure I will be back :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeGirl Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Based on your advice, guys, we have decided to give it a go on our own first. Methodically as you say, we think it should be something we can cope with on our own. It it will be done from the UK but applying onshore was something we didn't even consider so thanks for the suggestion. First thing ink we need to get is a good quality all in one printer scanner copier. Thanks for for all your help, I'm sure I will be back :-) If you haven't applied yet, you may want to rethink that. If you travel to Australia on a tourist visa (eVisitor is usually the easiest for you UK folks) on a holiday, and, during that holiday, you decide you want to stay in Australia permanently, you can apply for a Partner Visa onshore without any trouble. At that point, you will be given a Bridging Visa A that will activate as soon as your current three-month stay on your eVisitor expires. This will give you full work rights as soon as it activates. This means within a period of three months you'd have full work rights in Australia - something it sounds like you need ASAP. You would also have full Medicare rights as soon as you apply for the Partner Visa. Not as huge a thing for you folks with reciprocal healthcare rights, but still useful. Do keep in mind that eVisitors are not intended for that purpose - so go over intending to be a tourist. Don't take all your worldly possessions with you. Have actual touristy things to do planned. Be a genuine tourist. People do this every day successfully without issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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