MrsWL Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hello! I have just joined, so hello everybody! My husband and I are looking to move to Australia and will be applying via a 189 skilled visa - husband is a carpenter with 18+ years being self employed. We have contacted several migration agents who have all told us contradicting information and we are now extremely confused. Also the price differences between all agents vary considerably. Firstly, can anybody recommend a good migration agent? We would do the application process ourselves but have heard horror stories about people messing them up and being refused entry! Secondly, how much should we expect to pay for a migration agent? One quote is £1870 but from a company I can find no information on - and he believes he can get the whole process done within three months - which seems too good to be true, so maybe is! Another is for around £3600 and another £5200. So as you can see that's quite a significent gap! Please help - I will be SO grateful for any responses Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWL Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Oh - and here's some basic stats incase relevant. He is 36, UK passport holder, NVQ3 carpenter & joiner, 18+ years self employed as a carpenter & joiner. No medical illness history. No Aus relatives. Will he need to do the english test? Also, skills testing...please tell me more!! Thank you, and as you can see, we are complete novices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hello! I have just joined, so hello everybody! My husband and I are looking to move to Australia and will be applying via a 189 skilled visa - husband is a carpenter with 18+ years being self employed. We have contacted several migration agents who have all told us contradicting information and we are now extremely confused. Also the price differences between all agents vary considerably. Firstly, can anybody recommend a good migration agent? We would do the application process ourselves but have heard horror stories about people messing them up and being refused entry! Secondly, how much should we expect to pay for a migration agent? One quote is £1870 but from a company I can find no information on - and he believes he can get the whole process done within three months - which seems too good to be true, so maybe is! Another is for around £3600 and another £5200. So as you can see that's quite a significent gap! Please help - I will be SO grateful for any responses Thank you The most highly recommended agent on PIO is Go Matilda - do a search on matilda in the search box at the top of the page and you'll see what I mean. Agent's fees will probably cost more than £1870 and if the one quoting that has told you that it's possible to do the whole process including skills assessment within 3 months, avoid them like the plague because that's simply not so. Skills assessment alone for a self employed carpenter in the UK is likely to take at least a couple of months if not longer, then at least a couple of weeks to submit an EOI and get an invitation followed by a visa processing time of 3 months or so - all up, it's going to take at least 6 months and it could be longer. Contact Go Matilda @Alan Collett is a regular poster on PIO and get a quote from them - it will be worth every penny. Your husband doesn't need to do an English test to meet the basic English requirements for the visa (his British citizenship does that automatically) but he will probably need to do one of the English tests in order to get enough points for a 189. 60 points is all he needs but it can be difficult for a tradesman to get to 60 without at least some points for English, particularly given that he is over 33. If he decides to go ahead with getting skills assessment, it would be a good idea to also start on doing IELTS or one of the other English tests - some people need 3 or even more shots at it before they get the required scores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeelD Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Oh - and here's some basic stats incase relevant. He is 36, UK passport holder, NVQ3 carpenter & joiner, 18+ years self employed as a carpenter & joiner. No medical illness history. No Aus relatives. Will he need to do the english test? Also, skills testing...please tell me more!! Thank you, and as you can see, we are complete novices! Hi, I'm a Carpenter and Joiner by trade and done the application myself. Honestly it's not a difficult process at all. You have to do all the work yourself. The agent will just ask you for a list of documents and they will process the application for you. As for the agent stating it will be done in 3 month... I doubt that very much as it generally takes 9-12 weeks for TRA to access your qualifications. Once you pass you have to wait for the Invite to be sent and the. You have a month to upload all your documents. It took 9 months for our application from start to finish and we had no hiccups. As for the English test your husband will have to do the test Unfortunetly as he loses points for age. He will only need to sit the General test but can sit it once he has submitted his documents for assessing. Inbox me if you need help or want a list of what documents you require. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adele244 Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I think he will probably need the English Test. My husband will and he is an Electronics engineer with 16 years experience with relevant NVQ qualifications. He is 37 and as I don't have any skills on the SOL list he definately needs 7's on the IELTS test to get points to 60. However he will be taking the Pearsons PTE English which can now done as an alternative to IELTS (It sounds easier than IELTS!) Husband is dreading it - in fact he is practicing now on laptop!! If he is self employed like my hubby - the amount of evidence you have to gather to prove you have been doing the job for X amount of years is immense. We have just done a video of him completing an electronics repair...:biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWL Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Thank you guys for your help! I have tried go matilda and to be honest they didn't seem very helpful, but I am a woman of second chances so will perservere and try again with them. Thames migration seem ok so any feedback from anyone who has used their services, I would be keen to hear from. @neeID - can you remember who did your skills assessment? Can't find anywhere to book one online. Thanks for your vote of confidence! And can see you've either just flown out or are about to so GOOD LUCK @adele244 - Good luck to your hubby for the english test! Maybe see you out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWL Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Can you let me know what type of evidence is required? My husband has kept regular pictures of all work he's done - like before and afters, but that doesn't exactly prove he did the work so likely useless. He was told this is what he will need and he has it all.... He has his financial and end of year accounts from when he went s/e with all tax returns and can get many references from people he has worked for. He also is a registered sole trader with companies house and has been since he started - is that enough as not sure what else they could possibly need?! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adele244 Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 We are using Go Matilda. The evidence we have got are customer statements verifying how long we have been trading and what work we do for them, same with suppliers and what the supply for us. Copies of invoices to customers with jobs we done and the same with supplier invoices (put a few health n safety purchases in there as they are keen on that) then all his qualifications, photos of all the equipment in workshop, reference from our accountant, copies of accounts for various years, a video of him soldering stuff on a circuit board....the list is endless...think I have been a bit anal with it though!!! Then £200 squid for solicitor to copy it all and certify it. hope that helps a little :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivergum Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Hi, we came over in 2010 and due to my husbands age (51) didn't think we had a chance of getting in. Luckily we met Sammy Naghi of http://www.migratingspecialists.com/ and he was absolutely marvellous. I really do not think we would have a visa without him! My Husbands first job was also due to Sammy having a contact here. We could speak to him at any time about any worries or concerns and he genuinely cares. Since them he has helped my Brother and Family and some friends get their visas. Can't recommend him highly enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldCoastBrit Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Hi Everyone, just joined! I migrated via RSMS (subclass 187) to Geelong. The process wasn't straight forward and I honestly can say that without my migrating agent, I doubt that me and my wife would have stood a chance, due to so many obstacles and personal circumstances. I can see that it is tempting to self apply and possibly save some money in migration agent fees, but unless things are very straight forward, it is very important to engage a good migrating agent to avoid all the stumbling blocks along the way and take a large part of the stress of the process, not to mention that the Oz Govt would reject an application for the slightest clerical mistake - reapplication will incur new fees (of course)! I used Sammy Naghi, and can recommend him for his skill and experience, and his very reasonable fees. His contact details: Sammy Naghi Solicitor and Barrister of Australia NSW L.S. No: 42619 Australian Registered Migration Agent MARN No: 0641061 Direct Tel: +44 (0) 20 7832 6401 www.migratingspecialists.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Hi Everyone, just joined!I migrated via RSMS (subclass 187) to Geelong. The process wasn't straight forward and I honestly can say that without my migrating agent, I doubt that me and my wife would have stood a chance, due to so many obstacles and personal circumstances. I can see that it is tempting to self apply and possibly save some money in migration agent fees, but unless things are very straight forward, it is very important to engage a good migrating agent to avoid all the stumbling blocks along the way and take a large part of the stress of the process, not to mention that the Oz Govt would reject an application for the slightest clerical mistake - reapplication will incur new fees (of course)! I used Sammy Naghi, and can recommend him for his skill and experience, and his very reasonable fees. His contact details: Sammy Naghi Solicitor and Barrister of Australia NSW L.S. No: 42619 Australian Registered Migration Agent MARN No: 0641061 Direct Tel: +44 (0) 20 7832 6401 www.migratingspecialists.com Just realised you and @rivergum are together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca10 Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Completely agree with NeelD in that the process is a relatively easy one to follow and you don't need to spend an extra couple of grand! I am applying for a 189 visa as a teacher, which although is a completely different career the process I believe is the same. There is a lot of reading and thinking about when to do what but it is simple if you plan and take your time. Ask people on here as there are many people willing to share their experiences and give advice. As an order I would say to do the following: 1 skills assessment - get as many points as possible as this will help push you up the list £300 2 IELTS test £150 (check passports - two of my kids' passports had ran out, so I need to do an extra form for each child) 3 EOI 4 Apply for 189 when invited. Invites are twice a month on Fridays - beware of cost as this needs to be paid at this time £4000 5 arrange medicals for all parties named on the visa application £1000 6 wait! The prices are for me and my wife and three kids. We are currently at point 6! Hope this is of some help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Completely agree with NeelD in that the process is a relatively easy one to follow and you don't need to spend an extra couple of grand! I am applying for a 189 visa as a teacher, which although is a completely different career the process I believe is the same. There is a lot of reading and thinking about when to do what but it is simple if you plan and take your time. Ask people on here as there are many people willing to share their experiences and give advice. As an order I would say to do the following: 1 skills assessment - get as many points as possible as this will help push you up the list £300 2 IELTS test £150 (check passports - two of my kids' passports had ran out, so I need to do an extra form for each child) 3 EOI 4 Apply for 189 when invited. Invites are twice a month on Fridays - beware of cost as this needs to be paid at this time £4000 5 arrange medicals for all parties named on the visa application £1000 6 wait! The prices are for me and my wife and three kids. We are currently at point 6! Hope this is of some help. The issue is that a lot of people - if i had a dollar for everyone i have seen on here in the years, i would be retired by now - dont know they have an issue until it bites. That can mean a rejection for the visa. A very expensive mistake, as realising you have over claimed 5 points or something may result in a rejection and loss of the visa fee. Then there are medical issues, which can, if managed through the process, be acceptable, but if not, will result in rejection. There is a myriad of areas like this. My view, is you are about to make one of the biggest decisions of your life - far bigger than things like buying a house. But, would you buy a house without a survey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Hello macca. There are no points for a skills assessment. Do you mean points for skilled work experience? As for not spending money on professional advice - looks like the Department of Immigration's PR department is doing its job. Good luck if your application gets into any difficulty! Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Completely agree with NeelD in that the process is a relatively easy one to follow and you don't need to spend an extra couple of grand! I am applying for a 189 visa as a teacher, which although is a completely different career the process I believe is the same. There is a lot of reading and thinking about when to do what but it is simple if you plan and take your time. Ask people on here as there are many people willing to share their experiences and give advice. As an order I would say to do the following: 1 skills assessment - get as many points as possible as this will help push you up the list £300 2 IELTS test £150 (check passports - two of my kids' passports had ran out, so I need to do an extra form for each child) 3 EOI 4 Apply for 189 when invited. Invites are twice a month on Fridays - beware of cost as this needs to be paid at this time £4000 5 arrange medicals for all parties named on the visa application £1000 6 wait! The prices are for me and my wife and three kids. We are currently at point 6! Hope this is of some help. Are you a teacher of English language? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca10 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Alan Collett thanks for pointing out my error and I apologise to anyone who may have been confused. In haste I put the extra information on gaining points at my point 1 instead of point 2. I seem to have ruffled a few feathers regarding my post which was meant merely as my opinion as to how my visa process has gone so far. If any agent is worth their weight in gold then they should not be worrying (or be I nsecure) about my post as personal recommendations should keep clients coming to them. Wrussell I am not a teacher of English but mathematics. I trust that some agents will be hoping that I now have difficulty with my application but c'est la vie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cazwilkins Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 We are using the emigration group. Early days but so far they have been fantastic. i have my IELTS test booked for May 9th and 30th in case I fail first time round. I know it doubles the cost but they get booked up fast and I need to express my interest ASAP I am happier going with an agent as it is peace of mind that they do it thoroughly and as we are both very busy we could do with less stress on our hands and at least it takes a lot of the pressure off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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