Skyba Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Haven't been on here for a little while. Now here's the situation I'm in IELTS completed 8's and 9's on all sections on my first try ? skills assessment with future skills is in process and should have my practical in either July or August. All the money is there and ready to go and I've set up my banks account on oz to start drip feeding money over. Now here's my dilemma. Do I use an agent or not. I will be decision ready when I go to one and I've been thinking it'll be a lot less stressful and reassuring to use one to submit the EOI and the visa application. I personally think this is the best way to go about it but I'm just a bit shocked by the huge price I'm going to be charged to go to an agent just for them to put together the information I have already got and send it away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 For many people, the skills assessment is the hardest part of the process, so if you have that in progress... Is there anything in particular worrying you about your application? Are you claiming many points for work experience? If so, is it clear cut? Any health or character issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyba Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 For many people, the skills assessment is the hardest part of the process, so if you have that in progress... Is there anything in particular worrying you about your application? Are you claiming many points for work experience? If so, is it clear cut? Any health or character issues? i'm not claiming any points for my work experience as my IELTS and age etc get me over the mark and my post qualification experience won't add any points until next year. The only issue I have is a Health related one. I have chron's but I have had a panproctocolectomy so I no longer take any medication or are a Dr for my illness the only prescriptions I have are for my bags but I haven't had to see a Dr about my condition for about 3 years. I am going to get a letter from my Dr prior to the medical explaining that I no longer suffer with symptoms of the illness and no longer take medication as the disease has been removed My skills assessment so far has been pretty straightforward, i've been planning this move for around 6 years so although I've been self employed as a sub contractor I have got a reference from every company I've worked for, all my pay skips from the agencies, reference from the agencies and also all my tax returns. I'm on the books now so I've also got the contract and a reference from this company. I used the downunder center which has helped, wes and his team have been brilliant, I met wes at downunder live about 4 years ago when he was working for downunder tradies, heard lots of bad things about them and steered clear but wes and his team have been nothing but helpful and have handled the skills assessment side of things really efficiently and well so if anyone Is looking to use do a skills assessment I'd recommend them as they carry out the practicals monthly rather than the long wait for vetassess. I'm an electrician so I don't know what other trades they look after outside construction i think my main concern is whether the EOI and subsequent visa application will be correctly filled out giving me the best chance for acceptance. Is this part of the application literally just a case of putting together all the hard work you be already done and presenting it, if that's the case then surely £2000 for an agent is just not worth it. I did ask an agent if their fees would be reduced if I am decision ready but they only drop the £250 initial fee so you're still spending the best part of £2000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 i'm not claiming any points for my work experience as my IELTS and age etc get me over the mark and my post qualification experience won't add any points until next year. The only issue I have is a Health related one. I have chron's but I have had a panproctocolectomy so I no longer take any medication or are a Dr for my illness the only prescriptions I have are for my bags but I haven't had to see a Dr about my condition for about 3 years. I am going to get a letter from my Dr prior to the medical explaining that I no longer suffer with symptoms of the illness and no longer take medication as the disease has been removed i think my main concern is whether the EOI and subsequent visa application will be correctly filled out giving me the best chance for acceptance. Is this part of the application literally just a case of putting together all the hard work you be already done and presenting it, if that's the case then surely £2000 for an agent is just not worth it. I did ask an agent if their fees would be reduced if I am decision ready but they only drop the £250 initial fee so you're still spending the best part of £2000 Well filling in an application form isn't hard, unless you are particularly bad at filling forms in, that wouldn't be something I would use an agent for. On the other hand, it is nearly always best to talk to an agent when there are medical conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyba Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 I did speak to an agent about the medical side and they just told me they wouldn't be able to tell me yes or no but they couldn't foresee any problems. They said to try and get a medical done prior to needing one to find out but the dr's that do the Medicals won't do that. so am I right in thinking once I've got my skills assessment it's just a case of putting my IELTS my skills assessment together with my identification etc and outlining what I am claiming points for and then sending it off? I might have a look at the forms because I've only spoken to agents about this part and obviously they will advise me to use an agent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southchick Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Hi, sortoutmyvisa.com offer a checking service for a much lesser fee, worth contacting Veronika and finding out how much that would be. She knows her stuff. It is a lot of money for an agent but at the same time it's a lot wasted if you don't use one and visa gets declined. The benefit of using a good aget is they will be confident in the success of your application. good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyba Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 Hi, sortoutmyvisa.com offer a checking service for a much lesser fee, worth contacting Veronika and finding out how much that would be. She knows her stuff. It is a lot of money for an agent but at the same time it's a lot wasted if you don't use one and visa gets declined. The benefit of using a good aget is they will be confident in the success of your application. good luck! Thanks for the advice. I've just had a good conversation with veronica and they are probably the best option so far. are you in oz now? i see you're from kernow, thats where i grew up.. I have been on the phone to a few agents today and have a few options one company is offering just a checking service for £500 + VAT where i prepare the EOI and the Visa application once invited but they check it all over to ensure its present and correct and they will be on hand for questions. Two companies have offered to take over from the EOI stage and complete it from there, 1 will do it for £800 + VAT one will do it for £650 +VAT I think i will go with the company taking it over from the EOI as they will then take ownership of it and its in their best interests to ensure its all submitted properly as its their reputation and money is on the line as the longer it takes to process the less profitable it will become. Thanks for all the advice. its all getting close now, 6 years in the making, retrained from scratch all for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southchick Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Oh that's great, I honestly cannot recommend her enough she had been fab for us! We are still in Cornwall, we have done everything now and are just waiting for grant, although things on hold now until the 1st July as they hae reached their grant limits! So Hoping for a grant very soon after that. It has been such a long journey for us too, cannot wait ! ievery step if the way I have had great faith in Veronika and she gets back to you always te same day if you have any worries. let us know how you get on :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benj1980 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Nice to see some Cornish folk on here :-) I would use an agent if you have a medical condition but then that's just me, an agent might have experience of others in a similar position to you. Good luck with it all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 but the dr's that do the Medicals won't do that May I suggesst that you take some professional advice about dealing with this issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyba Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 May I suggesst that you take some professional advice about dealing with this issue? I did take professional advise. I was advised by an immigration agent to see about getting a medical carried out prior to the process starting even though my medical issue shouldn't be a problem as I don't have to see Drs for it anymore and haven't had to for over 3 years. I contacted the dr's in Plymouth who do the Medicals for migration purposes but they said that they wouldn't allow me to have a medical because these are booked in by the boarder agency and can't be booked in seperately with the Dr's who deal with these Medicals and ultimately the decision is made in Australia so they wouldn't be able to give a definitive answer. I'm not too worried about the medical, I have seen people on here and other sites who have been granted a visa and their chron's has been active, the only time I've seen somebody talk of being rejected was when they were having infliximab infusion's which is understandable. I used to have these as they cost between £5k and 10k a time depending on dosage. I haven't taken medication for about 4 years and haven't seen a Dr for 3 and a half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I did take professional advise. I was advised by an immigration agent to see about getting a medical carried out prior to the process starting even though my medical issue shouldn't be a problem as I don't have to see Drs for it anymore and haven't had to for over 3 years. I contacted the dr's in Plymouth who do the Medicals for migration purposes but they said that they wouldn't allow me to have a medical because these are booked in by the boarder agency and can't be booked in seperately with the Dr's who deal with these Medicals and ultimately the decision is made in Australia so they wouldn't be able to give a definitive answer. I'm not too worried about the medical, I have seen people on here and other sites who have been granted a visa and their chron's has been active, the only time I've seen somebody talk of being rejected was when they were having infliximab infusion's which is understandable. I used to have these as they cost between £5k and 10k a time depending on dosage. I haven't taken medication for about 4 years and haven't seen a Dr for 3 and a half. It is possible to undertaked a medical examination before lodging a visa application, but the authorities will not tell you the outcome until you lodge a visa application. There are various ways of dealing with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BronxFan Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Skyba, I just wondered who you had found to handle your application post EOI on wards? for £650? I am in a similar boat to you in that my case seems reasonably straight forward.....but at the same time I really don't want to mess this up. The agents do seem expensive (I am from Yorkshire which doesn't help). It would be great if you could just pay for an hour of their time on an ad-hoc basis and just go to them with specific questions. Has anyone come across this service? the handful I have spoken to just want to handle the whole application. I am going to get in contact with veronica myself as maybe the checking service would be a good option for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzukiscottie Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 the only time I've seen somebody talk of being rejected was when they were having infliximab infusion's which is understandable. I used to have these as they cost between £5k and 10k a time depending on dosage. I haven't taken medication for about 4 years and haven't seen a Dr for 3 and a half. $378 every eight weeks for me here in Melbourne. Infliximab was previously only available subsidised by Medicare for Chrohns. Within the last year it has also become available for treatment of Ulcerative Colitis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyba Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Skyba, I just wondered who you had found to handle your application post EOI on wards? for £650?I am in a similar boat to you in that my case seems reasonably straight forward.....but at the same time I really don't want to mess this up. The agents do seem expensive (I am from Yorkshire which doesn't help). It would be great if you could just pay for an hour of their time on an ad-hoc basis and just go to them with specific questions. Has anyone come across this service? the handful I have spoken to just want to handle the whole application. I am going to get in contact with veronica myself as maybe the checking service would be a good option for me. You're the right tack already of you contact Veronica lol. She will take over the application from Eoi completely for around 8/900+vat I think. If you call her and ask she'll talk you through it. Also immigration to oz will take it over from Eoi onward for around £900+Vat but again best to ring them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyba Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 $378 every eight weeks for me here in Melbourne. Infliximab was previously only available subsidised by Medicare for Chrohns. Within the last year it has also become available for treatment of Ulcerative Colitis. is that the cost to the patient or insurance in AUS? in the UK it was costing £5000 per infusion to the NHS. My consultant told me this when they started my infusion then found an absis and had to stop. That was one of the last infusions I had as I had to have 2 months off and my body built up an antibody to it and it would no longer work. From there was just the rocky road to a colectomy as that was one of the last ditch attempts to get it under control. Although no complaints now, everything removed was the best move ever, the operation is an ordeal and the following 6 months is not great but now I live a 100% normal life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzukiscottie Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Ah! I see where you're coming from. That was the cost to me, subsidised by Medicare. My specialist told me that the full fee was around $1000 before it became subsidised by Medicare. He was maybe picking numbers out of the air! Glad you're doing well now. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 It would be great if you could just pay for an hour of their time on an ad-hoc basis and just go to them with specific questions. You can...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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