Rossco Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Hi all, quite new here and following great advise before from PIO, I have decided to look at getting a MA as one I was planning will not provide clear costs involved in them being my MA. I have now contacted one in UK where I am at present and they advising £2760.00. Does this seem right, does anyone know. I have done homework and understand all other costs but have nothing to compare with on this fee as struggling to find another MA to deal/help with visa. A friend suggesting do visa myself but worried I do some things wrong. Any advise would be gratefully received, Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Northam Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Hi Rossco - Thanks for the note. Whether the fee you quoted (that's about AUD$4,700 at today's rates) is a good value for you can depend on what type of work you're expecting the migration agent (MA) to do. Most migration agents work on a fixed fee basis which covers their work in advising you initially, preparing all forms and paperwork, lodging with DIBP, and acting as your appointed representative to deal with questions, concerns, etc from DIBP over the processing time of the visa which can range from a few months for a 457 to 24 months or more with a partner visa. Also, certain types of visas require that multiple application packages be prepared and lodged, for instance sc190 visas usually require a skills assessment, state sponsorship, and DIBP visa application be lodged. ENS and RSMS visas require that both a nomination and application package be lodged. Another issue is experience. If an agent is very experienced with a particular type of visa, that can increase the agent's value to you, especially if the visa involves subjective elements (ie, genuine relationship, genuine student, compelling and/or compassionate reasons, etc). The MARA publishes "average" fees (see http://www.mara.gov.au) however these tend to be in the middle from what I can see, and are prone to inaccuracy as reporting fees is voluntary and unverified - more experienced agents may charge more than MARA typical fees, and less experienced agents may charge less. In the end, you're buying 2 things in my view: First, you're buying the experience and knowledge of the agent including full knowledge of the various legislation and policy elements that may come into play with your visa so you don't have to spend the time and trouble of looking up that information yourself, and second, you're buying the ability to put the entire project onto the shoulders of the agent and having the agent carry the responsibility for completing all the various elements necessary for the project for however many months it may take for the project to complete. Whether a fee is "right" really means different things to different people - perhaps the better question is, is it worth it to you, given your level of knowledge about the process and underlying laws and the time you have available to prepare and lodge the visa application package(s), to do it yourself or have a professional do it. That question will be answered different ways by different people, as the value to each person may be different depending on their priorities, knowledge, and appetite for taking on this type of project themselves. Lots of people do their own visas these days, and lots of people use migration agents - there is no right or wrong to this, it's more of a question of what the value is to you given your particular circumstances. Hope this helps - Best, Mark Northam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossco Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Thank you so much Mark, this is brilliant help. Sorry my use of the wording "does this seem right" was probably worded badly, however, you have clearly answered what I believe I was trying to ask. Yes the agents fee can seem expensive but I think in reading your reply yes I do need to buy that assistance as have wanted to come to Australia for a long time, having found a job with a sponsor I want and need to get this right. Thank you very much for your time, it's very appreciated. Wendy :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahmad Shady Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Hi Rosco, Quick question. Is the fee quoted for the nomination and the visa, or just for the visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossco Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 Hi Ahmad, Thanks for your response, fee is just for processing my visa application side and advise. :-) Hi Rosco, Quick question. Is the fee quoted for the nomination and the visa, or just for the visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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