Guest Mitchel Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 How important is it to have a migration agent ? The partner visa is already so expensive and I got quoted $7000 for a migration agent . That ok top of the partner visa is very costly . Can I just apply on my own with out a agent ? Or will it make my case not strong ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeNinja Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 13 minutes ago, Mitchel said: How important is it to have a migration agent ? The partner visa is already so expensive and I got quoted $7000 for a migration agent . That ok top of the partner visa is very costly . Can I just apply on my own with out a agent ? Or will it make my case not strong ? How long is a piece of string? How do you feel about changing the steering rack and the timing belt on your car by yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 9 minutes ago, DukeNinja said: How long is a piece of string? How do you feel about changing the steering rack and the timing belt on your car by yourself? I’m actually a mechanic so I actually do my own car . Not sure what your trying to say . But if I have to do all the work myself I don’t really get what’s so important about having a agent just fill in the forms and upload Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Its a personal choice if you use an agent or not. Some do ,some dont.. Yes its costly but so is having your visa refused if you have missed one little thing or not included the vital piece of information. Good luck with your application which ever way you go Cal x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeNinja Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 15 minutes ago, Mitchel said: I’m actually a mechanic so I actually do my own car . Not sure what your trying to say . But if I have to do all the work myself I don’t really get what’s so important about having a agent just fill in the forms and upload Damn. I got called on my bluff I did have a niggling feeling that you might be one. Should have gone with doing a laparoscospy on yourself. As Cal has said above, it is a matter of personal choice. Generally, most people with a straightforward case should be able to do their own application. Its when you have circumstances such as significant criminal convictions/possible medical hurdles etc that paying for a reputable and registered agent comes in handy. You're probably only ever going to fill this application form once in your life, whereas its their bread and butter. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 12 minutes ago, DukeNinja said: Damn. I got called on my bluff I did have a niggling feeling that you might be one. Should have gone with doing a laparoscospy on yourself. As Cal has said above, it is a matter of personal choice. Generally, most people with a straightforward case should be able to do their own application. Its when you have circumstances such as significant criminal convictions/possible medical hurdles etc that paying for a reputable and registered agent comes in handy. You're probably only ever going to fill this application form once in your life, whereas its their bread and butter. That did give me a little giggle when i read their reply,lol Cal x 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Returnhome Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I did my husband’s but slipped up on not realising I as a sponsor needed to also have my UK and OZ police checks, which are now fine, thanks to this forum. I have also contacted the global service center when stuck on something. I found the sponsor visa, pretty straight forward for me, saying that as an Aussie with English husband. I could easily understand what was asked and what they required. Standard government forms. I think for people where English is not their first language or they have a complicated case where they live in different countries and other issues, they are better off with an agent for sure. Also, family visas and work might be better off through an agent. You could create the account (I’m pretty sure, I didn’t pay until after I completed and submitted the form ) and go through what you’re asked, so you can see if you can do it on your own. The sponsored partner will be asked about employment history, get sent for a medical, both of you have to submit police checks. You need to provide evidence the relationship is real; photos, shared accounts or responsibilities, emails etc, it’s just a matter of gathering it all together and uploading it. Some people submit tons of evidence. I just upload what I felt was a reasonable amount, enough, I certainly didn’t go overboard. Again it depends on the individual circumstances, how much they have to prove to the department, especially with the tricky cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 1 hour ago, DukeNinja said: Damn. I got called on my bluff I did have a niggling feeling that you might be one. Should have gone with doing a laparoscospy on yourself. As Cal has said above, it is a matter of personal choice. Generally, most people with a straightforward case should be able to do their own application. Its when you have circumstances such as significant criminal convictions/possible medical hurdles etc that paying for a reputable and registered agent comes in handy. You're probably only ever going to fill this application form once in your life, whereas its their bread and butter. Thanks aha . I guess I’ll try to find a cheaper agent if I can . Thanks mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 29 minutes ago, Returnhome said: I did my husband’s but slipped up on not realising I as a sponsor needed to also have my UK and OZ police checks, which are now fine, thanks to this forum. I have also contacted the global service center when stuck on something. I found the sponsor visa, pretty straight forward for me, saying that as an Aussie with English husband. I could easily understand what was asked and what they required. Standard government forms. I think for people where English is not their first language or they have a complicated case where they live in different countries and other issues, they are better off with an agent for sure. Also, family visas and work might be better off through an agent. You could create the account (I’m pretty sure, I didn’t pay until after I completed and submitted the form ) and go through what you’re asked, so you can see if you can do it on your own. The sponsored partner will be asked about employment history, get sent for a medical, both of you have to submit police checks. You need to provide evidence the relationship is real; photos, shared accounts or responsibilities, emails etc, it’s just a matter of gathering it all together and uploading it. Some people submit tons of evidence. I just upload what I felt was a reasonable amount, enough, I certainly didn’t go overboard. Again it depends on the individual circumstances, how much they have to prove to the department, especially with the tricky cases. Thanks so much , I think my case is pretty straight forward so I might try to do it on my own first and if I struggle with anything then I’ll get an agent thanks for your reply it helped a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 1 hour ago, calNgary said: Its a personal choice if you use an agent or not. Some do ,some dont.. Yes its costly but so is having your visa refused if you have missed one little thing or not included the vital piece of information. Good luck with your application which ever way you go Cal x Thanks . Yes very true , I’ll try to see how I go on my own if not then I might look into getting an agent . Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 8 hours ago, Mitchel said: Thanks aha . I guess I’ll try to find a cheaper agent if I can . Thanks mate Not a good idea. There are shonks out there so a cheap agent probably isn't worth using. For most visas, I say use an agent. For a partner visa, maybe not so much. The hard part about a partner visa is not filling out the forms or meeting the requirements, it's providing all the proof of your relationship - and that's something you have to do yourself. If you're feeling fairly confident, you can prepare your application, then pay an agent to check the application, rather than actually prepare the whole thing, which will be cheaper. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anks Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 Not sure which state you are based in and I can't say much about other states than South Australia. Here in Adelaide we have a few migration agents who conduct free early morning services to help people with their applications provided you yourself have done the hard yards and they will answer straight forward queries based on your case. And then there are a few who charge you for an hour or so to go through your file, application and documents. I myself used one and was happy to spend $150 for the hour different visa though but don't see it should be any different. So my say would be to contact few agents in your area (don't go the cheap ones as @Marisawright suggested there are few who are worthless) and if you think your case is straight forward and all you need is a professional to see what you have done spend that $150 or so and have the peace of mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 3 minutes ago, Anks said: Not sure which state you are based in and I can't say much about other states than South Australia. Here in Adelaide we have a few migration agents who conduct free early morning services to help people with their applications provided you yourself have done the hard yards and they will answer straight forward queries based on your case. And then there are a few who charge you for an hour or so to go through your file, application and documents. I myself used one and was happy to spend $150 for the hour different visa though but don't see it should be any different. So my say would be to contact few agents in your area (don't go the cheap ones as @Marisawright suggested there are few who are worthless) and if you think your case is straight forward and all you need is a professional to see what you have done spend that $150 or so and have the peace of mind! Make sure they are MARA registered agents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulhand Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 19 hours ago, Mitchel said: How important is it to have a migration agent ? The partner visa is already so expensive and I got quoted $7000 for a migration agent . That ok top of the partner visa is very costly . Can I just apply on my own with out a agent ? Or will it make my case not strong ? This is pretty high for a partner visa. Some MARA registered agents do charge this much, most don't. Generally speaking it's the illegal/unregistered operators who charge the most and promise unrealistic outcomes. I agree with @DukeNinja - you can do most tasks in life, including complex visa applications, if you have the time and inclination to learn how to do them correctly and are confident that you have covered all the bases. Personally, I prefer to do what I am good at and have a tax agent to do my taxes and a mechanic to fix my car. Other people may have the time and inclination to do these things themselves; it's a question of how much your time and peace of mind is worth to you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LouDYorkie Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 This is pretty high for a partner visa. Some MARA registered agents do charge this much, most don't. Generally speaking it's the illegal/unregistered operators who charge the most and promise unrealistic outcomes. I agree with [mention=259648]DukeNinja[/mention] - you can do most tasks in life, including complex visa applications, if you have the time and inclination to learn how to do them correctly and are confident that you have covered all the bases. Personally, I prefer to do what I am good at and have a tax agent to do my taxes and a mechanic to fix my car. Other people may have the time and inclination to do these things themselves; it's a question of how much your time and peace of mind is worth to you....and I guess whether you can afford the cost if you have to re-submit or then get an agent to fix mistakes would cost financially and time delays.We had an agent do all ours, it was more than worth the cost. Fairly straightforward in some ways but sequencing of events might well have caught me out as well as the lesser known detail of the Act. Also having someone to go to to ask questions was important to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 14 hours ago, Marisawright said: Not a good idea. There are shonks out there so a cheap agent probably isn't worth using. For most visas, I say use an agent. For a partner visa, maybe not so much. The hard part about a partner visa is not filling out the forms or meeting the requirements, it's providing all the proof of your relationship - and that's something you have to do yourself. If you're feeling fairly confident, you can prepare your application, then pay an agent to check the application, rather than actually prepare the whole thing, which will be cheaper. Thank you , if I don’t go with an agent I will definitely get one to check over my application just in case . Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 10 hours ago, ramot said: Make sure they are MARA registered agents. I’m in NSW , thanks I will definitely get someone to check over it if I end up doing it on my own . Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 4 hours ago, paulhand said: This is pretty high for a partner visa. Some MARA registered agents do charge this much, most don't. Generally speaking it's the illegal/unregistered operators who charge the most and promise unrealistic outcomes. I agree with @DukeNinja - you can do most tasks in life, including complex visa applications, if you have the time and inclination to learn how to do them correctly and are confident that you have covered all the bases. Personally, I prefer to do what I am good at and have a tax agent to do my taxes and a mechanic to fix my car. Other people may have the time and inclination to do these things themselves; it's a question of how much your time and peace of mind is worth to you. Thanks . I will definitely see how I go and if I struggle I will look into an agent . Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 The decision to use an Agent will always depend on personal circumstance such as the case complexity and financial situation. Be mindful that refusal of Partner Visa applications has increased significantly, with Partner refusal appeals now making up a significant portion of the Appeals Tribunal current case load. This has partly been caused by the increase of self lodged applications due to the very high lodgement fees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mitchel Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 9 hours ago, Raul Senise said: The decision to use an Agent will always depend on personal circumstance such as the case complexity and financial situation. Be mindful that refusal of Partner Visa applications has increased significantly, with Partner refusal appeals now making up a significant portion of the Appeals Tribunal current case load. This has partly been caused by the increase of self lodged applications due to the very high lodgement fees. Thanks I’ll talk to my wife and I guess we will probably get an agent just to be safe . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Quote I’m actually a mechanic so I actually do my own car . Not sure what your trying to say . But if I have to do all the work myself I don’t really get what’s so important about having a agent just fill in the forms and upload So was I, but I gave it away 58 years ago. With a minimum of advice my Mrs was able to change the transaxle in her Land Rover; unaided. With a rattle gun and a sidchrome socket set set anyone can undo a few bolts and put them back again. She also completes my company BAS and taxation returns too and she speaks 8 languages, but she she knows better than tackle immigration matters, even her own, having taken the minister for racialism to the Federal Court to amuse herself - Russell v the minister G75 of 1993 (unreported). To a good first order approximation the minister and others rake in $50 million a year from failed DIY partner applications. Check the AAT website and work out the costs involved, allowing for the fact hat some applicants cannot afford to go to a merits review and some others who fail at this stage go to a judicial review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikita22 Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 On 04/02/2020 at 21:31, Mitchel said: How important is it to have a migration agent ? The partner visa is already so expensive and I got quoted $7000 for a migration agent . That ok top of the partner visa is very costly . Can I just apply on my own with out a agent ? Or will it make my case not strong ? No you don’t need on they are useless they fill in the application 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belter Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 You don't need one they cost thousands. Just have confidence in yourself it's just a form. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 7 hours ago, Nikita22 said: No you don’t need on they are useless they fill in the application 7 hours ago, belter said: You don't need one they cost thousands. Just have confidence in yourself it's just a form. I understand that you are just trolling to get a reaction, but your comments could potentially be taken as factual by someone. As of the latest AAT caseload summary statistics for the period 1 July 2019 to 31 January 2020: there were 5,925 active refused or cancelled partner cases as at 31/01/2020*. These are not all of the partner refusals, just the ones that decided to appeal a decision at the AAT and were active as of that date. Commenting that you don't need an Agent is one thing, but stating that a partner application is just filling a form is quite irresponsible and very misleading. *Statistics from Administrative Appeals Tribunal Caseload report 2019-2020 Migration and refugee division by subclass. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 7 hours ago, belter said: You don't need one they cost thousands. Just have confidence in yourself it's just a form. Depends on what sort of visa you are applying for. Many people have regretted not having an agent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.