wrussell Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Here is an email from yesterday: Dear x Congratulations! Visa granted. Copy attached. Please check the grant letter for accuracy and please confirm receipt. Best Westly and here is the text of one of 88 previous emails: Dear x Email received. Thank you. Keep sending whatever you rake up. I am presenting for eye surgery today and shall reply in detail on Monday. Best Westly -----Original Message----- From: x Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2019 2:06 PM To: W Russell <visa@pinoyau.com> Cc: y Subject: Police & Medical Checks Hi Westly, I am in the process of gathering the necessary information for my police & medical checks. In the meantime, please find attached.. 1- Copy of Stat Dec on Character 2- Copy of Passports (this is only the main page; if I should copy the whole thing, please let me know) 3- Copy of receipt of AFP request 4- Copy of Entry, Exit & Resident Permits for Yemen 5- Copy of Medical Appointment Receipt A few questions / concerns... (A) I will apply for the Jordan police check tomorrow, via registered mail and will share a copy of this along with a copy of my application to show it is in progress prior to the deadline. However, the application only offers married or single as marital status. As I don't believe domestic partnerships are recognized by the Jordanian government, I assume I should mark single. Can you please confirm? (B) While doing my AFP check, a couple of my addresses that I supplied in my 820 application were refused so I had to alter them (this is odd as they were fine when I had to get an AFP check for my work back in January). The first, is one of my addresses in Jordan (spelling change which I don't expect to be an issue) and the second is in Sri Lanka, which might be. In my 820 application, I supplied the English translation of the street which was what everyone called it when I lived there and the address I used to receive mail. However, this address wasn't recognized by the AFP so I proved the Sinhalese translation. Will this be an issue? (C) Yemen is in progress, if I don't receive the work reference before Monday, I will provide the email correspondence to show its underway. (D) From what I understand from the documents you have shared, I am ineligible to provide anything from Bosnia as their government does not provide these for non-citizens; non-residents. Is there a Stat Dec I should provide in its place? Many thanks in advance, x and here is today's email: Dear x Thank you for your instructions. I have billed you as provided for in your service agreement and the amount I am holding for you is nil. If you want me to manage the paperwork for your second stage (permanent) visa submission my professional fee would be $396, including GST. There is no further amount payable to the immigration department. I wish you all the best for your future in Australia. Westly All I do is fill up forms! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 9 minutes ago, wrussell said: Here is an email from yesterday: Dear x Congratulations! Visa granted. Copy attached. Please check the grant letter for accuracy and please confirm receipt. Best Westly and here is the text of one of 88 previous emails: Dear x Email received. Thank you. Keep sending whatever you rake up. I am presenting for eye surgery today and shall reply in detail on Monday. Best Westly -----Original Message----- From: x Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2019 2:06 PM To: W Russell <visa@pinoyau.com> Cc: y Subject: Police & Medical Checks Hi Westly, I am in the process of gathering the necessary information for my police & medical checks. In the meantime, please find attached.. 1- Copy of Stat Dec on Character 2- Copy of Passports (this is only the main page; if I should copy the whole thing, please let me know) 3- Copy of receipt of AFP request 4- Copy of Entry, Exit & Resident Permits for Yemen 5- Copy of Medical Appointment Receipt A few questions / concerns... (A) I will apply for the Jordan police check tomorrow, via registered mail and will share a copy of this along with a copy of my application to show it is in progress prior to the deadline. However, the application only offers married or single as marital status. As I don't believe domestic partnerships are recognized by the Jordanian government, I assume I should mark single. Can you please confirm? (B) While doing my AFP check, a couple of my addresses that I supplied in my 820 application were refused so I had to alter them (this is odd as they were fine when I had to get an AFP check for my work back in January). The first, is one of my addresses in Jordan (spelling change which I don't expect to be an issue) and the second is in Sri Lanka, which might be. In my 820 application, I supplied the English translation of the street which was what everyone called it when I lived there and the address I used to receive mail. However, this address wasn't recognized by the AFP so I proved the Sinhalese translation. Will this be an issue? (C) Yemen is in progress, if I don't receive the work reference before Monday, I will provide the email correspondence to show its underway. (D) From what I understand from the documents you have shared, I am ineligible to provide anything from Bosnia as their government does not provide these for non-citizens; non-residents. Is there a Stat Dec I should provide in its place? Many thanks in advance, x and here is today's email: Dear x Thank you for your instructions. I have billed you as provided for in your service agreement and the amount I am holding for you is nil. If you want me to manage the paperwork for your second stage (permanent) visa submission my professional fee would be $396, including GST. There is no further amount payable to the immigration department. I wish you all the best for your future in Australia. Westly All I do is fill up forms! Some people use forum members for advice on quite complicated queries and expect everyone to come up with everything they want to know for free rather than pay an agent then they wonder why everything goes belly up. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 In the case above I dealt with 3 section 56 requests over 6 months and took a call from the case officer who could not find the visa applicant's AFP, because: Hi Westly, I cannot believe I never sent this to you! The police check is attached Fingers crossed, x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belter Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Raul Senise said: 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. I've applied for and got permanent residency, citizenship, a spouse visa so yes it's hard but it can be done. I can't believe you accused me of trolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belter Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 54 minutes ago, Toots said: Depends on what sort of visa you are applying for. Many people have regretted not having an agent. Yes I suppose that would be true many people may regret not using an agent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 3 minutes ago, belter said: I've applied for and got permanent residency, citizenship, a spouse visa so yes it's hard but it can be done. I can't believe you accused me of trolling. I have no doubt that you did apply successfully by yourself and I am not criticizing your opinion about whether to use an Agent or not, as this is a personal choice based on individual situation. My issue is that in you comment, you specifically state in regards to Partner application; "it's just a form". This is a very dangerous and misleading comment. If you have done a partner application recently, you would be well aware that there is much more to it than just filling out "a form". Maybe if you were to witness first hand how devastating a refusal can be for people who were advised that this long and expensive process, is simple and only form filling, you may be less flippant with your comments. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 47 minutes ago, belter said: I've applied for and got permanent residency, citizenship, a spouse visa so yes it's hard but it can be done. Yes but that was a few years ago, wasn't it? It's unbelievable how complicated some visas are now. I did it all myself, too, but I wouldn't even contemplate applying for any kind of skilled visa these days. The visa fees are very expensive and Immigration have become really unforgiving - one little mistake and they won't come back and say, "did you mean....?", they just reject the application and you've lost the lot. I still think partner visas can be done yourself if you've got a genuine long-standing relationship. There is a high refusal rate but it's mainly because of (a) people who think, "I'm married, my marriage certificate is enough", and don't collect the huge raft of proof of the relationship over time, and (b) people who make fraudulent claims hoping to get into the country. However the partner visa is now so expensive and long-winded, you really can't afford to make a mistake, so an agent is probably worth the extra money. Citizenship - I don't think anyone uses an agent for that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikita22 Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Toots said: Some people use forum members for advice on quite complicated queries and expect everyone to come up with everything they want to know for free rather than pay an agent then they wonder why everything goes belly up. That’s why people are on this forum for advice . What’s wrong with that , if you don’t want to answer someone’s question then just don’t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderingaloud Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 7 minutes ago, Nikita22 said: That’s why people are on this forum for advice . What’s wrong with that , if you don’t want to answer someone’s question then just don’t There’s nothing wrong with that, but people asking the questions should know that the advice here is not professionally considered advice. I’ve often given my thoughts about something only to have one of the MAs point our that what I said is incorrect. If people take the advice of a forum, even though there are experienced members and plenty of people who have been through the visa process themselves without an agent, they are taking a risk. I did my own temp visa, PR application and citizenship but that was 6 years ago and fairly straightforward. Just because I did mine without an agent doesn’t mean I’m going to tell everyone not to use an agent. The way things are now with such high refusal rates across some visas it’s irresponsible to ‘advise’ people not to at least seek a free consult or the opinion of a registered agent. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 54 minutes ago, Nikita22 said: That’s why people are on this forum for advice . What’s wrong with that , if you don’t want to answer someone’s question then just don’t Nothing wrong with it at all if it's just a simple query where people have gone through the same process and would probably be able to give advice. You keep asking the same question on different threads. You last asked the same question in December so did you get the answer you were looking for then or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 The minister publishes the percentage of applicants who were represented by registered migration agents for various visas but not: The relative success rates unrepresented (DIY) applicants cf. those represented by a RMA, or by an unregistered overseas (or onshore) agent. You will not hear a squeak about the number of students who were led to believe by 'education agents' or course providers that they were heading for permanent residence when they were really heading for bankruptcy and wage theft if they were unlucky enough to find employment. Over the years I have told prospective students the truth and have rarely been asked to proceed with a student visa application, although I have saved a few who were digging their own graves. Plenty of people have been saved from disaster by free advice from registered migration agents, or perhaps a modest consultation fee in cases where time had to be spend assessing a case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 6 hours ago, Marisawright said: Yes but that was a few years ago, wasn't it? It's unbelievable how complicated some visas are now. I did it all myself, too, but I wouldn't even contemplate applying for any kind of skilled visa these days. The visa fees are very expensive and Immigration have become really unforgiving - one little mistake and they won't come back and say, "did you mean....?", they just reject the application and you've lost the lot. I still think partner visas can be done yourself if you've got a genuine long-standing relationship. There is a high refusal rate but it's mainly because of (a) people who think, "I'm married, my marriage certificate is enough", and don't collect the huge raft of proof of the relationship over time, and (b) people who make fraudulent claims hoping to get into the country. However the partner visa is now so expensive and long-winded, you really can't afford to make a mistake, so an agent is probably worth the extra money. Citizenship - I don't think anyone uses an agent for that. Some do and in some case, just as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 16 hours ago, belter said: You don't need one they cost thousands. Just have confidence in yourself it's just a form. There are about 2000 and 4000 changes to Australian migration law and regulations every year. The department might publish 5 for the public. If your case fails because one of these changes affects you. You might think that isn't fair and want to complain. You can complain to the department. Who will promptly say "We are keeping your cash, you should have consulted a registered migration agent and have a 3 year ban as well". In the many years of posting and moderating the forum I have seen a lot of refusals. I have never seen one that couldn't have been avoided by speaking to a registered migration agent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 People will pay $10K...$100K for a visa, but are reluctant to pay $200 (more or less) for professional advice before putting their head in the lion's mouth. There are some Australian missions that used to advise on their websites not to use as registered migration agent. I have not bothered to check to see whether they still do. There were (and perhaps still are) course providers that would not accept RMAs as agents, possibly because RMAs would have to tell prospective applicants the truth. 'Education agents' are not supposed to give migration advice (Ha Ha) and they can either lie about the prospects of a certificate 3 in utter BS leading anywhere, or make the weakest possible statement. They face no consequences whatever they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikita22 Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 8 hours ago, Marisawright said: Yes but that was a few years ago, wasn't it? It's unbelievable how complicated some visas are now. I did it all myself, too, but I wouldn't even contemplate applying for any kind of skilled visa these days. The visa fees are very expensive and Immigration have become really unforgiving - one little mistake and they won't come back and say, "did you mean....?", they just reject the application and you've lost the lot. I still think partner visas can be done yourself if you've got a genuine long-standing relationship. There is a high refusal rate but it's mainly because of (a) people who think, "I'm married, my marriage certificate is enough", and don't collect the huge raft of proof of the relationship over time, and (b) people who make fraudulent claims hoping to get into the country. However the partner visa is now so expensive and long-winded, you really can't afford to make a mistake, so an agent is probably worth the extra money. Citizenship - I don't think anyone uses an agent for that. But what’s so Complicated about filling in the forms yourself ? It’s just simple questions . The only hard part is getting all the evidence together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulhand Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 4 minutes ago, Nikita22 said: But what’s so Complicated about filling in the forms yourself ? It’s just simple questions . The only hard part is getting all the evidence together If it is all so simple, why have you needed to ask at least half a dozen questions in the last 24 hours?? 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikita22 Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 1 minute ago, paulhand said: If it is all so simple, why have you needed to ask at least half a dozen questions in the last 24 hours?? Because the application is the easy part the other things are what difficult and the agents don’t help with that unfortunately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulhand Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Just now, Nikita22 said: Because the application is the easy part the other things are what difficult and the agents don’t help with that unfortunately Err, yes they do, that’s what I spend my time doing ... the forms are a small part of any application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikita22 Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 3 minutes ago, paulhand said: Err, yes they do, that’s what I spend my time doing ... the forms are a small part of any application. Ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Some pro bono advice today for an intending DIY applicant I represented for PR 10 years ago, who now wants to get her parents and siblings a 600: Dear M The correct answer to the 'military' question is No. To be appointed as an authorised recipient use form 956a (copy attached) not form 956. The issues you will have are 'incentive to return' and the visa applicants having adequate funds for their propose visit 'in their own right'. The regulations require applicants to have adequate funds, or access to adequate funds, but s65 delegates often refuse visitor visas if visa applicants are relying on a relative with whom they might have a falling out, leaving them stranded and tempted to work. Owing property or a business or a pension, having ongoing employment or study, or having dependent relatives who are not travelling are given weight. Best Westly I might have offered further advice, but this client already had a 600 for a sister refused, a circumstance I remedied in two days by reapplying and emailing the relevant PMO: We refer to the subclass 600 visitor visa of xx (DOB xxx) EGOxxx that was lodged on 23 April 2019 and request that her application be processed as soon as the business of your office permits, so she can avoid having to amend her employer’s leave letter and return travel bookings. *********************************************************************** All I do is fill up forms. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 On 19 February 2020 at 07:39, Nikita22 said: Because the application is the easy part the other things are what difficult and the agents don’t help with that unfortunately Sorry, but you have little knowledge of how visas work. See my post above about how many changes are made and how many are published. Yes, you can fill the form in easy. That is a LONG way from gaurunteed visa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) Perhaps the last word on whether an RMA is needed: More than once I have represented a RMA who took the view that 'he who represents himself has a fool for a client' and more often I have advised RMAs (and lawyers) about tricky cases and I am not above asking others for advice when I do not know and cannot find out. Edited February 20, 2020 by wrussell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasminD Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 On 04/02/2020 at 10:31, 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 ? Hi Mitchel, Would love to pick your brains... am looking to join my BF in Australia and need help!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 5 hours ago, JasminD said: Hi Mitchel, Would love to pick your brains... am looking to join my BF in Australia and need help!! How old are you? A Working Holiday VISA is your easiest and quickest option if you qualify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasminD Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Hi Marisawright, I'm 47 and there's no way for me to get a working holiday visa.. lol right now it doesn't matter anyway, what with the world dealing with CoVid-19!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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