Movingdownunder1 Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 Hi all has anyone had any experience using concept Australia as visa agents? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 I would be concerned that while the owner is a registered migration agent, the staff dealing with the cases arent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausvisitor Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 Isn't that true of most migration agents? I'm sure even the agents who post regularly on these forums have people supporting them dealing with their caseloads that aren't registered agents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulhand Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 5 hours ago, Ausvisitor said: Isn't that true of most migration agents? I'm sure even the agents who post regularly on these forums have people supporting them dealing with their caseloads that aren't registered agents. Not really … if a company is offshore even non RMAs can give immigration advice. In Australia non RMAs can legally only do admin/support work. This is strictly enforced. That said Concept are reputable and have been doing this for a long time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Yeah I’m fairly sure this is the business model of most larger agents who aren’t one man/woman/person bands. The UK based ones anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 9 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: Yeah I’m fairly sure this is the business model of most larger agents who aren’t one man/woman/person bands. The UK based ones anyway. They're not allowed to do that in Australia. They have staff who assist in admin roles but they can't give advice. IMO there's a good reason for that. For instance, while we've had a lot of members happy with the service from the Down Under Centre, we've had a few members who lost out on a visa, or wasted a lot of money, because DUC staff gave them the wrong advice. If they'd been registered agents instead of minions, those people would have some comeback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 1 minute ago, Marisawright said: They're not allowed to do that in Australia. They have staff who assist in admin roles but they can't give advice. IMO there's a good reason for that. For instance, while we've had a lot of members happy with the service from the Down Under Centre, we've had a few members who lost out on a visa, or wasted a lot of money, because DUC staff gave them the wrong advice. If they'd been registered agents instead of minions, those people would have some comeback. Not necessarily. I’ve heard of many many horror stories related to migration agents, many of them MARA registered. In fact, I’ve had personal dealings with one who gets recommended on here regularly and wasn’t impressed. Let’s face it, most people can’t be bothered to pursue someone for a grand or two - they just want to move on and get someone who can help them get the visa. Personally I couldn’t fault DUC and I’d recommend them wholeheartedly. I have also had some contact with Emergico and they seemed very professional. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 (edited) 1 hour ago, Cheery Thistle said: Not necessarily. I’ve heard of many many horror stories related to migration agents, many of them MARA registered. Absolutely true. But that's why you check the reviews and get recommendations, like any business. Personally I'd rather engage a company which have good reviews AND I know I'll be dealing with someone who's gone through the hurdles to get registered. If I were hiring a tutor for my nephew, I'd rather engage someone who's done the teacher training, and not just someone who works for a teacher and has all the text books in front of them. Same thing. Edited February 14 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Well DUC get consistently good reviews across many platforms and deal with a large number of applicants, yet you persist in repeatedly quoting about 2 or 3 people who apparently had a ‘bad’ experience with them. Any company dealing with a large number of customers will inevitably have some who have ‘bad’ experiences. If a large company has 5000 customers per year and has 50 who have a bad experience, whereas a small independent only has 100 who all have a ‘good’ experience then which is the better company? The one with 4950 happy customers or the one with 100? MARA reg agents employing non MARA staff is akin to architects employing architects technicians. Anyone with ineffective staff won’t last long in business! The main thing is to be aware of who/what you’re dealing with and make an informed decision. https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.downundercentre.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 (edited) 2 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: MARA reg agents employing non MARA staff is akin to architects employing architects technicians. Exactly. Would you let the architect technician design your whole house, without ever consulting the architect? That's the point I'm making. Forget DUC for a moment, I'm talking about the general principle. If someone uses an Australian-based agent, they know that a qualified agent will always be in charge of their case and making the decisions/offering the advice. In a UK-based firm, there's no such requirement, so it's possible (and does happen) that a qualified agent is never involved. That's the risk, and that's why the cases I know about, went wrong. Edited February 14 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 1 hour ago, Marisawright said: Exactly. Would you let the architect technician design your whole house, without ever consulting the architect? That's the point I'm making. Forget DUC for a moment, I'm talking about the general principle. If someone uses an Australian-based agent, they know that a qualified agent will always be in charge of their case and making the decisions/offering the advice. In a UK-based firm, there's no such requirement, so it's possible (and does happen) that a qualified agent is never involved. That's the risk, and that's why the cases I know about, went wrong. Yip you may be correct. However, there are lots of other advantages to using a UK based agent if you are located in the UK. Time zone being one! DUC are also very very good at the community aspect of making the move - they link you up with others in the same situation. They also have professional connections with other people you might need on the journey - trades bodies, skills assessment bodies, brokers, estate agents, relocation agents etc etc. This is all approached in a very joined-up way which can make such a big move less daunting to the uninitiated. I’m sure that architects technicians do design houses and extensions. In fact, one did the extension of our old house under supervision of an architect who signed it off. It was all approved by building control and is still standing. I’m not a snob about that kind of thing. As long as the job is done and done well who really cares? Sometimes qualified people also make mistakes. It happens. And since you’re not giving any detail about these ‘cases’ it might be best just not to actually defame a reputable and widely respected/recommended company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 8 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: I’m sure that architects technicians do design houses and extensions. In fact, one did the extension of our old house under supervision of an architect who signed it off. Yes. That's my point. With UK agents, there is no requirement for a qualified agent to sign off. Like I said, in the cases I know about, a qualified agent never ever saw the applications or anything about the cases. I'm not going to trawl back through all the posts on here to find them, you can do that if you like. Not saying people shouldn't use DUC, I'm saying people who use a UK company should ask the questions and make sure their case is actually overseen by a qualified person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I’m not particularly interested in hearsay when I have my own personal experience to go by and I have my visa now so it doesn’t really matter to me! As I said, ‘qualified’ people can also make mistakes. You do also repeatedly more or less say people shouldn’t use DUC. In fact, by saying don’t use anyone who employs people who aren’t Mara registered, you are by default telling them not to use DUC. Anyway I’m not on a commission to DUC, I just sometimes feel they are unfairly criticised on PiO when others (with whom I have had a less than fantastic experience) are praised highly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Elliott Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Dentists have dental nurses, Financial planners have paraplanners Lawyers have paralegals Tradesmen have apprentices The truth is, experienced, qualified and registered professionals is typically fully capable of performing all aspects of client work, however the most efficient use of their time is to focus on the critical aspects of delivering critical care, providing professional advice and performing highly technical tasks. Other tasks are delegated and performed under supervision. As a client, I would always prefer that I am paying the professional for the technical work and delegate the rest. This way, my adviser can focus on delivering quality advice in an efficient way and not get bogged down with tasks not requiring such a high level of expertise and knowledge. By doing this, they can service more clients efficiently. They also take on the responsibility and accountability for the professional staff they employ. Qualified professionals have had to go through many years of training and our bound by codes of conduct, professional standards and require registration. There is little or no point paying these professionals big $$ when the work can often be performed by more junior yet still experienced and capable staff. Ultimately the RMA takes responsibility for all work performed and advice provided. The truth is anyone outside Australia can call themselves a migration agent even if they have no relevant experience. Having said that, there are RMAs outside Australia who still choose to be registered, and as such incur significant expense in doing so (registration fees, insurance, CPD, professional library), because continuing to be registered establishes a point of difference and demonstrates professionalism, accountability and a commitment to professional standards. The truth is, many applications are straightforward when a cookie cutter approach works well. However many applications have twists and turns and encounter bumps and pot holes along the way. There are times when an unqualified and inexperienced individual gets the job done to the client's satisfaction, however, I for one prefer the reassurance that the professional representing me, is qualified to do the job and is an expert in their field. Membership of a professional body, which subjects members to a strict code of conduct provides a level of comfort and reassurance. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 7 hours ago, Steve Elliott said: Dentists have dental nurses, Financial planners have paraplanners Lawyers have paralegals Tradesmen have apprentices The truth is, experienced, qualified and registered professionals is typically fully capable of performing all aspects of client work, however the most efficient use of their time is to focus on the critical aspects of delivering critical care, providing professional advice and performing highly technical tasks. Other tasks are delegated and performed under supervision. As a client, I would always prefer that I am paying the professional for the technical work and delegate the rest. This way, my adviser can focus on delivering quality advice in an efficient way and not get bogged down with tasks not requiring such a high level of expertise and knowledge. By doing this, they can service more clients efficiently. They also take on the responsibility and accountability for the professional staff they employ. Qualified professionals have had to go through many years of training and our bound by codes of conduct, professional standards and require registration. There is little or no point paying these professionals big $$ when the work can often be performed by more junior yet still experienced and capable staff. Ultimately the RMA takes responsibility for all work performed and advice provided. The truth is anyone outside Australia can call themselves a migration agent even if they have no relevant experience. Having said that, there are RMAs outside Australia who still choose to be registered, and as such incur significant expense in doing so (registration fees, insurance, CPD, professional library), because continuing to be registered establishes a point of difference and demonstrates professionalism, accountability and a commitment to professional standards. The truth is, many applications are straightforward when a cookie cutter approach works well. However many applications have twists and turns and encounter bumps and pot holes along the way. There are times when an unqualified and inexperienced individual gets the job done to the client's satisfaction, however, I for one prefer the reassurance that the professional representing me, is qualified to do the job and is an expert in their field. Membership of a professional body, which subjects members to a strict code of conduct provides a level of comfort and reassurance. Very diplomatically put. I agree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 12 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: Very diplomatically put. I agree. So you agree with me, because Steve has just said exactly the same thing in diplomatic language. Thanks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 11 hours ago, Marisawright said: So you agree with me, because Steve has just said exactly the same thing in diplomatic language. Thanks. Just you keep believing that and living in your wee bubble Marisa. Have a good one, I know I will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 (edited) 12 minutes ago, Cheery Thistle said: Just you keep believing that and living in your wee bubble Marisa. Have a good one, I know I will! That is just weird. He literally said the same thing. I can only assume you wilfully misunderstand me because you always want to believe the worst of me. Edited February 16 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 6 minutes ago, Marisawright said: That is just weird. He literally said the same thing. I can only assume you wilfully misunderstand me because you always want to believe the worst of me. I am not the only one Marisa. You come across as a school ground bully at times. I’ve never been one to stand a bully and they tend not to like that very much. It’s odd, as you can occasionally be helpful/supportive but, more often than not you just can’t stop that superiority shine through and some of the assumptions you make are totally cringeworthy. As I have said directly to you before, sometimes it’s not WHAT you say, but the WAY you say it. You have to wonder why/how a person who can speak 4 languages is ‘misunderstanding’ you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Back on track and please lets discuss the topic and avoid personal comments as per site rules Cal x 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheery Thistle Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 To be honest I feel like doing a Simon Tucks with this forum! I don’t think it’s the place for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Manna Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 21 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said: To be honest I feel like doing a Simon Tucks with this forum! I don’t think it’s the place for me. Ok, I'll bite. What does Simon tucks mean? Rhyming slang? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerVoice Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 1 hour ago, Blue Manna said: Ok, I'll bite. What does Simon tucks mean? Rhyming slang? No, he's another forum member. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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