mrdgoode Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Hi All, Me and my wife were hoping to move to Australia with our child (will be 1 year old in June). We met each other in Oz in 2012 while on a working holiday visa. We now want to return to the country as we feel it offers what we value in life. I do have an uncle that lives on the Mornington Peninsula and we lived with him for a while and now hoping to return to the area if possible. I had a look at the SOL list (10/4/24) and it seems that we might both qualify for a visa (details below). However we are both quite busy, my wife with working and looking after the child, and I have just left the oil and gas industry to start a new career in project controls. Teaching an old dog new tricks is harder than I thought so I don't have the bandwidth to take on navigating the various options on how to migrate. I can imagine its going to be an exuberant cost depending on how much involvement we want but, how do you find a reputable migration agent/company? We are based in Surrey UK, a quick google search shows some based in London with good reviews but I didn't know if there was a consensus within the community of particular company or even specific agent that provides a great service? Were hoping to migrate based on Wife, age 37, Canadian and UK passport, occupation dental hygienist, myself age 40, UK passport, occupation project controller. We have a child who will be 1 in June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 5 hours ago, mrdgoode said: ...I didn't know if there was a consensus within the community of particular company or even specific agent that provides a great service? Any of the registered migration agents who post regularly on this forum would be worth consulting. In terms of cost? An absolute drop in the ocean compared to the rest of the costs you'll find associated with immigrating. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 5 hours ago, mrdgoode said: I can imagine its going to be an exuberant cost depending on how much involvement we want but, how do you find a reputable migration agent/company? Asking here is a good start. There are some agents who visit these forums and are generous and supportive with free advice. They are Suncoast Migration, Go Matilda, Andre Burger & Associates and Pinoy Australia. Your agent doesn't have to be in your city as everything is done by email and phone these days. You can start by asking them for an indicative quote. Years ago, few people used an agent. Nowadays it's such a complicated process, it's very wise to use one, even if you're not busy. Anyhow, as BendigoBoy says, if you can't afford an agent you certainly can't afford to migrate, as it's such a small part of the overall cost. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
can1983 Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 Is your occupation actually 'project controller' in the eyes of Australian immigration? You normally need formal qualifications and years of experience and if you have just changed career this might be a problem - but an agent can advise. I've held the title 'project manager' for quite a few years but have no formal qualifications in the field having sort of evolved into it from engineering where i have the qualifications. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Elliott Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 Registered migration agents (RMA) charges really aren't exuberant when taking into consideration the total cost of a transition to a new country. Costs are not regulated but it is a competitive market so fees have to be reasonable for the work performed. Location also shouldn't really be an issue as this day and age, 98% of the contact is via phone, email zoom etc as, to be honest, face to face is inefficient, so the less in person contact there is, the more competitive the pricing. Most Australian agents will be able to arrange late evening or early morning consults with UK clients. This works well as it doesn't interfere too much with the working day and family time. At the end of the day, you should go with someone who you feel comfortable with, someone who has a good support team behind them and most importantly, someone who is experienced and an expert in the area of visas relevant to you. Maybe check out their websites, years of experience, references etc. The best approach is to pay for an online consultation. In doing this, you will be equipped with the knowledge of what your options are, time lines and likely costs. Typically the consult occurs after you have provided some factual information to the agent in advance of the consult. That way, the agent has had an opportunity to consider your personal circumstances, consider any potential obstacles so that when doing a consult (typically via zoom/teams) these can be raised. Some RMA's do free consults but typically these will be quite short and vague. A paid consult will typically include written expert advice on your options. I hope this helps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulhand Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 5 hours ago, Steve Elliott said: Registered migration agents (RMA) charges really aren't exuberant My charges may be exuberant, but they certainly aren’t exorbitant… 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuratGloris Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 On 10/04/2024 at 19:05, mrdgoode said: Hi All, Me and my wife were hoping to move to Australia with our child (will be 1 year old in June). We met each other in Oz in 2012 while on a working holiday visa. We now want to return to the country as we feel it offers what we value in life. I do have an uncle that lives on the Mornington Peninsula and we lived with him for a while and now hoping to return to the area if possible. I had a look at the SOL list (10/4/24) and it seems that we might both qualify for a visa (details below). However we are both quite busy, my wife with working and looking after the child, and I have just left the oil and gas industry to start a new career in project controls. Teaching an old dog new tricks is harder than I thought so I don't have the bandwidth to take on navigating the various options on how to migrate. I can imagine its going to be an exuberant cost depending on how much involvement we want but, how do you find a reputable migration agent/company? We are based in Surrey UK, a quick google search shows some based in London with good reviews but I didn't know if there was a consensus within the community of particular company or even specific agent that provides a great service? Were hoping to migrate based on Wife, age 37, Canadian and UK passport, occupation dental hygienist, myself age 40, UK passport, occupation project controller. We have a child who will be 1 in June. Here's my advice. Many migration agents offer free consultations or assessments of your situation. Take this opportunity to talk to several agents and evaluate how they can help you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 2 hours ago, MuratGloris said: Here's my advice. Many migration agents offer free consultations or assessments of your situation. Take this opportunity to talk to several agents and evaluate how they can help you. I used to recommend that, too. I don't recommend it these days. Many of the best agents have stopped offering free consultations because they're far too busy. Also you'll find a free consult is always very general and they still want you to pay to get an accurate evaluation of your specific circumstances. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Senise Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 2 hours ago, MuratGloris said: Here's my advice. Many migration agents offer free consultations or assessments of your situation. Take this opportunity to talk to several agents and evaluate how they can help you. Most Registered Migration Agents do not offer free consultations, unless they are new to the industry and trying to gain experience. Free consultations are more often used by unregistered operators. The old saying "you get what you pay for" is generally true in this situation. The Migration Regulations, Act and Policy have become very complex. To do a consultation properly often includes detailed research, which takes time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausvisitor Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 On 11/04/2024 at 07:17, BendigoBoy said: In terms of cost? An absolute drop in the ocean compared to the rest of the costs you'll find associated with immigrating. I wrote a post once about our path to getting here and being settled in a rental property. Now we probably spent more than some would be we weren't *exuberant* in our choices. I can't find the post, but from recollection we spent over $40k on relocation and visa stuff between deciding to go and actually being in our rental (that doesn't include the $35k for a new car either). Our migration agent was about $3,200 of that total cost and worth every cent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BendigoBoy Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 Just now, Ausvisitor said: I wrote a post once about our path to getting here and being settled in a rental property. Now we probably spent more than some would be we weren't *exuberant* in our choices. I can't find the post, but from recollection we spent over $40k on relocation and visa stuff between deciding to go and actually being in our rental (that doesn't include the $35k for a new car either). Our migration agent was about $3,200 of that total cost and worth every cent That sounds like you did it a bit on the cheap, to be honest. I've a mate who moved over about 2 years ago who splashed nearly $65k just on the move alone. Mind you, he did fly the four kids and the two adults out in J, so that would bump it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausvisitor Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 Just now, BendigoBoy said: That sounds like you did it a bit on the cheap, to be honest. I've a mate who moved over about 2 years ago who splashed nearly $65k just on the move alone. Mind you, he did fly the four kids and the two adults out in J, so that would bump it. Yeah just two of us, and I may have chosen to forget some of the costs to soften the blow as time has passed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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