loubeelivvylou Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi everyone, Just trying to get an idea of how to start the whole process of emmigrating to Oz. Myself, my Husband and 3 year old daughter want to start a new life. We are planning to come over on a 176 state sponsored visa, We're thinking about Perth for our first choice. My hubby is a welder and I am a Nail technician, the points would be scored purely on Daves job because my job isn't on the list. I have spoken to an agent from 'Visa Bureau' and she has been very helpful but we are not sure wether or not to use an agent? If so what are the main agents people are using? Any advice would be great!! Visa Bureau have said that we pay £1200 + vat for the initial consultaion and if we don't qualify we will get a full refund. Its a lot of money to hand over and just wondered if they were genuine and any good?! Any advice on our next step would be great!! Thanks Lou, Dave and Olivia xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hiya Lou We used CONCEPTAUSTRALIA in mcster,think there reasonably priced and the initial consultation was free i think,we used them because 2 or 3 cpls we knew used them and all got visas,but tbh loads on here do it themselves,everybody gegs in with advice and help to be fair,so if your prepared to do the paperwork/emailing etc thats the way to go,and remember that even if you DO go with an agent you've still got plenty of form filling to do,plus get your own work statements etc as well,so knowing what i do now i'd DIY it,all the best with it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mapster Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Go Matilda did a FREE assessment answered lots of questions for free before we agreed to use them. Then you pay them in instalments as each bit of the visa is completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We used Visa Bureau to help us with all aspects of the visa and they were Gold! Absolutely fantastic and if i had to turn the clock back i wouldnt hesitate to use them again. Good luck with everything. Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donaa2 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Hi there, we arrived in January on a state sponsored 176 visa. I have to say we didn't use an agent and went it alone. The process wasn't that difficult, it took a year from submission to our visa being granted. You can save yourselves a lot of money which believe me you will need when you get here. Best of luck Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Vikki Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Hi tere, First of all good luck, we wish you all the best. It sure is a lot of money, but at the end of the day you have to think that this is for the rest of your life, so best to pay and get it right first time. With an agent dealing with your application, you know that it will be done right. We went with an agent and found it very easy. The hardest thing was paying the bills for them lol. We spoke to a few bad agents to start with befre we found ours. So have a look around, but don't be surprised if you come across a few fools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 We did lots and lots of reading and research and went for WA state sponsored 176 visa. We'd checked the number of points our application was likely to get, and decided the services of an agent weren't required for us. I'm sure they do a lot of the legwork, but we were organised enough to be able to fill in a couple of forms, keep on top of the process and wait patiently. Lots of waiting. And more waiting. Then some more. It's a decision only you can make, but we're glad we didn't - that money saved has been used elsewhere many times over! I'd say do lots of research and reading on sites like this and then make your decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest annerichard Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Hi loubeelivvylou, My hubby, myself and our two children Lauren (10) and Ryan (7) we are also going out under the o/h trade and are almost at the end of our time with Visa Bureau, we are just waiting for a C.O to be assigned and pc's and Medicals then fingers crossed the visas (SS 176 Visa). We have had a delightful time with these guys, they are very informative they will talk to you by phone but it is mostly by e-mail and nothing is to much trouble for them. We decide to go with an agent as Hubby works full time, I work full time and the children have various clubs so to try and find the time to sit in the evenings to fill out the paper work and if you miss a full stop or if you have misspelt a word that could be your dream gone. For extra piece of mind I would suggest that you use an agent but the choice is yours. It does sound a lot of money but look at what you will get in return! Good luck for whatever you decide, take care and we might meet you in Perth one day. EEEEKKKKKK! Anne x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Laura24english Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Hello, I emigrated to Australia in 2008 and used the agent Visago, they were fantastic!!! Me and my defacto partner at the time applied for a skilled visa and got approved for permanent residency! :-) Visago lead us through the entire process, checking documents and giving templates to ensure all the information was sufficient. I would definitely recommend visago, they have made the dream of moving to Australia a reality! Good Luck! Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellydorey1 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Hi We have just got our visas and are heading to qld in 8 weeks time !!!! yay. We used Access Migration and they are brilliant. One call to Kerry will put your mind at ease and their fee's were really fair. Good luck and hope it helps Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest barrytheplumber Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 we used a Brisbane based migration lawyer called www.australianmigrations.com , the assessment was free, we applied for a 176 family sponsored visa. we paid half the money for the first stage which is the trade recognision and qualifications bit, then we paid the balance which was for the personal side of things which included the price of visa processing. we then had to pay for a police check and a medical for a family of 4, then about a month after that we were granted our visas. they will give you an online quote but because of the current exchange rate it will seem more expensive. good luck, see you on the beach.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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