chrishardy Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Hi there, After much talk and diliberation me(24) and my finace(22) have decided to go back down under!! We originally met whilst we where both backpacking there in 2009 and i have been eager to get back ever since we got back. I have spoke to the visa bureau and go matilda but iv just been put off by their prices really. I'm just wondering if it really is worth it/quicker to use an agent or can it be done by myself?? I'm really stuck with this and haven't got a clue where to start :huh: Could anyone give me any advice or a step by step process on what to do?? :confused: Thanks Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greggers68 Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I think only you and your partner will know if its right for you. There are plenty on here who will assist you if you go alone and plenty who have gone alone. If you think you may have any complications then may be use an agent if not then have ago yourself. Good luck either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dj2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I am in the same boat,,, seems pricey to make sure you have filled out the forms correctly dosen't it ?.... A simple list of all documents needed and away we go ! the official visa online site is pretty cryptic,,although the 'visa application online' lets you save and exit each time you are stumped,, but i'm sure the good folks on here can point us in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fashionably Late Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 No, you don't have to have an agent. Many have done it themselves. I used an agent and to me it was money very well spent. I figured if I was spending a huge amount of money on the visa application and medical any way I didn't want to chance making an error that could have cost me the chance at a visa or making costly mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Its entirely your choice. Around half our members who have visa's have applied with the help of an agent ,the other half have gone the DIY route, using an agent wont always make it quicker, if at all. If you feel confident and you know exactly what to do and are happy putting everything together then go for it and save a few quid,lol, i used an agent as all the paperwork blew my mind but like you say it isnt cheap. Good luck with your application Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Chris, You say: * Do you really need an agent?? and * I'm really stuck with this and haven't got a clue where to start If I might be so bold - yes, you clearly do need an agent. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowball Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Hi All, I have only just joined as a member as we finally have our visa for Oz. We started applying 3 years ago and it has taken all of this time to get our visa awarded. This was thanks to our agent that we used (James Gordan at Must Migrate). We couldn't have done it without him. Before that we tried out 2 other agents that I will not name but both were very forthcoming in taking fees and when it came to the crunch did very little. The first one swore blind he could help with my partners trade and so we drove miles to meet up with him and he then said "sorry. I thought you said you had a degree" and basically said he couldn't help us but took the initial fee regardless for his time. And that was after a lengthy in depth discussion about ourselves and our skills! The second agent was also helpful up front and once we had paid our money he was difficult to track down to talk to and kept us waiting saying there are changes to come in the system and kept stalling for time of actually doing anything or getting anything out to us. He would say "remind me who you are again?" when we rang! So there are bad agents floating around! When we found our latest agent he was a God-send! He did exactly what we had expected and kept us in the loop. More importantly he was MARA registered and knew the system inside out as well as being aware of up and coming changes in the Aussie visa process. And there have been several just in the time we have been applying so it was good to have someone with inside knowledge doing the work for you. Our experience of the system is that the authorities like paperwork and can pull the rug from beneath you at any given time and with so many people applying they can choose to be fussy with the standard of applications submitted. Therefore I would stronly advise getting a good agent as a good one is worth every penny and their experience of the system is better then mine would ever be trawling through endless government websites & links. We are in the process of putting the house on the market so that we can leave the UK but honestly feel we couldn't have done it without a good agent. The visa process has been like a roller-coaster for us but we have finally made it. Good luck with your decissions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky123 Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 You can do it on your own but there are so many visa options and changes that happen to those visas. Also theres a far amount of paperwork involved as you can imagine and i got an agent as i wanted to make sure i had filled the forms correctly and i know i have all the relevant paperwork sorted. My agent is always there if i have any questions and gave me a few different options on visas i could go for and what they entail. He talks to me honestly and explain things clearly. If you do decide to go with an agent make sure they are mara registered and have a few recommendations before you even bother contacting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alterles Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Hello Could you please give the the link to the agent you used. alterles@hotmail.com Many Thanks Gary Oliver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cass73 Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 yes you can do it on your own all you need to do is determine which visa you need down load the forms and print out the check lists of info you need to include on your visa and off you go. Dont be put off by the amount of info they need just stick to the list a tick of as you go, it really is alot simpler and easier than it looks at first glance, the questions on the forms are really self explanitary. Good luck with it all.:biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrishardy Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 Thankyou for all your advice everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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