Choosing the right migration agent is one of the most important decisions you'll make
14 July 2008
It seems the desire to move to Australia has never been stronger. Leading relocation agency ‘FastrackOZ’ which offers a comprehensive migration service, has recently been inundated with approaches from Brits, from all walks of life, keen to up sticks and move down under.
Global Commercial Manager of FastrackOZ, Fiona Schoonens, believes it’s a combination of factors that has led to the recent surge in interest;
The Australian way of life has always been attractive to many British people but now the economy is booming over there too. Here in the UK, life is pretty tough at the moment with a lot of people feeling the pinch financially due to falling house costs and rising food bills, so lots of our clients have made the decision – now is the right time to go.
But unfortunately it’s not as simple as packing your bags and getting on a plane. To move to Australia, you need a visa and determining which visa is best for you and submitting the application with all the correcting supporting documents can be a very time consuming and complex process. People can choose to handle the whole visa application process on their own however, to avoid the pitfalls and expedite the process; many opt for professional visa assistance.
What is Professional Visa Assistance? FastrackOZ recommends you check what you are going to get before parting with your money. They say, ‘Visa Assistance’ should include;
- Initial assessment to establish what visa you will be eligible for
- Advice on which option is best suited to you and your circumstances
- Advice on providing the correct documentation
- Qualified advice and guidance on how to complete the relevant forms
- Submitting your application with all the relevant documents to the correct Authorities
- Monitoring your application and liaising with Australian officials on your behalf
- Responding to the questions and Concerns of the Australian Officials on your behalf
Which migration agent do you choose? There are hundreds of visa agents in the UK and it can be bewildering knowing which one to choose. Fiona Schoonens advises customers to check 3 key things when choosing a migration agent
Compliance, experience and track record are essential factors. FastrackOZ partners with migration specialists, Voyage Relocations, who are fully regulated, have migration experts based in Australia and the UK and have a fantastic track record of successful visa applications. This is one of the biggest decisions in your life and it can get very stressful at times. You need to make sure that you are being helped by people you like and trust and who are prepared to go that extra mile to help your dream come true
Fiona also stresses that clients should establish that a migration agent is registered with the Australian regulatory authority, MARA. All MARA agents should always display their registration code to show their membership is current and authentic. Voyage Relocation’s UK based agent’s code is 0744603
What should you pay? Prices for Professional Visa Assistance can vary enormously from agent to agent. Fiona recommends that prospective clients establish that an agency is regulated and then check that they provide all the services in the list above. She warns people to be careful about being over charged for this service;
Some companies need to justify some of their charges. Currently FastrackOZ and our partner migration agent charge £1525 (inc VAT).for a skilled independent migrant visa ( subclass 157) , which is half the price of some of our competitors, even though we are offering exactly the same level of service and professionalism
NB. When agents charge a Professional Visa Assistance fee this amount does not include such items as statutory government fees for the cost of the visa application itself , skills assessments and the necessary police and health checks.
For more information on Australian visas or any aspect of migration you can call FastrackOZ on 0208 547 4117
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