Hello,
My family and I are planning to migrate to Australia, and due to our two children and age, we have decided to engage the services of a migration agent to assist us. We are currently residing in Singapore but plan to work with an agent from Australia. Following a video call, the agent has provided us with a detailed fee breakdown via email, which totals AUD19,000, with professional fees amounting to AUD9,500. We were informed that the fees will be paid in stages as we progress through the application process, and that the professional fee is refundable. However, we found their explanation of the refund policy to be a bit unclear as they only mentioned refunding for any mistakes they make in the application.
I have also reached out to another agent here in Singapore thru email, who quoted a fee of SGD8,700. However, I think this is just for the professional fee.
My question is, is this the usual fee for migration agent these days? Is this the same as getting an agent in the Philippines? Is it possible to get a migration agent in the Philippines, even if we are not located there.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks!
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Comments
Posts: 783Member
Joined: Mar 08, 2022
Unsure about the fees (that seems pretty steep to me, but then again I know an agency that quotes for PHP 1M so the pricing is not unheard of). But you can definitely hire a migration agent/agency from a different location. The communication would be online naman. Just a kind reminder to do your due diligence ensuring the credibility of the agency/agent.
212415 - Technical Writer | Offshore, PH | With agent | Age: 30 | English: 20 | Work: 0 | Qualification: 15 | Single: 10 | NAATI: 5 | Total: 80+5 for SC190 | Granted 190 NSW
2020
December 5: Started consulting with agents
2021
March 5: Hiatus
2022
February 28: Resumed my application
June 16: PTE - Started studying on my own (Used Pearson mock tests and APEUni)
June 21: PTE - Booked my exam
June 23: VETASSESS - Submitted my application
June 24: VETASSESS - Status "Lodged"
August 26: PTE - Exam at Trident Makati
August 30: PTE - Results: SUPERIOR (LRSW 90) - Read my study/exam tips
September 14: NAATI CCL - Booked my exam
November 26: NAATI CCL - Exam
November 30: VETASSESS - Requested for updated reference letter
December 7: VETASSESS - Submitted updated reference letter
December 16: VETASSESS - Result - POSITIVE ASSESSMENT!
December 22: NAATI CCL - Results - Passed (77.5/90) - Just took the CCL cram course
December 23: EOI - Lodged 190 for VIC and NSW
2023
January 6: Submitted petition for correction of birth certificate (just in case)
January 10: STATE NOM - Received pre-invite from NSW for 190 TYL / Discontinued VIC ROI
January 23: STATE NOM - Submitted nomination application to NSW
January 24: Received ITA from NSW for 190 visa first thing in the morning tears of joy
February 17: Lodged 190 visa application / Scheduled my medicals at St. Luke's BGC
March 4: First-time visit to Melbourne and Sydney
March 13: Medicals
March 17: Police clearance
March 21: Medicals cleared
April 5: Uploaded corrected birth certificate (TYL, my LCRO was efficient)
October 16: Received commencement email
December 28: PR VISA GRANT
Posts: 28Member
Joined: Apr 04, 2022
I am also residing in SG but my migration agent is in PH. I made it clear to them before I signed a contract that I am not in PH. According to them, there will be no problem as all of the transactions and submission of documents will be done online. Prior to inquiring to an agent in PH, I tried to inquire here first in SG. And yes, the agent's PF in SG is way more expensive than in PH. Since the process and their services are just the same, I chose the help of an agent from PH to save me some money.
I hope this helps po.
Joined: Mar 10, 2016
Oh my golly that’s a lot of money…always makes me wonder I should charge more! lol…just kidding. We charge on the lower P100,000+,…Yes there are a lot out there who charge a fortune! That’s their prerogative thought. Since day 1 my company was established, I’m conscious not to be “one of them”.
There is no issue with location. Are clients are based everywhere whilst we are based in London! With regards to the refund, the agent should have given you the code of conduct. We adhere to a code and we can be sanctioned if proven we have breached it. A clause on the code relates to refund. We can only be paid for the services we provided. If you’ve given the whole payment in advance, they should have been kept as a deposit. Each time a service is rendered, that’s when we can only take our fee for such service from the deposit. In the event you decided you wanted to terminate the contract midway, whatever’s not been used from your deposit due to the service not rendered will be return to you. That isn’t refund, that’s only returning your money. When it comes to the actual fee you have paid for the services they have provided, technically, there is no refund on the payment due to the fact that they have spent time and effort on whatever service they rendered, hence, there is no sense as to why they are obliged to give you a refund unless they have made a mistake when rendering such service. If you think of it, you don’t go to a restaurant and decide halfway you don’t want to eat there anymore and demand for a refund. They’ve already served the food you ordered….unless they have done something wrong with the food - hope that makes sense?
I have attached the code of conduct for your reference. A responsible migration agent should always provide this at initial contact.
Joined: Mar 10, 2016
The best way to check is via Mara.gov.au….a qualified one has a Mara agent number (MARN). Thus should always be visible on their website, marketing, email, etc.
Posts: 567Member
Joined: Mar 09, 2018
For me ganito siguro.
19/04/2011 IELTS Competent L:7.0, R: 7.5, W: 6.0, S: 6.0, OBS: 6.5
27/03/2018 PTE Proficient L:73, R: 70, W: 73, S: 78, OBS: 71
07/07/2018 Received Passport (10 years expiry)
08/08/2018 Received Driver's Licence 5 years
09/10/2018 0600H EA Queued for Assessment
29/10/2018 0530H Assessment in Progress
29/10/2018 1200H Outcome Received (Positive)
16/11/2019 1326H EOI Lodged 491 Family Sponsored 90 pts.
28/11/2019 NBI Application. (HIT)
09/12/2019 NBI Clearance Claimed at NBI Ermita for Faster processing
09/01/2020 2100H ITA 491
14/01/2020 Received Sponsorship Documents
20/01/2020 Payroll Statement of Account
27/01/2020 E medical at Nationwide Baguio
28/01/2020 E medical No Action Required. Nationwide Submitted to DHA
29/01/2020 Received Current Payslip
02/02/2020 SSS Inquiry System
07/02/2020 Reference Letter Current
07/02/2020 Provident Fund Update
10/02/2020 Polio Vaccination Certificate
12/02/2020 BIR Form 2316 updated to 2019
15/02/2020 Lodgment of Visa. Frontloaded all Docs including Form 80, 1221, 1281, medicals as per guidelines
18/02/2020 Form 1023
07/05/2020 CO allocated
27/10/2020 Direct Grant. No CO Contact.
19/05/2022 The Big Move
Joined: Feb 27, 2023
I applied for 491 visa around 2019, and hired Respall Migration as my agent. Total agent fees around 150,000 pesos that time (excluding visa fee, skills assessment, english exam etc.), although single ako. Not sure if they have different agent fees for family. Try to contact them and inquire directly sa kanila baka mas mura.
Joined: Sep 11, 2022
I also have Respall as our agent. We are a family of 4 and yes nasa fixed 150,000 yung agent fee nila. i contacted them last 2020 pero nagtuloy lang kami ng application 2022, same rate pa din naman.
Posts: 72Member
Joined: Aug 13, 2019
wow super taas ng quote. for me and my spouse umabot po ng 150k din. waiting for visa na lang kami 🙂. I suggest get an agent with an office na lang here sa pinas.
233211 Civil Engineer
(Age: 30pts | Education: 15pts | Work Exp: 5yrs - 10pts | Eng: 20pts | Partner Skills: 10pts)
APR 29, 2019 : 1st PTE L-74 R-77 S-90 W-73 [Results after 4 Days]
JUL 5, 2019 : 2nd PTE L-82 R-86 S-90 W-81 [Results after 1 Day] Superior
JUL 2019: DHA Point system change (Spouse needs to take PTE and EA)
OCT 2019 : Spouse PTE Competent [Results after 2 Days]
MAY 2020 : EA Positive Outcome [233211 FTrack - Results after 10 Days - Sec.1 w/ PRC]
JULY 2020 : Spouse EA Positive Outcome [233211 FTrack - Results after 25 Days - Sec.1 w/ PRC]
JULY 2020 : 3yrs Experience EOI SC189-80pts | SC190-85pts | SC491-95pts
MAY 2022 : 5yrs Experience EOI SC189-85pts | SC190-90pts | SC491-100pts
AUG 26, 2022: Re-take PTE (expired) L-90 R-89 S-90 W-90 [Results same day] Superior
AUG 26, 2022: ROI VIC (85+5)
SEPT 6, 2022: GOLDEN PRE-INVITE SC 190 VIC!!! THANK YOU LORD!!!
SEPT 16, 2022: Spouse Re-take PTE (nearly expired) [Results same day] Competent (VIC requires 12wks remaining validity)
SEP 26, 2022: SC190 VIC Skillselect Invitation to Apply (ITA)!!! THANK YOU LORD!!!
OCT 6, 2022: SC189 Skillselect Invitation to Apply (ITA)!!! THANK YOU LORD!!!
NOV 16, 2022: SC189 VISA LODGE
NOV 26, 2022: Medicals (Submitted by NHSI Baguio to DHA on Nov 28, 2022)
APR 17, 2023: SC189 Grant
APR 18, 2023: PDOS-Spouse (Registered on April 17, email received same day)
APR 19, 2023: PDOS-Main applicant (Registered on April 17 did not receive e-mail, Registered again on April 18)
MAY 9, 2023: BM ❤️ "In God's Perfect Time"
BM Tips:
https://pinoyau.info/discussion/comment/397290/#Comment_397290
https://pinoyau.info/discussion/comment/396023/#Comment_396023
PTE Tips:
https://pinoyau.info/discussion/comment/383099/#Comment_383099
Practiced in APEUNI (not premium)
Joined: Jul 09, 2022
Hello po. Tanong ko lang po kung pwede po kaya mag migration agent pag may ITA na po? Thank you
Posts: 783Member
Joined: Mar 08, 2022
Pwede naman, inform mo lang yung agent na iko-consult mo na visa application stage ka na.
212415 - Technical Writer | Offshore, PH | With agent | Age: 30 | English: 20 | Work: 0 | Qualification: 15 | Single: 10 | NAATI: 5 | Total: 80+5 for SC190 | Granted 190 NSW
2020
December 5: Started consulting with agents
2021
March 5: Hiatus
2022
February 28: Resumed my application
June 16: PTE - Started studying on my own (Used Pearson mock tests and APEUni)
June 21: PTE - Booked my exam
June 23: VETASSESS - Submitted my application
June 24: VETASSESS - Status "Lodged"
August 26: PTE - Exam at Trident Makati
August 30: PTE - Results: SUPERIOR (LRSW 90) - Read my study/exam tips
September 14: NAATI CCL - Booked my exam
November 26: NAATI CCL - Exam
November 30: VETASSESS - Requested for updated reference letter
December 7: VETASSESS - Submitted updated reference letter
December 16: VETASSESS - Result - POSITIVE ASSESSMENT!
December 22: NAATI CCL - Results - Passed (77.5/90) - Just took the CCL cram course
December 23: EOI - Lodged 190 for VIC and NSW
2023
January 6: Submitted petition for correction of birth certificate (just in case)
January 10: STATE NOM - Received pre-invite from NSW for 190 TYL / Discontinued VIC ROI
January 23: STATE NOM - Submitted nomination application to NSW
January 24: Received ITA from NSW for 190 visa first thing in the morning tears of joy
February 17: Lodged 190 visa application / Scheduled my medicals at St. Luke's BGC
March 4: First-time visit to Melbourne and Sydney
March 13: Medicals
March 17: Police clearance
March 21: Medicals cleared
April 5: Uploaded corrected birth certificate (TYL, my LCRO was efficient)
October 16: Received commencement email
December 28: PR VISA GRANT
Joined: Mar 10, 2016
You could get an agent at any stage but it all depends if the agent wants to take your case. If deadline is soon approaching it would probably be difficult to get an agent to work on your case.