Migration Agency or Apply on your own

toAustraliaandbeyond · February 2018

Hi!

I'm an accountant planning to migrate to land down under. Pero nalilito ako kung mag migration agency ba kami ni hubby or ako nalang magprocess sarili ko. Dati nakapagprocess n nmn ako ng visa to Australia pero hindi pang skilled migration kundi business trip and okay naman. Twice na ako nakapunta and twice n din na ako nagasikaso nun. Pero for sure mas complicated and skilled migration. What you think ang mas better? Appreciate your feedback guys and gals. Also if may mga tip kau you may share it with us. Salamat

immicoconsultancy · February 2018

Hi! I am a Registered migration agent but I came to Australia and processed my papers on my own until I got my Citizenship. To be honest, both have pros and cons. If you decide to do it yourself, it will be cheaper but it will cost more stress for you without being sure if what you're doing is heading to the right path. On the other hand, using a migration agent will cost a bit of money, but they can guide you throughout your application, we studied a postgrad degree in immigration law and we were trained to look at the same legislations that the immigration officers are using to decide on every application. Good luck on your application!

RheaMARN1171933 · February 2018

I've posted about this before. I'm actually a product of both. When I went as a student visa, I did it myself but when I had to apply for PR, I attempted to do it myself and gave up on it due to the complexity of things. Initially I was apprehensive of using an agent due to the typical stereotype that they are a rip off. My view about them changed when I found a very reasonable agent - only charged $1,000. This was over 10 years ago...fast forward, I found myself in this profession and from the time I started my studies in immigration law, I promised myself I won't be one of those pricey ones especially for Filipinos as I know how it's like. I just had an expo over the weekend here in London as I'm based over here. most of my clients are Brits but of course, I do get Filipinos enquiring about Australia.

Anyway, engaging one is like hiring a tax agent. You can do it without. It's a personal choice but often times I've had clients who would come to me because they've messed things up and they ended up with more expenses and time wasted. If you are to do it yourself, be prepared to really do a thorough research. Especially these days when policies are much more fickle than before. However, if you are to engage someone make sure to check that they are registered. Ask for the MARN. The first 2 digits of their registration is an indication of when they first got registered. For example, mine starts with 11 which means 2011. So the older the year, the more experienced the agent is. Check out this link I posted about tips on choosing an agent http://pinoyau.info/discussion/10256/helpful-tips-on-choosing-an-agent#latest
Good luck!

HeyThereMaddie · February 2018

Hi! Can I get a migration agent kahit I did everything on my own from start until ITA? I have medical issues lang kasi, and I need an agent to guide me lang with these.

Can anyone suggest an agent na specialized sa ganitong cases? Thanks so much!

bonvive · February 2018

Well a migration agency can make things easier but if you are concerned about the prices, then you can also do things on your own.

chococrinkle · February 2018

@HeyThereMaddie. Hi! Im not sure if there are agents here that specialize in medical issues, but Ive read from other forums na meron Australia based migration agency. You may want to google and check. They have fees which covers checking of your medical exams and assessing if you have a chance or not. If your condition will not cost a lot and expected costs will be within the threshold, I think no need to worry. You have to consider however, if you already have ITA, that its hard to get one these days so you already need to lodge before it expires.