Where to Start

In Australia, only registered Migration Agents are legally allowed to give advice on migration. Here at MoveToPerth we are not Migration Agents, so all we can do is share our migration experiences and our general understanding of the migration process with you. If anything appears to look like advice - it isn't, so please ignore it.

The best place to start your quest for a visa is DIMA (the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs). This site outlines the different visa types and the requirements for each. 

Migration Agents

Many people choose to employ the services of a migration agent to help them through the visa application process. It is not a requirement to do so, and they can be expensive - but many people like the help and reassurance that these companies offer. Tip: Get a recommendation off someone before employing an agent - we've heard some horror stories.

Some questions to ask prospective Agents:

• What is their success rate? -> Good agents should have 95% or better success rate because, let's face it they should only accept business when they know what applications are likely to be successful.

• How much do they charge, and when? -> They should give you a breakdown of their fees and the governments immigration fees (application fee, medicals etc.). Also, the fee structure should be such that you are only paying for the work that they are carrying out at the time, so as the application progresses, the more you pay.

• What services do they offer for the money? -> e.g. do you need to run around getting certified copies of everything, or do they do it?

• Do they offer a fee guarantee? -> Do you get your money back if your application is unsuccessful for reasons other than failing the medical or police checks?

More Information

Use the links opposite or ask other members in our forum.

Useful Links

DIMIA