Choosing a MARA Registered Migration Agent

Migration agents.

You do not have to use a migration agent to get a visa for Australia, you can do it yourself. But we did use one. Why?
Man-Doing-Paperwork
Although my wife’s skill was on the Skilled Occupations List, she did not have a recognised qualification for it so her skill had to be independently assessed before we could take our application further. I was over the maximum age limit, so with those two factors combined, we felt our application wasn’t straightforward.

Engaging a migration agent to help us gave us the comfort of knowing that our application, when it was finally sent off, was sound and did have a good chance of success. This is because any MARA registered migration agent has a duty to ensure that all applications they send to the Australian Government have a realistic chance of approval.

In fact, I believe that if any MARA registered agent continually submits poor applications, they will find themselves in danger of having their licence taken away from them.

Can you recommend a MARA registered migration agent?

Yes I can. I have now been working closely with MARA registered agents on this website since the beginning of 2012 providing personal and professional visa assessments. To find out more about this service, please visit the following page for full details…

What is MARA?

“The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority is an office attached to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP). We are based in Sydney and operate nationwide.” That’s a quote taken directly from the About Us page from the official site, which you can visit here…

All migration agents in Australia must be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).

So, if somebody is not MARA registered, they cannot charge you a fee to help you submit your application, they would be breaking the law here in Australia if they did. But whether you are looking to use an Australian-based agent or an agent from anywhere around the world, it is essential you choose to work with only MARA registered migration agents.

More information can be found by visiting the governments MARA website mentioned above, but if you are looking for professional assistance, I do highly recommend my agent who is MARA registered and Australian-based. There is no need for face to face meetings these days either, everything is done over the Internet and by telephone.

How much will an agent cost?

MARA has a page on their website with a guide to fees…..

How much did my agent cost?

We were charged £1,213.25 including VAT by our MARA registered migration agent, but in addition to this we had to pay £675 including VAT for my wife’s skills assessment. We came over on one of the General Skilled Migration visas. The exchange rate at the time (2007) was around 2.4 to 2.5 AUD to the pound, so we paid something like $3000 to our agent and around $1500 for the skills assessment.

This was excluding government fees.

Looking at the governments price guide, what we paid back in 2007 is pretty much the average of what is currently being charged now by migration agents.

Government fees

In addition to the fees and charges made by your MARA registered migration agent, should you choose to use one, there will be a fee payable to the Australian Government for your visa.

These fees vary but the government has a page on their website with the details.

Unlike the migration agent fees, the government fees have gone up massively since 2007. Back then we paid a total of $1990 for my wife, myself, and our young daughter. Right now (February 2017) we would be charged $3600 for my wife, $1800 for myself and $900 for my daughter, totalling $6300.

Please bear in mind that these government fees are non-refundable, if your application is declined, you lose all that money. A professionally prepared application lodged through a MARA agent will minimise that risk.

MARA Agents: Payments in advance

Some migration agents ask for quite large and substantial upfront fees before they even look at your details or your situation. This should not be the case and there is no justification for any agent requesting such fees and you should treat any such requests with caution.

Other services offer a “free” assessment, but this is usually just an automated process that takes some basic details and calculates your points. If you score the requested number of points, you are then asked for a sometimes quite substantial sum in advance before they will help you further, again I suggest caution.

Never pay large sums in advance to migration agents, a reasonable deposit, 20% to 40%, should only be paid after the agent has looked at ALL of your details and has informed you, in writing, which visa or visas you might qualify for and the exact costs of applying for those visas, including the agents fees.

With our Visa Assessment Service, you will pay a small fee, but my agent will spend something like a couple of hours looking through all of your information, deciding which options are best for you, putting it all in writing and fully explaining all the costs.

If my agent feels you would not qualify for any visas, he would advise you of what YOU can do to improve your chances of success and, if possible, suggest ways you can achieve a higher points total. My agent would not take on your case if he felt you would not be successful with your application.

Should you decide to use my agent to represent you, your assessment fee is added to your account as a credit towards your costs.

If, for any reason, you are unhappy with the service, I will personally refund your money, I guarantee it.

Here’s one BIG final tip

Google is your friend. No, really! If you are considering using a specific MARA registered agent or company and you want to check them out, simply search for the name of that company followed by the word “reviews”.

You will be amazed by what might come up.

I have been contacted by several disgruntled readers who have paid good money, sometimes a lot of money, to supposedly reputable agents and they’ve received nothing but disappointment.

For each one, if these people had simply Googled the reviews about those companies they would have surely seen the opinions of many disgruntled clients and stayed away.

I suggest you Google first, pay later.

Important: Please read before commenting…
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And for those looking for professional assistance…
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Visa Assessment Service
{ 435 comments… add one }
  • preet February 7, 2015, 4:35 am |

    hello dear sir/madam
    i need 360 hours paid work experience and i find job for that my question is that my company is going to pay me by checque and told me company will pay my tax and superannuation every three months i am very confused that if i get my pay by checque not in bank account then immigration will accept it when i will lodge my case

    • BobinOz February 9, 2015, 5:16 pm |

      I can help you with specifically although it seems to me that your cheque will still need to go through your bank account and will therefore show on your bank statements anyway.

  • Jay j February 4, 2015, 6:12 pm |

    Hi bob,I am from SierraLeone.I am eligible for a australian visa?

    • BobinOz February 6, 2015, 7:56 pm |

      Hehe, that’s funny Jay j.

  • sudhamathi January 20, 2015, 4:18 pm |

    I am 47 years, completed MA, B.Ed, my husband 49 years B.Com, MBA, my own sister residing at Perth with her family with PR, can I get her sponsor points to my application, my husband age is in the neck of month to qualify, kindly suggest me

  • Muthu Balachandran January 20, 2015, 4:12 pm |

    While calculating assessment points my blood family’s sponsorship points not consider to add, if it consider my point level will go 65, kindly confirm

  • David okereke December 8, 2014, 3:35 pm |

    Hi bob, I’m Nigeria living in tenerife island Spain. I have you10 years permanent resident, i do import and export officially and legal. Please advise me whatto do, i need a tourist visa to travel to Australia by nest year 2015, i resently came back from Japan few days ago i used tourist visa aswell, please help me out,best regards David

    • BobinOz December 8, 2014, 5:58 pm |

      I don’t personally help arrange visas for anybody, if you need professional assistance then you should engage my MARA migration agent through my Visa Assessment Service.

      Good luck, Bob

  • maryn December 7, 2014, 9:22 am |

    hi Bob i am a Australian citizen and i live in Australia but got married in south Africa also loged a partner visa what I would like to know how long it takes to get a file number from the empasy and do i need to have a immigration agent

    • BobinOz December 8, 2014, 4:42 pm |

      You don’t ‘need’ to have a migration agent, but the process can be quite complex and if you lodge an unsuccessful application you do not get your application feedback from the Australian government. For these reasons, many people prefer to pay a MARA registered migration agent to help them apply for their visas.

      As for how long it takes, there really is no set time, I’m afraid it’s just a waiting game.

  • pooja sharma November 27, 2014, 6:18 pm |

    Hi bob
    This pooja form India i am running my company in India and deals in migration visa student visa. if you are willing we can move forward.

    • BobinOz November 28, 2014, 10:28 pm |

      Thanks for the offer pooja, but I’ve already got one.

  • Vinod Naik November 24, 2014, 1:38 am |

    Hi Bob,
    I am Vinod. I have gone through your website and found quite a plethora of information about migration to Aussies. In fact, I have some queries regarding migration. I got a positive response from Engineers Australia for my profile mechanical Engineer during Feb 2010. I just want to know whether its valid still for lodging my papers for immigration purposes. I am currently in India.

    • BobinOz November 24, 2014, 7:33 pm |

      Can’t help with that one, I have no idea how long these things are valid for.

  • John Mathew November 23, 2014, 5:47 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    I am planning to apply for the migrate to australia. I did my skill assesment test and i have a score of 60 points. What are my chances of getting a PR???

  • Julia November 10, 2014, 4:44 pm |

    Hi we are looking to movE from the UK to Adelaide and would like recommendations of outer suburbs with family friendly communities to start searching for a place to call home. We hope to be ready next year(2015) with a date of Christmas to give us time to get everything ready. We already have work out in Oz for my husband, I am. Health care assistant in a doctors surgery so hopefully can pick up work too. So home wise somewhere within 15k of the beach and CBD is good with schools, shops and overall less concrete more open space. Any ideas?

    • BobinOz November 10, 2014, 9:32 pm |

      You would be much better off asking this question on my page about Adelaide Julia, that way you would have a better chance of someone from that city helping you out. Do have a good read of the comments already there though, you may get some good information.

  • Sudha November 8, 2014, 11:40 am |

    Hi There,

    Being a Canadian Citizen still do i need to write IELTS OR TOEFL for applying Australia Permanent Residency? with having 7 years of Indian working Experience in Accounting field and 3 years and 10 months of Canadian working Experience in Accounting Field. Please e-mail me at your earliest convenience.

    Thanks,
    Sudha.

  • fayaz November 7, 2014, 4:23 am |

    hi, iam an Indian 52 year old, a civil engineer and urban planner how can i get visa to australia.

  • Julia Carlson November 6, 2014, 12:01 am |

    You’re right. I think it’s very smart to use a migration agent. That way, things go off without a hitch. I can’t imagine moving to Australia all by myself. That would be so stressful. I really need help with stuff like this. Talk about being in over your head.

    • BobinOz November 6, 2014, 9:01 pm |

      One addition, MARA registered, of course 🙂

  • Farah October 29, 2014, 10:07 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    Just wondering what your wife does? I am a nutritionist in the UK but my qualifications are not recognised in OZ. Both my husband and I are ‘on the edge’ of being eligible to apply and we are trying to find an angle.

    Thanks,

    Farah

    • BobinOz October 30, 2014, 11:48 pm |

      If you are asking what skill my wife had that enabled us to qualify for a visa to move to Australia, it was marketing. That’s not gonna help you much or your husband, all I can suggest is that if you’re looking for an angle and you’re having difficulty finding one, then you really should go through my Visa Assessment Service, that’s exactly what it is designed to do.

      Good luck, Bob

  • joseph September 24, 2014, 11:56 pm |

    hoping to received your feedback mr bob.how can i apply or reach you,in my health wise and strong and fit okay pls i really need to know how much total will i pay…..i am applying for an accountancy student here.pls am able to pay my fees as soon as i received my feedback.

    thanks joseph okuoma

    • BobinOz September 25, 2014, 6:34 pm |

      You are not very patient are you Joseph? The only way to get an answer on how much it will cost from my website is to go through my Visa Assessment Service.

      Please read all of the information on that page as it will tell you everything you need to know.

      Good luck, Bob

  • joseph September 24, 2014, 11:51 pm |

    Good day bob please how much will its cost me to pay directly from nigeria to australia ….how much am i free to pay okay

  • joseph September 24, 2014, 11:48 pm |

    HELLO DEAR AM JOSEPH FROM LAGOS NIGERIA…..! I JUST WANT TO ASK HOW MUCH WOULD MY TOTAL FEES IN APPLYING FOR A VISA COST,AND WHAT DO DO ?

  • sandeep August 22, 2014, 9:01 pm |

    Dear Sir,

    Iam planning to go for Australia with general skilled migrant visa subclass 190. But my immigration agent who does not have MARA, registered. Can i able to go there will i find any problem over going there

  • johnny jong July 31, 2014, 9:32 pm |

    hi bob,

    i have a question, i intend to apply for subclass 190 and i am a chef. currently have a stable job in melbourne one of the big hotel chain in melbourne before i have work over 10 years in all over south east asia as a chef . i just want to know how much will that cost me? me and my partner? currently i am under 457 visa. currently i got a assessor to asses my skill. so i now i have trade diploma issue by austarlia college.

    • BobinOz August 1, 2014, 12:30 am |

      Are you asking what the cost to the Australian government of the visa will be? If you go to my page about Visas and watch the video, it shows you how you can find out the cost of any type of visa.

      Cheers, Bob

  • monat July 24, 2014, 6:01 pm |

    Hello bob,
    Which course is the cheapest course in Australia that can cost me $2000 per semester ?

    • BobinOz July 24, 2014, 9:46 pm |

      I don’t know which course is the cheapest course in Australia, but I’m pretty sure you’ll be hard pushed to find anything as cheap as that.

  • noah nforbi July 24, 2014, 5:02 pm |

    hello bob,
    My name is NOAH NFORBI am from Cameroon but i live now in Thailand and am doing some kind of odd job and also am a high school dropout i don’t have any certificate in any field so i will like to know if is possible for me to enroll in any language school in Australia that offer IELTS course and i will also like to know if the language school can provide me document that i can apply for student visa ?
    Thanks a and waiting for your reply .
    Regard .

    • BobinOz July 24, 2014, 9:45 pm |

      I’m sure there is an IELTS course you could enroll in here, but you will have to pay for that tuition and you will need a student visa in order to attend any college within Australia. In other words, you will need to successfully apply and be granted a student visa to come to Australia to study.

      Please watch the video on my page about Visas, that will help you with the application process.

  • llewellyn July 8, 2014, 5:39 am |

    Hi Bob,
    thinking about moving to Australia in 2 years with my wife and 4 children. planning on using your MARA agent to apply for a skilled visa.

    1) should i start the process now so that i know if i will qualify or not, or should i wait until closer to the time

    2) it is roughly around £6000 to apply for the 5 of us (i think). Anyway, when we apply, if we get turned down, do we loose all that money

    • BobinOz July 13, 2014, 8:46 pm |

      Hi Llewellyn

      There are pros and cons to getting it done now or waiting until nearer the time. The rules change every year as do the occupations on the skills lists, so whatever advice my agent gives you now may not be relevant in a year or two’s time. On the other hand, it’s good to know now what your chances are now rather than waiting until you want to move, after all, this process does take a long time and could well take more than a year before you get your answer.

      For example, and this is only one example of many, if you wait two years you may get five less points for your age and that may be the difference between acceptance or refusal. I’m sure you realise it would be good to have that information now and not in two years time.

      It also depends very much on what kind of visa you are going for and in some instances it’s possible to be granted your visa and not have to actually move here for some time, so I always think it’s best to do it now.

      To answer your second question, yes, under current rules if you pay your application fee and get turned down you do lose the money. That’s why I think it is very important to use a MARA registered migration agent as they only accept cases that they are fully confident will be successful.

      Hope that helps, Bob

  • Kiran Monteiro May 28, 2014, 6:10 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    I am in India and looking to migrate to Australia and would like to use a MARA agent to assist me with my application. Could you please recommend a registered agent who can help me with my endeavor.

    Cheers,
    Kiran Monteiro

  • Syed Shah May 12, 2014, 1:48 pm |

    Hi, I need information of MARA agents in Bangalore, India.
    Kindly do the needful..

    • BobinOz May 12, 2014, 3:00 pm |

      Please see my answer to the comment above yours.

  • Mitchell (Mitch) Hickinbottom May 12, 2014, 12:12 am |

    Hello everyone,

    I’m from the UK and recently attended a Down Under Live event, brilliant event I would recommend anyone thinking of going to Australia for anything other than a holiday to attend this event. Just type Down Under Live into google for some dates.

    I’m currently at the idea / finding an agent part of my move to australia, very much at the start of the whole process. I found there are two main migration companies in the UK both seem good and professional and as far as I can see both have very good reviews on the net. Both were at the Down Under Live event also, offering good advice for free.

    These two companies are the Emigration Group and Immigration2oz, for me personally I wanted an agent based in the UK not Australia and in my opinion I found these two companies to be the best, definitely the most reviewed. There are others if you want to look for them but I only reviewed these two.

    They are really similar to each other in the mini-comparison I did, for the Emigration group I dealt with a guy called Mike and a lady called Ceris, both very helpful and knowledgeable, for Immigration2oz I dealt with John Adams, again very helpful and knowledgeable. Both have won Down Under Awards in 2012, Emigration Group won best migration agent and Immigration2oz won best customer satisfaction. Both have good success rates of 99+% visa applications being granted. Both offer free initial visa assessment.

    This is as far as I have gone so far by the way, I had free initial visa assessments off both companies, both assessments come back saying more or less the same thing and both were professional and informative, but can only go off the brief information you put into the form that takes 10mins to complete, so not always accurate as I found out after attending the Down Under Live event. The comparison I have done is based on the information I had at this point and my experiences of both companies at the event. I now have to choose which one I will further my application with. this depended on the differences not the similarities.

    The differences I found were,
    Difference 1) Emigration Group have been established since 1992 and Immigration2oz established 2003
    Difference 2) Emigration Group offer a job search service to help you get employed. Not sure if Immigration2oz do this, but I couldn’t find anything written in their pack that said they do and I didn’t ask them at the event, so they might but not sure. There may also be extra charges for this, again I’m not sure.
    Difference 3) The full migration appraisal for Emigration Group is £95 (which is refunded if the application is lodged, with them). For immigration2oz they do a £250 plus VAT “to engage their services”, they take all your details and produce a report, I interoperated this as the same as Emigration Groups full migration appraisal. Difference 4) Immigration2oz also offer sit down face to face meetings on certain weekends across the country, this is a one to one consultation regarding visa applications you book a slot, not sure of the duration of the slot, the cost is normally £100 plus VAT for this, but there is an offer on at the moment for £25 plus VAT. Again not sure if Emigration Group do something similar but could not find any evidence documented anywhere they both do seminars though.

    So basically this is my opinion of a comparison of the two companies, I hope this helps anyone who is stuck between the two as I was. But I will say please look into it yourself this is just my opinion and interpretations, I will probably choose the Emigration Group and am going look to start my application after the Australian tax year on the 1st of July 2014.

    • BobinOz May 12, 2014, 2:37 pm |

      I just want to make it absolutely clear to my readers that I have never heard of either of these two companies and as such cannot recommend or endorse them. With respect to you Mitch, I’m not really sure you are in a position to recommend them either as you haven’t actually used them to successfully get a visa yet.

      At the moment they are both trying to win your business, so you should expect them to be very helpful, you can only judge them once you have paid them and found out precisely what they can do for you.

      There is only one MARA registered migration agent I currently recommend and you can read details of that recommendation over on my page about my Visa Assessment Service.

      When I setup that service we decided not to go for the ‘free’ assessment model and as you have found out for yourself Mitch, these free assessments are pretty worthless anyway. They don’t actually answer the question fully, they are more of a tool to try and engage you with the MARA agent to pay for a proper appraisal.

      Interesting to see that one of the companies wants £95 for an appraisal and the other £250 plus VAT to produce a similar report. Hopefully you can see how much value for money my services at just $100 (currently about £55 and also refundable if the application is lodged through my agent) for a full written report.

      These days visa applications are lodged electronically and there is really no need to select an agent who is based in the same country as yourself. Documents and forms can be transferred securely over the Internet and there really is no need to have any face-to-face meetings.

      I hope the process goes smoothly for you, who ever you decide to use.

      Cheers, Bob

  • Marc April 4, 2014, 10:08 pm |

    Hi BOB…
    I’m from Philippines.But right now I’m working in UAE.I heard that marketing job is in demand now in Australia.Can you give me MARA registered agent here in UAE.Because most of the agency are telling me that my course is demand and when I send my resume.They told me that im qualified to apply in Australia..Waiting for your kind reply.
    Thanks
    Marc

    • BobinOz April 5, 2014, 12:42 am |

      I don’t know of any MARA agents in the UAE, but it is not really necessary to choose an agent who lives in your country. Most things are done electronically these days and I think it is always a good idea to use an Australian-based MARA registered migration agent. I do recommend my guy, see my Visa Assessment Service.

      Good luck, Bob

  • Marilyn March 18, 2014, 3:37 pm |

    Hi Bob !
    I’m from Peru I’ve been here in Australia 4 years ago.I came here with a student Visa and its really hard to live with this visa for longer.I’m midwife I’M 52 years old,so I just need a help I really never consultated with an agent migration because my school agent say that I’m old to get a job and sponsor here as midwife ,Please help me what I can do?
    I’d like to get a job in a hospital o whatever,I have many experience .
    Please let me know if its possible to get a Job
    Thanks
    Marilyn M

    • BobinOz March 18, 2014, 9:39 pm |

      I can’t help you Marilyn, but it may be worth you going through my Visa Assessment Service.

      If there is a chance to find a way to stay here, he will find it. Some skills are not restricted by age, I’m not sure whether you do is or isn’t, but it may be worth looking into.

      Good luck, Bob

  • Rohin March 2, 2014, 10:17 pm |

    Hey Bob !!!

    Greetings.
    I am an Occupational therapist from India and i am planning to move to Australia. My to-be wife is also an OT, i was wondering if you can guide us with how to get started ..

    Thanks and regards,
    Rohin Kaul.

    • BobinOz March 4, 2014, 12:31 am |

      No, that’s not what I do, I’m not a MARA migration agent. If you want guidance, see the answer I’ve given to the comment above yours.

  • Gareth February 28, 2014, 9:38 pm |

    Hi Bob,
    I am a construction lecturer in the Uk and recently the awarding body has seperated. it used to be city and guilds and cskills joined providing trade skills NVQs. now they have parted a lot of students intending going to Oz are wondering,as we are too, is CSkills recognised as part of the visa assessment points system. I know city and guilds are worldwide recognised but cskills now standing alone, I’m not so sure. if you could offer any guidance on this it would be great as we are trying to chose the best options for our students who may intend to travel in the future.If you had any documents etc that I could use to present to my manager that would be of great assistance

    Kind Regards

    Gareth

    • BobinOz March 1, 2014, 10:35 pm |

      Finding out if your skill or qualifications are recognised here in Australia is a skill within itself. I can’t help you with this, you really need to be speaking to a MARA registered migration agent. They can look at your skills and qualifications and look into whether or not they are recognised here, and if they are not you can always go for a skills assessment.

      My agent could help you with this if you want to take it further, check out my Visa Assessment Service.

      Good luck, Bob

  • Manoj February 24, 2014, 1:38 pm |

    I had jundic before 10 yrs ago for a months.
    But when i check my hepatits B and C before applying australia result was non reactive also in medical test of australia the result was negative. My hiv test was also neg. and other thing when i was born i got nemoina for a
    Weeks. But i checked my chest x ray before and after
    Medical of australia there was not any spot in my chest and report was also normall
    Were my previous health it been to moc?
    Kindly
    Manoj

    • BobinOz February 25, 2014, 2:03 pm |

      I have no idea what the investigation will cover, all you can do is wait for their decision. Good luck, hope it turns out well, Bob

  • Manoj February 22, 2014, 5:48 pm |

    How long MOC will take time for investigation? will problem in eye sight _1.75 reffer to MOC?

    • BobinOz February 24, 2014, 12:54 pm |

      Not sure how long they might take, but I’m pretty sure the eyesight problem you mention would not need referral to them.

  • Dadalo Tilo February 20, 2014, 6:25 pm |

    Hello sir I am very impressed with your response and review so far you seem to be sincere in your dealings as I have taken the liberty to check. I am very interested in Migrating to Australia as I have glanced through the skilled occupation list, I found out that my occupation ( occupational Health and Safety) is on that list. I am 31 one years of age, I have an Msc from a reputable University in United Kingdom, About 7 years of experience and also a number of recognized safety qualification including NEBOSH Occupational Safety from the United kingdom. I am very interested in the Migrating to Australia please kindly send me a private mail detailing all the cost ( Including assesstment and Miki) and the documents you require of me and I will make the necessary payment using my UK Debit card. Also I would love to ask a personal favor if you could assist in securing job or advice on how to secure a job in Australia.

    • BobinOz February 21, 2014, 1:30 pm |

      Hi Dadalo, thanks for the kind words.

      It is impossible for my agent to calculate the full costs without knowing precisely which visa you will be applying for, that’s why we do this visa assessment. Your visa assessment report will break down all the costs completely and the way to get that report is to purchase it from my Visa Assessment Service page.

      As for securing a job here, we don’t directly help you with that, but you may find the package that is available on my page How to Find a Sponsored Job in Australia very useful in your search.

      We look forward to helping you with your move to Australia.

      Cheers, Bob

  • Karthick February 18, 2014, 9:48 am |

    Hi Bob,

    Let me introduce myself as am Karthick from UK and am working as a Network Security Engineer. I am having an interest to apply for the Permanent residency Visa under section 190. When I went through the process it is found that we will have the medical assessment which has to be cleared.

    Recently (8 months before) i had an unexpected Heart Issue which made me to have an ICD fitted in my body as a precaution to prevent from anything happening in future. After that incident i am all well and healthy. It is i have to go for a check up once in 3 months and after a year it is one in 6 months just to test the device. In this scenario i would like to know will my condition leads to rejection of Visa if i apply.

    I have a good qualifications and working experience with Network Security for a Banking sector. It would be great if you can help me as i came across your name to seek help in all the blogs.

    I request you to do the needful.

    Karthick

    • BobinOz February 18, 2014, 6:08 pm |

      Hi Karthick

      Sounds like you are making good progress with your application, but clearly you have concerns about the medical. My understanding is that highly contagious conditions and those that require expensive ongoing treatment are the kind of thing that can usually cause problems with applications.

      I can’t answer on behalf of immigration, they will make their decision on your medical based on the report given to them by the doctor who checks you out, but if your condition is under control and the treatment isn’t costly, then it should not cause you a problem.

      Search Google for “Australian health requirement” and you will find their fact sheet on this, hopefully that will put your mind at rest.

      Cheers, Bob

    • Rahul September 1, 2015, 10:19 pm |

      Hi Karthick

      I saw your post and was curious to know the outcome of your application. My wife also has an ICD and I’m planning to apply for 189 subclass.

      Regards,
      Rahul

  • Dr Hitesh Chopra February 10, 2014, 4:34 am |

    Hi Bob
    I am a dentist by profession (BDS, MDS) from India, Now working in Ministry of Higher Education Saudi Arabia on post of lecturer. I am very much interested in doing phD from australia but i wanted to know that will it open me doors for permanent residency or not and further Which Mara agent to contact to help me Guide.

    Thanks and Regards
    Dr Hitesh Chopra

    • BobinOz February 10, 2014, 4:23 pm |

      You should either talk that through with a MARA registered migration agent or if you prefer, Google Australian Dental Association (ADA) and look for information on what it would take to be allowed to practice your profession here in Australia.

      Thanks, Bob

  • Furqan February 2, 2014, 1:26 am |

    Hi Bobs,

    I went through a lot of comments upside and really happy to see your support to the people and way of clarity and reality. Appreciated! As I am interested to move Australia, soon will get the assessment from you and Miki help.

    Just confused to ask you that if i go through initial assessment 100$ and not to approach the required point scale for immigration, so shall i proceed it for further steps to get permit visa by supporting you and Miki to move Australia, Because my status is single with background of Polymer Engineering with professional experience of 4 years and age 27 years.

    Cheers,
    Furqan

    • BobinOz February 3, 2014, 2:51 pm |

      Not really sure I understand your question fully Furqan, but if the assessment shows that you do not have enough points to put in an application my agent will, if it is possible, make suggestions to you for what you can do to improve your chances.

      Hope that helps, Bob

  • HimaBindu V January 29, 2014, 7:46 pm |

    Hello Folks,
    I am Hima and I have done my post graduation in Australia. I got my permanent residency in January 2004 and have left Australia in July 2005. I never returned back.Unfortunately my PR got expired in 2009. Is there any possibility wherein I can return on the basis on my PR with the help of resident return visa. I could not find anything helpful even after going through the immi site.
    Cheers,
    Hima.

    • BobinOz January 30, 2014, 4:39 pm |

      I think this is something you will need to discuss with a MARA registered migration agent. Good luck, Bob

  • jim January 25, 2014, 9:04 pm |

    Hi Bob

    nice site. i have a question.

    How many times normally need to get invitation subclass 489 . I have applied subclass 489 in NSW. plz help.

    • BobinOz January 28, 2014, 4:03 pm |

      One successful invitation would do it, I would guess.

  • Kashif January 6, 2014, 5:21 am |

    Please someone help me i am looking MARA agent in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    • Bhatti February 2, 2014, 1:33 am |

      Dear Kashif,

      Contact me :Telephone number removed by admin.

      • BobinOz February 3, 2014, 2:54 pm |

        Kashif

        If you do contact the above, please ensure that they are a registered migration agent if offering to assist you and be very cautious of anyone asking you for money.

        Cheers, Bob

  • tarcy January 4, 2014, 5:36 pm |

    Hi BobinOz
    Really nice site. i need your help
    I have submitted EOI and state sponsor to NSW on 14th nov. and got acknowledgement. but i need another two months for getting my 8 years job experience.I have applied for subclass 190 . without 8 years job experience point it will be 55 point.now it is 7 years 11 months 19 days. My question is , NSW already stop subclass 190 from 24th DEC. how they will treat my application? are not they accept my application as i have submitted before 24th DEC? As i have received the acknowledgement, 15th jan 2014 my job experience will be 8 years.so after that day i will be qualified for subclass 190. so what will be the procedure? plz help.

    • BobinOz January 6, 2014, 7:59 pm |

      The short answer is I don’t know, but you might like to ask the same question on my page about EOI as quite a few people over there might be able to help you with this.

  • kajal January 1, 2014, 6:36 am |

    Hi BobinOz

    First of all I would like to say that your site is truly helpful. I appreciate the efforts you are putting in to clear our doubts.

    I need your help desperately. I am planning to apply for visa 189.
    I have 30 points for age as I am 25 years old
    I have 10 points for ielts but I can nevertheless try to get 20 points.
    So in short I have 40 points for sure.

    I wanted to ask you about my degree. I have done bachelor of laws (5 yrs course) from India and master of laws (1 yr course with dissertation) from United Kingdom.

    What do u think. How will SLAA assess my degree. Is there a chance of me to get 20 points. Will Australia recognize my degree at par with theirs.

    Is there anyone from India especially, who has got his skills assessed by SLAA.

    I would be really grateful if you could answer my questions.

    Thank you.
    Thanks a ton.

    • BobinOz January 5, 2014, 8:32 pm |

      Hi Kajal

      This isn’t something I can help you with, this kind of question is best asked of a MARA agent. Unless someone else reading this can help out. Anybody?

  • kenny December 29, 2013, 3:13 pm |

    somebody help plz need to know.

  • kenny December 28, 2013, 9:10 pm |

    HI WA

    It is for subclass 190 and All occupations .

  • kenny December 26, 2013, 5:44 pm |

    Hi BobinOz

    I like your site. Really helpful. I need your help.

    I have applied for state sponsor for subclass 190 in NSW and received acknowledgement on 16th November 2013. Recently NSW announce applications for NSW nomination for the subclass 190 visa will close ,Effective 24 December 2013. Applications received after this date will not be processed or returned. NSW will reopen for the subclass 190 visa nomination in July 2014.
    What does it means ? Does it means my application will be suspended upto July 2014 or i have a chance to get nomination with in July . PLz help.

    • WA December 26, 2013, 10:11 pm |

      Hi Kenny,

      Is this announcement by NSW for certain occupations or for all ?

      WA.

      • BobinOz December 28, 2013, 12:54 am |

        Sorry Kenny, but I’m really not sure what it means. Can anyone clarify this?

  • Harpreet kaur December 9, 2013, 8:12 pm |

    Hi dear

    i am harpreet kaur running study visa consultancy last 2 yrs i need to tie up with good Mara agent who help to resolve our queries regarding Australia immigration .
    kindly contact us or provide Ur mail id i am thankful for Ur cooperation.

    Regards
    Perfect Education Consultants
    Harpreet kaur

    • BobinOz December 10, 2013, 8:51 pm |

      Hello dear

      Sorry, can’t help with that one, I am not a MARA agent myself and the agent I use already has connections with a study visa company. Thanks though, Bob

  • Joe December 7, 2013, 1:33 pm |

    Hi Miki

    Thanks for your reply.
    Just only one question . We can see the report in Skillselect how many have been invited for subclass 189 & subclass 489 rounds of invitations for general skilled migration visas on the first and third Mondays of each month. what about subclass 190 . how can we know how many will be invited for the month? confuging for me. would you plz explain.

    Thanks again

  • Joe December 4, 2013, 4:03 pm |

    Hi BobinOz

    Really Nice side. I love this site.
    I need to know exactly
    1) how much ceiling is available right now for subclass 190?
    2) how many invitation will be approved for ANZSCO 242111 in December ?

    Thanks

    • BobinOz December 5, 2013, 2:32 pm |

      Yes, nice site, thanks Joe 🙂 But I don’t have this kind of information.

    • MARA Miki December 5, 2013, 9:08 pm |

      Joe,

      1. approx 135000 GSM visa will be granted in 2013/2014 year
      2. How many will be invited will depend on how many was lodged/and how many was approved by the two main nominating state

      if you need to know nearly up to date result:
      242111 UNIVERSITY LECTURER
      DIAC Information:
      Ceilng Value: 2400
      Results to Date: 108

      Miki

  • Teja December 4, 2013, 2:28 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    I want to signup with your MARA agent for my PR Visa process and i just want to know how successful you have been in PR process. And how about the chances of PR for students doing 16 months MBA program in Australia. Do we get any extra points for this? Please suggest.

    Thanks
    Teja

    • BobinOz December 5, 2013, 2:26 pm |

      Hi Teja

      My MARA agent only accepts cases for which he feels there is good chance of success. If, after doing the visa assessment, he doesn’t think you have a chance he will not take you on as a client.

      Please understand that if you have enough points and everything looks good, you can get tripped up at the very last by the medical or police check, things that are out of the control of any agent.

      Of the clients he has taken on, last time we spoke about this he told me all of his applications had been accepted except one, but that was being appealed. I have no specific information about students doing MBA programs or whether you would specifically get extra points, but my MARA agent will be able to answer this question when doing the assessment.

      Hope that helps, Bob

    • MARA Miki December 5, 2013, 9:04 pm |

      Hi Teja,

      The 16 months MBA will not give you any additional points (for study). If you were to take a two years course you could potentially* be richer by 15 points (5 only for the study).
      The success rate is rather hard to determine, areas i keep maintaining 100% while some other areas cases were unsuccessful. Some was lodged with the knowledge of high risk factor, some came a surprise.
      My success rate isn’t important, since i take on clients only i believe i can achieve success for.
      We worked on the assessment service for a while now and it seems to be working. Once you get the result you can make a decision whether or not working with me or without me.

      Whatever happens, i wish you the best of luck!

      Miki

      * just to be clear, 15 is a possibility if circumstances are right.

  • Vinnie December 4, 2013, 10:58 am |

    Hi Bob,

    I’m pretty sure I’m not the first one to say it, but I appreciate your patience in replying to all the queries posted in your website (especially the recurrent ones!).

    I’m interested in signing up and taking advise from your MARA agent. Just one query though (I hope it isn’t a recurring query, lol), considering I have a good chance of a PR Visa and I choose to use your MARA agent to represent me, is it so much of a challenge to have an agent represent another person without actually meeting in person?

    I am presently living in Sydney and I am on a Student Visa.

    Cheers,
    Vinnie

    • BobinOz December 4, 2013, 1:15 pm |

      Hi Vinnie

      Thanks for your kind words, I appreciate it.

      You’ll be pleased to hear that actually, no, this question hasn’t been asked before. Having an agent represent you without any face-to-face contact would have presented challenges five or six years ago, but not today, almost everything is done electronically.

      Electronic applications are now the norm; Skype, video conferencing, facetime on iPhones, scanning, emails and even cheap mobile phone calls have almost made direct meetings a thing of the past.

      No, I don’t think you’ll find there will be any extra challenges at all, the modern electronic process is simply quicker.

      Good luck, hope you find a permanent way to stay in Australia whatever you decide to do.

      Cheers, Bob

      • Vinnie December 5, 2013, 9:53 am |

        Thanks for the reply, Bob.

  • Rim November 21, 2013, 8:16 pm |

    Hi Bob

    I really like your site. Its really helpful.

    Do you please tell me on average how much time it takes for getting EOI result ?

    Regards.
    Rim

  • Katie November 20, 2013, 10:50 pm |

    Hi Bob,

    Thanks for having this website here, VERY helpful!

    My partner and I are hoping to move to Perth January 2016 ish.

    He is a qualified joiner and by the time we go will also be a qualified ship engineer so is on the list.
    We will be married by then.
    I think I am going to get in touch with your reccomended MARA agent, just wanted to know if you think it will be possible for us to go on working holiday visas and apply for skilled migration once there… without having to come home. Or if you think it would be easier to migrate from here…

    Many Thanks
    Katie

    • BobinOz November 21, 2013, 9:40 pm |

      Hi Katie, glad you like my website 🙂

      My MARA agent will be able to advise you much better than I can regarding your question, he will explain to you the process involved in attempting to switch from a WHV to a more permanent working visa, and there is a process, it’s not that straightforward.
      Cheers, Bob

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