There is a constant drove of people flocking to Australia, as our promising Land of Oz still welcomes immigrants. The land of opportunity keeps looking overseas with open arms, even though a lot has changed regarding Australia’s visa requirements during this last couple of years. If you are about to make the big move and attempt getting an Australian working or student visa for either yourself or a loved one, you are probably swarmed by questions and paperwork, worried about getting everything right regarding state government requirements and all those extra steps that will pop up in the process. Regardless of the type of visa, you will come across a number of application forms which might feel like obstacles blocking your way towards the enchanting new life experience Australia has to offer.

Unless you have already found your dream job that holds hands with a sponsored high-skilled visa, or been accepted at the university of your choice, you could be required to first lodge an expression of interest (EOI) and then only if invited to lodge a formal application for migration to Australia shall you have the opportunity to flirt with this card. The procedure has indeed gotten harder, thus has triggered a whole new field of expertise, manned with skilled agents, solicitors and experienced support staff able to assist applicants from overseas to come through.

Neos Kosmos has therefore met up with Ivan Chait, founder and principal of Ivan Chait & Associates (Pty) Ltd, who has consulted in Australia immigration since 1985 and is an associate fellow of the Migration Institute of Australia. Ivan is a chartered accountant by qualification and apart from dealing with all the immigration formalities of a vast range of immigration scenarios and completing concurrent applications for hundreds of skilled workers, he has also assisted migrants with their financial needs both before and after arrival in Australia. Ivan was the inaugural national chairman of the Australia Southern Africa Business Council and previously national treasurer and director of the Migration Institute of Australia, the professional industry association, which at that time included the Migration Agent Registration Authority.

Immigration agents claim to be able to execute the best possible approach in achieving a successful outcome. What can they do that you can’t? According to Ivan, “the role of a registered migration agent is to advise and assist an applicant seeking temporary or permanent residence in Australia determining their eligibility, and if so, under which visa category they should apply, preparing and lodging the appropriate form with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and so on”.

It is essential for a candidate to be aware exactly of which criteria they fall under, since Australia has numerous visa categories, including both temporary and permanent residence. Respectively, they take on from employment related visas, sports, entertainment, student and visitor visas to family migration, skilled and economic migration as well as humanitarian and refugee visas.

But is the Australian immigration process so perplexing that it demands the help of an agent rather than a direct application to the Immigration Department? Ivan attempts to shed some light on said matter, predicating that it is often rather difficult to determine the best visa option in particular situations. In addition, registered migration agents are highly trained and qualified with the appropriate experience to prepare and file complete applications with the Department of Immigration, seeing that they meet the prerequisites for approval. Ivan goes on to clarify that “no registered migration agent with the office of the Migration Agent Registration Authority would ever accept an application that fails to meet basic and reasonable prospects of success within the standards of legitimacy”.

To conclude, we asked Ivan to break down the cost of the various visas as well as the agency’s fee. He gave us an honest yet broad answer, considering. “The cost of a visa application depends very much on the type of visa and the complexity of the case. As for the fee range, it subsequently varies from approximately $750 to $20,000 per application, excluding the lodging fees payable to the department of Immigration and Border Protection.

Granted you have taken your drive to face new challenges and dive into new life experiences while working or studying under the safety net of a valid visa seriously, we advise you to at least receive some on-line consultation before you attempt to apply on your own. In order to get a realistic assessment of your eligibility for permanent or temporary residence in Australia, why not provide an agency with the certain particulars, along with a questionnaire sent via email, fax or standard mail for assessment. It could save you a lot of time and trouble.