Thursday, June 23, 2011

Australian immigration: the importance of agency

By Sally Webster


As a registered lawyer and migration agent myself, it is in my own best interest to promote migration agency. I own a money-making company! However, hiring an immigration agent to support you on your journey to Australia can turn the difficult, paper-shuffling process into one that is easy and, ultimately, successful.

Australia is renowned for its multicultural population but more recently, with the increase in migrants and the unwavering media attention on asylum seekers, the public has become more wary of immigration.

This reluctance to accept migrant workers is not necessarily a reflection of underlying racist attitudes in Australian society, but is a reaction to a population boom and strong urbanisation. Although Australia may appear to be sparsely inhabited, in major cities population growth is skyrocketing with some areas recording a growth rate higher than four per cent.

Resources in these areas are often scant and the lack of available housing, transport and employment can be especially frustrating for those suffering from the increased cost of living.

This dissatisfaction resulted in immigration policies being scaled up by the Australian Federal Government. A new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) was published in July, 2010, overhauling the types of jobs which receive government preference when hiring migrant workers. Significant alterations to the skills points test have made it difficult to enter the Australian workforce without proficient english skills and previous experience in your field of employment.

For most prospective foreign employees, it is a language barrier that proves most troublesome when completing visa applications.

Tourist and even Working-holiday visas have relatively simple application processes. However, Temporary and Permanent Skilled Working visas are less manageable and this is where agents can be extremely useful.

Australian immigration law is rarely an issue for Australian citizens. They already live here so why would they need to know about it? As a result, even if a company or business is committed to sponsoring your migration, managers and human resource professionals are often in over their heads when it comes to the visa application process.

Immigration legislation in Australia is in a state of constant flux. Registered migration agents are always updated when changes are made and are equipped with expert knowledge of this aspect of Australian law. Above all, they are capable of collecting the exact information about your personal and employment experience to ensure that you can successfully maintain employment in Australia.

It is true that this type of service is often costly - Temporary visa application attract fees between $400 and $2,500, whilst Permanent permits can be up to $10,000. But the processing costs of Australian visa applications are also substantial and will not be returned if your application fails. It is important to consider whether you are willing to submit your application independently and lose this fee should you be unsuccessful.

If your application is unsuccessful and you applied from within Australia, current legislation prohibits you from re-submitting for any visa type. For this reason, it is vital that you successful gain your work permit that first time you apply. Migration agents help to ensure that all the necessary details and documents are included in your initial submission.

To maximise your chance of successfully gaining an Australian visa and to ensure your personal privacy, do some research before you agree to hire a particular migration agent. Australian law prohibits individuals from working as agents unless they are registered. If you can't find an agent on the Migration Agent Registry Authority (MARA), he or she may not be trustworthy. The MARA website includes a search application for prospective foreign employees to find agencies close to their work area.

Approach your visa application with care and consult with an expert before you choose your best option. The knowledge and experience of a migration agent may be the difference between embarking upon a new journey and stagnating at home.




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