So after 3 years of research and a 6 week trip to oz i decided 100% i would make the move to australia, so hired a agent over 9 mths ago to help with the paper work etc... after various atempts to contact my agent to find out about the changes in oz etc i found out they have gone bust due to the recession and took my money and docs/paper worrk i needed to get into oz with them ? now iam left not knowing whats going on and if il ever get into oz ? and if i can claim any money back ? by the way iam not talking hundreds hear ! would apriciate some advice if anyone has any thanks guys !

Sorry to hear that mate, I have no idea about what and where you should go and do though, I hope it all works out, did you send the original papers or copies ?

i seem to remember that the reputable agents were part of an association called MARA (migration agents registration authority)

heres the site https://www.mara.gov.au/

take a look and find out whether you migration company were part of it. that way you can see if you can claim any money back OR find out if another MARA agent can take over your application process!!

all the best mate, hope you get sorted
ed

Oh good lord... I have no idea either, but I do feel for you, big time. How did you find that agent, is there some sort of association or organisation they have to be registered with you could contact and ask?

Nasty, any protection on payment? ie credit card?
It terrible to hear these things, oz is so lovely too.

Originally Posted by Mosaic Girl

Oh good lord... I have no idea either, but I do feel for you, big time. How did you find that agent, is there some sort of association or organisation they have to be registered with you could contact and ask?

see my original post above ;0)

Thanks ! they were working with a mara reg agent but they were not mara reg . they do most of the paper work then pass you over to there mara reg agent i was told ? there a big company called ThinkingAustralia.com. iam gutted as i have my house up for sale and was sure id be there by the end of the year at the latest !! i sent some copys but iam more concered about not getting into oz now due to the changes . thanks for your replys

i think i did pay by credit card hillhead !

Well terry if you pay by credit card for a service and you don't receive the service you should contact you card company and tell them this and that you want to claim under Section 75 of the consumer credit act 1974.
Basically your card is liable for purchases so if you don't receive they have to refund you your loss.
Hope this works for you, it did for me last year on a near 2k problem.

Originally Posted by hillhead

Well terry if you pay by credit card for a service and you don't receive the service you should contact you card company and tell them this and that you want to claim under Section 75 of the consumer credit act 1974.
Basically your card is liable for purchases so if you don't receive they have to refund you your loss.
Hope this works for you, it did for me last year on a near 2k problem.

Nice one hillhead i will try that first thing monday mate !!

Google it Terry, i'm not sure if there is timescales etc, fingers crossed for ya.

i feel so sorry for you terry , hope you get this sorted ,and eventually get to oz

Jeez terry, I've no advice to give you on this, only moral support, really hope your losses are reimbursed and you fulfill your dream move.

Terry I am sorry to hear about your situation. let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Have you given any original documentation to your agent ? Any way to retrieve the paperwork they have ?

And a warning to anyone else out there considering using a migration agent. Only use Australian registered migration agents and please make sure they have a valid MARA registration !

Terry - I was talking to a tile distributor today who has a tiler son in Australia.
He was telling me that the firm his son works for were still advertising for 5 tilers just before Xmas.
It seems that their 'recession' has not affected the construction of private homes.

That's what he was telling me and I've known him for 25 years.

Do you no the name of the company John ? i think the only way i could get into oz now is with a job offer .

Why do you need these agents ? i migrated and did all the paperwork myself,

its quite hard to get in now m8 with things changing all the time ! iam a nervous wreck at the min.. its hard to keep up with it all , and its confusing not knowing if i need my AQF3 or not . plus may have to change pathways with the new points test coming into play soon . or may not be abe to get in at all ? so all in all pretty stressfull confusing stuff ! i would have no problem with a straight forward application , but this is not the case with me

Originally Posted by timeless john

Terry - I was talking to a tile distributor today who has a tiler son in Australia.
He was telling me that the firm his son works for were still advertising for 5 tilers just before Xmas.
It seems that their 'recession' has not affected the construction of private homes.

That's what he was telling me and I've known him for 25 years.

I was refering to the UK recession as the agent was UK based john

Originally Posted by terry the tiler

its quite hard to get in now m8 with things changing all the time ! iam a nervous wreck at the min.. its hard to keep up with it all , and its confusing not knowing if i need my AQF3 or not . plus may have to change pathways with the new points test coming into play soon . or may not be abe to get in at all ? so all in all pretty stressfull confusing stuff ! i would have no problem with a straight forward application , but this is not the case with me

Terry, it is quite straightforward.

1) For general skilled visas and employer sponsored visas (except for temporary (sc.457) and regional (sc. 857) sponsored visas), you must get a positive skills assessment by Trades Recognition Australia.

2) To get a positive skills assessment, you will need : a) a formal apprenticeship or b) an informal apprenticeship or c) a vocational traineeship or d) an Australian Qualification (Cert III/AQF III).

3) You can get an AQF III through Recognition of Prior Learning.

4 If you cannot find an employer to sponsor you (preferably in a regional area), then General Skilled Migration is your only option.

5) You might not score enough points for Independent General Skilled Migration (which also has the lowest processing priority), so the next step would be to look at State Sponsored, unless you have a relative who could sponsor you. State Sponsored has the highest processing priority after Employer Sponsored.

6) For State Sponsored Migration every State/Territory has additional requirements in regards to skills, experience and settlement.

The way forward is to narrow down your options, eliminate the visas you do not qualify for, then concentrate on the remaining pathway(s).It is a process of elimination.

I suggest that for starters you concentrate on a) finding an employer for permanent migration (which will be difficult, because not many employers want to wait 9 months for a visa to be processed) or temporary (sc 457) migration (which is processed much faster). and b) getting your AQF III.

If you are serious about setting up business in Australia, then an AQF III is a must, not just for migration purposes. Currently the states all have different requirements for tiling contractor licenses, but there are moves to introduce a national licensing system. Formal qualifications will be a prerequisite for getting a license.

As far as needing an agent goes : "Ozboz" is correct, if you have the time and ability to deal with all the paperwork, then you can certainly do it yourself. On the other hand, you might want to concentrate on making money laying tiles and growing your business, while you let a professional deal with all the hassles and stress of the migration process. Many people can do their own tax and bookwork, but most business people prefer to use accountants.

People can also tile their own bathrooms, if they were so inclined and many do. As a qualified tiler I would never recommend it...Over the years I found it more profitable to concentrate on my own trade and profession and to pay others to do theirs.

As far as needing an agent goes : "Ozboz" is correct, if you have the time and ability to deal with all the paperwork, then you can certainly do it yourself. On the other hand, you might want to concentrate on making money laying tiles and growing your business, while you let a professional deal with all the hassles and stress of the migration process. Many people can do their own tax and bookwork, but most business people prefer to use accountants.

People can also tile their own bathrooms, if they were so inclined and many do. As a qualified tiler I would never recommend it...Over the years I found it more profitable to concentrate on my own trade and profession and to pay others to do theirs. ..........................................
sensible words nv

Thanks for that nvoorst ! i agree !! i personally would rather tile a few bathrooms to pay for a mara reg agent than spend time i havent got trying to fight my way through the maze of paper work etc.. iam just worried about spending money on a AQF3 then not be eligible to migrate on the new rules ! ive just competed my NVQ3 in wall and floor tiling hoping would this help things. il pm you soon with where i am with paper work etc and take it from there .

Re. spending money on an AFQ III.

Hi Terry,

It's a bit of a catch 22, but I suppose that is a risk you must take. Without it you can definitely not apply for any of the GSM visas and even if it is not required for some of the Employer Sponsored visas, it will be an advantage to have it. Even if you weren't eligible to migrate under current rules, you might be at a future date. Rules change all the time and your AQF III will remain valid regardless..

Best of luck,

Nick