There are several pathways that can lead to Permanent Residence to Australia/ Canada and it can be difficult to choose the best route based on your requirements. You can choose to immigrate as an International student, skilled worker, and family class or as an investor entrepreneur; whatever your choice may be, having your eligibility assessed can lead you in the right track and set you up for success.
In this article, we share, why an aspiring candidate should consider hiring a licensed immigration agent and to choose the best representative for their needs.
Licensed Immigration Agents
It is regulated by law that only certain group of people are legally allowed to provide immigration services for Australia/Canada applications for a fee. Immigration process in itself is quiet complex and who wouldn’t want their application handled by an expert. A licensed immigration consultant would ask questions to determine your eligibility for several programs. Questions may be about your age, work experience, financial ability, and any previous applications.Based on the information you furnish, a licensed immigration consultant would explain the best possible options to migrate to Australia/Canada.
Apart from assessing your eligibility a licensed immigration consultant will also prepare and submit your application after both the parties agree and sign a retainer agreement (Contract). After hiring a licensed immigration consultant, the applicant must furnish all the necessary documents to the consultant who then submits your application to the government authorities.
Follow-up process
Once the application is submitted, your consultant will let you know the application status and updates from the government. Since the licensed immigration consultants are familiar with the changing norms, they exactly know what documents and information the immigration officer is asking and any additional things to include will be timely submitted. It is crucial to submit all the necessary documents, any delay in follow-up or submitting can result in visa rejection. It is also important that your case is properly represented. Any misrepresentation of information can lead to ban for up to 5 years, therefore it is highly recommended to hire a licensed immigration consultant for your Australia/Canada immigration application.
Tips to prevent immigration fraud
Below are few tips that can help you prevent potential immigration fraud
Unlicensed Immigration agent – Not everybody is authorized to be an Immigration consultant. Immigration consultants must be registered with (MARA for Australia and ICCRC for Canada). All the licensed immigration agents would be assigned with Membership ID’s which can be verified on the government portals.
Retainer Agreement (Contract)–A retainer agreement is a contract between the applicant and the licensed immigration consultant. Be sure that the agreement contains details like the Government membership ID number and a representative form. Also make sure not to sign any blank forms or forms containing false information.
Retainer Fee–Make sure you receive invoice and receipts of all payments, and the payment should always be made through cheque, credit card, bank transfer.
Processing Time – There is no absolute processing timeline for any type of immigration application. You may be advised of a timeline range (for example, 8-12 weeks), but no visa office or visa officer will ever give you a guarantee. This is because complications and delays may come up at any time during the visa processing, including background checks, medical exams, re-issuance of application forms, etc.
Application Approval & Guaranteed Visa–The result of your immigration application cannot be guaranteed. The decision for any immigration application is up to the visa officer. You will not know the outcome of your application until you receive a written decision from the visa officer.
Misrepresentation – Any misleading information of your visa application can lead to ban from submitting any type of application for a period of five years, which may affect your ability to apply for any application in the future.
How to choose the Licensed Immigration Agent?
Below are some of the tips you should consider before hiring a licensed immigration agent to represent your case.
Authorized Representatives–As mentioned earlier, only certain group of people are legally allowed to provide immigration services for Australia/Canada applications for a fee. Make sure that the agents are registered with (ICCRC & MARA).
Categories of services–Different agents may focus on different categories. Always check if the services offered by the licensed immigration agents are for the category that you are interested in.
Easy to communicate–A success of the process depends on how openly you communicate with your representative. It is recommended to have a consultant whom you can openly communicate and has an understanding of how to represent your application for maximum success.
The success and the failure of your application can purely be dependent on the consultant’s advice. The immigration policies keep changing frequently and having an updated advice is crucial in determining your eligibility.
To schedule a one on one consultation session with our licensed immigration professionals and to know more about Australia/Canadian visa news and updates, get in touch with us
Contact us on +966-547598555 / 966-569521000 / 966-541219841 or info@emigrantz.com