Deedle Posted January 6, 2016 Report Share Posted January 6, 2016 So we've made the decision ... time to leave SA. The decision has taken about 4 years to make and now we're all the same page and are eager to head to Australia as soon as possible. But ... oh my word where to start? What forms to be filled out first? What SA/Home Affairs docs should we get sorted first? Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordy Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 Follow these 100 steps and you will be an Aussie in no time. http://www.saaustralia.org/topic/9251-the-100-step-process-to-immigrating-to-australia-from-south-africa/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 12 hours ago, Deedle said: So we've made the decision ... time to leave SA. The decision has taken about 4 years to make and now we're all the same page and are eager to head to Australia as soon as possible. But ... oh my word where to start? What forms to be filled out first? What SA/Home Affairs docs should we get sorted first? Any advice will be greatly appreciated! My advice is to use one of the agents on this site. You can do it yourself and it is a lot cheaper that way, but having a professional with intimate knowledge of the entire process makes things a lot easier and a lot less stressful. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deedle Posted January 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 13 hours ago, BrendanH said: My advice is to use one of the agents on this site. You can do it yourself and it is a lot cheaper that way, but having a professional with intimate knowledge of the entire process makes things a lot easier and a lot less stressful. Thanks! Was hoping to save money and do it alone but I'm beginning to realize that an agent is the way to go. Any recommendations of good, patient and cost effective agents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanH Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 (edited) 2 hours ago, Deedle said: Thanks! Was hoping to save money and do it alone but I'm beginning to realize that an agent is the way to go. Any recommendations of good, patient and cost effective agents? I've heard good things about all the agents who give advice on the forums here. I personally used the services of Stephen Dickson (SD_MOA on the forum) of Migration Outcomes Australia (http://www.migrateaus.com.au/) and was happy with his patience and professionalism. I'm not sure how he compares in terms of cost to the other agents on the site though. Edited January 7, 2016 by Mara 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted January 8, 2016 Report Share Posted January 8, 2016 It's quite possible to do the whole thing yourself, but it depends on how simple or complicated your application is likely to be, and whether you have time on your hands, and are willing to do a lot of reading up. You can always book an assessment with an agent, and hear what they say about the complexity of your case, and whether or not you are likely to succeed on your own. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2016 Report Share Posted January 8, 2016 We did the process ourselves, was quite easy. But it was time consuming and you need to do your homework first. Also depends on how much time you have and if your case is a straightforward one. Nothing wrong in getting assessed first by a registered MARA agent. Lots on this site. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deedle Posted January 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 On 1/8/2016 at 1:22 AM, emma.yenkanna said: We did the process ourselves, was quite easy. But it was time consuming and you need to do your homework first. Also depends on how much time you have and if your case is a straightforward one. Nothing wrong in getting assessed first by a registered MARA agent. Lots on this site. ? Thanks so much. Looking at costs we've decided to try it ourselves but will take your advise and get a MARA agent to assess and help us head in the right direction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 Oh, and I forget to say, some agents offer a service where they check your application just before you submit it. If you're stressed about it at that stage it might be worth looking at. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deedle Posted January 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 37 minutes ago, RedPanda said: Oh, and I forget to say, some agents offer a service where they check your application just before you submit it. If you're stressed about it at that stage it might be worth looking at. Now that right there is the best news ever!!!! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 Hehe, it's a pleasure! Just ask them. I don't know if all agents do it, but I have heard that some do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odendaal Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 Yea look it is stressful at times but like a few people say, if your case is simple, it is possible to go at it alone (ie no formal agent). You could always ask on the forum if you get stuck and there are many experienced people here that will be happy to give you advice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deedle Posted January 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 2 hours ago, Odendaal said: Yea look it is stressful at times but like a few people say, if your case is simple, it is possible to go at it alone (ie no formal agent). You could always ask on the forum if you get stuck and there are many experienced people here that will be happy to give you advice. Thank you for your encouragement. Step 1 IELTS booked . . . . one step at a time ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odendaal Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 That's the way! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DXB2OZ Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Second Stephen Dickson - price was competitive and assistance invaluable. Would strongly advise that you start gathering documents now as it will always take longer than you think. Home affairs docs, skills assessment confirmations for work experience, degree attest actions and syllabus confirmations (if you went to UNISA, start a new thread for this one). The one exception being police clearance. You have one year to activate dated from PCC date (or medical, but would need confirmation on that one), so that needs to be one of the last things done. Double check that you have booked for the correct IELTS - academic for skills assessment and general for EOI application is the general rule, but check, check and recheck. You don't want to go through all that cost and effort for nothing, Buckle up - this is a roller coaster ride of stress and emotions like you wouldn't believe, but you have come to the right place for support and encouragement. And for most of us here - it was so worth it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superkruz Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 I recommend you start with the obvious things like getting these documents for everyone that will be emigrating with you... passports, unabridged birth certificates, unabridged marriage certificate, proof that prior marriages have ended - you will need them for virtually all visa types. Once you've decided on which visa to apply for you can then move onto the visa-specific required documents like qualification certifications, English test etc. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FingersCrossed Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi This is my first comment on this forum and I thought that I would also share that we have started the process. I have completed my RPL (taken 7 months) and it is being submitted at the end of Jan 2016. I have spent so much time researching our move to Australia and I cannot wait to get it all done. Last year I took the family for holiday there to visit my wife's family and we decided then that we would be moving over. While I am waiting for my RPL response, I plan to get all the other documentation sorted and ready to go. This forum has been a great place to get some advice and I will keep you guys updated on how my application goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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