As immigration lawyers the first question we are often asked is what is the best way for me to get to *insert goal*. And while we are a smart bunch us lawyers, we cannot give you the answer to that question without a bit more information from you first.
Some key tips on seeking out immigration advice on your visa opportunities in Australia are:
That is - know what you want to do while you are in Australia.
If it is to work, then we can look at work visas, if you want to study and eventually work, then that’s good too! But must be some direction as to what your plans are. Maybe you just want to do a bit of work and a bit of holiday – excellent, there is a visa for that!
Just make sure you have an idea of what your plan is. Don’t be the person that sits in the hairdresser chair and says, “I don’t know, you just do what you want”. Because chances are you aren’t going to get the advice you need.
So, you want to be an Australian citizen? That is wonderful! Welcome. But know that is a long road in immigration land. In most cases, you can’t just jump from your current passport to an Australian passport – there are lots of steps in between.
Or maybe you want to be a permanent resident. We can definitely help with that. There are multiple pathways to get to these outcomes. And each of these outcomes has a different cost and different time frame. This is why our Passage Advice service provides you with an overview of your visa opportunities (guided by your intention) including visa criteria, timeframes, costs and a step-by-step guide.
100% of visa applications live and die by the documents that are submitted in support of the visa criteria. Your documents are your documents. We will absolutely guide you on the documents that you need but collating them in a timely and legible manner is up to you.
The best way to consider what documents you need is guided by your intention in Australia. If you intend to work, then think about updating your Resume – if you intend to study, figure out the course that you would like to do. Or, if you are in a relationship, then all documents that evidence your relationship are good ones to save.
An immigration lawyer’s job is to give you the advice, build your application and manage communications after lodgement with the Department of Home Affairs.
What we can’t do for you is book your English tests or medical examinations. And we don’t know what we don’t know. So, you need to make sure you aren’t light on the details when explaining your immigration history. The devil is in the details when considering visa opportunities.
Teamwork makes the dream work, right?
If you have an employer that you want to sponsor you, then they will need to know what is required from them. Or, if you partner is going to be supporting a partner visa application, everyone needs to know what they need to know.
It’s best that everyone’s responsibilities are clear from the start of the process.
If you would like assistance with visa opportunities, please reach out to us at: hello@pasasgemigration.consulting – we look forward to saying hello to you soon!
Rachael is our Legal Practice Director, Youtube Host and Creator of Passage Migration Consulting.
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