What to Expect During Your First MARA Agent Appointment in Perth
With Australian immigration law so complex, it's important to take the first step by scheduling a consultation with a registered Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) agent in Perth to help you secure your visa. MARA agents must adhere to a strict Code of Conduct to ensure that they give ethical, honest and competent legal advice.
If this is your first appointment, here is a full
description of what you can expect, how you can prepare, and what will happen
after the appointment.
1.
What to Bring to Your First Meeting
Given the limited time of a consultation (40 to 60 minutes),
preparation is critical to making best use of the time. Take copies of the
following to the exam in an organized manner:
•
Identification: Passport you currently hold and
current Australian visa grant notification (if you have a temporary visa in
Perth).
•
CV/Resume (required for skilled migration
assessment): A detailed work history with job titles, job duties and employment
dates.
•
Academic Qualifications: Degrees, diplomas,
transcript of records and English test results (PTE/IELTS) if applicable.
•
Immigration History: Any past visa refusal,
cancellation or visa overstay is a crucial factor, and it is important to give
full disclosure.
2. Break down of the
Appointment Step by Step
Stage 1:
Understanding Your History & Migration Objective
Your MARA agent will start with open-ended questions to get
to know you and your career, family and future goals in WA. This step outlines
the facts of your case whether applying for state sponsorship in WA, for an
employer-sponsored stream or a partner visa.
Stage 2: In-Depth
Visa Pathway Analysis
The agent will assess your eligibility based on the most up
to date Department of Home Affairs guidelines and WA Skilled Migration
Occupation Lists. Rather than providing a 'one size fits all' response, they
will explain:
•
Primary visa eligibility you can apply for
straight away.
•
Secondary pathways (strategically) if primary is
high risk.
•
Any critical gaps in your profile, such as
points that need to be improved, missing skills assessment, or regional work
requirements.
Stage 3: Honest Risk
& Realism Assessment
The MARA Code of Conduct states that registered agents are
not legally allowed to make a visa approval guarantee. A professional agent
will be able to provide you with an honest evaluation of what you might face
when applying for a job, processing time, or even the risk that your
application may be rejected.
Stage 4: Financial
and Timeline Breakdown
Prior to the end of the process, the agent will show a clear
and unambiguous breakdown of costs and will include the following:
•
Application fee to the Department of Home
Affairs.
•
Fees for skills assessment or health
examination.
•
Fees charged by professional agencies.
•
The processing times listed are estimates based
on the average time required to process cases at the Department at this time.
Mandatory Regulatory
Steps You Will Notice.
Once an appointment is made, or right after, a registered
agent is required to perform certain regulatory requirements:
•
Consumer
Guide Provision: The Official OMARA Consumer Guide will be made available
to you and contains information about your rights as a consumer and the
professional duties of the agent.
•
No
Unsolicited Work: This means that the agent will only start working for you
or charge fees for the complete application processing when you sign a formal
Service Agreement (Contract).
What Happens After?
After meeting with you, you will be given a written
assessment/ summary of the visa strategies discussed. You are not required to
hire the agent right away.
The first consultation should help you feel more
knowledgeable, confident and have a clear action plan to follow for your
immigration pathway to Perth.
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