Key questions you must ask to choose the right Australian immigration expert.

Migration is an area of law where you can choose either a Migration Agent or Immigration Lawyer (both professionals are registered under the Migration Registration Agent Authority) to represent your case. Both professionals will charge fees according to the type of visa being sought and based on the difficulty of the case.

With the Department of Home Affairs’ visa application fees being so expensive, the cost of engaging an immigration expert, understandably, is the primary consideration for most clients.

Price, however, should not be the primary focus in choosing your expert. Australian migration services are a ‘professional service’ and should be seen in this light given the level of work and technical knowledge required in doing an exceptional job.

After 13 years in this industry and seeing serious mistakes being made in migration cases, I have witnessed damaging outcomes as a result of clients running their own visa cases or engaging the cheapest agent or lawyer, to save costs. By the time cases arrive at my desk, sometimes it’s too late to salvage the situation and rescue the client. A sad and unnecessary state of affairs.

My advice when picking your agent or lawyer is that you conduct a thorough research in the expert’s professional background and the migration firm they work for. You should also consider the below factors, to be in the best position to make a well-informed decision.

Key Questions to ask

At a minimum, before you engage an expert you should consider:

1. Registration: Does the agent or lawyer have the appropriate registration or license to practice in the field and give migration advice?

Migration agents and lawyers should be registered under MARA: www.mara.gov.au

2. Years of experience: How many years of experience does the expert and their firm have in the industry? Furthermore, do they have the expertise to run a case similar to yours?

3. Professionalism: How did the expert conduct themselves during the initial consultation and over the phone. Did they explain all the steps in detail so that you were clearer on the process when you finished the consultation? Did the expert answer your questions and listen to your concerns?

4. Price: Did the expert explain the breakdown of the fees?

5. Integrity: No guarantees or false promises should be made by your agent or lawyer. If they have been quick to guarantee you a successful visa outcome without preparing you for the risks, then be cautious about engaging them to run your matter.

M Legal is a Sydney based firm and focuses on providing expert and professional advice in the area of Australian migration and welcomes the opportunity to have an initial consultation to discuss your migration queries with you.