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What is the process for me to receive Immigration Advice?
There are 2 main stages to our Immigration Services.
Stage 1: is a consultation. This is where we identify the relevant facts of your case & provide you with advice about your immigration options.
Stage 2: is where we handle your case for you. This may be a visa application, or an application for Review with a tribunal. You may need a submission for a specific waiver or Department request for information. Here we do a large amount of work for you to achieve your immigration outcome.
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How do I arrange a consultation?
Give us a call on (08) 7226 2225 or email us at mail@paxmigration.com.au and make a time to come in and see us. Allow an hour for our consultation
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I am not able to come into your office, what other ways can I receive a consultation?
For our interstate and overseas clients, or clients who prefer not to come into our office, we offer comprehensive consultation via Phone, Email or Skype/Video Conference. No matter what method you choose, we make sure you receive the same thorough advice and information.
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What do I need to do to prepare for our consultation?
Once we have set a time and date for your consultation, we will email you a confirmation and will send you a reminder email the day before your appointment. We will also send you a consultation form for you to complete and return to us at least 24 hours before your appointment. By completing this form you will be providing us with information that allows us to have a better understanding of your case before the actual consultation and ensure you get the most out of your consultation.
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Is there a fee for the consultation?
For Immigration Consultations our fee will be $330. If you proceed with us to handle your visa application or appeal, we will credit your consultation fee against your package fee.
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What will I receive in a consultation?
We will gather the facts of your case and apply the relevant immigration law to your circumstances. In each consultation you will receive:
1. Clear options for your immigration strategy
2. The milestones you need to meet to achieve your visa approval
3. Key dates in relation to your immigration strategy
4. Guidance on current processing times and fees.
5. All possible visa option(s) available to you. -
What if I am not eligible for a visa?
Our consultations provide you with a complete assessment of your immigration options in Australia. The work involved in determining that someone is not eligible for a visa is often more difficult as we need to exclude every possibility. Our service is a complete professional service and therefore a fee applies as we still need to take the time to research and provide complete advice in each case.
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Why should I use an agent?
Immigration law is complex, and one false move can cause a visa refusal or cancellation (which can have serious consequences for the visa applicant). Trusting the advice of non-professionals, or even Immigration Department materials can be misleading or dangerous. We know the ins and outs and only work for you, not for the government.
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Why should I use PAX Migration for my visa?
We are an innovative, highly-qualified firm that prides ourselves on giving cutting edge advice. We hold ourselves to the highest professional standards and promise to do whatever it takes to get you the result you need, often at our own expense since all our work is quoted up front. There are no hidden fees with us.
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How much will it all cost?
Every visa subclass carries different amounts of work. Also, each individual case will be different in the work load required. Therefore, we provide individual cost estimates for every client based on the information we determine in our consultation stage. We will also be able to provide you with the Government charges and other disbursement costs required for each visa subclass available to you in your immigration strategy.
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What is ANZSCO and why is it important?
ANZSCO is the established dictionary of all identified occupations in Australia. The Department of Immigration uses the ANZSCO list to determine whether an applicant for a visa meets the minimum threshold criteria for visa grant. It is vitally important to the sponsorship process as a lot of applications are refused because the Department is not satisfied that either the worker has the skills to perform the occupation nominated or that the occupation nominated is not genuinely required. We can help by working with your recruitment process to ensure the occupation advertised is the appropriate one and that the applicant has the requisite skills to qualify.
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I have had employees on 457 visas for some time – can they transition to permanent visas?
The eligibility of an employee to transition to a permanent visa comes down to whether that individual meets the permanent visa requirements. We can provide advice on each employee’s eligibility and manage the process of their transition to PR efficiently.
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I need help recruiting offshore workers – can you help?
Yes, we can work with you and your recruitment agencies to ensure that any candidates are vetted for eligibility under Australia’s immigration framework. This can save you a lot of time and disruption later on when candidates turn out to not meet all of the criteria for visa grant.
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Do you provide training?
Yes. We provide training to HR staff to ensure your business is compliant with immigration law requirements. We can provide specialised training sessions on particular areas of immigration law to ensure your staff always have the latest and most relevant information.
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How long does the process take?
It depends on the type of visa applied for and the country of origin of the worker. Higher risk countries and permanent visa applications do take longer. 457 visas are usually granted in a matter of weeks while the permanent visas may take over 3 months. Using a professional can ensure that the process doesn’t take any longer than it should.
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Do I need to worry about monitoring my employees’ work rights?
Yes. It is very important to ensure all of your non-citizen employees have visas that allow them to work in Australia. The penalties can be harsh and it does not matter if the business management “knew” or not. It is incumbent on the business to ensure all employees meet the immigration requirements, so that means regularly checking their visa status. You can do that using the Department of Immigration’s portal called ‘VEVO’.
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What are my options to sponsor someone?
The quick answer is there are 3 different main visas that you can sponsor a foreign worker. There are many others that relate to short stay work (eg. 3 months).
1. 457 Visa
This is the most popular visa which is a temporary visa valid up to 4 years. However it does come with some employer obligations and compliance costs.2. 186 Visa
This is a permanent visa similar to the 457 visa but requires the migrant to have a higher level of experience and English skills. Similar compliance costs apply.3. 187 Visa
This is a permanent visa for workers located in a regional area. This visa has many advantages including lower compliance costs and less stringent eligibility criteria. -
Can I access a labour agreement?
A labour agreement is a negotiated agreement between an employer and the federal Government. It is a viable route for many businesses who have a significant number of workers that are needed. For example if a construction business won a contract for a large body of work and required a significant influx of workers, a labour agreement would likely be suitable to ensure the business can access the workers it needs, when it needs them. If you have a need for a large body of work to be filled with foreign workers, contact us on how we may proceed with your application.
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Can’t I just do it myself?
It is perfectly viable to apply for sponsorship and nominate a position yourself. However, we have seen many cases where employers have had refusals or fallen foul of their obligations later on with disastrous consequences for the migrant as well as the disruption to the business of the employer. If you are at all unsure of the processes, the laws and how you are eligible for sponsorship, use a professional to be on the safe side and minimise the risk to your business.
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Why do I need professional advice?
Employing foreign workers comes with some responsibilities. The penalties for not fulfilling your obligations under immigration law can result in expensive fines and possibly cancellation and barring of sponsorship. We can explain what your obligations are and help you set up systems and processes to ensure you are always compliant.