Frequently Asked Questions

Costs vary significantly and it is not possible to give an accurate estimate without doing a full assessment.​

People often don’t realise, but asking us, “How much are your fees and what do I apply for?”, is like asking us, “How much does it cost to build a house or purchase a car?” This is because the range of costs are so varied.

Everyone’s situation is different and advice will depend on your own set of unique circumstances as well as your personal goals that you are wishing to achieve.​

The key aspects that need to be identified first and foremost before an estimate of costs can be provided are:

• Are you eligible for any visa or citizenship pathways?
  • If so, what options do you have?
  • What are your main goals?
  • If you have more than one option, what are the positives and negatives of each option?
  • What are the variances in cost, time and processes?
  • Is your matter urgent?
  • Are there outside factors that also need to be considered that could impact the choices you make or don’t make?
  • Are there any potential risks or complex issues that need to be addressed?
  • What are your chances of success?
  • Are there ways to reduce any potential risks?
  • What type of plan or strategy needs to be put in place to achieve your goals?

Yes, only Registered Migration Agents (RMA), Legal Practitioners or exempt persons are legally qualified to give migration advice and assistance.

The short answer is no, this is a personal choice and preference. It can be compared to doing tax returns. Although it’s not compulsory to use a registered tax agent or accountant, we mostly engage experts because we know they are trained in Australian Taxation Law and their role is to act in our best interests and to ensure we are meeting all our legal obligations. They must also meet strict legal guidelines in order to maintain their qualifications and registrations. This is the same for registered migration agents. As registered migration agents we are heavily regulated and must abide by a very strict Code of Conduct. We are required to keep our knowledge about relevant legislation up to date as well as professional subscriptions, training and insurances. We see a lot of cases where people have done their own applications, made innocent mistakes and they are now in dire straits because the mistakes are costly and difficult to fix. The benefit of using a registered migration agent is to reduce the risk of anything going wrong, avoiding simple but often costly errors and the peace of mind that all your immigration matters are being managed by an expert.

The short answer is, to have a much greater chance of having your application approved, rather than being refused.

Migration law is arguably one of the most complex and ever-changing areas of law in Australia. Putting together applications requires an in-depth understanding of the Migration & Citizenship legislations and experience of how the processes work. Lodging applications that are incomplete and/or incorrect gaps can lead to delayed outcomes or worse, a decision to refuse your application.

As RMAs we are highly skilled in the this area of law and we are able to assess whether an application meets all the requirements against the most up to date criteria. From experience, we can also eliminate potential problems from the start or quickly address unforeseeable problems that can arise during the process.

Some reasons our clients have told us why they decided to engage our services was because of:

• Word of mouth
• Our reputation and success rate
• No time to do their own
• Lack of knowledge, experience and understanding
• Risk factors
• To reduce their stress
• Peace of mind

We start with a consultation first and foremost to assess your situation. We then assess the prospects of success and whether we are able to take on the case based on a variety of factors. Sometimes, we may refer you to another reputable registered migration agent if we at capacity or if it’s an application that needs specialised assistance of another area of immigration law that we don’t practice.

Thanks to technology, consultations are usually done via video call e.g. Zoom Video calls, Facebook Messenger, Teams, Skype, Face Time or by phone.

We have a multitude of solutions and experience in helping our clients who are not tech savvy or don’t have easy access to the right equipment.

Preparation of applications can take anywhere from 2 days to 8 weeks depending on how quickly we receive all necessary information and documents.

Unfortunately, it is against our policy due to professional liability, implications and risks involved.

The Department of Home Affairs assess and decide the outcome of all visa and citizenship applications. However, we are able to give a good indication of the prospects of success and whether we foresee any potential risks that may hinder your application from being approved.

Unfortunately, in most circumstances, once an application is lodged there are no refunds.

Over the years, we have successfully applied for and been granted numerous visas and citizenship for our clients who are in this situation. The key issue is to have a thorough assessment done first and assess the level of risk and what can be done to address these risks. In rare cases, we have advised it would be too risky to lodge an application.

Since 1 September 1994, all non-citizens in Australia have been required to hold a valid visa. As a result, the subclass TY444 Special Category Visa was introduced specifically for New Zealand citizens.

Under the 1973 Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, New Zealand citizens who hold New Zealand passports and present no health or character concerns can visit, live and work in Australia indefinitely and without restrictions.

Under the Australian Migration Act 1958, the TY444 visa is a temporary visa which never converts to a permanent visa, regardless of how long New Zealand citizens have lived in Australia or how much they may have contributed in taxes.

The TY444 is the only visa of its kind in Australia.

TY444 visas are issued for once only entries.

Each time you leave Australia your TY444 ceases to exist.

Each time you re-enter Australia a new single entry TY444 is issued.

TY444 visas cease to exist each time you leave Australia. A brand new TY444 is granted each time you re-enter Australia. The VEVO check only ever provides the most recent visa a person holds including the date it was granted.

The subclass TY444 visa is a temporary visa that is granted to New Zealand citizens. Under the Migration Act 1958, the TY444 visa is a temporary visa.

Because you are a New Zealand citizen who does not hold a permanent visa or are a dual Australian/New Zealand citizen you are recognised as a temporary resident only.

If you are eligible, you need to either apply for a permanent visa or Australian citizenship.

To be eligible for citizenship you generally need:

• To have been living in Australia prior to 26 February 2001, or
• Were present in Australia for a minimum of 365 days between 26 February 1999 and 26 February 2001, or
• You came to live in Australia between 27 February 2001 to 25 May 2001 AND you were assessed by Centrelink (Services Australia) as a transitional customer.

New Zealand citizens who do not meet any of the above criteria will need to apply for a permanent visa before they are eligible to apply for dual citizenship.

We provide assessments for New Zealand citizens via a consultation process (fee applies).  Consultations can be booked via our online booking system.

It’s not possible to provide how much visas and/or citizenship applications cost as they vary in price, process, additional information required and complexity.

The Department has a list of application fees on it’s website but first you would need to know:

1. What you need to apply for?
2. Are you eligible to apply?
3. Are you including family members?
4. Are your family members eligible to apply or be included?
5. Are there any major risk factors involved?
6. Is more than one application needed?
7. Is it a paper application or an online application?
8. Are there better options available?
9. Has your status as a New Zealand citizen been assessed fully?
10. Are you aware of the implications of lodging applications and the ongoing affects that may have?
11. Are your circumstances likely to change and will that impact your application?

Processing times can range from 1 day to 3 months, sometimes longer. See Visa processing times by visa subclass for more details.

The travel facility time frame is determined by migration legislation.

A RRV with a 12 month travel facility is granted to an applicant who has not been a lawful permanent resident in Australia for more than 2 years (730 days) in the past 5 years immediately before applying. The days a person is physically present in Australia are the only days that are counted towards the 730 day period.

A RRV with a 5 year travel facility is granted to an applicant who has been a lawful permanent resident in Australia for more than 730 days within the past 5 years immediately before applying.

NOTE: There is no discretion for the Department of Home Affairs or the Minister to extend the travel period regardless of individual circumstances, including compassionate reasons or reasons beyond one’s control.

If an RRV holder is unable to re-enter Australia before their travel facility expires, they will need to apply for and meet the criteria to be granted a new RRV.

You must check your RRV Grant Notification letter which is normally received via email or apply for a VEVO check. If you cannot find your visa grant notification or you no longer have your departmental reference number, you can request this information by completing the online Request for Reference Number Form and your details will be emailed to you.

If you are already in Australia and are a permenent visa holder, you do not need to apply for another RRV unless you wish to leave and re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.

Yes, legislation stipulates that permanent visa holders must maintain their permanent resident status throughout their Australian citizenship application process until they are officially granted Australian citizenship.

Our advise is to seek professional advice with regards to your refused application as the reasons for refusal will need to be assessed on a case by case basis. The good news is we can usually help applicants who meet the criteria but were refused for some other reason.

Our fees for RRVs start at $5,500.oo which includes the application fees, our professional fees, disbursements and GST.

Any person who once held Australian permanent resident status or an Australian permanent visa may apply. For New Zealand citizens, this generally covers citizens who visited, lived or entered Australia pre 1st September 1994.

Yes, you will need evidence of your past travel. This may be in the form of a permanent visa, travel records or wet stamps in an old passport. When we are dealing with applications, we will request your travel history on your behalf if you do not have it already.