Working Visa To Australia

Shutuplaura

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this but what is the best/most cost effective way to apply for the year long visa to australia. I looked up their embassy website and they recommended one of those companies which does it all for a hefty fee. Surely there is a way to apply direct to the embassy and avoid shelling out. If not, which one of these companies is the best?

BC

You can apply directly to the australian immigration office online:

http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/visitors-outside-whm-visa-options.htm

StopWatch

I applied just today, It will cost you 180 Aus Dollars, (bout €90),application takes about 15 minutes to fill out, Very easy.
and literally 2 hours after I had applied, my Visa was ready to rock, which surprised me.

Shutuplaura

Cheers guys! I've just been looking on their embassy website but its no use, I'd pay more than €90 to avoid going back to it.

Saintly

Just don't use Visa First. I am currently praying that they will sort my visa out before I fly to Darwin next week. They have been a complete disaster for day one, all three of us flying out have hated every moment of dealing with them. You are much better off sorting it out yourself.

Saintly

ashie

Saintly wrote:

Just don't use Visa First. I am currently praying that they will sort my visa out before I fly to Darwin next week. They have been a complete disaster for day one, all three of us flying out have hated every moment of dealing with them. You are much better off sorting it out yourself.

Saintly

Agree with you there saintly. Have heard horror storys about them.

Shutuplaura - I have a very good contact that can sort you out. If you like pm me and I will pass on their information.

deadfingers

Me and my mate are headin to Oz and applied for our visa through Visa First at the same time. Funny thing is, is that I have gotten mine but my mate has recieved an e-mail from them saying that due to the large demand that his form could not be filled out in the specified time and they assure him that he will recieve his visa as soon as possible. We leave on the 9th of next month and he is kinda worried bout it!! Has anyone else encountered this problem?

ShiverinEskimo

Saintly wrote:

Just don't use Visa First. I am currently praying that they will sort my visa out before I fly to Darwin next week. They have been a complete disaster for day one, all three of us flying out have hated every moment of dealing with them. You are much better off sorting it out yourself.

Saintly

I and my 4 friends have used them for all our Oz Visas and were completed within about a week.

Using them for my chinese holiday visa too. Seem fine to me. None of us had problems.

ashie

deadfingers wrote:

Me and my mate are headin to Oz and applied for our visa through Visa First at the same time. Funny thing is, is that I have gotten mine but my mate has recieved an e-mail from them saying that due to the large demand that his form could not be filled out in the specified time and they assure him that he will recieve his visa as soon as possible. We leave on the 9th of next month and he is kinda worried bout it!! Has anyone else encountered this problem?

Hiya,

All I can say is get your mate to start pestering them big time, call every day, twice a day until he gets it!! Sometimes it's the only way to get things done!!:)

ShiverinEskimo

One of our friends was held up longer than us but we thought it was something to do with a background check cos his surname and where he lives - he could be confused with a number of criminals. He got it a week later than us though with no problems..

Frank Spencer

I just wanna add my two cents to this. I applied for my visa this morning like StopWatch through http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/working-holiday.htm and it was approved in literally 5 minutes. Whereas my girlfriend went through visa first and it took a number of weeks to come through. Also it cost €120 for mine and hers cost around €160. Go figure!!

ShiverinEskimo

I applied for mine through Visa First - got notification in a couple of days. Got an Australian sim in the door 3 days after than with 20 quid credit on it, have me bank account set up in australia and can lodge the money with visa first and they'll lodge it for me over there and finally got my Social security number (TFN its called there) set up and it will be mailed to me upon my clearing of immigration when I arrive.

Total cost was 260 for all that - and it was all done with 5 minutes on the phone.

Happy enough - saved me a lot of grief.

EDIT- It also included an automatic application for a years extension to the visa - in case I wanna stick on past a year. Not sure how that works though - must read up on it.

Derek B

VisaFirst processed mine in 2 days aswell.

Saintly

ShiverinEskimo wrote:

I applied for mine through Visa First - got notification in a couple of days. Got an Australian sim in the door 3 days after than with 20 quid credit on it, have me bank account set up in australia and can lodge the money with visa first and they'll lodge it for me over there and finally got my Social security number (TFN its called there) set up and it will be mailed to me upon my clearing of immigration when I arrive.

Total cost was 260 for all that - and it was all done with 5 minutes on the phone.

Happy enough - saved me a lot of grief.

EDIT- It also included an automatic application for a years extension to the visa - in case I wanna stick on past a year. Not sure how that works though - must read up on it.

You can get a sim in Oz with 120 dollars credit on it. As for your taxfile no - you don't get it upon clearing immigration -(though they told me on the phone that I would), they only apply for it then (just as you would yourself) and you get it 10 days later. We three are still waiting - we had to send 3 emails to even get a response from them re the TFN. Everyone gets the automatic application for extension. Thats about all the Visa First bashing for me! I'm glad you have had a good experience, I personally think that people could save a considerable amount of money, get way better phone deals etc, if they just mingle with the locals here when they arrive!

Saintly

ShiverinEskimo

Fair points Saintly. I'm only talking on my experience.

I agree with your point about getting better deals through mingling but I'm a whore for the easy life and so far am happy enough despite paying a bit more.

Its always the same though - one company with two customer's one is unlucky to have gotten bad service that day another is happy enough and you get two different opinions. I know where I work some people love us but there's always the poor bastard who's fax falls down behind the desk or who's post is put in the wrong pile and he'd be telling his mates what a shower we are... C'est la vie huh?