“I have found the service provided by LIVE IN australia.com invaluable to my visa process. For cost reasons I chose to do the work myself but I was glad of the support I received from the agents via the on-line questions. The advice was always prompt and helpful and the application checking service was reassuring. I would not hesitate to recommend them.”
Sarah Attrill - United Kingdom

“Just a quick note to say a belated thank you for your help last year in the compilation and submission of my sub class 173 visa. I expect it to be granted within the next few weeks as the 2nd VAC has now been paid. Although I only used your minimum service it was invaluable in answering the few questions that were critical to my application. Thank you.”

Jean Milnes - UK

“Using LiveinAustralia.com was possibly the best decision I have made this decade. I had been looking to emigrate for many years but my chances of success looked 50/50 at best. However, the consultants at LiveinAustralia provided me with the opportunity for applying for a particular type of visa that I didn’t even know existed.

It suited my own requirements, and the State Government’s needs, exactly. A few months later and I received an email titled “Visa Granted”…evoking a feeling similar to winning the lottery, I imagine. So many thanks to all at LiveinAustralia for your prompt responses to detailed queries, and your huge impact upon my successful visa application.”

Darren Coppin - United Kingdom

"Hi there. Just wanted to share our great news! After having our ENS visa application lodged last week - it has been granted in 3 days! We can't believe it and we would like to thank you for the EXCELLENT service we received from yourselves which enabled us to prepare and submit the application ourselves. The clear & definitive advice that we received during the preparation of our application was second to none. Without it, we're sure our outcome would not have been so swift and positive. THANK YOU!"
David Johnson - United Kingdom

"I found this site online when I was researching into the move and I was so clueless on how to actually go about things. But the people at the helpdesk when I emailed were so helpful that it didn't take long to decide that I wanted to deal with LIVE IN australia.com. I'm more than pleased with the way my agent handled my case. She was always polite and very helpful and I wouldn't hesitate in using or recommending the services of LIVE IN australia.com again. A very BIG thank you to all who dealt with my application. I wouldn't have done it without you."
Darren Knowles - United Kingdom

"Just to say many thanks for your help, and my family and I have been accepted. All of our paper work has been passed, and we now have a date in which we can come to Australia. Please forward this on to the people that help with this process. Many thanks again, just have to sell the house now! Dean Wilson & family...OZ, HERE WE COME!!"
Dean Wilson - United Kingdom

“After spending time in Australia four years ago, whilst travelling, my husband Graham and I really fell in love with the lifestyle, the weather and the pace of life.

We really enjoyed our time out there and often talked about returning one day. After the birth of our son, we decided that the opportunities available to both us and our son were far greater in Australia and that our quality of life would be better overall, so we began our visa application process. 

Because both Graham and I work full time in demanding careers, we didn’t feel we had enough time to dedicate to completing the paperwork; so we began to search for agencies to help us.

We felt that as well as helping us to get the paperwork right the first time, an agency would also give us support and reassurance throughout the process and guide us through the red tape. We felt it would feel good to have someone on our side, so to speak.  In order to find the agency we wanted to use, we first checked the Australian government website to find the list of approved agents. From that list, we visited some websites and filled in questionnaires that check you have the correct amount of points. We eventually chose to use LIVE IN australia.com as they responded quickly to the initial questionnaire we had filled out and the reply that they sent had very clear information about the next steps we could take. It was also easy to find out the total costs involved – something that other websites did not have.

We have been very pleased with the service we received from LIVE IN australia.com and feel that we have had good value for money.  From initial interest to finally getting our visa granted has taken 20 months and LIVE IN australia.com has been there for us at every step.  The communication between us has been easy and informal and we have felt that the staff we communicated with were genuinely interested in our case. The communication via the website is very efficient and enquiries are answered very quickly, no matter how frequently we had something to ask (we sent a lot of enquiries!).  The option of a telephone consultation if needed was very reassuring, especially at the start of our application process – as it happened, we found the email enquiries so efficient that we never felt the need to use it.

We would definitely recommend LIVE IN australia.com to other people and have already done so.  We believe that we have had excellent service and good value for money and we are ecstatic to be writing this after having received a successful outcome on our visa application, due in part to LIVE IN australia.com’s help.”

"Hello! Thank you very much for that news of our visa grant - that is fantastic!  We are really pleased!  Thank you for all yor help and prompt replies.  We are more than happy to do a testimonial - i'll send it in the next few days. Thanks again, Kim, Graham & Freddie"
Kim Eagle - UK

"My decision to move to Australia came after meeting my wife in London. We were engaged and the prospect of moving was something I came to to terms with pretty quickly.

I was slightly unorganised and just decided to apply for a temporary working visa to get me up and running. It was when I finally arrived and got into the swing of things, that I realised Melbourne was the perfect location for both of us and it was necessary to start taking the relevant steps to becoming a resident and being able to work.

I decided I needed help with my visa as I wanted to fast track the whole process and achieve advice on providing the relevant information to the immigration department. I had booked a trip home later that year and also needed advice on how to go about doing this without it affecting my visa.

I searched the internet for different options and stumbled across LIVE IN australia.com amongst others. I called around and found other options overpriced and was told by most that I needed to pay to even talk about the subject.

One call to LIVE IN australia.com and I was given advice immediately and booked in for a consultation. I was given face to face, down to earth advice in their office and knew I had made the right decision in choosing them to deal with everything.

The process was long and I was glad that I had LIVE IN australia.com to call and remind me to do things as quickly as possible. If there was ever a problem, they would get back to me same day, if not straight away, and I really felt like I was in good hands all the way through the process.

I would definitely recommend LIVE IN australia.com to anyone interested in migrating to Australia. They are a dedicated and loyal company to have behind you and I am so happy that I picked the right group of people to make my migration a complete success. Thanks!"
Alexander Saville-Edells - UK

“Hi. I have to tell you that my visa was approved early last month! I will be arriving in Perth in less than 3 weeks. The site provided everything I needed. I downloaded all application forms from here and found the "Expert Form Filler" & responses from my Advisor to be invaluable. Any documentation I missed from my application was checked and advised by the Visa Application Checking Service. I think the VACS is a must! I arranged a Telephone Consultation before my Interview (glad I did!) I am STILL using the info provided in the Moving to Australia section, as this is the easiest way to answer your concerns. Many thanks to the LIVE IN australia.com team. I'd definitely recommend this service; in fact I already have.”
Penny Schlager - United Kingdom

This letter was sent to us by Mark Powell from the UK.

The very fact that you have taken the time to search for information about immigrating on the LIVE IN australia.com website means that you probably have enough motivation to succeed in making it to Australia…just like me!

I am by no means a writer but I’m going to tell you my story about my success with immigrating to Australia.

I always dreamt of living in Australia and had contacted several different agents, but LIVE IN australia.com is the only company I found who genuinely wanted to help people achieve their dreams and not just take their money.

There is so much information about immigration available and I just felt overloaded with facts figures and forms and so many different opinions of how to do it. With LIVE IN australia.com, they just gave me the information and forms that were relevant and guided me to the visa application that would be most suitable for me and my family. At last I felt that I had found someone who knew what they are talking about and kept it simple.

I never realised how much work it would take and without the help of this company I would have probably given up. But as I started to complete the forms and source all the vital information I actually started to enjoy the experience and built up a very close working relationship with the team. Whenever I encountered a problem they always managed to come up with a solution and kept me motivated to completing the necessary work.

Half way through the process we discovered my wife was pregnant and we were thrilled but concerned that this could cause a problem. So I emailed my agent desperately hoping that all would be ok. They replied with great joy for our family and adjusted my application to incorporate our new child.

I’m not going to tell you it’s an easy process. I had many late nights and frustrating waits for documents and information, but I always had support from the team in Australia who understood my difficulties and concerns because some of the staff, like me, had undergone the process themselves and could relate easily to my concerns and worries.

Not only was this a very rewarding task because I now have my visa to live in Australia, but also a very good life evaluation and documentation exercise. I remember proudly completing each set of questionnaires and sending them back to the team for evaluation, waiting for their reply to tell me if my application was ok, or, receiving helpful guidance on how to increase my chances of success.

Then it was a matter of waiting for DIAC to process my application. Sometimes this would feel like a very long time, but it was always actioned in good time and the results would be mailed to me where I was waiting anxiously. I also found DIAC very helpful and informative whenever I received information and felt so much achievement and happiness with the positive results.

The team was also ready to congratulate and enjoy the success with me, just as any team should, which really made it a team effort. It wasn’t always a positive, result but when things where tough, the team always had a positive spirit and were quick to find a result to fix the problems. I first thought that I could do this on my own, but wanted to play safe and get help from the professionals. I am so glad that I did, I could have never completed this on my own.

 Due to a mass of information I had to collect and produce, I feel confident that if I ever have to send personal documents or details to anyone, I have everything ready to cater for any life/career history requirements in the future. This is just an added bonus of working with LIVE IN australia.com.

You might be thinking that this is an expensive service, but after contacting many agencies, I soon realised that it’s a competitive rate and the standard of service you receive makes it worth it. You pay for what you get and I’m very happy with the service I received.

Because of such a close working relationship I can honestly say I will miss being in contact with Emily and Angel and the whole team. I have never met such a pleasant team to work with and when I get the chance in the future to visit them I will. The whole team demonstrated the true Australian values and way of life.

My family and I are looking forward to soon becoming part of this culture.

I hope this story can provide motivation to other people to succeed in a better life style.

Regards

“We are speechless and just so happy. We can’t thank you enough. At last a dream of many years has finally come true. I am happy to write a story about our visa process for you. Once again, many many thanks to you and the team. With all our love and thanks, Mark, Joyce, Troy and Aliyah.”

Mark Powell - United Kingdom

“Hi! I’d like to thank LIVE IN australia.com and all staff for their great service. I would recommend you to anyone who wants to immigrate to Australia. You made it so easy for me to do online and answered all of my questions, while keeping me up to date with all the forms and all the latest information from the government. I received my visa in January and I move out to Australia in May. Once again, thank you for all your support and please keep up the good work. Cheers, Graeme Simpson.”

“I had an electrician friend in Ireland and like me, applied for the skilled independent visa. However, he went through a private management person and paid a fortune - over £2000 to get fast tracked! With your help, I’m in Sydney now (loving it), for a fraction of the cost and before the other sparky received his visa. Thanks again, Laurance Starrett (aka Starky).”

Prize winners settle by the sea

The O’Neill family from the UK, who won one of three LIA settlement packages in 2007, received a visit from CEO, Assyl Haidar, and Marketing and Client Services Manager, Peter Seers, who delivered their:

All you need to set up a true Aussie backyard and learn more about our exciting culture!

The O’Neills were generous enough to share some of their experiences with us about their journey to Australia…

LIVE IN australia.com: What motivated you to move to Australia?

O’Neills: We were looking for a better way of life, especially for our children who are ten and thirteen years old. Their school day in the UK was very long, even at such a young age, and they were missing out on a lot of things, like fun activities. The school here in Melbourne provides a much more balanced lifestyle where they can work hard and play hard! They have both settled into the new way of life well.

LIA: Were there specific things about the UK you won’t miss?

O: The weather is a big factor. Not enough time to enjoy life, especially for the boys. My husband was getting up at 5am and not getting home until 7pm.

LIA: What do you love about your new life?

O: We live a block from the beach, it’s a short walk to our children’s school, we have a gorgeous pool in the back yard and now we have a wonderful new barbecue! We are looking forward to spending some long lazy weekends enjoying some great food, great drink and warm summer nights.

Australians have lived up to their reputation as being open and friendly, but also very helpful.

LIA: It’s not always smooth sailing moving to another country. What were some of your big challenges?

O: We found the housing prices to be more expensive than we thought they would be. We had help from a relocation company and they said just pack everything. This wasn’t the best advice as we had to pay tax on some alcohol we were bringing with us.

The boys have had to get used to wearing shorts in summer to school and the culture is much more relaxed, which is certainly a positive.

LIA: Any helpful tips for people intending to migrate to Australia?

O: Give yourself enough time to prepare. Not just the visa, but everything. Research where you want to live and consider coming out for a holiday first to see what it’s like. But beware…you will not want to leave!

Use a company like LIVE IN australia.com to help you get your visa. You will save time and they will professionally guide you through the entire process. Really takes the stress out of it.

LIA: Any last thoughts you’d like to share on your experience?

O: We are now living the dream!

Marion O’Neill (centre) receives congratulations from Assyl Haidar (right) and Peter Seers (left) on their new Settlement Package prize.

“I wanted to move to Australia to make a better life for myself.  It became evident early on in the process that a migration agent would be of great assistance to help navigate the complex and time consuming process of applying for residency.

I would recommend anyone considering residency to engage a migration agent to help them navigate the process and I would definitely recommend LIVE IN australia.com, who made what was at times a frustrating process, easier to bear.
 
The best things about the service was the ability to access an experienced individual whom you could ask questions and seek out the best path to apply for residency under. For me it was the skilled visa and I appreciated the guidance from LIVE IN australia.com on this and will be eternally grateful for their help and guidance.”
Anthony Mcgonigle – United Kingdom

Interview with Graham Hannah from United Kingdom (Platinum Visa Preparation Service), who shares his experiences on going through the migration process.

LIVE IN australia.com (LIA): Why are you moving to Australia?

Graham: We went on a once in a lifetime visit in 1992 to watch Rugby League - we lost the test series, but fell in love with the people, animals, chilled-out way of life…and it took us 6 months to settle back into the real world.

So, we started saving again and went back in 1994 and 96.  We had almost forgotten about Aus when my mother got sick, so we took my parents in 2002 before she passed away, and then went back in 2003, 2005 (my 40th) and 2006 (Karen's 40th) and remembered why we loved it!  You can't say it was a spontaneous decision!

LIA: Why did you decide that you needed help with your visa?

Graham: Really because I am a senior manager and just didn't have the time to do all the research and risk getting it wrong - we are in our early 40's so time was important.

LIA: What process did you go through to find help and why LIA?

Graham: What triggered us was an article in a UK paper about moving to Australia in 2004 and they quoted and recommended LIA.com - so we took the recommendation.

LIA: What were the best things about the service?

Graham: Clearly stating what had to be done and when…and…having someone to ask silly questions of during the long time gaps, even though we already knew the answers - stopped us going mad.

LIA: Would you recommend LIVE IN australia.com to other people?

Graham: Yes!

"Thanks for all your help in the past. We now have our permanant Parent visas. Your initial help was worth every penny. Best wishes Colin & Michele Wells."
Colin Wells - United Kingdom

"Me and my family would like to take this opportunity to thank LIVE IN australia.com for all your help and support through the visa process so far. We would not hesitate to purchase further support for the rest of the visa process if necessary and would recommend you to anyone thinking of starting the emmigration process.

Hopefully our application should be submitted in the next few days, even though our support days have just ran out. Hopefully our application will be successful and we are looking forward to a new life in Oz. Thanks again from the Lockwood Family."
Edward Lockwood - United Kingdom

“A big thank you to all at LIVE IN australia.com! We received our visa today and couldn't have done it without your help.

We found your service to be second-to-none. Just being able to choose what length of support we wanted and to be able to pay per question was a real bonus. Even though we thought some of our questions were silly, we felt assured they weren't by the response you gave. We have recommended you to others as there are a lot of agents out there and we had such an excellent service from you that we wouldn't want friends and family using anyone else.

“Thank you for your advice and quick responses to questions asked. Without the advice, the visa application process would have been a lot more complicated. We now have our permanent residence visas and are looking forward to our new life in Australia.”
Janice Roxburgh - United Kingdom

Interview with Robert Beard from the United Kingdom (Platinum Visa Preparation Service), who shares his experiences on going through the migration process.

LIVE IN australia.com: Why are you moving to Australia?
Robert Beard: Good weather, beaches, good economy & jobs, fresh air. London is getting too expensive.
 
LIA: Why did you decide that you needed help with your visa?
RB: After initially using the standard form filler service, I decided to upgrade to the full service. This was a good move as I didn’t realise I could be sponsored by my wife's relative and as we were 5 points under the pass mark. We would have had to put up a much bigger bond (30000GBP rather than 2000GBP), if we didn’t use this sponsorship.

LIA: What were the best things about the service?
RB: Quick answers to my questions regarding forms and processes.
 
LIA: Would you recommend LIVE IN australia.com to other people?
RB: Yes, already have.
 
LIA: Would you like to share one of your ‘Visa Granted’ party photos with us?
RB: Sure, we are organising an Australian themed BBQ - so there should be some good shots!

LIA: Any last words?
RB: Thank you for all your help - it has been a pleasure!

"Myself & my wife would like to thank you all for all your help and to let you know that we have been granted our visa's and are now residents. Best regards to you all and many thanks."
Chris & Denise Stewart – United Kingdom

"Thank you for your excellent service we have just received our visa grant email and I would like to say that the service that your company provided us was professional, prompt and accurate. Thanks again guys for all your help best regards."
Steve & Debra Woodfine – United Kingdom

"I would like to thank you for the great advice you provided me for the last 8 months. It has been valuable and eased my mind that I could ask any question and get honest replies. I posted my application today, so will just sit back and wait for it to be processed!
Thanks again to you and the other consultants."
Michele Foster - United Kingdom

"I looked into immigration to Australia before I found your company and it appeared to be an impossible task. So many forms and a lot of information to read. When I started to use your company all the difficulties seemed to disappear. It's a lot of work to immigrate and it takes time. I feel that with out your assistance, I wouldn't stand a chance of success.

Your staff are always so helpful and polite. It's a pleasure to deal with them. This can only reflect on the whole positive and polite attitude of the Australian citizens. Looking forward to a successful completion of our immigration and a chance to thank you in person. Well done LIVE IN australia.com and keep up the good work. Regards Mark and family."
Mark Powell - United Kingdom

Iain Duncan - United Kingdom

“Hello everyone. Just a note to say that our skilled independent visa has been granted. We're on our way! Thank you to all the team for the invaluable support and assistance in the early days of our application; your help was vital to the progression of the application. We would recommend LIVE IN australia.com anytime. Best Wishes - The Noakes Family.”

Perry Noakes – United Kingdom

Service: Platinum Visa Preparation Service

Visa: 457 - Temporary Long Stay Business

I had been living in the UK for around eight years and decided that enough was enough, the weather and traffic was too much to handle so decided to have a look around the internet at what my options were. Started with the Australian migrant’s site and while it’s helpful it does not really give you all the information you need and does not give much of a step by step guide.

 

I come across the Liveinaustralia.com website and it provided me with a lot of useful information so decided to signup and never looked back. I first of all signup for the Skilled visa but then decided this was going to take to long so found a work sponsor in Australia and then applied for the 457 four year visa. The whole process took around three months and Liveinaustralia.com made the whole process effortless. From day one they provided me with all the information I needed and helped me the whole way. I found that my advisor took the project on a personal basis as if it was her visa and I think she was more excited that I was when I finally got the visa.

 

The twist to my tale was that I had a girl friend from Asia and was not sure she was going to like Australia so at that point did not get her visa but got her a six month tourist visa. I came to Australia and she followed a month later. She soon took to Australia and wanted to stay so again start the whole process above and in the end went with Liveinaustralia.com. Part of the process of getting her added to my 457 visa was that we had to get married. From the day we got married we had her visa in three to four weeks which was very quick.

 

Again Liveinaustralia.com made the whole process so easy and did a great job. They keep you informed during the whole process and answer any questions you have quickly. And again they do it very much on a personal basis as if it was there visa.

 

Anyone wishing to migrate to Australia should really visit liveinaustralia.com first.

 

 

Grant and Nun

 

Interview with: Jayne Harsley – UK

Service: Visa Preparation Service

Visa: Partner Visa (July 2006)

LIVE IN australia.com: Why did you originally decide to move to Australia?

Jayne: Quite simply, to be able to live with my partner, Ric, who is an Australian Citizen. I was living in New Zealand at the time and Ric in Australia.

After several trans-Tasman trips both ways the next step was living together.  Ric was already settled in Australia, family; I had no-one in New Zealand since I am a UK Citizen so it made sense for me – and my children - to be the ones to make the move.

LIA: Where are you currently living in Australia?

J: In Wyndham Vale, Victoria – west of Melbourne City. It’s very well placed and we are a 5-minute drive from the country, a 10-minute drive from the water’s edge and a 30/40-minute drive to Central Melbourne.  It’s very much an up and coming area with lots of land development ongoing.

LIA: Why did you decide to get help with the visa?

J: The immigration process is complex and very in-depth in what is required in terms of detail and information - not only for the Partner Visa but for all Visa classes.

I wanted to ensure that I would get it right first time so that there would be no unnecessary delays. I had already migrated from the UK to New Zealand and was aware that it would be sheer folly to ‘go it alone’.

LIA: What process did you go through to find someone to help you?

J: I found out through the DIMA website that the best Agent to use would be one who is a member of MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority).

After trying a couple of other Agents without luck, my partner suggested LIVE IN australia.com^® after seeing the ad on the www.seek.com.au website.

LIA: Why did you end up choosing LIVE IN australia.com?

J: I was impressed with the quick and easy initial online appraisal of whether I was eligible for a Visa and, after a prompt and efficient result, felt encouraged to take it a step further.

LIA: What was so good about the service?

J: Everything!  These are the things I liked most about the service:

• The fact that the site is laid out in such a comprehensive manner and is easy to establish what each Visa class entails.
• The ease in which I was able to set up my own login ID and password and then establish whether I was eligible for the Partner Visa.
• The best thing of all is that you get the luxury (and that’s how it really felt) of asking up to 3 questions each day for a total of 180 days.  If you choose an individual Migration Agent, there will, without doubt, be occasions when you just want to ask a quick question – and won’t be able to get hold of the Agent, or, he/she will take time to come back to you.  In some instances you have to keep ringing to ‘chase’ the Agent for a reply.  With LIVE IN australia.com^®, I was able to ask the question/s online at any time, without having to wait to contact someone.
• The fact that the questions were answered within 24 Australian business hours.
• The fact that the Visa Preparation Service was just so unbelievably cost-effective – unbeatable value.
• The initial service could be either extended or upgraded in a variety of ways from a 10-minute phone call to full migration support.  I expected to have to upgrade at some point but found, to my delight, that the 3 questions a day covered everything I needed to know. 
• The fact that questions are being directed to a team with a whole wealth of knowledge and experience in immigration issues. 

LIA: We think our systems are revolutionary. What aspects of the service made it easy?

J: Yes, they are revolutionary.  What made it easy was having my own log-in ID and password so I could access my information online at any time and have all the information provided for my own particular circumstances there to read and re-read – and, of course, expand on too.

What was also great was that Ric, my partner, could also log on at the same time which was extremely beneficial with us living in different countries – it meant I didn’t have to relay all the information to him and let him know what stage of the process I was at – he could see it all too.

One of the best things about the ease of the service is being able to ask and access important information on putting together a Visa application, no matter WHAT the time difference is between the country in which the applicant is currently residing, and, Australia.

LIA: How can we improve?

J: I had such good service from LIVE IN australia.com^®, and one that worked very easily, that I can’t think of any way in which you could improve what you already have.

LIA: Now that you’re here in Australia, what 3 things do you love most about your new life?

J: 1. Living together as a family – life is starting to feel settled – it’s a good feeling.

J: 2. The effect it has had, very positively, on my 2 children.  My son, in particular, loves being part of a family again.  Also, the education here has been a huge plus for the children and I have been delighted.

J: 3. Being in Australia, and having Ric as my partner, has enabled me to feel like ‘anything in life is possible’ – a new feeling for me and one that is quite indescribable.  I feel as though there are opportunities here in Australia for myself and my children that have not been possible before.  

J: 4. I have to add a fourth because I really love the way the Australian Community is so open and friendly – it has also helped me to settle and feel at home.

LIA: What did it feel like when you got your visa and what was your partner’s and children’s reactions?

J: I travelled back to New Zealand with the children after spending a month here with Ric on Visitors Visas, to finalise moving, have my furniture packed and shipped, and collect the Visas that would enable us all to live and work/study here. We were gone just 5 days and the day the passports were updated in Auckland was the day that we flew back for good.   I will never forget it – it was the 26^th January 2006 – Australia Day.  We were all very excited.

LIA: Would you recommend LIVE IN australia.com to help others migrate to Australia?

 L-R: Rebecca, Ric, Amara, Jayne, Joe and Alana having a great night out at The Pelicans Landing Restaurant in Williamstown, Victoria.

Report from: Anthony Bonser – UK

Service: Platinum Visa Preparation Service

Visa: Skilled Visa (September 2006)

With a name like 'Bonza' (Bonser) where else but Australia could we

choose to live!

As a family of 5 we knew we were going to experience difficulties

getting enough information, facts and figures to migrate to Australia,

so I sat myself in front of the computer and started searching for

information when I came across LIVE IN australia.com.

After reading their information pages we decided to complete the free on

line assessment. The next day we were told that our application, with

the evidence of trade skills, we would meet the right criteria. We found

with the staff at LIVE IN australia.com, we were able to collect the relevant skills and information to pass

my TRA.

After this everything was plain sailing and moved quickly.

By paying for the Platinum Visa Preparation Service we could contact our

advisor at anytime with questions, queries and concerns. We had a few!

But of course our Advisor was great and put our minds at ease with

whatever problem we threw at them.

With our State Nomination obtained it was only a matter of time before

our Visa was granted, but waiting for the Visa was probably the most

frustrating time we had. After 3 years of paper chasing we were glad to

see an end in sight and a new beginning in Adelaide.

LIVE IN australia.com helped us every step of the way and we have not

hesitated to recommend them to other people.

Once again our thanks go to the LIVE IN australia.com team.

The Bonsers (Tony, Lyn, Stacey, Kirsty & Luke)

Interview with: Alison Strickland – UK

Service: Visa Preparation Service

Visa: Skilled Visa (July 2006)

LIVE IN australia.com: Why did you decided to move to Australia?

ALISON: Deep down, we've probably always thought about living abroad. After our first holiday together in 1989 to the US, we started to wonder about emigrating.

However, marriage, family and building a secure future took over and my thoughts turned to a plan of early retirement to Spain.  We visited Australia in 2005, to visit family. We both felt unsettled and although the trip was primarily to see family, we were wondering if we would be able to settle there.

On returning to the UK, we let the initial euphoria wear off and decided that we still felt that we would like to emigrate.  My husband made a comment that we were still, "…only half way through our working lives" – which, odd as it may sound, made me more determined. 

Additionally, we feel that Australia may offer opportunity for our children to succeed.

LIA: Where are you currently living and where do you intend to live in Australia?

A: We currently live in Preston, Lancashire.  We've chosen to live in Perth,

LIA: Why did you decide to get help with the visa?

A: We'd heard that the whole application process could be difficult and to be honest, didn't know where to start.

LIA: What process did you go through to find someone to help you?

A: Browsing the net for information, and to see if we had enough points!

LIA: Why did you end up choosing LIVE IN australia.com?

A: We didn't really want to use an agent, but had a lot of small queries that we needed to know the answer to, from the skills assessment, to the visa application itself. We'd completed the online points questionnaire to see if we were able to apply for the visa and chose LIVE IN australia.com because it seemed the most reasonable.

LIA: What was so good about the service?

A: Our Questions were answered promptly, we were always kept informed of any DIMA changes, and when it came to actually filing in the application, I was form filling and Nigel was on the help page on the computer (don't know that the forms would have been filled in correctly without it!!)

LIA: What was terrible about our service (so we can improve)?

A: We couldn't fault the service we got, it was excellent.

LIA: What 3 things are you most looking forward to when you arrive in Oz?

A: 1.  The challenge of re-establishing ourselves - new jobs, friends, etc

A: 2.  The change in lifestyle 

A: 3.  Applying for citizenship (after 2 years of course) 

LIA: What did it feel like when you got your visa and what was your family’s reaction?

A: The wait is awful!!  It took us 6 months from start to finish, but I did get a touch of the 'green eyed monster' when I heard of people getting theirs (same visa type and job) after 3 months. 

After the last piece of paper work went off I was waking up at 5am (UK time) every morning to check if we'd had an email from our case officer!!  It's difficult to describe the emotion; happiness certainly, but a great sense of relief. Until then it was "if" we get the visa. Now, we can really plan our move, knowing that we're actually going.

Our eldest child has had mixed emotions throughout the process. She's 11 and we had a few tears about leaving friends, but we managed to get her a pen-pal in Australia of the same age, who she could ask about schools etc., and this has really been helpful.  She was really happy when we told her about the visa and couldn't wait to tell everyone at school.

My youngest (6), asked if we were going the day after - he can't wait, but I suspect he thinks that it's a holiday.

LIA: Would recommend LIVE IN australia.com to help others migrate to Australia?

A: Yes, the help was invaluable. Sometimes, it's the little questions you need answering that make a difference. 

Alison and her family happy to be making the move to Australia.

Report from: Mark Phillips – UK

Service: Platinum Visa Preparation Service

Visa: Skilled Visa (September 2006)

"May I take this opportunity to thank you for your advice which I am in the process of following. Thus far, I have been pleased with the service which you have provided me with and I hadn't expected it to be quite as informative as it has been. As you are well aware of the difficulties of seeking sponsors prior to migration, you have provided me with optimism and a sense of progress and, more importantly, positive results."

Many thanks
Jonathan H - UK

"In July 2004, my family and I decided to apply to emigrate to Australia. After completing detailed research on the internet we decided to complete the LIVE IN australia.com visa assessment. We received incredibly detailed information on the next steps for us to take.

I had my skills assessed and approved, received sponsorship from Queensland Government and finally completed our visa application in April 2005, receiving our visa in August 2005.

Without the assistance of LIVE IN australia.com, the process would have become very stressful. However, they provided us with all the details we needed and replied promptly to all our questions, so thanks for all your help and support."
Mark Goldsburgh – United Kingdom

"I used LIVE IN australia.com's advice and put together my own application. After 18 months, I am now a permanent resident of Australia. The support and advice saved me a huge amount of time and money. I was able to put the application together myself and was in control of the whole process which I am pleased to report was very successful."
Sarah Mills – United Kingdom

"I would just like to thank everybody at Live in Australia for this fantastic online service. It has been money well spent. The Australian immigration procedure is not the easiest process in the world, so your help has been invaluable! My final application will be shipped on Friday, and then the rest is up to the DIMA. I will recommend you to the numerous people that I know that are now expressing interest in emmigrating. So thank you all once again, have a good Christmas!"
Nick Bird - United Kingdom

Callum Dunn, from the UK, was so happy after he received his Skilled Visa in July 2005, he was bursting to share his story with other people. Please read on…

We are IN!!

My fiancé and I have received our Permanent Residency Visa for Australia.

It was 4 years ago that we decided our ultimate goal was to live in Australia. At that time we were living in America, Mobile Alabama.

Living there was great fun but we wanted to move to Oz, and at the time, had no idea how to go about it.  We spoke to a friend who had recently received her visa and told us of the money she had spent in doing so. So we started to plan on saving to pay an agent to do this.

I thought that there must be a cheaper way so I searched the internet and found LIVE IN australia.com^®.

It was excellent. I didn't know what type of visa I should be applying for, or even if we could get in. After filling out the free online survey it was made very clear which path to follow; it was very straight forward.

It was a very exciting thing to see that we indeed had enough points to start the process off.  I found the website very easy to navigate and within 15 minutes I was able to see that we could begin the journey of migrating to Australia.

Once I was a registered user on the LIVE IN australia.com^® site I started using the easy to navigate screens and was soon able to download all of the relevant forms for completing the application.  I found the help available to be very useful for completing these forms.

Another thing I liked about the whole process was that there is enough guidance to allow you to complete the whole process by yourself. If I needed assistance, I liked having the ability to pay on a per question basis as at no point did I feel I needed to go for the full support package as all I needed to know was there.

I never had any worries about security when paying for the questions as the secure payment method offered me the peace of mind I needed. 

Over all I found the process to be extremely affordable. In my mind, if you need a small amount of help you should be able to pay for it as required as the process itself is costly enough without the added headache of expensive agents.

The help I was offered was always very friendly and constructive and I never had to wait longer than 1 day for an answer to my queries. The only delay was due to time zone differences.

The longest part of the process for us was actually waiting for external parties to provide information for us to submit.  We had the complication of having lived in a number of countries for longer than 1 year which meant we needed a police report from all of those countries.

Malaysia took over 6 months to process this request and it was extremely frustrating.  Either I missed this requirement when reading through the information provided or it was not made very clear that I would need this.

Overall the experience of using LIVE IN australia.com^® has been excellent and we can't wait to start the next stage of our life down under.