The legal team at TopMigrationAustralia are qualified, practising consultants with a wealth of experience in the area of immigration law. We are also all registered migration agents. In Australia, a person who charges for legal services must not only be suitably qualified, but must also hold a current practising certificate. These certificates are renewed each year, subject to the lawyer having current professional indemnity insurance and meeting other requirements.

Australian immigration laws are constantly changing. In addition to the Migration Act 1958 and its associated Regulations, there are thousands of pages of policy guidelines and instructions, court judgments and Administrative Appeals Tribunal decisions, all of which affect the way the law in Australia is interpreted and applied. We have the qualifications and expertise to advise you about your best options for migration to Australia.

Your confidentiality is assured when you are a client of Top Migration Australia. All clients are subject to legal professional privilege, which means that communications between a agent and client are confidential and legally privileged.

Remember that sometimes the best advice is not the advice you want to hear. We will not advise you to proceed with an application that we know will be unsuccessful. We will also independently assess your options.

No, Top Migration Australia charges a first consultation fee. There are a number of reasons for doing so.

“Free assessments”

Many migration agents (especially online agents) claim that they will provide a “free first consultation”. Usually, this is simply a form with a series of dropdown lists which will tell you, based on certain answers, whether you appear to be eligible to make a particular migration application. With such ‘free assessments’ you rarely speak to an agent and so you are not receiving any actual advice. The response you receive is based on your responses to a set of questions. Even if you appear to qualify for a particular category of visa, you will then be required to transfer money to the agent to commence the application.

You are protected / We are protected

When you pay the first consultation fee, it means that you become our client, and that we will stand by the advice we give you. Being our client means that we are required by law to retain your records for seven years, and there is no doubt from either side that we have provided you with comprehensive initial legal advice in an official capacity.

While it does not mean that we have formalised the relationship (that is, agreed to act on your behalf in relation to your application by entering into a costs agreement), you can be certain that we have kept a record of the initial advice we have given you, and that we will stand by it.

We don’t need to offer a free consultation service

We know that when you get advice from us, it is expert legal advice, and we are confident that it is accurate every time. It has always been our policy to charge clients for a first consultation. Quite simply, many other migration agents offer a free first consultation as a means of getting clients “through the door”. Our expertise and the quality of service mean that we do not need to offer a free first consultation. Clients seek us out because we are the best at what we do, and we will never advise a client to proceed with an application that we know will be unsuccessful.

Payment of the first consultation fee can be made by cash or credit card directly into our Trust Account. The details of our account can be provided upon request.

In most cases, yes. We have many overseas clients and (assuming that you are able to apply) we are more than happy to coordinate your application from offshore.

Unfortunately, no. Any agent who tells you that they can get an application fast-tracked is probably being dishonest or may be involved in potentially fraudulent activities. The actual processing times of applications are set by DIBP and are generally based on a “first come first served” principle.

However, it stands to reason that if your application is properly prepared, and all necessary documentation has been included, there will be fewer delays in processing the application. This will also ensure smooth processing of your application. If problems arise during the processing of the application, you can also be sure that your matter is in expert hands.

It is better to use an Australian-based registered migration agent who is registered with OMARA. In our view, you should choose one who is also a registered lawyer and a specialist immigration practitioner. Top Migration Australia meets all of these criteria. By doing this, you are ensuring that you are using the most qualified, experienced and ethical agent possible.

The visa provides a return facility which enables you to travel in and out of Australia as a permanent resident for a period of five years from the date of the grant of the visa.

Yes, you can enter and exit Australia as often as required, as it has a multi-entry facility.

In order to qualify for Australian citizenship, you will require four (4) years lawful residence in Australia immediately prior to making an application for Australian citizenship with at least twelve months as a permanent resident.

In addition, you can have absences from Australia of no more than twelve months in total in the four (4) years prior to application, and no more than three (3) months in the twelve month permanent residency period prior to application. Time spent as a student in Australia will count towards the 4 years (although this will not be time spent as a permanent resident).