31 replies to this topic

[Aussie Wolf]

superconsult, on 28 August 2011 - 12:53 PM, said:

My charges are more or less the same as that company.  I attend all my clients about visa cases.  My style is to give them a fair assessment of their chance and they decide if they want me to help.  I don't need to make any sort of scare tactics.  Most of cases are based on referrals.

With due respect, it's very difficult to set our fees at different level as each case has its own merits.  It's also very difficult to predict how much time we actually spent in finishing the case.  In some cases, I have over 50 emails sent and received from the sponsor.  But I won't know that when I take the case.

I can only tell me how I handle one case.  My preliminary interview is normally 15 min.  When the instructions are confirmed, I normally spend one jto 2 hours taking full instructions from my client and her sponsor if he is in Thailand.  Then, the preparation works including the translations works take about 2-3 days.  I prepare a Thai translation of the important details for TG so that she understands fully what she has to answer correctly.  I submit the visa application in person for my client to the Australia Visa Application Centre.  In other cases, I would accompany the TGs to submit their applications and attend the interviews if so required.  So, I need to spend about 6-8 hours for doing this job as my office is in Pattaya.  Then, I shall collect the passport for my client from Bangkok.  Of course, I won't mind charging lesser if my office were in Bangkok.

Honestly, if anyone offers me 10,000 Baht, I will definitely not take the case as my time costs worth a lot more than 10k.  I am talking about at least 24 hours in total.  For 10k, it means that I only get about 400 Baht a hour when I earn about 3,000 Baht one hour for legal contracts.  If it's a straight forward case, I won't disagree that they can do it by themselves.  If it's not so or they don't know how to do it, I have to maintain my standard charges even though my client may think his case is a simple one.  

You will certainly agree with the reasonableness of my charges if you would come to see my files as to how I prepare one case.  

In my case, there's no huge mark up based on fear as you wondered.   To tell you the truth, if I could only charge 10k for one case, I won't be running my office any more as I cannot make my both ends meet with this level of income.

You havent really sold me or justified your costs to me and personally i dont give a fuck about the size of your files as how much time you spend on others has nothing whatsoever to do with me.

You mention the preparation works and thai translations taking 2-3 days.Cant ses how. It takes approximately 1 hour max to fill in the application. There are not more than 6-8 documents needed for translation into english. Birth certificates, police report, parents details, etc. How can this take 2-3 days?

You mention you prepare a thai translation for the TGF so she understands fully what she has to answer correctly. Is this the same one i can print off in thai from the australian govt website which details in over 53 pages exactly what's needed?

you dropping off the passport and application in bangkok and picking it up again. Is this what i'm paying you to do?

You claiming you take 24 hours on an application like mine would be bullshit and hence why i am so vocal on this topic. If that is the case you are working for 1200baht/hour.All you can do is fill in an application based on information i and my TGF would give you.How can this take 24 hours of your time?

I will say this. If i was an agent in pattaya and experienced in doing these applications and had genuine applications (notice i say genuine)i would do them in 5 hours max.and that includes driving to bangkok.

Edited by Aussie Wolf, 28 August 2011 - 02:03 PM.

[superconsult]

Aussie Wolf, on 28 August 2011 - 01:36 PM, said:

You havent really sold me or justified your costs to me and personally i dont give a fuck about the size of your files as how much time you spend on others has nothing whatsoever to do with me.

You mention the preparation works and thai translations taking 2-3 days.Cant ses how. It takes approximately 1 hour max to fill in the application. There are not more than 6-8 documents needed for translation into english. Birth certificates, police report, parents details, etc. How can this take 2-3 days?

You mention you prepare a thai translation for the TGF so she understands fully what she has to answer correctly. Is this the same one i can print off in thai from the australian govt website which details in over 53 pages exactly what's needed?

you dropping off the passport and application in bangkok and picking it up again. Is this what i'm paying you to do?

You claiming you take 24 hours on an application like mine would be bullshit and hence why i am so vocal on this topic. If that is the case you are working for 1200baht/hour.All you can do is fill in an application based on information i and my TGF would give you.How can this take 24 hours of your time?

I will say this. If i was an agent in pattaya and experienced in doing these applications and had genuine applications (notice i say genuine)i would do them in 5 hours max.and that includes driving to bangkok.

First of all, I would say to you "Mind your language".  I don't need to sell my services to you or justify my costs to you.  I am just answering your point that 10,000 Baht for preparing a visa application is not acceptable to me bearing in mind the time that I would spend in one case. I ams ure that this quote is so unreasonable that no visa consultant in Pattaya would accept that.  Just be realistic !  Your money is hard to earn - same as mine.  If you think that the preparation of a visa application is simply filling in the visa application form and making the translations, then it's difficult for me to teach you how to prepare it and that's the reason why a visa application was turned down.  The translation for TG is not something from the Embassy Website.  It's about the summary of the main points from the sponsor's letter to the Embassy.

I am not saying that your case will take me 24 hours as I don't know the details.  What I am saying is that in many cases, I could have spent as many as 24 hours in total to complete the whole process.  How can I distinguish one case which may take 24 hours from another case which may only take 12 hours ?  How can I fix my charges at the time of confirming instructions ?  How can I know how much time I need to spend before my client gives me all the required documents ?  That's why I would set up a fixed rate for tourist visas and another rate for settlement visas.  

I think your estimate of 5 hours in total is totally ridiculous and unrealistic.  Driving and waiting time at the visa application centre would take more than 5 hours.  How can you say "... i would do them in 5 hours max.and that includes driving to bangkok."  If it really concerns 5 hours only, I think you should not offer 10,000 Baht for this job.  

You have set out your view and I have set out mine.  For members' sake, I would suggest no further reply from you and me.

[Aussie Wolf]

superconsult, on 30 August 2011 - 04:44 AM, said:

First of all, I would say to you "Mind your language".  I don't need to sell my services to you or justify my costs to you.  I am just answering your point that 10,000 Baht for preparing a visa application is not acceptable to me bearing in mind the time that I would spend in one case. I ams ure that this quote is so unreasonable that no visa consultant in Pattaya would accept that.  Just be realistic !  Your money is hard to earn - same as mine.  If you think that the preparation of a visa application is simply filling in the visa application form and making the translations, then it's difficult for me to teach you how to prepare it and that's the reason why a visa application was turned down.  The translation for TG is not something from the Embassy Website.  It's about the summary of the main points from the sponsor's letter to the Embassy.

I am not saying that your case will take me 24 hours as I don't know the details.  What I am saying is that in many cases, I could have spent as many as 24 hours in total to complete the whole process.  How can I distinguish one case which may take 24 hours from another case which may only take 12 hours ?  How can I fix my charges at the time of confirming instructions ?  How can I know how much time I need to spend before my client gives me all the required documents ?  That's why I would set up a fixed rate for tourist visas and another rate for settlement visas.  

I think your estimate of 5 hours in total is totally ridiculous and unrealistic.  Driving and waiting time at the visa application centre would take more than 5 hours.  How can you say "... i would do them in 5 hours max.and that includes driving to bangkok."  If it really concerns 5 hours only, I think you should not offer 10,000 Baht for this job.  

You have set out your view and I have set out mine.  For members' sake, I would suggest no further reply from you and me.

get off your high horse. It was you that tried to justify your existence and fees by mentioning fat files.

You dont have to justify your costs to me but that's not good business. I and others on here could be potential clients but your arrogance and dismissal of my claim is at your peril.

Once again i will state that for genuine applications like mine there is next to nothing you or anyone can add to an application that i or my TGF dont already know. You mention that you would have to coach the TGF about the main points of the sponsors letter. Once again, if the application is genuine, what could you possibly have to spend time on with the TGF? She should know about my family background, my employment, my personal circumstances,etc.

Once again, all you have demonstrated to me is if you have a shonky and non genuine application then an agent is for you. if you dont,and have a genuine application there is no need for an agent whatsoever.

the justification from the other mob for the high fees was the necessity to pay off along the way. i'm calling bullshit on that as well.

good luck you with your business, but this is a public forum for BM,s to get a variety of views and experiences to make their own judgement so please dont suggest to me i shouldnt post on the topic because it goes against your vested interest.

[huskycock]

I Used a Visa agent to prepare all of the visa's i have applied for , it was an added expense , however i have had all visa's approved ( so far ) and to me was worth it .. I continue to use a visa agent and will continue to do so in the future , If you have gone through the process yourself and been sucesfull then very well done !!..I base my decision on 3 things   1 .. the actual process appears much harder than you might think ( in my opinion ) ...2  results ....3 my time is worth more than his time ..I think the last point is well worth remembering .. what i mean is .. If a tourist visa costs 30,000 b in labour from a visa agent and i can some how stumble my way through it but it takes me 10 hrs or more ( believe me it was at least this many hrs ) then i am loosing more than 30,000 b ... not everyone is in this position but i would think many would be ..

[superconsult]

Aussie Wolf, on 30 August 2011 - 05:28 AM, said:

get off your high horse. It was you that tried to justify your existence and fees by mentioning fat files.

You dont have to justify your costs to me but that's not good business. I and others on here could be potential clients but your arrogance and dismissal of my claim is at your peril.

Once again i will state that for genuine applications like mine there is next to nothing you or anyone can add to an application that i or my TGF dont already know. You mention that you would have to coach the TGF about the main points of the sponsors letter. Once again, if the application is genuine, what could you possibly have to spend time on with the TGF? She should know about my family background, my employment, my personal circumstances,etc.

Once again, all you have demonstrated to me is if you have a shonky and non genuine application then an agent is for you. if you dont,and have a genuine application there is no need for an agent whatsoever.

the justification from the other mob for the high fees was the necessity to pay off along the way. i'm calling bullshit on that as well.

good luck you with your business, but this is a public forum for BM,s to get a variety of views and experiences to make their own judgement so please dont suggest to me i shouldnt post on the topic because it goes against your vested interest.

First of all, I must clarify that I suggest not to have continuous reply to the same issue about how much is a fair price but not to suggest that you shouldn't post on the topic.  Since you made allegations against me again, I have no choice but to reply that.

The existence of visa consultants is beyond doubt and I don't need to justify it to you.  Nor do I need to justify my fee by "fat files".

In the market, someone charges more than me and someone charges less than me.  I don't have to justify my costs to you, but I have done it already.  I am not expecting you to be my next client.  Whether or not other members like or dislike my service is not for you to say.  The truth seems to be that if I am waiting for clients like you, I would not be able to survive.

You said "for genuine applications like mine there is next to nothing you or anyone can add to an application that i or my TGF dont already know.".  Even for genuine applications, an experienced visa consultant can certainly add something to your application.  You just presume that you have known as much as an experienced visa consultant.  As you quoted, if your GF knows very well about your family background, employment and personal circumstances but not something else that is important, for instance, when did she meet you ?  Where ? How many times you have to visit her in Thailand ?

You also said "Once again, all you have demonstrated to me is if you have a shonky and non genuine application then an agent is for you. if you dont,and have a genuine application there is no need for an agent whatsoever.".  That's not true.  I never said or suggested that I am helpful in such kinds of applications. I wouldn't even take the case if I know it's not genuine relationship. How many % of all visa applications are genuine ?  I am sure most of them.  Such being the case, most of the visa consultants companies would have closed down because the reality is like what you described.  Be sensible and realistic.  "madjace" made his point.  For some reasons (e.g they are not good at English writing; they are too busy in works; their case is not a normal case; their application was previously rejected), visa consultants are required to help those who are in need  

Please try not to be so subjective and aggressive.  Nothing should be taken personally.

[Stevie K]

superconsult, on 06 August 2011 - 04:40 AM, said:

It's really unfortunate that both of you need to wait for 8 months before the settlement visa is granted when you have a migration agent helping you.  In Thailand, it normally takes about 3-4 months for this process to complete.  

BTW, your fiance needs to have a Thai police check.  Is it because she worked and stayed in Thailand for long time ? Why was the medical check completed at the Australian Embassy in Vientiance not at hospital ?  

I think it's not so hot in Australia.  Right ?  I always think Melbourne is mostly cloudy.  

Good luck !

Average processing time quoted was 5-10months depending on the country.
There needs to be a police check for any country the person has spent more than 12 months in.
The Australian embassy in Vientiane has a medical centre onsite.
We are just coming out of winter so things should warm up soon in Melbourne.
Thanks for your wishes and sorry for the slow reply. Have been a little pre-occupied with work and wedding prep.

[superconsult]

Stevie K, on 24 September 2011 - 08:32 AM, said:

Average processing time quoted was 5-10months depending on the country.
There needs to be a police check for any country the person has spent more than 12 months in.
The Australian embassy in Vientiane has a medical centre onsite.
We are just coming out of winter so things should warm up soon in Melbourne.
Thanks for your wishes and sorry for the slow reply. Have been a little pre-occupied with work and wedding prep.

May be the Australian Embassy officers in Bangkok are more efficient.  My clients would normally get their settlement visas in about 2-3 months.  It's good that the Australian Embassy has a medical centre onsite.  The Australian Embassy has changed the medical exam arrangements recently.  Now, you have to submit the settlement visa applcation first and wait for the letter from the Australian Embassy before you can go to one of the 2 on-list hospital for medical examination.  The one in Pattaya is no longer authorised to do it.  That's not so convenient to me because my office is in Pattaya.  

That's ok.  I have been very busy recently and just have time to have a quick look at this Forum.

All the Best !