Australia general skilled migrant visa??

man1

Hi has anyone here ever applied for this visa?
Myself, wife and kid are thinking about moving to Brisbane or possibly Melbourne?
What are both cities like? I have heard brisbane is the best city in Oz and has great weather, cheap houses, good jobs, schools, kids facilities etc.

Is getting the general skilled migrants visa a difficult process?
If you have the required points (we have),will that be enough to qualify or is there an interview part of the process as well?
I see the fee is $4665 spread over 2 payments but is that per person or for the family? it is unclear on the website http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i...-australia.htm
Does the process take a long time?
Anyone any idea about shipping stuff to Oz and costs etc?

daveg

I'm gonna copy and paste my response to your thread on the holiday forum..

My wife and I are applying for the 136 skilled migration visa. Hoping to move to Melbourne in December.

What are both cities like? I have heard brisbane is the best city in Oz and has great weather, cheap houses, good jobs, schools, kids facilities etc.

We like Melbourne as is more European with an easier to live in climate. Bisbane gets very hot in the summer. Superb schools in Melbourne too. Have you visited either city? Maybe you should consider a rekkie.

Is getting the general skilled migrants visa a difficult process?

I'd recommend getting an agent to do the application for you. The paperwork prcess is difficult. Were using Gomatilda.com and I'd recommend them but there are Irish agents as well. They are regulated by Oz emigration. They cost a fecking fortune though.


I see the fee is $4665 spread over 2 payments but is that per person or for the family? it is unclear on the website http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i...-australia.htm

Within the family you will have 1 applicant. That is the person who will do the skills assessment. If they are sucessfull everyone in the immeddiate family (wife/son etc) will go on the visa as well. Only 1 pays. Total for us including agent fees, TRA processing fees, Visa application fees, medical and police check fees will come in at about E4000. If you want to do everything yourself it'll be cheaper. About E2500.

Does the process take a long time?

For the 136 you need to do skills assessment first - allow about 4 months.
Visa application takes up to 12 months but more likely 6-8 months.

Allow time to get your paperwork in order. It takes ages to get all those documents together, photocopied and then certified by a solicitor. You'll need both your leaving cert results (for English speaking ability). All documents associated with your results from college. Birth certs, marriage certs etc etc..

Would recommend this forum for asking questions, researching etc..

http://britishexpats.com/

man1

Thanks for the reply.

We haven't been to either city but I have heard that brisbane is very hot (would be good to go there (gold coast) for a few weeks every year I suppose), my wife is leaning towards melbourne and she is the boss so we will probably be going there, we also have family there.

It costs about €2800 (euros) according to the immi site thats $2765 and $1990 in 2 payments, does this include medical checks, police checks, processing etc. Does it really cost about €1200-1500 for the agent.
I have heard a few nasty stories about the agents regarding delays, ripping people off etc.
My wife wants to do it ourselves but it can be a lot of hassle.
Which agent are you using?

For the 136 you need to do skills assessment first - allow about 4 months.
What does this involve?

We are not in a rush to get there so I suppose that will give us time to get properly organised.

Have you checked out about shipping your stuff there, with regards to costs, time etc. ?

Good luck with the move.

Thanks again.

daveg

man1 wrote:

my wife is leaning towards melbourne and she is the boss so we will probably be going there, we also have family there.

Melbourne really is a great city. 4 distinct seasons, not so hot during the summer. Skiing in the winter. Fantastic beaches/surfing. The Great Ocean Road. Most European city in Australia. Very cosmopolitan/European city with more bars/restaurants per capita than any other city in the world. Voted most livable city in the world (not sure what year).

man1 wrote:

It costs about €2800 (euros) according to the immi site thats $2765 and $1990 in 2 payments, does this include medical checks, police checks, processing etc.

Looking back we paid about E400 for the skills assessment and than the actual visa application was E1231. Does not include police checks (free afair) or medicals (quoted E40 per adult in Galway and another E50ish for xrays). The rest of the money we have paid was to the agency. We paid 352stg for them to process our full visa application. I think we paid them about 600stg to process our skills assessment.

man1 wrote:

I have heard a few nasty stories about the agents regarding delays, ripping people off etc.
My wife wants to do it ourselves but it can be a lot of hassle.
Which agent are you using?

Firstly all agents are regulated by the Oz immigration department. They cannot even take someone on unless they are sure they will get the visa. I doub't any agents would rip people off. We did have some silly delays but nothing compared to what we would have had to endure if we did it ourselves. Were using GoMailda.com. In highsight, if we had to do it again I would use an agent next time. The paperwork process is very daunting. I've also heard good things about the Irish agent Liz O’Hagan (http://www.australianvisaspecialists.com)

man1 wrote:

For the 136 you need to do skills assessment first - allow about 4 months.
What does this involve?

For the 136 visa you need to have your skills assessed. You can get a max of 60 points for your/or your wifes profession. More info at http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/136/index.htm. You can also do an online pre-assessment to check your points. Post back if you want a link to this..

man1 wrote:

Have you checked out about shipping your stuff there, with regards to costs, time etc. ?

Nope. Were selling everything. New start.

man1 wrote:

Good luck with the move.
Thanks again.

You too. Post back if you need more info. Again http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=54 is a fantastic resource.

orping

myself and the girlfriend are hoping to go to australia and we are using an agent. also not all agents are qualified, in australia they register them and monitor them through MARA see www.themara.com.au but outside australia is different. we decided to go with a registered agent who had been through the process and who had proof of knowledge as it is a hell of alot of money. all up for me as a tradesman and with the girlfriend is about 3500. we pay in stages and can pull out when we want and it was all laid out for us and we met the agent before we paid a cent. I did some checking on all agents in ireland and uk and in the end the agent we chose was recommended to us by a few lads i have met on sites so that also gave me confidence. havent got the visa yet but am through the first bit which was a challenge due to my circumstances.

myleftfoot

orping wrote:

myself and the girlfriend are hoping to go to australia and we are using an agent. also not all agents are qualified, in australia they register them and monitor them through MARA see www.themara.com.au but outside australia is different. we decided to go with a registered agent who had been through the process and who had proof of knowledge as it is a hell of alot of money. all up for me as a tradesman and with the girlfriend is about 3500. we pay in stages and can pull out when we want and it was all laid out for us and we met the agent before we paid a cent. I did some checking on all agents in ireland and uk and in the end the agent we chose was recommended to us by a few lads i have met on sites so that also gave me confidence. havent got the visa yet but am through the first bit which was a challenge due to my circumstances.

Why would I get a company to fill out a form?

I'm looking into this skilled VISA aswell but I haven't the full 3 years exp required. I'm a couple of months short. Well I've actually got the full 3 years experience on my CV but wasn't paying tax for all of those years. Anyone know how the immigration office in OZ checks this out????

orping

its not just filling in a form, im not that thick. i dont have apprenticeship papers so needed help proving my training and that is why used an agent. not sure what checks immigration do actually do but we had to put payslips and p60s in our application. we were told that they may phone or email the agent or even visit the workplace. i read elsewhere that they send immigration staff from london over but this does not happen to everyone, not sure how they choose.

daveg

myleftfoot wrote:

Why would I get a company to fill out a form?

LoL. Have you even seen the form?

Andystoran

Do u need 18months experience or 3 years?

myleftfoot

orping wrote:

its not just filling in a form, im not that thick. i dont have apprenticeship papers so needed help proving my training and that is why used an agent. not sure what checks immigration do actually do but we had to put payslips and p60s in our application. we were told that they may phone or email the agent or even visit the workplace. i read elsewhere that they send immigration staff from london over but this does not happen to everyone, not sure how they choose.

No offense was intended, genuine question mate.

Dave, I haven't seen the form. Is it that bad?

Andystoran, the immi.gov.au site says I need 3 years experience.

Zambia

Myleftfoot if it is an IT skill well yes then you possibly do.

As for proving it wherever the 3 years was gained well they will have to vouch for you.

daveg

myleftfoot wrote:

No offense was intended, genuine question mate.

Dave, I haven't seen the form. Is it that bad?

Andystoran, the immi.gov.au site says I need 3 years experience.

Tbh it's not just about the filling out of the form. We went with an agent as they guided us through the skills assessment. If your borderline you'll have more chance, with their direction and help, than going it alone.

The visa application wasn't too bad but I have heard of someone who filled out the medical section incorrectly. Upshot of this was the application was tossed out with about E1300 down the drain. They do not refund if your unsuccessful.

Do a search on the British Expats forum for going it alone on the application.

Anyone know how the immigration office in OZ checks this out????

From out experience all the skills assessment was carried out on documentation that we provided. Proof of your job responsibilities and duration in the role was proved through a written reference from your employer. How well do you know your boss

Andystoran

Lads quick question. Would it be possible to go to Oz on a work and travel Visa and try and get sponsored or is this too much of a long shot? Sounds like the skilled migrant visa is pretty tough to get. I might qualify but my GF hasnt any experience and will be coming to the end of her masters the time that we planned on emigrating. Can she be named on my Visa?

daveg

Andystoran wrote:

Lads quick question. Would it be possible to go to Oz on a work and travel Visa and try and get sponsored or is this too much of a long shot? Sounds like the skilled migrant visa is pretty tough to get. I might qualify but my GF hasnt any experience and will be coming to the end of her masters the time that we planned on emigrating. Can she be named on my Visa?

The 136 Skilled migration visa is not hard to get, if your skills match their shortage list. A PDF booklet is available which outlines everything you need to know. This is a really good booklet outlining all the points available and a section to self asses yourself to see if you'll qualify for the 120 points to apply (p23).

Basically you need the following:

Under 45
Fluent in English
University or trade qualification (hairdressers are top of the list!!)
Work experience

your occupation must be on the Skilled occupation list. As I mentioned don't let this put you off. List is long and very very varied.

The visa does take a lot of effort and expense but it's easier than getting a US visa.

ashie

Hi,

We have just been granted our permanent residence visas for Australia and used an irish agent. Daveg mentioned her - Liz O' Hagan. I couldn't recommend her enough. Shes excellent and she deals with mainly irish so shes familiar with the irish education and training centres like Anco/Fas etc etc.

Our reasons for using an agent were mainly based on how complicated our application was - we figured spend the extra few pound to get it right first time as I have known a couple of people that failed the first part of the application - skills assessment - when they went solo.

Off to Perth ourselves and very excited. Hoping to be there at the end of the summer. If anyone needs any info , send me a pm. Only too happy to help as this visa process is a mine field!!

Ausdubliner

I have just moved from Brisbane to Dublin.
My personal preference between Melbourne and Brisbane would definitely be Brisbane!!!
The weather is a huge attraction...winter doesnt really see temperatures below 16-18C and summer averages up around 30 (although it can get very hot on occassions eg. 40C). The weather in Brisbane is constant whereas Melbourne is inconsistent and you can have those '4 seasons' in one day!

Brisbane is a very relaxed city and is located in a great region (South East QLD). Great beaches, country, sub-tropical rainforests. It is fast becoming a cosmopolitan city, however, it is a long way behind melbourne in that area.

Zambia

Ausdubliner wrote:

I have just moved from Brisbane to Dublin.

Welcome to Ireland

Mad eejit ya .... let me Guess missu Didnt want to leave mammy ?

mandrake04

Andystoran wrote:

Lads quick question. Would it be possible to go to Oz on a work and travel Visa and try and get sponsored or is this too much of a long shot? Sounds like the skilled migrant visa is pretty tough to get. I might qualify but my GF hasnt any experience and will be coming to the end of her masters the time that we planned on emigrating. Can she be named on my Visa?

I did that I came out to Oz on a 417 WH visa got sponsored on a 4 year 457 visa and am applying for skilled migrant visa at the moment. If you are in a defacto relationship you GF could be named under your 457 visa and she could stay for 4 years as well.

Only snag is you have to be under 30 and have a trade or profession that is considered useful to Australia.

Doctor
Nurse
Engineer
Plumber

You need to have Qualfications and proof of more than 3 years experience in your trade or profession to get the sponsorship.

Finding a employer that will take a chance on you is tricky enough as well.

once you work for more than 3 years in Australia paying tax etc you should be right to get the skilled migrant visa.


Latest satistics in the Irish Echo (Australian Irish newspaper)

The highest nationalty of working holiday visa holders who went on to be sponsored and stay on in Australia was Irish young people at near 20% and I would say 2/3 were nurses.

mandrake04

ashie wrote:

Hi,

We have just been granted our permanent residence visas for Australia and used an irish agent. Daveg mentioned her - Liz O' Hagan. I couldn't recommend her enough. Shes excellent and she deals with mainly irish so shes familiar with the irish education and training centres like Anco/Fas etc etc.

Our reasons for using an agent were mainly based on how complicated our application was - we figured spend the extra few pound to get it right first time as I have known a couple of people that failed the first part of the application - skills assessment - when they went solo.

Off to Perth ourselves and very excited. Hoping to be there at the end of the summer. If anyone needs any info , send me a pm. Only too happy to help as this visa process is a mine field!!

Judy wells is another agent very well known to the Irish in Sydney

mandrake04

daveg wrote:

The 136 Skilled migration visa is not hard to get, if your skills match their shortage list. A PDF booklet is available which outlines everything you need to know. This is a really good booklet outlining all the points available and a section to self asses yourself to see if you'll qualify for the 120 points to apply (p23).

Basically you need the following:

Under 45
Fluent in English
University or trade qualification (hairdressers are top of the list!!)
Work experience

your occupation must be on the Skilled occupation list. As I mentioned don't let this put you off. List is long and very very varied.

The visa does take a lot of effort and expense but it's easier than getting a US visa.

I am very surprised I would say Plumbers are at the top of the list and I was reading an article in the Irish Echo recently that there is a major shortage of plumbers in Australia they are worth their weight in gold......anyway I know girls who were hairdressers they got plenty of work but it wasnt well paid cant think of any that wanted to get sponsored in that profession.

One Cold Hand

Hi guys,

Just quick question or 2.
Where exactly do/did ye buy your Visas from? Was it one of these agents, or do companies like USIT do them?
Looking to head to Aus mid-January next for about a year and starting to look into it. Filled in one of those Migration Questionnaires on-line for skilled workers Visa and got 115 points (doh!). What are my options if I don't qualify for this?
btw, when I go I'll be: 26, fluent in English, Qualified Architect and 18 months exp. (it seems to be the 18 months exp thats causing the trouble!)

Cheers!

mandrake04

One Cold Hand wrote:

Hi guys,

Just quick question or 2.
Where exactly do/did ye buy your Visas from? Was it one of these agents, or do companies like USIT do them?
Looking to head to Aus mid-January next for about a year and starting to look into it. Filled in one of those Migration Questionnaires on-line for skilled workers Visa and got 115 points (doh!). What are my options if I don't qualify for this?
btw, when I go I'll be: 26, fluent in English, Qualified Architect and 18 months exp. (it seems to be the 18 months exp thats causing the trouble!)

Cheers!

Yeah you would need 3 years experience but only if you want to migrate on a peranent basis, If you only want to go for a year you dont even need a trade. Try www.Visafirst.com they will sort out your 417 visa and answer any of your questions on this matter.

Ollie Spain

Hi Everyone

I have just sent off for the australian trade cert for my husband we did it by ourselves but after reading this site I wonder should we have used an agent.

by the way does anybody know if you can use your junior cert results instead of leaving and what do you do if you didn't sit either my husband left school before his junior cert and stated an apprentiship ?

Does anyone know if the TRA do process applications in 10 working days as It says on the website?

How long does a visa take from when they recieve your completed application?

If you know the answer to any of these questions I would be very gratefull

Thanks
Ollie

man1

Ollie Spain wrote:

Hi Everyone

I have just sent off for the australian trade cert for my husband we did it by ourselves but after reading this site I wonder should we have used an agent.

by the way does anybody know if you can use your junior cert results instead of leaving and what do you do if you didn't sit either my husband left school before his junior cert and stated an apprentiship ?

Does anyone know if the TRA do process applications in 10 working days as It says on the website?

How long does a visa take from when they recieve your completed application?

If you know the answer to any of these questions I would be very gratefull

Thanks
Ollie

I am starting the visa process this year and will be using an agent as it looks like a minefield of forms and checks etc, also having read peoples experiences here on boards it seems most people have had a good experience of agents.
Also people who havent used agents have come up against lots of problems.
We are talking to liz o hagan at 0818 332 945, she is with the http://www.australianvisaspecialists.com based in kildare and is an official agent.
I have heard that junior cert results dont count instead of leaving results but wont really matter if you have got the required and needed skills.
Good luck and hope you are successful.
If you pm any of the above posters you might get a more informative and speedier answer.

ashie

Ollie Spain wrote:

Hi Everyone

I have just sent off for the australian trade cert for my husband we did it by ourselves but after reading this site I wonder should we have used an agent.

by the way does anybody know if you can use your junior cert results instead of leaving and what do you do if you didn't sit either my husband left school before his junior cert and stated an apprentiship ?

Does anyone know if the TRA do process applications in 10 working days as It says on the website?

How long does a visa take from when they recieve your completed application?

If you know the answer to any of these questions I would be very gratefull

Thanks
Ollie

Hi Ollie,

If you need any further info why dont you send me a pm and I can go into more detail. I can also give you our timeline from start to finish but it varies greatly.

man1

man1 wrote:

I am starting the visa process this year and will be using an agent as it looks like a minefield of forms and checks etc, also having read peoples experiences here on boards it seems most people have had a good experience of agents.
Also people who havent used agents have come up against lots of problems.
We are talking to liz o hagan at 0818 332 945, she is with the http://www.australianvisaspecialists.com based in kildare and is an official agent.
I have heard that junior cert results dont count instead of leaving results but wont really matter if you have got the required and needed skills.
Good luck and hope you are successful.
If you pm any of the above posters you might get a more informative and speedier answer.

While we are on the subject of agents does anyone have any experience of using http://www.australianvisaspecialists.com (liz o'hagan) in Kildare. (or any other Irish based agent)
What are the costs involved?
How long should it take? (we have family there and the skills required and want to get it ASAP)
Would it be quicker with or without an agent?
How much time will they give your case?
Whats the story with the 136 5 year visa, do you get citizenship after the 5 year period or is it just residency rights??? Are you even guaranteed to get this after 5 years.

One of the main reasons we are leaving Ireland is for better opportunities for our kids, a better social life for us, a better quality of life, better healthcare system (it really sucks here but I dont have to tell you that already), better education, better weather etc etc...

I have a question about the schools there, as I said education is one of the reasons why we are going, we dont have too much of a problem with the standards of grades acheived here, its just that the facilities are a bit outdated and lackluctre but the main reason is that we would have to baptise our kids either as a protestant or a catholic (or one of the smaller religions in some schools) just to get them in any school.
This is not right and is a clear violation of basic human rights IMO. They shouldnt have a religion forced upon them just cause the state says so and we certainly dont want any dirty old priests coming near our kids. Perhaps my rant should stop now......

So whats the deal with schools in Oz? Are they run by religious organisations or by the state? Are they secular in their outlook?

ashie

Hi man1,


We used Liz O' Hagan and can't complain. She really knows her stuff and would be very confident in recommending her. Shes the longest running agent in ireland and the main one. We have our visas!

As far as using an agent or going it alone - its your choice and it depends on how complicated your case is. We used Liz because we felt we had a better chance of passing the application using the knowledge of a professional agent and she could let us know if we were doing something wrong or not and guide and help us with all the forms. We felt we had one chance at it and we wanted to make sure we got it right first time.

Regarding schools - Im no expert as we are not there yet but have done some research and you can send your kids to state schools. As far as I can tell it doesn't matter what religion you are unless its primarilly a specific catholic etc school. Though you would find that more prevalent in private schools.

When you are granted your visa you are given a date on which you have to enter the country. You can just go over and validate the visa by taking a holiday and come home then and its valid for 5 years. You can get citzenship but there are rules regarding how long you have to be living in the country before applying. I'm not sure on all the details to be honest.

hth

man1

ashie wrote:

Hi man1,


We used Liz O' Hagan and can't complain. She really knows her stuff and would be very confident in recommending her. Shes the longest running agent in ireland and the main one. We have our visas!

As far as using an agent or going it alone - its your choice and it depends on how complicated your case is. We used Liz because we felt we had a better chance of passing the application using the knowledge of a professional agent and she could let us know if we were doing something wrong or not and guide and help us with all the forms. We felt we had one chance at it and we wanted to make sure we got it right first time.

Thanks ashie, did the whole process take you guys long? What were the costs? (pm me if you want)

ashie wrote:

Regarding schools - Im no expert as we are not there yet but have done some research and you can send your kids to state schools. As far as I can tell it doesn't matter what religion you are unless its primarilly a specific catholic etc school. Though you would find that more prevalent in private schools.

I have heard this aswell which is great as far as we are concerned.

ashie wrote:

When you are granted your visa you are given a date on which you have to enter the country. You can just go over and validate the visa by taking a holiday and come home then and its valid for 5 years. You can get citzenship but there are rules regarding how long you have to be living in the country before applying. I'm not sure on all the details to be honest.

hth

So what happens when your 5 years are up do you have to go back to Ireland and re apply for another 5 years.????
I want a new fresh start and dont want to come back here in 5 years for what ever reason. I dont even care if I get citizenship or not just peace of mine that I will have residency rights for the rest of my and my wifes life.
Dont want the hassle of worrying every 5 years about visas.

I suppose thats where Liz comes in, advice about all these and many more questions that I have.

Thanks again ashie. When are you heading out? Have you decided where in australia??

ashie

No problem. Have you signed up with Liz? Perhaps its best if you ask her all the questions regarding citizenship etc as I'm not competely sure to be honest.

We are heading to Perth as soon as we sell our house.

Our timeline was slow due to holidays over Xmas etc and the luck of the draw. Some people are very jammy and get it quite quickly. It all depends - there is no set timescale. For a look at specific timelines have a look at www.irishozforum.com - thats Liz's forum . There is a section on there "timeline" where you can see the various applications and the time it took to visa grant. Some good reading in there.

daveg

man1 wrote:

While we are on the subject of agents does anyone have any experience of using http://www.australianvisaspecialists.com (liz o'hagan) in Kildare.

I've read on other forums that she is very good.

man1 wrote:

Would it be quicker with or without an agent? How much time will they give your case?

In theory it should be quicker without an agent as they have to drip all the info from the migration centre in Oz to you. But you may find it quicker using an agent as you won;t have to travel through all the requirements and they know what info as needed and more importantly how it needs to be presented.

man1 wrote:

Whats the story with the 136 5 year visa, do you get citizenship after the 5 year period or is it just residency rights??? Are you even guaranteed to get this after 5 years.

You have to remain in the country for certain period of the 5 years (it used to be 2 but I think it is now either 3 or 4 years. This is a recent change). Then you have to attend a ceremony and pledge your allegiance. Don't know if it is that straight forward but it seems to be. They have rules about how long you can spend out of the country during your 5 year period though.

man1 wrote:

One of the main reasons we are leaving Ireland is for better opportunities for our kids, a better social life for us, a better quality of life, better healthcare system (it really sucks here but I don't have to tell you that already), better education, better weather etc etc...

Make sure to take off the rose tinted specs before leaving though. It would seem Oz has its problems too. I'd say keep an open mind.

man1 wrote:

I have a question about the schools there, as I said education is one of the reasons why we are going, we don't have too much of a problem with the standards of grades achieved here, its just that the facilities are a bit outdated and lackluctre but the main reason is that we would have to baptise our kids either as a protestant or a catholic (or one of the smaller religions in some schools) just to get them in any school.
This is not right and is a clear violation of basic human rights IMO. They shouldnt have a religion forced upon them just cause the state says so and we certainly dont want any dirty old priests coming near our kids. Perhaps my rant should stop now......

So whats the deal with schools in Oz? Are they run by religious organisations or by the state? Are they secular in their outlook?

State/private and religious schools. You pay for private schools. State schools have to take you (AFAIK) if your in their parish (for want of a better word). From what I've read Oz schools focus on producing a more rounded student and do not focus purely on exams and academic study which is good. There is a publication available (for secondary schools only - can't think of the name of it though) which grades schools on performance. You can then "move" into a parish with a good state or private school. Some state schools are better than private schools.

I have a really good PDF document on Melbourne if thats where you going which grades suburbs on crime/transport/distance to CBD school performance/tree density etc etc. Can be found at:

http://www.theage.com.au/ed_docs/indicatordata2.pdf

man1

daveg wrote:

I'd recommend getting an agent to do the application for you. The paperwork prcess is difficult. Were using Gomatilda.com and I'd recommend them but there are Irish agents as well. They are regulated by Oz emigration. They cost a fecking fortune though

Hi Dave
We are considering using these, you were obviously successful with them but how did you find them generally? Were they very helpful. Were they easy to get in contact with whenever you had a question?
They are in london, right? did you deal with them by email or do they have an office here?
Did they assign you with one contact person?
If you had to do it again would you find it easier to use an irish agent?