# Immigration Agency vs DIY (Do it Yourself)



## SeekingSA (Sep 17, 2010)

What is your opinion on using an immigration agency vs doing your own paperwork. Have any of you used any good immigration agency. They seem to be quite pricey. Really what is my benefit of using an agency? Please share some of your experiences with applying for work permits, business permits, temporary residency permits and so on. I look forward to your responses.

Thank you in advance for your comments.


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## Guest (Jun 21, 2011)

SeekingSA said:


> What is your opinion on using an immigration agency vs doing your own paperwork. Have any of you used any good immigration agency. They seem to be quite pricey. Really what is my benefit of using an agency? Please share some of your experiences with applying for work permits, business permits, temporary residency permits and so on. I look forward to your responses.
> 
> Thank you in advance for your comments.


Hi

In the end, it is up to you whether you have the *time and energy* to research the requirements yourself, and subsequently prepare and submit an application.

There is a lot of information to be found on the *Internet *and on forums like this one. And just by browsing through some of the posts on this forum, you will see how *diverse the feedback and the advice can be*.

I advise *caution *when dealing with matter of *immigration in a DYI manner *as some of the websites providing information are out of date, some are false or just confusing.

However, in theory anybody can try to prepare an application on their own. It is of course a risk. Some countries do not allow you to apply for a certain period should an application be rejected. In South Africa, this is fortunately not the case! but there are other risks.

So if you are sure of what you are doing and know exactly what is required and how it is to be presented (or if you have the time to find out how it is done), then there is nothing standing in your way.

However, *if you have any doubts*, then it becomes a risk (and possibly a waste of time and moeny) in doing it yourself.

*If you are lucky*, the embassy officials will let you know if you have made a mistake before they take in an application and all the document you have gathered. In which case you can go home and amend the application, and then try again.

If you are not lucky, then the official taking in the application does not spot a mistake at first, and the application is rejetced later.

Should this happen, *you will not receive any of the documents back from the embassy*. This means that you will need to prepare a completely new application, *including possibly all the documents*, which you had already collected for the initial application.

But of course, *immigration firms cost money*, and not everybody can afford to use their services.

*Money seems to be the main factor* many people seem to consider when deciding not to use professional firms, and it is of course a very important point.

And yet, opportunity costs are seldom taken into consideration, i.e. spedning time on the Internet researching the requirements; spending money on obtaining documents, but not being 100% sure that these are a) really required, and b) completed correctly.

Of course, if you really cannot afford the services of a professional immigration firm (and I purposfully say "professional" as there are a number of really bad companies out there), then your only option is the DYI route.

For individuals in that situation, forums like these are extremely useful! They do, however, contain opinions and advice from personal experiences, and rarely advice from qualified professionals.

So, it is really up to you whether you want to use the services of a professional agency, and whether you can afford to.

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

Joachim


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