Migration agents
vs Matilda
Apply for an Australian visa with Matilda to get practical, personalised support that’s actually worth the investment.
We’re raising the bar for migration support
We believe the visa application process can and should be better – it’s why we started Matilda.
You shouldn’t have to pay a premium to traditional migration agents for unclear advice, generic checklists or poor communication. Now thanks to Matilda, you won’t have to.
What makes Matilda different
Trustworthy, caring lawyers
Migration agents have a reputation for being predatory and exploitative. In fact, 33% of agents have an official complaint against them with the government.
Matilda genuinely cares about our clients, as shown by our five star rating on Trustpilot. Our team is lead by lawyers, who come from top-tier international law firms.
Affordable, flat fees and no-visa-no-fee
Migration agent prices can be very high (up to $4k-$8k), are often not shown on their websites (to force you into an initial consult), and can include hidden costs where you’re charged more than the original quote.
Matilda has an affordable, flat fee which we transparently share on our website. To show that we’re in this together, we even offer you a refund of your Matilda fee if your visa is rejected.
We do the heavy lifting for you
Migration agents typically send you a generic document checklist, meaning you still spend up to 50+ hours drafting long-form statements, creating evidence albums and researching how to collect various documents.
With Matilda, you provide your basic details and we do the rest for you. Photo albums, long form statements, and government forms, all done for you.
How does Matilda compare to preparing your own visa application?
Let’s break down the the key differences.
  | Migration agency | |
|---|---|---|
Free 30 min consultation Schedule a free, 30 min, no obligations, consult with one of our migration agents. Free 30 min consultation |  |  |
Applicant workload for PR visas We’ll lighten your workload by taking on some of your most time-consuming tasks, including:
Applicant workload for PR visas | 15-30 hours | 50-100 hours |
No-visa no-fee refund If your visa application is unsuccessful, you will receive a full refund of the agency fee you paid to Welcome. No-visa no-fee refund | | |
Qualified lawyers Matilda's migration agents are also qualified lawyers who come from top-tier international law firms. Qualified lawyers | | |
| Unlimited expert support | | |
| Team has former government visa officers | | |
| Quality guarantee | Average review 4.9/5 | 1 in 3 agents have received official government complaints |
Ready to secure your
free initial consult?
Get support from a team you can trust
Get premium support before and after lodgement
Customer service with migration agents is often poor, with bad communication and slow responsiveness. Although unlimited consults may be advertised, once you’re a client, often you only communicate by email because booking a consult takes weeks.
With Matilda, not only do you get a free consultation upfront but you get ongoing, unlimited access to our team of lawyers with the guarantee of next-day responses.
Guidance from a visa processing officer
Most migration agents have never worked in the Department of Home Affairs, so they don’t know exactly how visa applications are assessed.
Matilda's team has former Visa Processing Officers from the Department of Home Affairs so we know exactly what it takes to build a successful application.
Hear it from the experts
Paula
Migration lawyer since 2008
Matilda team member
"Many migration agencies just give you a checklist of documents that you need to provide and long forms to complete. Matilda not only gives you prompt and accurate advice but we will also do the heavy lifting for you."
Rosalyn Danusaputra
Employer sponsored visa
Hector Williamson
Partner visa
Alfonso Gallo
Employer sponsored visa
Frequently asked questions
We like to call Matilda a modern migration agency. Unlike a traditional migration agent (who typically provide generic checklists and poor communication), Matilda offers practical, personalised support that does the heavy lifting for you.
Here’s what makes Matilda different:
- We offer a free 30-minute consult to receive personalised advice on your visa strategy
- We handle the most time-consuming parts of your application to reduce applicant workload from 200+ to 20 hours
- We provide a no-visa no-fee refund to ensure you only pay if your visa application is approved
- You gain peace of mind knowing your application is being prepared by a team of qualified lawyers and registered migration agents
- You receive unlimited expert support through your application process, with our team going the extra mile post-lodgement by organising tasks like your medical and tracking the status of your application
Find out what to look for when choosing a migration agents in Australia.
By understanding what level of support you should expect from the best migration visa agents, you can put yourself in the best position to find a migration agent that suits your unique application’s needs.
In practical terms, the best migration agents will:
- Have a proven track record of success, including more than 10+ successful visa applicants under their belt in the past 12-24 months
- Offer transparent pricing that’s comparable with industry standards and will offer a money-back guarantee on their agency fees (such as a no-visa, no-fee guarantee)
- Handle the most time-consuming parts of your application process (such as drafting your relationship statement for a partner visa application)
- Offer high-touch support to clients and make it easy to book a meeting at any point during your application process
On the Matilda blog, we reveal what to look for in the best migration visa agents in Australia.
The fees charged by traditional migration agents can vary wildly. Some migration agent fees can be very high (up to $5k-10k) and can include hidden costs not included in your original quote. Plus, many agents don’t publish their fees on their website, which can make it difficult to compare your options and understand what is a fair price.
At Matilda, our fees are flat, affordable, and transparent, easily accessible on our website. We’ll even refund your Matilda fee if your visa is rejected.
Yes, you can prepare your visa application without a migration agent. However, preparing a DIY application takes up to 100 hours for a partner visa (compared to just 15-30 hours with Matilda) and using an agent can cut time by ~75%.
The application guidelines provided by the Department of Home Affairs tend to be vague and generic, and getting a straight answer about what level of detail you need to provide is almost impossible.
By preparing your own application, you’ll need to do the heavy lifting of formatting documents, writing supporting statements and collating supporting material. Without clear instructions, ongoing support or expert guidance from a migration agent, there’s no guarantee that your application will be successful.