Anybody engaged with Immigration Consulting for PR application

[Agmohit]

Hi All,
I am new to this forum. Came in Singapore 3 years back, studied masters in Singapore. A Gold Medalist awardee from NTU and works in Supply Chain function. My Son born in Singapore. We are from India.
I recently got hooked by one of a consulting company who claims they success rate is 98% because they submit some extra documents and good cover letter.
Can anyone share what exactly they do and is this worth (they charge like 7k$)

Regards
Bakar

[jamie9vardy]

Hi All,
I am new to this forum. Came in Singapore 3 years back, studied masters in Singapore. A Gold Medalist awardee from NTU and works in Supply Chain function. My Son born in Singapore. We are from India.
I recently got hooked by one of a consulting company who claims they success rate is 98% because they submit some extra documents and good cover letter.
Can anyone share what exactly they do and is this worth (they charge like 7k$)

Regards
Bakar

What is there that they know about you that you don’t already know yourself to come up with the cover letter? Now that PR applications are filed through ePR, have you asked them what ‘extra’ documents can they produce that will increase your chances of success? Have you asked them if they select their clients based on their profile/demographic to claim 98% success rate. Maybe those people would anyway get their PR, with or without engaging the consultant.

If you have spare cash to burn, why not submit through this consultant and come back to update this forum later on whether it’s worth every penny spent or not. Good luck!

[sundaymorningstaple]

A fool and their money is soon parted. The application forms are designed for N level holders. If a Masters degree holder cannot fill out the forms then you should not be considered at all. You son born in Singapore means squat. He's still an indian National, not a Singaporean therefore if you apply it should be as a family with ALL on the application including the son. Any consultancy that claims a 98% success rate is probably correct. This means they cherrypick their clients and will not take somebody as a client unless they are damned sure the client ticks all the boxes BEFORE they will consider you. If they are still interested, then you already know you have a pretty darned good chance of getting PR (with or without them). They can only submit the documents that are requested and ICA doesn't even bother with cover letters so they are jerking you off. If you fall for it, you deserve to blow your money. We've seen a bunch over the years and almost all are started up by Indian Nationals who prey on other of their own kind after having managed to obtain their own PR (without help, mind you). Save your money and just give ICA exactly what they ask for. If you try to read between the lines you will sabo yourself.

An anecdote, if I may? I applied for PR in 1988 and was duly rejected and I was married to a Singaporean woman and had a daughter (son not born until 89). Appealed and was rejected. This was just after LKY (Lee Kuan Yew) made his last National Day Rally speech and pointing out that Singapore ICA would have to start take a 2nd look at those applying under the family ties scheme. So, it hadn't trickled down to the front lines at ICA yet. I waited a couple of years. and reapplied again. Nothing had changed other than a son, but after I was given PR, I had an interesting conversation with the Officers who interviewed me for PR (Back in the day you actually had an interview usually with 2 officer in a little interview room and it could last upwards of an hour). He told me a little aside that I've remember to this day. He told me that the reason a lot of applicants are rejected initially was because they used a lawyer to do the application (this was before the days of massive internet access so information was not readily available like it is today). ICA's thoughts were that if somebody had to use a lawyer there was something not quite according to Hoyle if somebody needed to use a lawyer to fill out the simple forms.

So, you do as you wish, but you have a hell of a lot more disposable income than I do if you are willing to give a consultant 7K to fill out the forms than an N level hold can do. An yes, if they take you on you will in all probability, eventually get your PR, but you would have gotten it anyway as they don't much care for the Shakespearean style of English used in cover letters and they don't generally read them. In fact, I'm not sure you can actually upload them. They give you a list of what they want. If you cannot follow their directions, that tells them something as well. Oh, and a consultant cannot put down anything except what you tell him/her to put.

Sorry for the long answer, but I just had two days of sparring with one of those consultancy firms on FB and he really did a dance around avoiding answering my direct questions. I didn't recognize the name so I'm betting it is a new one and owned by a PR as well. But I have had 25 years in the HR industry here (10 as a headhunter in the engineering sector and the last 15 as the HR & Finance Mgr of a local medium sized SME (around 175-225 headcount - with full complement of Foreign Staff of various types of work passes). I recently retired as I'll be 72 shortly (4 weeks).

[PNGMK]

They have 98% success in filling out the form.

[chinnyreckon]

$7K for an application?

I'm in the wrong business......

[Agmohit]

Hi all, Thanks to all for your advice. I think I am aligned with you guys, these consulting firms are just burning pockets without adding much value but I still wanted to get opinion from the forum.

I will go ahead and apply on my own with my family! God Bless Us!

[sundaymorningstaple]

And good luck. Let us know how it works out. Our readers are our database.

[RaveXP]

Hi,

I applied without any agency or consultation. Reading these forums gives you more insight (and it's free btw) on applying PR. good luck!