DIY or use a consultancy ?

[global gypsy]

Personally, I've never understood why people feel they have to go thru an immigration consultant at all. In my life, I have applied for - and obtained - residence status in four different countries. And not once did I employ the services of any such firms.

Reasonable level of intelligence, common sense, and attention to detail are all that's required to do this on your own. Besides, these days there's so much info on the internet (unlike when I had applied), so I don't see why you need to go to these firms. Believe me, the application forms are written in easy-to-understand English, and are not that difficult to fill in.

Having said that, there may be a few complicated situations that could require 'expert' help. But even in these cases, keep in mind that the person who is most interested in your application is yourself, not a firm that's handling multiple ones.

GG