Taking the leap and making the decision to move to a brand new country is an incredibly daunting experience.
Leaving your family, making new friends, starting a new job – and potentially even learning a new language: it’s a lot to take on!
Throw in applying for a visa and the complexities of the legal system and it can be overwhelming!
At Aspire Australia we understand this.
Our key goal is to take the stress out of the paperwork – and provide you with a migration agent you can rely on from beginning to end.
As we are involved in a very important time in your life – and we need a lot of personal information to put your application together – we get to know you really well.
Now we thought, why not share with you some things about us?
We sat down with Aspire Australia’s founder and Migration Superhero, Sarah Gillis, to chat to her about why she became a migration agent – and what keeps her energised after more than 25 years in the industry!
You call yourself a Migration SuperHero – that is quite a title! Can you explain what you mean by it?
As a migration agent, I like to swoop in and help people when they need it most.
The business of migration is competitive and complex.
I believe in fairness and equal opportunity for all. So, when I believe my client meets all the legal criteria, I am ready to fight the good fight to get the positive result that he or she deserves. I am like a dog with a bone!
What are some of your super powers?
I believe my experience is my main super power!
You can’t have more than 25 years’ worth of experience and not have learned a thing or two! Even though the law is constantly changing, by working on hundreds of cases I have experience across a range of situations and have accumulated knowledge of how strategies play out. That allows me to sift through the legal options to find the best solution for my clients.
My dogged attitude is another super power. I am confident of what I know and will push through to get the result.
When I started my business, I put both of those personal super powers together – to create Aspire Australia’s super power – our 7 Step Pathway.
Can you explain why the 7 Step Pathway works and how it came to be?
Working with hundreds of clients, I have seen them experiencing uncertainty and anxiety, usually due to their lack of understanding of the process – or from relying on what they hear from others in the marketplace.
So, I put myself in their shoes to understand how they were feeling and thought about how I could reduce their fears and worries.
Being a person who loves order (I believe rules show the pathway of possible!), I considered how I could guide my clients with confidence, joy and a clear expectation of the final result.
I used all these ideas and attributes to create the 7-Step Pathway – the journey along which we guide our clients from beginning to end. It allows us to be with them every step of the way and ensure there are no gaps. It gives our clients a sense of security, comfort and confidence to know that we have their backs.
It keeps the end goal front of mind, while taking a step by step approach towards achieving that visa for them.
What keeps you going as a Migration Agent after all those years?
The people, the stories and the motivation to help someone’s dream come true.
As a migration agent, every client is different. They have different aspirations, different backgrounds and of course different characters. That is what makes the work interesting. We are helping real people achieve real change in their lives.
I also love the intellectual challenge of devising a migration strategy for each client and creating a solution that they can understand and follow.
Why do you love Australia?
It wasn’t until I started working in the migration sector (over 25 years ago!) that I really came to appreciate what Australia has to offer and the lengths people will go to live here.
I love our climate (especially Sydney), our icons (think Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House), our natural assets (think forests, beaches, deserts), our freedoms and the fact that you can do what you want with the opportunities available.
We truly are very lucky to live here.
What part of Australia do you love to visit?
I love to visit the coastal areas of Australia – they can be so wild and refreshing! The salt water is good for the soul.
I also love to forest-bathe in the greenery of our National Parks. The recent bushfires have devastated so much of our natural areas – but already life is returning to the scarred landscape.
What do you enjoy doing in your ‘down’ time?
I have several interests, outside of work.
For the past couple of years, I have been playing MahJong! It keeps the mind active, is great fun and is an opportunity to chat with friends and have a yummy supper.
I am also learning Portuguese. And I hope to soon be able to have simple conversations with our Brazilian and Portuguese clients!
And in the rest of my (limited!) spare time – I am continuing studies at Taronga Zoo (Certificate III in Captive Animals).
Here I have had the chance to work with some of our native wildlife (echidna, turtles, birds, platypus) in the Wildlife Hospital. Taronga Zoo does a great job of championing the cause of wild animals and of course our native fauna. I recommend everyone watch Who’s Who at the Zoo to learn about their wonderful work.
Speaking of animals, do you have a favourite?
I would have to say I am a sucker for dogs! I think they are all so cute.
