How to screen visa enquiries before the first consultation
Collect the same core facts from every enquiry before you book time: the likely pathway, where the person is, their current visa and its expiry, any job offer and the documents they hold. Then you can decide which enquiries to take and walk into the consultation prepared.
What to collect
- Likely pathway. The visa the person thinks they want, and why.
- Location. Whether they are in Australia or offshore, and where.
- Current visa and expiry. The visa they hold now and the date it ends.
- Job offer. Whether an Australian employer has offered them a job.
- Documents. What they already hold, such as a passport, a resume and an English test result.
Add whatever else your practice needs to decide whether to take the matter on. Collect it the same way every time, so enquiries can be compared.
Running intake as a chat
A chat lets a person answer one question at a time, in their own words, and upload documents as they go. To get the most from it:
- Ask the questions your practice needs, in the order you need them.
- Ask for documents in the same conversation, so nothing is left to a second email.
- Finish by telling the person what happens next, for example that an agent will review everything before the first consultation.
- Keep the answers in one place, so you can find them before the call.
How to read a private pre-assessment
- Start with the likely pathway. Treat it as a starting point, not an answer.
- Read the summary, then look for what is missing, such as a sponsoring employer or the status of a skills assessment.
- Remember that most of it is what the person told you. Check it against their documents.
- Decide what comes next: book the consultation, ask for more information, or decline the matter.
- Check the Department of Home Affairs' current requirements for the pathway before you advise.
What the Intake Agent does today
The Intake Agent is an AI chat on your practice's website or your own intake link. It talks to prospective clients, asks the questions you choose and lets them upload documents. Before the first consultation, you get a private pre-assessment of their likely visa pathway, with a summary of the lead.
It supports your screening and does not replace your judgement. Casen's results are indicative, not legal advice. A registered migration agent checks them and decides what to do.
Read more in the FAQs, or start free.
