Many of our users create bespoke File Status’ to record the various complex milestones to manage and run regular reports on their caseload. You will need decide how much detail is the best for your business, depending on the visa types that you are working on and your workflow process.

I have pulled together a sample of the status’ that I have seen used to monitor their complex files. I hope this helps you to come up with a list for your business to record the important stages of your client files.

There are many stages involved in certain Australian visas that are not as straightforward as just lodging a visa application. I have seen our MM users create their bespoke progress items list or modify the MM template progress item list to ensure that it includes the milestones that are important to that visa application process.

I will be posting an article shortly about ways to create or modify your MM progress item list that might be further assistance, however, in the meantime, I would encourage you to have a look at the following articles in the MM User manual to think about how it might work for your process.

How to create or edit a progress item list template

How to add a Document and Tasks Checklist to a Matter

How do Progress Item Groups work

When you are creating your new progress item list, you can add standardised comments and Portal notes for each document. Once imported on your client’s file, a due date can be recorded beside both a task and activity which you or the allocated team member will be alerted to through the Snapshot Task list to either follow up or mark as complete and progress the application.

For example's sake, let’s look at the GSM point you highlighted. You could consider grouping the following activities/documents in your bespoke template to record the 4 stages.

It might look something like this  -

MM Report enables you to run a quick process to identify which of your clients are at certain milestones in the application process. You will need to take the time to understand what you want to be included in the report to set the parameters and save it for future use.

In this instance, you will be wanting the report will feed through from the Progress items. As long as the progress items have been set up so that they can be reported on (see the image below), you will be able to create a report to pull in the important milestones you have created.

In the left-hand column under Add Columns to Report, scroll down to PROGRESS. In section 2 MM lists all of the reportable progress item lists which you can either scroll through or utilise the search function (highlighted below in yellow). Once you have selected the relevant item, press the Add Column button to add the progress item to your report.

In the example above, I would suggest you select the following progress items for your weekly report for your GSM clients  

Step 1: Skills Assessment  Lodgement [Item Completion Date]

Step 1: Skills Assessment  Outcome [Item Completion Date]

Step 2: EOI +ROI  Lodgement [Item Completion Date]

Step 2: EOI +ROI  Outcome [Item Completion Date]

Step 3: Nomination  Lodgement [Item Completion Date]

Step 3: Nomination  Outcome [Item Completion Date]

Step 4: Visa Application  Lodgement [Item Completion Date]

. Step 4: Visa Application  Outcome [Item Completion Date]

If you are consistent with ticking off the tasks in your client’s Progress Items, you will be able to ascertain that if any blank sections in the report under a particular heading have not been finalised.

This is a lot of information, however if you take the time to set up your progress items based on your business milestones and consistently mark these items off at each stage, you will be able to generate reliable and useful weekly reports to help manage your workload.