As many may know I have been helping refugees & migrants for over 20 years, and one thing I am constantly confronted by is how often good visa applicant cases are destroyed by dodgy (dishonest & incompetent) migration agents. It is because of these dodgy migration agents that about five years ago I started to argue that immigration lawyers should be not be regulated or “controlled” by the same regulatory body that “controls” migration agents. And I argue tirelessly to bring this to pass. Why? because dodgy agents and their Sydney based lobby group – the MIA – used this “confusion” between Immigration lawyers and migration agents as a marketing tactic to exploit gullible refugees and migrants. Well fortunately those days at an end. Don’t Risk your Visa, your Money, your Future – Trust only an Immigration Lawyer! Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2019
Summary
Introduced with the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment (Rates of Charge) Bill 2019, the bill amends the Migration Act 1958 to: remove unrestricted legal practitioners from the regulatory scheme that governs migration agents; allow eligible restricted legal practitioners to be both registered migration agents and restricted legal practitioners for a period of up to two years; enable the time period in which a person can be considered an applicant for repeat registration as a migration agent to be specified in delegated legislation; remove the 12-month time limit within which a person must apply for registration following completion of a prescribed course; clarify that the powers under Part 3 of the Act are exercisable by the minister; enable the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) to refuse an application to become a registered migration agent where an applicant has failed to provide information or answer questions in relation to their application; require registered migration agents to notify MARA if they have paid the non-commercial application charge for their current period of registration but give immigration assistance otherwise than on a non-commercial basis; and provide that the definitions of ‘immigration assistance’ and ‘makes immigration representations’ include assisting a person in relation to a request to the minister to exercise his or her power under the Act to revoke a character-related visa refusal or cancellation decision. On 26 December 2019 the Victorian Immigration Solicitors Alliance: VISA made the following submission to the Committee Secretariat Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600. It was an important submission that lead to a significant change to the law and an historic step towards the development of a better and fairer immigration system and protection of refugee & migrant rights. If you would like to read the full submission made by VISA to the Australian Senate Committee please the Parliament of Australia Library: file:///C:/Users/AR%20LAW/Downloads/Sub03_AR%20LAW%20Services.pdf (to view – copy link and paste into a new browser)
So if you or anyone you know is thinking of applying for an Australian visa or has a Visa application pending or refused talk to us. Book an initial 30 minute consultation for a flat fixed fee for the initial 30 minutes to discuss your issue with a Master Migration Lawyer
Call 03 9614 0218 or email to make an initial 30 minute consultation at our Melbourne office. (conditions apply)
Note: this update, or any previous updates on this page, do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Please call our office to seek professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content on this page
