In a story released this week, it has been reported that some unregistered migration agents are selling black-market paperwork to international students. These shadowy agents offer fake documents for thousands of dollars, usually to young Chinese and Indian students.Maurene Horder, the head of the Migration Institute of Australia, said the institute had reported 60 rogue agents to the federal Immigration Minister, Chris Evans, back in May 2008. However, of the 'con men and con women' she said, "It is rife. These people are in effect trying to sell visas. Some of what goes on is pretty sinister."
The full article, goes on to report that some international students in Melbourne, seeking permanent residence, were charged up to $20,000 for fake education and work experience certificates and that a Chinese-owned business consultancy was a front for an unregistered migration agency.
So how do you find a legitimate migration agent?
If you have decided to use a migration agent to guide you through the complexities of moving to Australia, and applying for the relevant visa, your next question might be, which one do I use? As there are around 3500 registered migration agents and others who are unregistered - finding one that suits your needs, or finding out if the one you want to use is legitimate, can be a tricky business.
A bad agent will waste your time and your money. So let me introduce you to the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).
MARA provides a comprehensive list of individuals who are registered. A registered migration agent, is highly recommended for several reasons.
Meeting high professional and ethical standards and possessing a high level of knowledge of Australian migration law and procedures means that registered migration agents can present your case in the strongest possible way. Registered agents also hold professional indemnity insurance, and if you were provided with negligent advice you would be able to make a complaint to MARA, who would be able to investigate.
In Australia, only those registered with MARA and listed on the Register of Migration Agents can provide immigration assistance. However, outside of Australia, not all agents are registered. If they are not registered they are not accountable, and are not subjected to the strict code of conduct that registered agents are.
The MARA website allows you to search the register for registered agents using various criteria such as their name, company name, registration number etc. You can also search for agents by country.
Another useful feature is the search for those Migration agents whose registration has lapsed.
The site also displays agents who have been sanctioned.
All in all, this is a very valuable resource and should be one of your first ports of call if the migration process.
Bridge Migration are a registered migration agent. Please see our website, to see how we can help you.
