Migration Agents come from all walks of life. Their experience can be varied, and it might work for you or be better for somebody else. The OMARA (Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority) are the authority on Registered Migration Agents in Australia. Or in other words it says who, other than your friends and close family members, can actually give you qualified, legal migration advice.
Who are the OMARA?
The OMARA is part DIBP (Department of Immigration and Border Protection). A discrete office it is located in Sydney, but operates across Australia.
What do they do?
The OMARA register Migration Agents in Australia. Sounds simple enough. Migration Agent needs to either hold a Legal Practicing Certificate (so, be a fully-fledged lawyer) or, the Migration Agent must have completed a Graduate Diploma in Australian Law and Practice, within 12 months of firstly registering.
See our article specifically on Registered Migration Agents in Australia, and their professional nemesis, the Migration ‘Consultant’.
The legalities of the OMARA
OMARA operates under Section 316 of the Migration Act. As an organisation they ensure that clients understand their rights, agents understand their obligations, investigate complaints and monitor the industry for quality and conduct.
Under Section 314(1), all registered migration gents must adhere to the code of conduct. This is important for all clients to understand what this is, and what the obligations of the agent is. If you’re paying money, like any business, you don’t want to be ripped off.
https://www.mara.gov.au/becoming-an-agent/professional-standards-and-obligations/code-of-conduct/
All registered migration agents are required to complete approved professional development, therefore ensuring that they are up-to-date with their knowledge and can be on top of the ever changing nature of Australia’s Migration Legislation.
Note that the first two (2) numbers of an Agent’s registration are the year they were registered. So for our Migration Agent, Nicolas Miranda, his registration number is 1687254 – meaning Nicolas was registered in 2016. Handy to know how many years of experience your agent has!
We understand that choosing the right Migration Agent is always difficult, so ask around, find out if anybody you know has used one before and ask them for their experience. And don’t hesitate to ask your Migration Agent direct questions about their own experience.
