Although I made my move to Australia without the services of an Australian Migration agent, many others wannabe Aussies choose to engage their services.
If you are considering seeking professional help, I can not stress enough; the importance of seeking the services of an agent registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).
I wrote an article back in 2008 titled How To Find A Registered Migration Agent and I recommend that you read this article before signing up for a migration agents services.
In Australia, migration agents must be registered and obey a code of conduct to provide immigration assistance or professional services.
Under the code migration agents have a range of commitments covering:
interactions with the clients
fees and charges, record keeping and financial management
responsibilities toward other agents
any employees they may have
the requirement that they respond if a complaint is made against them
Recently Suspended Or Barred Australian Migration Agents
Unfortunately, not all migration agents have followed this code with MARA recently updating the list of migration agents who faced disciplinary actions for violating their code of conduct.
MARA reveals that between 2010 and 2019, 103 migration agents failed to comply with their obligations and faced disciplinary actions.
In 2018 alone, thirty-two migration agents were either ‘suspended’ or ‘barred’ from this profession for inappropriate conduct.
As the founder of Getting Down Under, Mark is passionate about demystifying the process associated with a move to Australia. Having launched Getting Down Under in early January 2006 and made the move to Australia from the UK in the same year, Mark continues to share resources and support for those looking for assistance. If you have a question for Mark, please post in our Community Forums. Please note All information provided on Getting Down Under should be considered in conjunction with our disclaimer. Please seek professional advice if you have any doubts!
Mark
