Will OMARA be cut down to size and will consumer protection prevail with the establishment of an independent immigration commissioner under the review of OMARA? This is the chance for all RMAs to provide submissions on the governance of RMAs as submissions close on 27 July 2014.

Any inquiry into a public agency suggests problems have been brewing for far too long and have come to a head. No doubt, constant calls by the Migration Alliance have been a key catalyst to the recent announcement of an independent review the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). Now it’s the turn of RMAs to step up and make submissions to the reviewer or provide suggestions and feedback to MA’s white paper calling for an independent immigration commissioner. This will help ensure the inquiry sees OMARA for what it is and give RMAs and prospective migrants the changes they need.

OMARA has had trouble within and without since its inception: constant staff turnover; constant complaints from RMA’s of cumbersome administrative and expensive registration processes; and the overzealous scrutiny of RMAs. And the mother all its issues: being the lackey of DIBP and without independence thus begging the question:  how exactly does OMARA offer consumer protection to prospective migrants given this DIBP bias?

It is not unreasonable to expect this inquiry to cut OMARA down to size. Cruising on an annual expenditure of some $5million to administer the registration of 5000 agents, is in no uncertain terms excessive.

Perhaps one of the most damming indictments comes from Christopher Levingston’s description of the OMARA: “From its inception the MARA in all of its incarnations including the self-regulated model administered by the MIA, has comprehensively defaulted into a complex, unregulated and largely unresponsive ‘Authority’…”

The inquiry is clearly set up to consider issues such as this one. A key term of reference according to Assistant Minister of Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Michaelia Cash, who ordered the review, is to, “examine and report on the OMARA’s organisational capability and challenges, as well as the quality and effectiveness of its internal controls and governance”

Sponsored positions in the occupations below are now available in Australia via an On-Hire Labour Agreement with the Department of Immigration & Border Protection (DIBP).  

Australian companies’ now have access to overseas professionals in IT&T and Engineering, Financial Services and Sales & Marketing without the need to sponsor them onto 457 visas directly.   This allows Australian employers to employ overseas nationals without having to go through the cumbersome process of sponsorship.

If you know of an Australian employer and/or a 457 visa candidate looking to join forces, but are unable to do so due to 457 visa and sponsorship restrictions then I would encourage you to speak to RMA Anthony Ross on (02) 92210370 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

People wishing to make a visa application to Australia are encouraged to use a Registered Migration Agent.  In the Balkan countries, such as Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia it is important that people are made aware about the existence of Registered Migration Agents and what they do.  To this end Migration Alliance is doing a special feature on Danijela Stojanovic who will be hosting a series of professional consultations and visa and migration seminars in August 2014 across Eastern Europe.    This includes presentations in Croatia and Greece.  

Danijela is an example of a Registered Migration Agent who goes out of her way to spread the word about using a professional RMA in areas of the world where unregistered and dodgy immigration practice is rife.   Take a look at the great strategies Danijela is using to promote her services as a RMA and also the profession as a whole.  The video clearly shows the MARN.   Migration Alliance wishes Danijela all the best for the trip ahead.  A schedule of Danijela's trip and presentation dates is below.

Migration agents have faced difficulties with NSW nominations which opened today and are experiencing issues faced due to their website and the payment system.

We are currently trying to establish whether the NSW processing office received 1000 applications within one hour of opening or whether it is closed temporarily due to technical glitches.

An agent has reported as follows: