Australian Immigration Daily News

The DIBP's Visa and Citizenship Helpdesk will be deploying some changes to the ImmiAccount support pages on their website on Monday. This will also include a new enquiry form for agents/clients experiencing problems with ImmiAccount (with the existing one on the agent gateway to be removed).

DIBP will send Migration Alliance some formal communications on Monday so that we can distribute these to our members.  This will be once the DIBP have confirmed the form is live and working effectively in production.   The DIBP have sent Migration Alliance an email giving us the heads up so we know to expect their email on Monday.

RMAs need to be aware that there is a discrepancy on the DIBP website regarding information DIBP have posted online.  This information has just been provided to us from a member RMA.

Certain occupations are incorrect and could cause confusion for some visa applicants.

For example, if you search for FITNESS CENTRE MANAGER on the DIBP website, it will take you to the following link:

I am just about to do something I have not done before on this website.  Swear. 

Sh*t.  

There you go.  I did it.  That wasn't too hard.  Especially when I had to find an appropriate word to describe the SBS's 457 'Explainer'.

The several aviation disasters of 2014 / 15, starting with Malaysia Airlines MH370 disappearance, along with saturation media coverage has led to much greater awareness of aviation safety and airline operations by the general public.

Those people who travel regularly are now asking more questions about safety and routing of their flights and there is evidence that savvy travellers are choosing their airlines more carefully before paying for a ticket.

Captain Desmond Ross has been one of the major contributors to international media technical commentary on the subject of aviation safety and security and is now receiving requests to speak at conferences and industry functions.  

Section 316 sets out the functions of the OMARA. 

In a confusing email being sent out by an OMARA delegate, which may lead agents to believe that they are compelled to respond, the wording wrongly states "The OMARA is authorised under section 316 (b) of the Act X (NO!!! the Act does not state the word 'authorised') to “… monitor the conduct of registered migration agents in their provision of immigration assistance and of lawyers in their provision of immigration legal assistance” and section 316 (g) of the Act to “… monitor the adequacy of any Code of Conduct”." 

Here is the real wording for that part of the Act:

MIGRATION ACT 1958 - SECT 316

Functions of Migration Agents Registration Authority

             (1)  The functions of the Migration Agents Registration Authority are:

                     (a)  to deal with registration applications in accordance with this Part; and