Christopher Levingston Blog

There is a lot of scuttlebutt around at the moment concerning Training Benchmarks A and B.

Consider this offering from a private organisation in our industry who happens to be in the training benchmark B “market" (ie they only sell benchmark B):

"The Department of immigration has informed ‘stakeholders of a change to policy guidance relating to industry training funds. No commission can be paid from Training benchmark A contributions and Training Benchmark A contributions cannot be made to TAFEs and Universities if there is a statutory Industry Training Fund operative.”

I would be happy to accept any proxies for the MIA EGM.  I am against the entrenchment of board members and encourage joint members of the MIA-MA to vote no.

Anyone wishing to appoint me as their proxy should send their proxy form to me, Christopher Levingston, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Proxy form: APPOINTMENT_OF_PROXY_FORM.pdf

You know the feeling don't you?

You are at home with your jim-jams on.  It's Sunday night at 8pm and there's a knock at the door.  You peek through the peep-hole and it's your pesky neighbour who wants to come in and chat.

You decide that discretion is the better part of valour so you crouch behind the door pretending not to be at home.

I have been approached by a colleague who has slipped through the looking glass and is now stuck at the mad hatters tea party for eternity and is destined to cycle back and forth between the MRT and DIBP.

Here is the story so far ( we have the permission of the client to publish these details):

Dear XXXX,

Agents have come to me reporting emails from the OMARA that look something like this:

Dear XXXXXXX (agent)

The Office of the MARA is monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents to verify agents' compliance with the Code of Conduct.