Australian Immigration Daily News

 The following statement has been released by Sydney TAFE today:

“As an approved scholarship fund provider, Sydney TAFE is still approved to accept contributions for 457 Visa contribution fund A. Please be advised that in relation to commission payments, we do not use 457 funds for this purpose.   All contributions received from 457 Visa contributions go towards training and scholarship programs for Australian and permanent residents.”

Robert Cousins - Associate Director Student Learning and Facilities

LLLLLL  YYYYYYY

The following email is being received by RMAs in Queensland at the moment:

Dear AAAAAAA [name removed for privacy reasons]

The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (the OMARA) is monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents to verify agents' compliance with the Code of Conduct.
 
The OMARA is authorised under section 316 (b) of the Act 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”.
 
The current focus of the OMARA is on agents that operate in Queensland.  You have been randomly selected for monitoring.  It would be appreciated if you would take the time to complete an online survey relating to your business practices and compliance with the Code of Conduct for registered migration agents.  The survey can be accessed by following the link below:
 
Follow this link to the Survey:
Take the Survey
Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
https://dibpau.qualtrics.com/WRQualtricsSurveyEngine/?Q_SS=8G4utjXH8pVYHrf_2bm23MBNxEgwpJX&_=1
 
Please note that you may be selected for a monitoring visit in the near future.  Should this occur, the OMARA will be in contact with you to make appropriate arrangements for the visit.
 
Thank you for your cooperation.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries regarding this matter.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
XXXX YYYYY
Assistant Director
Registration, Professional Development and Monitoring
Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority
Email: [name removed for privacy reasons]

Advice from Christopher Levingston, Accredited Specialist Immigration Lawyer is that absent a formal written request under section 308 or other statutory power there is no requirement for any RMA to comply with or take part in "random monitoring". 

by Michael Jeremy - Registered Migration Agent and Migration Lecturer

Last month, February, I attended the Watermelon Festival in Chinchilla in Southern Queensland. My mate Terry has a watermelon farm and my interest in melons over the decades made Melonfest Chinchilla impossible to resist.

My professional interest in agriculture and horticulture in Australia also made this part of Queensland a must visit. Despite issues with oversupply making previous seasons tough for watermelon growers, Melonfest 2015 was reported a great success, with commercial Sydney and Melbourne television stations covering the event live.