More applicants are starting to scrutinise DIBPs decision-making process given the dramatic spike in FOI requests to the department of immigration (DIBP) over the last year according to statistics from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

DIBP received 18,851 FOI applications over the year - an increase of almost 7,000 from the previous year. This is equivalent to 51 FOI applications a day and four times more than the agency with the next highest number of requests, the Department of Human Services, reports The Canberra Times.

The surge in requests comes as the FOI laws have been labelled "pernicious" by Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd and at a time when the Coalition government is seeking to disband the OAIC.

This year, Mr Lloyd said the laws had gone further than intended and were being used to pursue information about newsworthy issues of the day rather than personal information.  

However, according to the OAIC, most requests to the top three agencies were from members of the public seeking access to documents containing their own personal information. 

In what is probably a first for the migration advice industry, the Convenor of the Migration Alliance, Ms Liana Allan, has been announced as a finalist for this year's Businesswoman of the Year Award.

In an industry controlled and stifled by authorities with little or no business sense, the Migration Alliance was formed in 2009 by Ms Liana Allan to provide the passionate and trusted leadership missing in the migration advice industry.

Since inception, the aim of Migration Alliance has been to properly represent Registered Migration Agents in Australia; to lobby the Australian Government against unfair migration legislation and policies; and to represent the Australian migration community on an international stage.

The Migration Alliance is today Australia’s peak body of the migration advisory industry. One of its most important recent achievements was to successfully lobby the government to reverse the decision to introduce the compulsory introduction of an English Language testing for all migration agents. If the change had been introduced, agents with long standing and successful businesses in Australia would have lost a hard earned livelihood.

Migration Alliance now has 'stakeholder' status with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and is included in DIBP’s stakeholder briefings and consultations. Migration Alliance also participates in Federal and State government liaison meetings, the Office of the MARA and Members of Parliament and their staff. Migration Alliance also makes submissions to estimates committees such as the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Senate Estimates on behalf of its members.

I would like to announce the winners for the Hon.  Treasurer Scott Morrison dinner, who will be seated at my table with Hon. Senator Concetta Fierravante-Wells on the evening of the 4 November 2015 at Dedes Restaurant:

Congratulations to the following six Registered Migration Agents!

1. Linda Geronimo
MARN 9687414

2. Dr Sirous Ahmadi PhD(USYD),JP
MARN: 0854826

3. Peter W. Marshall
MARN: 0962498

4. Kieran Hannon
MARN: 1280726

MIGRATION ALLIANCE SUPPORTS "SOLID INCUMBENT" STANLEY SHNEIDER FOR QLD/NT PRESIDENT OF THE MIA

The following is the statement provided to Migration Alliance for release, by nominee Stanley Schneider: