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Sanctioned Migration Agent Exposes The Office of MARA
Migration Alliance members will be interested to read that more stories are emerging about the Office of the MARA. Here, ex-migration agent Ronald Wright tells his story. There will be more on this to come. Interestingly I have read the decision record and note that the decision-maker and their position number have been removed from the decision record. Nameless declsions.
Hello Migration Alliance,
I send this email to you after reading the story on Mr Kang.
I have been through this situation before. This is my story.
I was contacted by a Mr Michael Fu back 2009 about mangering a migration business call MIGR8
After i check out the office and saw that this business was sound and clients applications were processed correctly.
I agree with Mr Fu to take over the business where he would run the office and i do the migration applications.
I inform Mr Fu to abide by the code of conduct and he agree to this condition.
The first 3 months i had the head office girl who ran the office before with the previous migration agent, during this time there was no problems. i was processing visa and Micheal was running the office and do his business.
After about 4 or 5 months, problems begin to happen, only small things at first then i notice money started to disappear then in November the office doors were in lock down.
That when clients started to tell me what has happen to them.
Michael going to their house and asking for money taking money left by clients at the office making false statements to migration.
And so on and so.
What happened was that MARA held me for all of Michael actions even through i was not aware of what he was doing.
Mara first said that they would not do any thing if the numbers of client was low (I told clients to go to MARA and tell them - my mistake ).
When Michael try to came through Customs he was rejected by Immigration because of his past history here before.
and then he was let in where he was able to appeal immigration discussion and stay here longer.
Michael told me that immigration has nothing on him that why he was aloud back into Australia (I believe him).
So at the end of the day:
If immigration did it job then I would not have had this problem (Thank you immigration).
Clients who rang MARA... their information was taken as correct even through some of them were trying to get their money or visa completed by putting the blame on me.
There is more to this story.
Immigration is not doing it's job and MARA is not qualified to question agents as part of a investigation.
I think MARA should be taken over by the Law Association and Migration Alliance or some thing like this to run the administration of agents.
I had no trouble from the day i started until I meet Michael Fu but MARA could not see this.
I will be putting my application back in when my 5 years ban has finish (Feb. 2015 ).
I have been unfairly treated by Immigration and MARA, i thought this government would have looked after it citizens.
Regards
Ron Wright (Old MARN: 0324843 )
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Mobile : 0434142540
Comments
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Tuesday, 22 October 2013The root of the OMARA problem goes back to the previous MARA Board. That old Board spent all its efforts and persuasive skills on the competency of English for practising agents across the board , when it should have been spending its efforts on fraudulent behaviour. The temptation to fraud in a stringently regulated service will always be there and it the check and balance on individual gents performance by the Department at the primary level that is missing. Ethics and professionalism comes not with deterrence, but by inherent principles of the individual.
Aside, in any firm the individual agent is responsible for the clients put through by that agent, not the firm or its owners. A clear disclaimer and contract of employment is a must and that is the only protection an agent can have from greedy errant business owners.
Immigration blog
a very sad story. I have been caught up in a situation where I was employed [as contracted migration agent] by an education agency though [thankfully] I never had the same ensuing problems. The Agency was actually telling clients to lie to me so I would lodge [further] student visa applications and that "Robert will not lodge application if you tell him the truth. You must lie to him so you can stay in Australia. Please pay the college for 12 months study and everything will be OK. Just tell him that college will give attendance letter and academic results next week." This was all in early march, just prior to expiry dates of current student visas. The fact that many of these applicants had never commenced study since entering Australia seemed of little importance so long as Education Agent could get further commission. After lodging application, case officers' correspondence requested explanations as to why PRISM showed no record of enrolment. It was only then that my clients told me the truth. I immediately stopped all work for agency and refused to lodge MRT appeals for those clients who had been less than honest with me. I feel I was very lucky to avoid the issues Mr Wright suffered. I ask that alll RMAs take note of the above and do not take anything at face value.