Login / Join
- Font size: Larger Smaller
- Hits: 5643
- 23 Comments
Is Legalwise wise?
Since its inception, the Migration Alliance (MA) has sought to promote and protect the interests of Registered Migration Agents (RMAs). A key aim of the MA has been to reduce and ultimately stop unregistered practice in any form including the unfortunate and often disastrous practice by Human Resources Managers and Education Agents.
However, getting rid of unregistered practice requires legislative change which the MA has been lobbying on for many years. MA has written to the Assistant Minister for Immigration, Senator Michaelia Cash last month providing a comprehensive suite of documents including submissions, briefing papers and draft legislative instruments designed to shut down unregistered practice.
The aim of all this is to provide comprehensive protection to vulnerable consumers by eliminating once and for all unregistered practice.
“While policy-makers and legislators consider the issue, the MA is of the view that migration advisory industry should band together against unregistered practice. At the simplest level, the suggestion is that RMAs and CPD providers should not encourage unregistered practice and in fact work to discourage it” says Liana Allan.
The MA notes that a new entrant to the migration CPD landscape, namely Legalwise Seminars has marked its entry as an accredited provider of continuing professional development by offering a “comprehensive half day program [that] provide….the most accurate, authoritative and current content to help you understand the process of migration law (both legislation and case law)” to “Employers, Agents and Lawyers”.
The MA objects to this bundling of RMAs with unregistered practitioners. “The seminar insults the professionalism of RMAs as it groups them with unregistered onshore practitioners. It begs the question: do seminars like these promote onshore unregistered practice?” says Liana Allan.
It is unfortunate to see the name of ex MIA president Laurette Chao on the list of trainers in the brochure.
“The MA would like to hear from Ms Chao or any other Legalwise Seminar presenters, how exactly they think the training of unregistered persons (Australian employers, Human Resources managers, accountants, etc) will not encourage unregistered onshore practice, more bad advice from HR managers and more crap decisions made by employers who, after attending these events with these four speakers, will think they know it all.
“Migration Alliance does not support the training of unregistered persons in Australia and we will be lobbying the Minister in this regard within 48 hours” says Liana Allan.
Comments
-
Friday, 01 August 2014MIGRATION LAW FOR EMPLOYERS - training the devil
-
Tuesday, 05 August 2014
I work on the axiom:
I you think it may be wrong then it most probably is wrong!
Best way to manage the issue - Don't patronize them.
By far the vast majority of our industry work for the good of our clients and as such, pride themselves on their professionalism, skills and empathy. I think that it is a little harsh to put all lawyers in the same basket as Tradesperson v Lawyer has done, I do think that they (like the medical profession) are fiercely protective of their industry and it's standards, they, like all industries, have a mix of Saints, Sinners and everything in between. They however have a well structured and effective (mostly) regulatory board. We do not enjoy such luxuries yet.
Perhaps we need to find some alternate wording other than "Agent" which sadly has a less than professional undertone to it. The Real Estate Industry have struggled and losing the battle to inject a public perception of professionalism into their profession as Real Estate "Agents". We don't have "Legal Agents, Health Agents or Architectural Agents", perhaps, if we can get the title right, we may find it easier to move forward and he accepted for what we are - professionals.
Comments???
Immigration blog
Just because lawyers are running it does not mean that the activity will be any good. They have already destroyed any chance of it being a high-level learning opportunity for RMAS by inviting the general public to attend. Interestingly, if employers attend then would the information they receive at the session not be considered 'advice'? They are paying a fee for advice. If they use the information provided to them incorrectly and lodge their own applications and mess them up, then they may sue the lawyers or the company for bad advice. Or complain to the OMARA that the advice they received on such and such a date was incorrect. Tread carefully to all CPD providers inviting Australian employers to paid technical information sessions. Question. Answer. Fee.