Login / Join
Immigration Daily News Overseas unregistered agents ruining lives: my first hand experienceAustralian Immigration Daily News
Breaking Australian immigration news brought to you by Migration Alliance and associated bloggers.
- Font size: Larger Smaller
- Hits: 12174
- 15 Comments
Overseas unregistered agents ruining lives: my first hand experience
Comments
-
Thursday, 21 August 2014Hundreds of clients are assessed and signed up and the majority never speak to or even see the only person with a license. In fact the time I was there only the big shot business clients were referred to the RMA, to deal with personally, the rest we dealt with on our own with the little training we had.
=> It isn't on topic, but I think there is little untoward with having consultants working for a RMA, so long as the consultants are adequately supervised and the RMA takes responsibility for what is lodged in his or her name. The migration agent regulator could learn a lot by looking at the tax agent regulator (I am governed by both): tax agents have to ensure that they can handle a volume of client work, and that it is adequately monitored, supervised, and reviewed.
Best regards. -
Thursday, 21 August 2014
I beg to differ Allan as RMA cannot subcontractor or license the MARN they hold and are personally responsible for providing advice to the clients. Agencies that operate with one or two MARN holders and dozens of employees are delegating the work that is required to be provided by the MARN holder. There are not enough hours in the day for an agent to be handling hundreds if not thousands of applications. It is a recipe for disaster and mistakes are made. Even if the RMA is super lucky and manages to avoid making big mistakes, what quality standards can the client expect? You are dealing with peoples lives and the client, most of whom do not know that they have rights, are the ones that suffer.
You are fooling yourself if you think anyone is ensuring that the immigration work being done by employees is adequately monitored, supervised, and reviewed. -
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Thanks Liana.
It is beyond belief that the Department of Immigration continues to allow unqualified persons outside Australia to represent visa applicants.
Is it difficult to introduce a change that allows non Australians to become registered, and to then say that the Department won't communicate with an appointed agent who isn't registered?
Isn't this what Canada's immigration department does?
Heck, it might even allow the regulator to raise additional fees!
The Government really does need to grasp the nettle on this.
There's really no excuse - the Australian Government should do it - and do it NOW!
Best regards. -
Thursday, 21 August 2014
I worked for Global Visas too (2009 - 2010 for six months) and I can back you up 100%. As a MARA registered agent I was instructed by Liam to work against the Code of Conduct (which I ignored). I left Global Visas but not before they tried to throw me under the bus. Thankfully I took copies of correspondence and file notes to prove my innocence. I had my first only complaint to OMARA because of that company. They are now trading as IXP visas and they are doing the same thing. I had an enquiry from someone in Sydney last month who had dealt with them recently and things haven't changed. The have a sales team signing up clients and once clients pay the deposit they are locked into a contract that says all monies must be paid even if the client pulls out at that point and before ANY immigration work is done.
-
Friday, 22 August 2014
It is interesting to read this article, i work overseas and i can tell you that one of the biggest issues is that we get no recognition or assistance from the Australian embassies or the Australian High Commission, i was told straight up that they don't even have a system by which to check if i am an RMA/Lawyer etc. What is worse, there is an obvious "inner circle" between some embassies and private education companies, for example where i am located, education agencies who actively engage in migration advice are invited to attend meetings and briefings at the Australian embassy, however myself as an RMA/Aus Lawyer am not invited. I also have rarely received any professional communications from the officers dealing with visa applications overseas within the embassies, yet i have it on good authority that education agencies are afforded easier communications, it is 100% easier for me to deal with DIBP in Australia than it is via the diplomatic posts. So, if i am treated like a pariah for following the rules by the rule maker, how are we ever going to move forward in trying to regulate an industry overseas that can barely be regulated in Australia? To date, i had one meeting with a First Secretary of immigration, who did not hold back her feelings of animosity, that was the first and only time i was allowed to speak with them, since then i have received no invitations, no information, no professional courtesy, no communications yet the education agencies continue to thrive and are invited to special briefings. Talk about frustrating.
-
Friday, 22 August 2014
It must be in India, Sri Lanka or China. Time to audit the staffs at these posts. Simply look at the IDP Education Pty Ltd, which is the biggest education adviser who illegally provide many students pathetic advice and they have only two registered migration agents. Please go to www.mara.gov.au and punch in IDP Education Pty Ltd. The cleaning up of the industry must start from the Australia itself.
-
Friday, 22 August 2014
HB - I invite you to write to Minister Cash:
http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/michaeliacash/contact-details/
Set out your experiences and invite her comments.
This is simply not good enough on the part of the Department of Immigration.
Good luck! -
Friday, 22 August 2014
I'm a student studying for RMA and i travel a fair bit and I can see how unlicenced operators outside australia are loving this free for all. I know some personally. Why study and register in Australia when I could set up a visa factory anywhere nearby and turn this into a money machine and not give 2 damns? It's very disheartening.
-
Friday, 22 August 2014
Has MA thought about starting a petition for example on change.org? Part of process, everytime someone signs it, an email is sent to those who you want.
Make sure the emails go direct to scott morrison and the media linking to this article. -
Friday, 22 August 2014
Recently, I found many Australian based so called Migration companies using non English websites to lure potential clients. They are in Australia. They have no RMA in the company or they share a RMA as subcontractor with other similar companies. OMARA and DIBP really should do something to stop things like these.
-
Friday, 22 August 2014
I have just returned from Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh Office set up is terrible. They only provide English documents and the sharks outside the office offer migration advise. The counter staff think they are the determining person of the application be accepted or not. I have to produce my MA card before she accept the application. The set up there is only advantage those sharks wondering nearby and the poor people have little English & HAVE no choice but accept the "migration advice" from them.
I was gob smack by the attitude of the security and staff there. -
Friday, 22 August 2014
It's not just unregistered agents, the whole overseas business involving RMAs is not regulated by OMARA and it should be.
A RMA in Malaysia has his wife do consulting. She will even step in when clients ask to see her RMA husband claiming she is the boss of the business. I informed OMARA with a full description of the situation, even supplied photos of the wife doing consulting to potential clients when the husband gave migration seminars. What happened ? Nothing.
Another time I showed OMARA two contracts over several years where a very senior RMA (and senior MIA member) running an offshore business charged very high fees in advance and stated there would be no refund under any circumstances, clearly something that contravenes the code. (There was, and still is a lot more going on that's unethical but this was a clear example). What happened ? Nothing. -
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Hi. Last year my husband and I paid global visas (now IXP) a to emigrate to Canada. Since then, nothing has been done, we haven't heard from them since July and was wondering what we can do about this? Shall I go to a small claims court? Can I write to head office? It is such unprofessional behaviour!! Thanks in advanced for any helpful information.
-
Friday, 04 August 2017
The problem is not overseas agents but unregistered agents.
Of additional concern is the vfsglobal service provider. (http://vfsglobal.com/). I Thailand they appear to provide Visa advice but the staff have no formal training or certification as Migration Agents. they They do not hold qualifications in Migration Law. Of additional concern is that they appear to give their own service priority in processing being responsible for processing visa applications in addition to providing advice.
Immigration blog
It never ceases to amaze me how many "registered agents" work in offices where they are one of dozens of people offering advice to Clients. I used to work with of one RMA who is not only registered to given advice on Australian but also NZ and Canadian visas! He has offices in Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Sweden and all are staffed with at least 5 or more people referred to as consultants. Hundreds of clients are assessed and signed up and the majority never speak to or even see the only person with a license. In fact the time I was there only the big shot business clients were referred to the RMA, to deal with personally, the rest we dealt with on our own with the little training we had.
In NZ they have put to stop to this practice by defining migration advice very narrowly. It may mean that Immigration Advisors cannot make more money as they are simply limited by the number of clients they can actually personally look after, but it is an honest system.
I think that the OMARA overlook the overseas practice as if they do anything all the money is overseas and there is no real harm, loose your Australian license, so push NZ/Canada.
But then you have the example of a lawyer selling franchises of his immigration business in Australia advertising to people that they don't need to even be registered as agents/lawyer to buy into the lucrative trade. What is OMARA's excuse for not acting, he is in Australia!?