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Immigration Daily News Time to call yourself a Registered Migration Practitioner.
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Time to call yourself a Registered Migration Practitioner.
The migration advisory industry has taken a terrible hit with the allegations of widespread fraud in Australia’s immigration system. Unfortunately, professional migration advisors have been "tarred with the same brush as unregistered agents and education agents and the word 'agent' has become synonymous with dodgy". Perhaps, the time has come to consider a name change?
Fairfax journalists have claimed that leaked documents from the department of immigration allegedly show that ‘migration agents’ perpetrate the fraud. Such sweeping statements thoughtlessly and unfortunately tarnish the reputation of thousands of professionals practicing ethically in a highly regulated industry.
“Migration Alliance is sick of seeing news about 'agents' in the press. We are sick of being tarred with the same brush as unregistered agents and education agents and the word 'agent' has become synonymous with dodgy. I am thinking of re-naming our members Registered Migration Practitioners (RMP). Hopefully this will go some way to distinguish registered practitioners and lift the type of work we do“ says Liana Allan.
The word “Agent” is a simple generic term to indicate a person who is authorised to act on behalf of another. There is no element of professionalism in that definition. Whereas, the word “Practitioner” is generally accepted to mean a person engaged in a discipline or profession and is expected to exercise skill and due care gained from prior learning and experience in the execution of their work. It is no wonder that legal and medical professions use the terms Legal Practitioners and Medical Practitioners, respectively as opposed to Legal Agent or Medical Agent.
Is it time for RMAs to distinguish themselves from unregistered agents and be renamed RMPs? Please share your views.
Comments
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Friday, 08 August 2014Great Idea !
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Friday, 08 August 2014Great idea given all the other versions of 'agent' are now tarnished with the concept of dodgy.
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Friday, 08 August 2014
This simplistic approach to a complicated issue is what I would expect from the MIA. How does a name change deal with the problem at hand. It is easy to just say it is others doing this stuff, unregistered agents, educational agents. But we all know the major players in this are MARA registered agents. What is to stop the dodgy players from calling themselves anything you do? Silly, just silly.
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Friday, 08 August 2014
I'm with you.
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Friday, 08 August 2014
Superlawyer doesn't like the idea of RMAs being called something similar to a Legal Practitioner. Sometimes KISS works. Keep it Simple Stupid. Differentiation is what will separate us from the bogus agents and fraudsters, and education agents pretending they are migration agents. The word practitioner is clean and simple and says what we do. I am 100% for it. Great plan
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Friday, 08 August 2014
Anyone got any other ideas? Sounds good to me. Just wondering if there is a better name than Practitioner? What about attorney?
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Friday, 08 August 2014
How about going on to the OMARA website and looking at how many fine upstanding RMA's have been struck off or sanctioned. Just as many rotten RMA's in the camp. Don't kid yourself.
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Saturday, 09 August 2014
Does the law society publish lawyers who have been struck off? Does the legal services commissioner publish the same? If someone has been struck off then they aren't an agent. Does the medical profession publish doctors who have been struck off?
The comment from the previous person is interesting. Is the DIBP largely responsible for the bad press on agents? Or does this work attract a certain type?
There will be good and bad in every profession. -
Saturday, 09 August 2014
Why do we need "registered" migration practitioner? Keep it simple...migration practitioner..we can shorten that to MP not unlike some others.
Doctors nor lawyers indicate they are registered. ..why do we? -
Saturday, 09 August 2014
Good point! Drop the Registered and just have MP.
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Monday, 11 August 2014
I use RMA, Registered Migration Advisor.
Agent has too many negative connotations. -
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Registered Migration Practitioners (RMP)
Great !! Go with it. About time we need a change.
Immigration blog
I have personally been using "Consultant" followed always by my MARN. But I do like the logic behind the word "Practitioner". Never liked the word "Agent".....even "travel agents" got rid of that years ago.
Will the OMARA back this up??