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Government releases OMARA review
GOVERNMENT RELEASES OMARA REVIEW
Consistent with the Coalition’s deregulation agenda the Government will adopt the majority of the recommendations of the independent review into the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA).
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said the implementation of the review’s findings will reduce unnecessary red tape and improve outcomes for consumers of migration services who are often amongst the most vulnerable in the community.
The report by Dr Christopher N Kendall 2014 Independent Review of the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) includes 24 recommendations.
“Implementation of key recommendations will ensure that registered migration agents continue to have the necessary skills by strengthening requirements for entry into the profession, improving arrangements around professional development, and reviewing the Code of Conduct. “Changes such as these recognise that migration agents are providing important and complex advice to their clients,” Minister Cash said.
“We will also reduce the regulatory burden for those agents who have a proven record of good standing by streamlining re-registration processes.”
It is also proposed that lawyers who are subject to relevant State or Territory legal authorities will no longer have to register with the OMARA.
“Lawyers are already subject to one of the strictest regulatory regimes of any profession,” Minister Cash said.
“A key recommendation that will be adopted is to fully consolidate OMARA into the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. This will achieve operational and administrative efficiencies that will benefit the sector overall.”
“While matters of misconduct will continue to be managed by the OMARA, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection will work with the Attorney General’s Department to establish a process whereby allegations of serious misconduct are adjudicated by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Implementation of the review's recommendations will commence later in 2015 following further consultations with stakeholders.
The review can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/pub-res/Pages/reviews-and-inquiries/independent-review-omara.aspx
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Comments
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Friday, 08 May 2015So lawyers need not pay registration fee and not controlled by OMARA code
I do not see any sense in this -
Friday, 08 May 2015
It's worth noting that in several areas, the NSW Professional Conduct and Practice Rules are far stricter than the OMARA Code of Conduct for migration agents - for instance, in the areas of trust accounting, confidentiality, and conflict of interest this is the case.
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Friday, 08 May 2015
re Hakeem
I guess that you are not a lawyer. Shall I suggest that you contact the Law Society of your State and find out what a lawyer has to go through in case he is on the wrong side. Whatever it is, it is on top and above that from Omara. -
Monday, 11 May 2015
all lawyer migration agents should be happy with this development because besides being totally incompetent when OMARA goes after you they will lie, break laws, commit fraud and withhold exculpatory information from you. All this will soon be exposed at the AAT in Sam Issa's matter. The illegal and fraudulent actions by OMARA destroyed an innocent solicitors life, livelihood and reputation.
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Monday, 11 May 2015
So the conflict of interest that exists where the DIBP is the MARA and visa versa, continues? There was a conflict when the MIA was MARA, its the same now.
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Tuesday, 12 May 2015
I can't believe that the MIA tried to convince the government to have the MIA as the only CPD provider because they are a professional association. When are they going to stop deluding themselves? Their CPD is not even good compared to Levingston's. All I saw that as was a grab for money in a competitive market.
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Tuesday, 12 May 2015
The MIA charges dues. In its eyes that makes them a professional organization. Maybe MA could charge a New York Subway token. They are quite attractive, and Liana could make a necklace.
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Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Yes, Michael you are right, but the MIA competes against other providers in the CPD market. Here they are in the review openly saying that they think some other providers aren't much chop, and that they should just 'run it all'. What about other providers? They all pay fees to have their CPD units approved, and to run their businesses, and I can tell you that their CPD's, on the most part, are far better quality than what you get out of the MIA.
Immigration blog
Aside from all the other matters, will someone more familiar with doublespeak please tell me: does this mean that lawyers giving migration advice won't have to register with MARA? Or does it mean that the politicians and bureaucrats are thinking about it, or thinking about something like it, or not thinking about it but registering their knowledge that lawyers are complaining?