Australian Immigration Daily News

As of January 2018, the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) revised its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for Registered Migration Agents.  

OVERVIEW OF CATEGORY A AND CATEGORY B

Briefly, CPD activities are now classified in the following categories: 

-          Category A – these activities include face to face workshops, interactive online workshops (i.e. webinars)

-          Category B – these activities include online private study, seminars, conferences, lectures (one way delivery, face to face or online, no required interaction from participants) 

Whilst Migration Agents are aware of the new CPD requirements, there still appears to be confusion within the industry relating to the distinction between Category A and Category B CPD activities. 

A Registered Migration Agent is required to demonstrate that they have completed 10 CPD points every year.  A Migration Agent must complete no more than five Category B subjects which can be counted towards meeting the registration requirements.  Generally, CPD providers will indicate whether a CPD activity is classified as Category A or B.  The importance of understanding the distinction between the two is paramount. 

What are the differences between Category A and Category B CPD Activities? 

There are several major differences between the two categories which an Agent needs to familiarise themselves with in order to make an informed decision prior to selecting the CPD activity. 

TIME

The first difference is the time it takes to earn one CPD point. 

1 hour - 1 CPD point  Category A requires a migration agent to participate in an activity stylised in a workshop type environment (face to face or online) for at least one hour to claim one CPD point. 

1.5 hours  - 1 CPD point In contrast, Category B requires an agent to participate for at least 1.5 hours in order to obtain one CPD point.

An agent can therefore meet their annual CPD requirements much faster by completing Category A activities. 

INTERACTIVITY

Under Category B CPD, there is no requirement for facilitator to afford a participant an opportunity to interact with the facilitator or other participants which may in turn greatly limit the learning outcomes of a CPD session.  There is no requirement for agents questions to be answered under Category B. 

As highlighted above, the level of interaction between the two categories is very different.  Category A workshops require interaction between a participant and a facilitator (face to face or online).  For example, category A CPD workshops allow participants to ask questions in real time hence allowing a deeper level of understanding of the CPD topic.  This may be particularly useful if the topic relates to a new visa category of major legislative changes. 

To facilitate interactive discussion, Category A requires facilitators to have an in-depth understanding of the topic, the ability to think laterally and anticipate “unscripted questions” by drawing on their knowledge gained from years of practice in the area. 

CATEGORY A CPD HAS NO LIMITS HOWEVER CATEGORY B CPD HAS LIMITS

No more than five Category B activities can be counted towards annual registration requirements, thus greatly limiting an agent’s ability to complete their annual CPD requirements more efficiently. 

In contrast an agent can complete all 10 Category A activities (including a mandatory unit) to fulfil their registration requirements. 

For example, an agent may choose to attend a series of Category A webinars or one day Category A workshop to make up their 10 annual points.  

How do I choose the right CPD for my learning needs? 

The choice for an RMA to complete a CPD activity is entirely personal.  There however several parameters on which an RMA can rely on in order to determine which CPD activity they should be attending: 

-          Price is not an indication of quality. Cheaper CPD activities can be delivered by experienced presenters.  Similarly, expensive CPD activities can also be delivered by a facilitator with limited industry experience

-          Check the year a CPD facilitator was first registered; the first two digits of the facilitators MARN will indicate the year of registration (e.g. an RMA with “15” as the first two digits of their registration number will indicate they first became registered as a Migration Agent in 2015).  Recently registered facilitators are less likely to have enough industry experience or exposure practical scenarios which may in turn result in a less productive outcome for participants

-          Category A activities are structured in a workshop-style setting, these types CPD sessions will allow participants (newly registered as well as experienced) to ask questions, clarify the content material and present and comment on case studies

-          CPD activities should ideally be be facilitated by senior and experienced practitioners with at least five years of industry experience in order to offer participants an in depth CPD session

-          Familiarise yourself with the CPD provider.  Has the provider offered similar workshops previously?  How relevant are the workshops to today’s immigration practice and the diversity of the topics offered by a CPD provider? 

SUMMARY

A Registered Migration Agent’s continued professional development is vital to adaptability of Australia’s everchanging and often volatile immigration system.  Whilst the type of CPD activity undertaken by an Agent, as well as the choosing the CPD should be a personal choice, it is nonetheless important to understand the difference between Category A and Category B CPD activities being offered by CPD providers. 

There are several CPD providers that offer Category A activities to RMAs including the Migration Institute of Australia, McKkr's as well as Legal Training Australia.  For a full list of Category A CPD providers, agents are encouraged to visit the OMARA website. 

If you need assistance, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information. 

More information is also available here:

Migration Agents (IMMI 17/047: CPD Activities, Approval of CPD Providers and CPD Provider Standards) Instrument 2017 (Instrument IMMI 17/047)