Australian Immigration Daily News

The Director of the Office of the MARA has provided the following information to Migration Alliance: 

From 22 March 2021, amendments to the Migration Act 1958 will commence, allowing an Australian legal practitioner (lawyer) to provide immigration assistance in connection with legal practice. This means that a lawyer may provide immigration assistance without being a registered migration agent (RMA). 

These changes are as a result of the Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Act 2020 which also requires the removal of lawyers from the regulatory scheme administered by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). 

For those lawyers who were previously an RMA who intend to resume providing immigration assistance from commencement of the new legislation on 22 March 2021, transitional arrangements have been developed to enable lawyers who are no longer RMAs to access ImmiAccount. 

The transitional period is from 22 March to November 2021. 

During the transitional period lawyers can use their former MARN as a temporary lawyer ID number to access ImmiAccount. Lawyers can use their former MARN for this purpose until such time as a new unique identifier number is provided by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department). This is expected to be in place November 2021. 

From 22 March 2021 the Home Affairs website https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/who-can-help-with-your-application will include a new tab titled ‘Using a legal practitioner’. From this page lawyers can download and complete the new form 1548 ‘Application for an Australian Legal Practitioner Number’ (LPN). The form 1548 will ask for a MARN – lawyers can provide their former MARN. 

Lawyers should then email the completed form 1548 with a copy of their practising certificates to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

The lawyer will receive a response from the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  mailbox with advice that their details have been updated and how they can access ImmiAccount.  These procedures will be available on the Home Affairs website from 22 March 2021.

On 22 March 2021, the updated form 956 Appointment of a registered migration agent, legal practitioner or exempt person will be available on the Home Affairs website to allow lawyers to advise the Department that they have been appointed by a client (e.g. a visa applicant) to provide immigration assistance under the Migration Act 1958 and, if applicable, to receive documents on their behalf.