Australian Immigration Daily News

The Office of the MARA have sent the following information by email:

This evening, Wednesday 19 May 2021 from 17:00 to 18:30 the OMARA website will undergo planned maintenance. Note the following services will not be available during this time:

• lodging enquiries, complaints and applications
• advertising and reporting continuing professional development activities
• searching the Register of Migration Agents, former agents and disciplinary decisions. 

These services will return to normal following the outage.

Liana Allan, Founder of Migration Alliance and John Hourigan, President of the Migration Institute of Australia met for lunch today in Sydney to discuss the Migration Agents Instruments Review consultation report.

Last week,  The Department of Home Affairs released the Migration Agents Instruments Review consultation report, which seeks public feedback.   The report outlines a number of alternatives to achieving a highly qualified and professional migration advice profession.  It also looks at ways the Government can effectively combat misconduct and unlawful activity.

The report covers reform options to the current legislative framework which underpins the migration advice industry.   This includes Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958.    Public submissions have been incorporated into the report via the ‘Creating a world class migration advice industry’ discussion paper.

Compilation was registered on 17/05/2021
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2021C00435

The Review’s scope includes the legislative framework relating to the provision of immigration assistance, including:

- Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958 (the Act)

- Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997

- Migration Agents Regulations 1998 (the Regulations)

- Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Regulations 1998

- Migration Agents (IMMI17/047: CPD Activities, Approval of CPD Providers and CPD Provider Standards) Instrument 2017 (CPD Instrument)

- Migration (IMMI 18/003: Specified courses and exams for registration as a migration agent) Instrument 2018

Source: Migration-Agents-Instruments-Review.pdf

The instrument amends the Migration (LIN 20/229: COVID-19 Pandemic event for Subclass 408 (Temporary Activity) visa and visa application charge for Temporary activity (Class CG) visa) Instrument 2020 (F2020L01145)(LIN20/229) in accordance with subsection 33(3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901. That subsection provides that a power to make a legislative instrument includes a power to amend or repeal that instrument in the same manner, and subject to the same conditions, as the power to make the instrument.  

The instrument commences on the day after this instrument is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation and is a legislative instrument for the Legislation Act 2003 (the Legislation Act).

Source: LIN21038.pdf and LIN21038-Explanatory-Statement.pdf