Australian Immigration Daily News

Who said “there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues?”  (Well if you happened to be around in the late 1960’s, or a fan of rock music, you’ll know that it was the British band, “The Who” who made a song with those lyrics very famous!)

Or, if you are not a “flower child” from the 1960’s, you can nonetheless find a cure for the summertime blues by reading the recent decision of the Full Court in the case of He v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) FCAFC 206 – or, just keep reading the discussion below.

The decision was handed down on 14 December 2017, and it really was an “early Christmas present”!

Registered Migration Agents/solicitors should be aware of the Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agenst) Bill 2017 and of the Parliamentary Senate committee recommendation that solicitors no longer be regulated by the Office of the Migration Agent Registration Authority (OMARA).

The Parliamentary Senate committee has been receiving submissions into this matter. I recently stumbled upon a submission which was written by Ms Angela Julian-Armitage, who was the former head of the Northern Territory and Queensland branches of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA).  This was submitted to the Parliamentary Senate Committee on 1 September 2017, strongly arguing for the case that  solicitors should remain regulated by OMARA.

MIAParliament.pdf (The MIA submission to Parliament)

The recent incidents relating to Eddie Kang & Goldman Pintex highlights one of the biggest concerns clients have when engaging with immigration consultants – Trust! 

Your clients embark on an emotional journey when they decide to uproot themselves and move to a different country.  They look up to their advisor to help them navigate the complex systems. They care about how they are treated and are looking for assurance that their case will be handled in the most professional manner.  It is incumbent upon every professional agent to provide this confidence to their clients.  

How can you differentiate and offer your clients the assurance that they will not be left high and dry?  

The following is a media release by the Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, Matt Kean, re Eddie Kang and Goldman Pintex:

Matt-Kean-med-rel---do-not-deal-with-goldman-pintex-management-pty-ltd__20171219-215013_1.pdf

Migration Alliance members would be aware of the public awareness campaign we have been running via this website.

It seems pretty evident that the present Minister for Immigration and Border Protection has an “agenda” to exclude persons who have been associated with “outlaw motorcycle gangs” from Australia, by exercising the visa cancellation powers under section 501 of the Migration Act. 

Another case that exemplifies this apparent agenda was recently decided by the Full Court of the Federal Court, Muggeridge v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) FCA (8 December 2017). 

Perhaps an initial, superficial reading of the facts might tend to suggest that the visa cancellation was justified: