Did you know?

Migration Agents are required by law (Section 292B of the Migration Act 1958) to hold Professional Indemnity Insurance for at least $250,000 cover.

What is Professional Indemnity Insurance?

The following argument has been occurring between the OMARA and RMA, Carl Smart between 6 March 2014 and 14 March 2014.  Mr Smart is now seeking legal advice through an accredited specialist in tax and finance law.  In the mean time, I will FOI the qualifications for this OMARA Officer to ensure they are qualified to be giving advice of this kind.  In my opinion, it is not enough for an officer at OMARA to say, 'I understand that'.  An officer's understanding is not 'fact in law'.

OMARA EMAIL TO CARL SMART

Dear Mr Smart,

Personal Insurance for 457 Visa Holders

The Migration Alliance is pleased to announce it has recently entered into a Partnership with Make A Difference Insurance for the provision of personal insurance services to 457 Visa Holders. 

Make A Difference Insurance is a family owned brokerage specializing in the following types of personal insurance:

MARCH 2014 – COMMUNITY LIAISON UPDATE

Dear Community Liaison network members

I am pleased to provide the community liaison update for March 2014.

In an interview with David Speers of Sky News, Canberra, DIBP Minister Scott Morrison, holds firm on the Coalition governments determination to reduce red-tape on skilled immigration but adds that there will be a focus on 'integrity measures' of the programme.

David Speers: The Immigration Minister Scott Morrison is with me this afternoon. Thank you for your time. I want to start on the 457 visas. Unions have been expressing concern today about a loophole they say has been reopened that is going to allow more foreign workers in at a time when unemployment is rising. Explain to me exactly what the government has done here.

Minister Morrison: Well it is quite a minor change. What it involves is that when someone has already been approved to be a sponsor of 457s rather than having to go back and fill out all the paperwork again to have that renewed when they have reached a certain number of employees they can continue to do it but every single 457 employee who has been employed must satisfy all the tests that are currently required for finding an Australian do the job first. So there is no change to that.

David Speers: Does it mean for example that employers will no longer face a penalty if they bring in more than they had applied for?

Minister Morrison: What it means is if they want to employ someone on 457s they need to satisfy all the advertising tests and all of the tests of finding an Australian worker first and if they can't find an Australian worker then we are not going to make them go back and fill out a whole bunch more forms which costs them time and money for their business. So this is about regulation reduction, removing the union red tape that was put there by the previous government.