Choosing a provider
How to tell a registered agent from an operator, and what to ask before you pay.
Cash only, personal accounts and payments to third countries
Paying an agent or lawyer in cash, into a personal bank account or to someone in another country can create a simple problem later: there may be no clear record of who took.
Choosing a providerDoing it yourself versus using an agent
Plenty of people prepare and lodge visa applications without paying a professional. Others pay for help because the forms, evidence rules and timing can be hard to manage.
Choosing a providerWhat happens if someone puts a false document in your application
A false document can damage an application even if the applicant did not create it. The Department looks at what was lodged in the application, not just who supplied it. If a.
Choosing a providerEducation agents and migration agents are not the same thing
An education agent can help with course applications, offers and enrolment. A migration agent or Australian legal practitioner can deal with the visa side. The problem is.
Choosing a providerFake job offers and paid sponsorship: how the scam works
People lose large sums on fake jobs and paid sponsorship deals every year. The pattern is often the same, a person is offered a job, told a business will sponsor or nominate.
Choosing a providerWhat should happen at your first meeting with an agent
The first meeting with a migration agent sets the tone for everything that follows. It is where the agent explains who they are, what they can and cannot do, what the process.
Choosing a providerGhost agents: who actually signed your application
A common problem in migration matters is this: the person doing the calls, collecting documents and answering messages is not the same person whose name and MARN appear on.
Choosing a provider"Guaranteed visa" and why it is always a warning sign
A "guaranteed visa" is not a real product. A visa decision is made by the Department of Home Affairs, or by a review body where the law allows review, not by an agent,.
Choosing a providerHow to check a migration agent is real, in about ninety seconds
A MARN is seven digits and the register is public and free. Here is exactly how to look someone up, what the entry tells you, and the four things that should stop you before you pay anyone.
Choosing a providerMigration agent or immigration lawyer - which do you actually need?
Since March 2021 lawyers no longer hold a MARN, which confuses everybody. What each one can do, when the difference matters, when it does not, and why the cheaper option is often the right one.
Choosing a providerOffshore "consultants" and whether Australian law reaches them
An operator can sit outside Australia, advertise online and take payment for work on an Australian visa matter. The practical problem is enforcement. If something goes wrong,.
Choosing a providerTwenty-two questions to ask before you hire a migration agent
The questions that separate a professional from an operator, grouped by what they actually test - credentials, scope, money, who does the work, and what happens when it goes wrong.
Choosing a providerUnregistered visa agents: what the law says and how to spot one
Charging for immigration assistance without registration is a criminal offence in Australia carrying ten years. Here is what the offences actually are, the eleven signs that you are dealing with one, and what to do if you already have.
This is published information about how the system works. It is not immigration assistance and not legal advice, it cannot take your circumstances into account, and it may be out of date the moment a fee schedule or a regulation changes. Only a registered migration agent or an Australian legal practitioner may advise you on your own application. Describe your case and several of them will answer in writing, for free.