ONE derland Consulting, based in Perth, Western Australia, is a member of the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA).
It is a mandatory requirement for professional migration agents in Australia to be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA).
The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA) is an office attached to the Department of Home Affairs.
The Office is a governing body of all Australia based migration agents. The Office ensures that:
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Only satisfactory persons are registered as migration agents and inadequate persons are refused registration or re-registration;
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Australian registered agents maintain correct knowledge enabling them to provide detailed and exact advice to customers;
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All complaints about the services of registered or non-registered migration agents are promptly and judiciously addressed;
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Consumers understand their rights and agents understand their accountability and obligations to consumers under the regulatory framework.
As an Australian registered migration agent in Australia, we must follow a specific code of conduct written and enforced by The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA). This code of conduct ensures that we, as a Australian migration agent, provide the following:
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Honest advice surrounding your chances of securing an Australian visa;
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Maintain contact and keep you updated and informed about the progress of your application and any regulatory changes that may affect your application;
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Be contactable during business hours and if any change of details are made, all clients are notified;
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Act within the law, the personal interests of the client and protect the privacy of the client;
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Provide the client with written statements prior to starting preparation of the services to be provided, the estimated fees and any other costs;
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Charge a reasonable fee;
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Provide the client with an invoice outlining the fees and the services included in payment of the fees;
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Provide correct advice promptly and inform the client in writing of the outcome of a visa application.
If a migration agent is operating from outside of Australia and is not registered by any matter of the word, he or she is not obligated to operate by the code of conduct above. The agent would not be bided by any laws or regulations.
Any migration agencies outside of Australia cannot be closely governed by any authoritative body including the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA) or the Department of Home Affairs enabling the agent offshore to act in unlawful ways and effectively get away with it.
Australian Migration agents based offshore have been known to present a false profile to consumers in the past, commit fraud and take advantage of the willingness and determination some people present in migrating to Australia. When this happens, there is no action the Australian Government or any regulatory body can take.
It’s possible that migration agents based offshore are not as highly up-to-date with regulation changes or visa structures as an Australian migration agent would be. As a member of The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA), we are kept updated of regulation changes and informed or immigration news making us absolutely prepared to prepare and lodge a visa application with full knowledge of the current regulations.
If you’re still outside of Australia and looking for a way to get here, we would advise you to contact an Australian migration agency, just like ONE derland Consulting. We are very contactable by email, phone, Skype, live chat and are constantly looking at ways to better accommodate international clients.
If you’ve been quoted lesser fees offshore by a non-Australian migration agent, while these quotes may seem appealing, we advise you to express extreme caution as these deals are often too good to be true.
If you have been a victim of migration agency fraud and would still like to come to Australia or are simply seeking an Australian registered migration agent, you are more than welcome to contact us.
