Is your migration agent Australian government registered?
In Australia, Registered Migration Agents must be licensed then registered with Australia’s Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA).
A person who is not registered cannot charge clients a fee for advice and it is against the law.
All Registered Migration Agents must follow the rules established within the OMARA Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct ensures that Registered Migration Agents treat clients fairly and do not take advantage of clients. Using a migration agent who isn’t registered is a serious risk.
Migration agents who aren’t registered will often lie to migrants and only want to take an applicant’s money. They will make promises of jobs and visas which will never come, especially if they’re working outside Australia.
Always make sure that the migration agent you hire is registered with the OMARA. All Registered Migration Agents will provide proof that they are registered and this proof can be easily checked on the internet.
Never use a migration agent who isn’t registered or isn’t able to show you proof of registration
Migration agent scams in the media
A recent news story shows why you must always make sure to use a registered migration agent. A person fraudulently claiming to be a registered migration agent promised jobs and visas to migrants.
These migrants provided him with their life savings and received no jobs and were given forged visas of no value. This even happened in Australia where the police and the law are very vigilant.
It would be even worse overseas where people are more easily able to get away with such deception – access one media article about this here http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-11/abel-prasad-arrested-over-alleged-migrant-visa-scam/6932040