How to find a migration agent
You can find a migration agent by conducting your own online research or by consulting study abroad agencies, many of which have partnerships with migration agents.
If you are going to use a migration agent, they must be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). Migration agents registered with MARA are the only people who can legally submit and/or process a visa application on your behalf. You can use the Register of Migration Agents to search for migration agents or to check if your agent is registered by looking up their name.
Explore your options
One of the best ways to ensure you find the right migration agent is to consult and choose the one you feel most comfortable with.
Consulting a few different agents is also a good way to make sure you are being fairly charged. MARA recommends contacting at least three agents to get a sense of how their fees and charges compare to one another.
Before you decide on your migration agent, look for online reviews or testimonials from previous clients. If the agent has a great track record of helping people – particularly international students – successfully lodging their visa applications, this is a good sign that they will be able to help you as well.
Budget for your first consultation
Although the initial consult with a migration agent can be quite costly (roughly AU$250), this is a normal and necessary part of the process. This first appointment provides a great deal of useful information and helps you understand your visa options, the application fees, documents required, processing times, and the likelihood of visa approval.
Be mindful of suspicious behaviour
If you have hired a migration agent and they are making promises to you that seem unrealistic or that they haven’t delivered on, this could be a bad sign.
For example, if a migration agent is charging you excess fees under the promise that your application will be approved, that could be indicative of fraudulent activity. Remember that no migration agent can influence the outcome of an application, fast-track the processing, or guarantee you a visa.
Contracts
It is standard for a migration agent to provide you with a written contract outlining their fees and services. If they are not readily offering this written agreement, it could be a sign of suspicious behaviour. Be sure to ask for a contract as well as any receipts for payments you make so you have a paper trail of your agreements with the agent.