Media Release: More Reform Required

The professional association representing migration agents, the Migration Institute of Australia, is concerned about allegations raised on tonight’s Four Corners program on migration and education scams.

“Unfortunately, hearing reports about international students and visa applicants falling prey to unscrupulous operators is not a new issue”, says Maurene Horder, CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia.

In May 2008, the MIA reported 60 rogue agents from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and is unaware if any of these were prosecuted.

Any unethical or illegal behaviour by registered migration agents is not tolerated by the Institute and should be cracked down on by the Department.

“We’ve been asking government to sort out problems with education agents and illegal or unscrupulous operators for an extended period of time. The announcement that education agents will have a register is a first step but doesn’t go far enough in reforming the sector,” says Ms Horder.

A recent independent report, entitled Changing Together, confirms the nature of some of the problems which affects the profession – that the bad behaviour of a minority of unscrupulous operators’ impacts negatively on the entire migration advice profession.

“Following the report’s release, the MIA is acting on a comprehensive range of reforms to strengthen standards and ethics of migration agents.” says Ms Horder. These include:

• Comprehensive reform to the education and training of agents
• Requiring current Registered Migration Agents to requalify to a higher standard of English language and professional competence
• Introduce a tiered system of registration to protect consumers
• Formation of an independent complaints body with the power to review fees

Responsibility for change should be shared by education providers, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

“I wait with interest to see tonight’s Four Corners episode and hope that it will provide an added impetus for the key stakeholders to come together and develop appropriate policies to meet Australia’s educational and immigration interests without anyone being exploited.”

Source  :  www.mia.org.au

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Four Corners Emigration is in Administration

Website is still live ! 

www.pomsinoz.com

 

I just read your threads about this Four Corners Emigration situation. It is indeed a very big concern. I can confirm I just had a phone call from a worried client named Neil who has paid all his fees to Four Corners and is near the end of the process of getting his Visa. Just had his request for medicals and police checks. He told me that he received a letter on Wednesday advising that Four Corners have gone into administration and then a letter today that Migration Bureau have taken over his file. He telephoned Migration Bureau to get some help and was apparently asked to pay some money to have somebody review his file.

As he has paid all his fees already he was obviously reluctant to pay any more money which is understandable. He wanted to know if from this point he could complete the process on his own. My answer was ‘yes’ in his case. In reality this gentleman counts himself lucky. He should be fine and have his visa shortly. But still needs to contact DIAC and submit the relevant forms to put himself on record and update his correspondence address to make sure he receives all future correspondence from DIAC.

If there is anybody out there that been affected and want to have a talk to someone I am happy to help if you wish to call me on 0207 427 5975.

Sammy Naghi
Australian Solicitor L.S. No: 42619
Registered Migration Agent No: 0641061
Direct Tel: +44 (0) 20 7427 5975
Taylor Hampton Solicitors LLP
www.emigrate-to-australia.co.uk  

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