Regulatory Changes

Mon, 16 Feb, 2009

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, today announced the establishment of a new body to regulate migration agents.

Senator Evans said that from July 1 2009, the new Office of Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) will undertake the regulatory functions which have been operated under statutory self-regulation by the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) since 1998.

The 2007-08 Review of Statutory Self-Regulation of the Migration Advice Profession, which was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of the regulatory scheme, recommended that the government consider establishing a regulatory body separate from the MIA to address the concerns.

The new MARA will be supported by an advisory board, which will include a nominee from the MIA, a nominee from the Law Council of Australia, a consumer representative and a community representative. The office will receive administrative support from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Senator Evans said that the establishment of the new body is the first step in the implementation of a range of recommendations made in the review.

The 2007-08 Review of Statutory Self-Regulation of the Migration Advice Profession is available at: http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/general/review2008-report.htm