DIBP Issues A Strict Warning To Unlawful Migration Agents

08 Jan 2014

A new warning has been issued to unlawful migration agents by immigration officials about deceiving Visa applicants and making false promises of Australian PR (Permanent Residency).

Recently, a migration agency based in Melbourne has been raided by the Australian Federal Police and Immigration officials, and presently, investigators are checking out the evidence gathered from the agency.

It is suspected that the agency has been providing migration assistance without being registered to do so as well as making false promises of Australian PR.

Scott Morrison, the Minister for the Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) said that the executed search warrants send a strong message to people who attempts to deceive innocent people and defraud migration programs.

He added that the allegations of migration fraud are taken seriously by his department, and the courts and the department will act against people who try to engage in such behavior.

There is no guarantee about the outcome of migration and visa applications. As per the law, Australian Migration agents should be registered with the Office of the MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority). Under the Migration Act, providing migration assistance by a person who is not a registered agent is a serious offence.

Morrison explained that DIBP works closely with other state and federal government agencies to help identify and prosecute these offenders.

He added that immigration portfolio related cases of alleged criminal activity can result in administrative and/or criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

Visa applicants who want to find out if a consultancy or person is registered as a migration agent visit and check the Office of the MARA’s website.

Concurrently, the recent figures show that the DIBP delivered the 2012-13 Permanent Migration Program to the exact planning level of 190,000.

For the 2012-13 Permanent Migration Program’s top 5 source countries were India, China, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and South Africa.