wrussell

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If you obtain a referral to a fund manager from a Registered Migration agent or Lawyer, you should ask them upfront whether they receive a commission or benefit from the fund manager for the referral. Such arrangements must be declared in writing and agreed to by you the applicant.

A RMA must disclose particulars of commissions received or expected, but do not always do so. Lawyers do not have to, but sometimes do.

My solution is to not to seek or accept commissions from course providers, insurers, travel agents, or any other party. That did not stop the ATO from sending a form letter threatening me with dire outcomes for failing to declare commissions.  

Under the current regulations and processing rates 10 years would probably bring you pretty close to a PR grant.

(be paid)

or having paid such costs seek to recover them from the employee.

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/sponsoring-workers/learn-about-sponsoring/cost-of-sponsoring

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Was that vetassess?

Yes!

My clients paid my professional fee, stage 1 and stage 2 and lost the first 2 of these payments when they applied (and presumably were granted) a refund of the stage 2 payment. They hoped in vain for refund of all the fees paid to VETASSESS. 

All costs relating to sponsorship and nomination must be met by the employer and must not ne paid wholly or in part by the visa applicant/s.

I have had well qualified clients in similar circumstances abandon their applications and take a refund after waiting 12 months + . The relevant assessing authority was not even answering the phone at the time. 

I follow R G Menzies who said: If you can get it on one page I shall read it. I might have been too cryptic.When I was school they used to hand out 6 of best to those who could not precis War and Peace to 3 pages.

 I thought you wanted to ascertain whether it was THE department or some other party barking. It was not THE department*.

* Department name          Abbreviation     Start      End       

Department of Immigration       DI          1945      1974      [9]

Department of Labor and Immigration DLI         1974      1975     

Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (I)            DIEA      1975      1987              

Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs               DILGEA               1987      1993     

Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (II)           DIEA      1993      1996              

Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs     DIMA    1996      2001              

Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs     DIMIA               2001      2006     

Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (II)             DIMA    2006               2007     

Department of Immigration and Citizenship       DIAC     2007      2013     

Department of Immigration and Border Protection         DIBP      2013               December 2017               [3]

Department of Home Affairs      Home Affairs     2017      Present

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Who was out there "selling" the 491 when you applied?  Was it the State goverment or some agency?

Do you have to ask?

No.

If Australian PR is granted and activated by a quick visit the holder can come and go as s/he pleases for 5 years.

UK degrees that were not cut out of a cornflakes packet are recognised as comparable to an Australian degree.

Advanced academic standing is sometimes granted on subject completed basis and sometimes on a years complete basis.

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Do you have any experience contacting them?

Yes, 30+ years, 19+ as a registered migration agent. There are some good people in a bad system, but for the most part you might as well talk to a brick wall.

It is not good practice to pay for travel before visas are granted. It is a better strategy to pay a small deposit with the balance to be paid subject to visa grants.

You are unlikely to be assisted in this matter by contacting immigration.

You might expect a RMA to advise you how to proceed for about the cost of a visitor visa application.

5 years. I do my best to ensure that my clients read and understand their visa grant letters.

Do the documents I submit need to be certified?

Uncertified colour scans are accepted.

Under the current rules a travel exemption will not be needed.

Specific information taking into account the particulars of your case would require a paid consultation.

 If they're living abroad, probably not. Certainly not!

If you have claimed work experience that was deducted by the ACS you might want to edit your EoI.

Any registered migration agent who regularly posts on this forum could advise you.

Information on immigration department websites is simplistic, often misleading and sometimes wrong.

407

Have you consulted a registered migration agent?

They would not recognise integrity if it sprang up and bit them on the bum.

After I received the attached ATO threat I had a telephone discussion with an ATO officer about charging less than the average industry fees (mostly due to my bro bono work) which could have come from only the OMARA that records an RMA's average fee claims, sometimes. 

Name case. 

We discussed a subclass 410 for which I had charged $250, including GST.

I had called up the clients' previous 410 application, changed the date,  had the clients sign it, added their new  photographs and a cheque for payment, shoved the lot into an Express Post Envelope and asked them if they wanted another cup of coffee before they left to post the application on their way home. Total runtime, about 30 minutes. How much do you think I should have charged for half an hour, 2 coffees and an Express Post envelope?

We then discussed whether the ATO wanted to face an action for abuse of office. Case closed!

OMARA and ATO.pdf

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Did my migration agent cheat on me?

If your agent was a REGISTERED migration agent s/he must let you know whether a commission was being received from an insurance provider, or other party. Find out. 

Shoving a snout further into the trough might explain part of the costs you are facing.

I always advise my clients to make their own insurance and other  arrangements that attract a commission. I have never taken a commission from any party and I never shall. This did not stop the Australian Taxation Office from sending me a form letter threatening dire consequences for failing to declare commissions.

NOTE:

You cannot legally hold OSHC if you do not hold a student visa.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do.