DIBP has secret blacklist of immigration lawyers...

[FlashP5sub175 14]

Is your lawyer on the list?

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/secret-blacklist-of-immigration-lawyers-20140503-37oyw.html

[blossom 3,079]

It wasn't a secret that some agents were more trusted than other by immigration.

There should be a list and at some point they should be taking registration away from ones who don't know what they are doing. I've lost count of how many applications I've seen people refused with which any of us on here could have told them they had no chance. And then there are the ones who did have a chance but the agents didn't pass on requests for info etc.

[FlashP5sub175 14]

It wasn't a secret that some agents were more trusted than other by immigration.

There should be a list and at some point they should be taking registration away from ones who don't know what they are doing. I've lost count of how many applications I've seen people refused with which any of us on here could have told them they had no chance. And then there are the ones who did have a chance but the agents didn't pass on requests for info etc.

 

Maybe so, but everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Even lawyers. Isn't it MARA's job to make sure that the lawyers are doing their job correctly?

[blossom 3,079]

MARA only knows if they get complaints. Many people don't even know to report to MARA. There are so many bad agents out there I personally don't think MARA is good enough.

[connaust 590]

I'd agree. A fairly decent MARA agent (not lawyer) we used to cooperate with said that over half of his cohort doing MARA registration were able to pass, but practically incompetent. Even this one for whom we used to place candidates for study used to send mountains of legal/DIBP attachments for us to interpret..... we had to explain that he was the MARA expert not us...... so simply tell us which course type, then we can do it.

 

However, due to the sales nature of MARA i.e. taking fee/making contract up front (vs we as education consultants only being paid after candidate commences study by institution), too many 'square pegs' not fitting in 'rouund holes'.

 

Of course study candidates left with no PR outcome after legal changes in Oz, were left stranded, and he did not return their calls and messages.....

 

And MARA agents at one point were demanding that only they should be allowed to assist with student visas (for those not looking at immigration), when most had no idea about education.....

Edited May 4, 2014 by connaust

[blossom 3,079]

To be fair, two out of three study agencies gave me incorrect info on what courses could lead to pr too. One give me the correct info. I contacted TRA to confirm what he said and he was right. One when I pointed it out said 'ohhhh TRA are wrong'. Another never even replied and kept sending me emails advertising their 'expertise' for months.

At least you can complain to MARA if one of their agents gives you bad info (that that it'd do much).

[connaust 590]

Study agencies or education agents should not be offering immigration advice. If onshore it is illegal, and my understanding is that MARA agents can neither make any guarantee nor keep up with constant DIBP changes.....

 

If an education agent offers immigration advice they can be reported to the institution and/or Dept. of Education as it is illegal under the ESOS Education Services for Overseas Students Act., this is stipulated very clearly in standard agency agreements.

 

However...... many enquirers often ask directly.......

Edited May 5, 2014 by connaust

[Londongal76 10]

Do you have an actual copy of the list?

[Rupert 1,313]

Is your lawyer on the list?

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/secret-blacklist-of-immigration-lawyers-20140503-37oyw.html

 

What list?

[FlashP5sub175 14]

Do you have an actual copy of the list?

It wouldn't be secret if we had it.

[Adam Grey 179]

The DIBP have confirmed that this list is no longer in operation, I believe this has been the case since 2010. The story has only recently emerged after a Freedom Of Information request was made by an agent and it was disclosed.

 

In any case they have said it was purely as part of an administrative tool (which still exists) that was being used to help allocate applications to the appropriate level, flag certain matters or sensitive issues. The agent was only one aspect of the overall 'risk assessment' and it had no bearing on actual decisions.

[FlashP5sub175 14]

You are very trusting. ... and the NSA has destroyed all its illegally gained internet taps...

Do you think everyone at DIBP has destroyed the "unofficial" copies of the list?

 

The DIBP have confirmed that this list is no longer in operation, I believe this has been the case since 2010. The story has only recently emerged after a Freedom Of Information request was made by an agent and it was disclosed.

 

In any case they have said it was purely as part of an administrative tool (which still exists) that was being used to help allocate applications to the appropriate level, flag certain matters or sensitive issues. The agent was only one aspect of the overall 'risk assessment' and it had no bearing on actual decisions.

[Adam Grey 179]

Not at all. I think it would be naive to believe that notes on agents and other matters aren't kept locally in some form, but this particular list/matter has been somewhat sensationalised.

[blossom 3,079]

Totally agree. Just look at the old drc which agents could submit. Not all agents could as if they had proven they were not submitted decision ready applications a certain number of times that privilege was taken away. Of course they would have a list of which agents had submitted incomplete applications and how often.

 

We have had people who worked for immigration give some feedback on how visas are allocated to co's and processed and how good the migration agent is was one of the criteria. If so then there must be some form of a list. It makes total sense. When they had huge backlogs a couple of years ago of course they would want to get the easier ones out of the way first.

[wrussell 2,285]

Maybe so, but everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Even lawyers. Isn't it MARA's job to make sure that the lawyers are doing their job correctly?

 

The OMARA has nothing to do with regulating lawyers, unless they are also registered migration agents.

[FlashP5sub175 14]

The OMARA has nothing to do with regulating lawyers, unless they are also registered migration agents.

I agree. My assumption was that the lawyers were registered.