Minister Jason Wood attended the 2020 Immigration Law Conference on 06 March in his
capacity as Assistant Minister overseeing the migration advice industry.
The move to deregulate the migration advice industry has moved closer with the passing of
The Regulation of Migration Agents Bill and the Migration Agents Registration Application
Charge Amendment (Rates of Charge) in the House of Representatives in February. The
Bills are expected to pass the Senate in the next sitting period scheduled for March 2020.
The Bills will remove legal practitioners with unrestricted practising certificates from the
present registered migration agents regulatory scheme. Transitional arrangements will be in
place to ensure current and future legal practitioners with restricted practising certificates
and migration agent qualifications can continue to be registered as migration agents for an
eligible period of two years, with extension up to four years. OMARA will be empowered to
refuse registration applications if applicant fails to respond to requests for further information.
