Australia Cracks Down on ‘Front Agents’ After Hundreds of Visa Applications Linked to Unregistered Assistance

Australia’s migration regulator has sanctioned three registered migration agents/front agents after finding they allowed unregistered people to provide immigration assistance using their professional registration numbers, exposing a practice authorities describe as “front agent” activity.

The action by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) includes one cancellation and two suspensions. In the most extensive of the three cases, investigators found that hundreds of visa applications lodged through three business ImmiAccounts involved either immigration assistance that had not been declared or work carried out by staff who were not registered migration agents.

For people paying thousands of dollars for help with an Australian visa, the cases raise a deceptively simple question: is the registered migration agent whose number appears on the paperwork actually the person providing the migration assistance?

What is a ‘front agent’?

Every registered migration agent in Australia receives a unique Migration Agent Registration Number, or MARN.
Consumers are routinely told to check that number before engaging an agent. OMARA maintains a public register where a person can be searched by name, MARN, business name, or location. If someone does not appear on that register, OMARA says they are not registered and cannot provide immigration assistance in Australia as a registered migration agent.

The latest cases show, however, that checking a MARN may not always tell the whole story.

A “front agent” arrangement occurs when a registered agent effectively provides their credentials or professional cover to someone who is not registered, allowing that person to perform work that legally should be undertaken by an authorised migration professional.

Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill compared the practice to someone borrowing the registration number of a doctor, lawyer or financial planner.

“When people pay a migration agent they rightly expect a qualified person will do the work, not an untrained, unregistered fake agent,” Hill said in the government statement announcing the action.

Hundreds of visa applications examined

The first case was the largest disclosed by the government. OMARA cancelled the registration of one migration agent after finding that hundreds of visa applications lodged through three business ImmiAccounts involved either undeclared immigration assistance or assistance provided by non-registered employees.

ImmiAccount is the Department of Home Affairs’ online system for lodging and managing visa and citizenship applications.

Importantly, the government announcement does not say that those hundreds of visa applications have automatically been cancelled, refused or declared invalid.

Nor does the announcement establish that every applicant knew unregistered people were involved.

That distinction matters. The regulatory action publicly described is against the migration professionals and the manner in which assistance was provided. Applicants whose cases may be connected to such conduct should not assume the outcome of their visa matter based on the announcement alone.

Son provided migration assistance in the second case

In a separate matter, OMARA suspended a registered migration agent who admitted that his son, who was not a registered migration agent, had provided immigration assistance on behalf of the business.

The investigation also identified allegations of something potentially even more concerning: clients were allegedly given falsified Department of Home Affairs correspondence designed to make them believe visa applications had been lodged when they had not.

The government release describes these as allegations and does not identify how many clients were affected.
For visa applicants, that part of the case highlights the danger of relying exclusively on screenshots, forwarded emails or documents supplied by an intermediary when there are doubts about whether an application has actually been submitted.

Business director used another agent’s MARN

The third case involved another registered migration agent whose registration was suspended. OMARA found the agent had knowingly allowed a fellow director of the business to lodge visa applications using the registered agent’s MARN while that director was working towards becoming qualified as a registered migration agent.

The fact that the other person was seeking registration did not make them a registered migration agent at the time the assistance was provided. Only appropriately authorised people can lawfully provide immigration assistance in Australia.

OMARA is stepping up monitoring

The three cases form part of a broader increase in enforcement across Australia’s migration advice industry. OMARA established a dedicated Monitoring team in October 2025. During the 2025–26 financial year, the team proactively monitored 85 registered migration agents and identified 43 instances of non-compliance.

Those matters were addressed through education, engagement or regulatory action depending on their seriousness.
Together with OMARA’s Investigations team, which handles allegations of more serious misconduct, 28 registered migration agents were sanctioned during 2025–26.

OMARA said the overwhelming majority of registered migration agents act professionally and with integrity, but warned that a smaller group deliberately undermines the migration system for personal gain. The regulator says those operators will be identified and removed from the profession.

Who is actually allowed to give immigration assistance?

Australian rules distinguish between general administrative help and immigration assistance, which includes using knowledge of migration procedures to advise or help a person with visa matters. In Australia, immigration assistance can lawfully be provided by a registered migration agent, an Australian legal practitioner or certain exempt people.

Home Affairs guidance warns that paying an unauthorised person for migration advice can expose applicants to incorrect information and potentially damage their immigration prospects.

That is why consumers should verify the individual, rather than simply trusting a business name, shopfront, social media profile or MARN displayed on advertising.

A legitimate migration agency can employ administrative staff. The critical issue is who is actually providing the immigration advice and assistance that requires professional authorisation.

Five checks applicants should make

The latest cases suggest visa applicants should go further than simply asking, “Does this business have a MARN?”

1. First, search the person’s name and MARN on OMARA’s official register and confirm the details match the individual you believe is representing you.
2. Second, ask clearly who will actually provide the migration advice and prepare or oversee your application. If most of your contact is with another person, understand that person’s role and whether they are authorised to give migration assistance.
3. Third, keep your service agreement, invoices, receipts and written communications. OMARA’s consumer guidance says registered agents have obligations covering service agreements, charging, invoices and record keeping.
4. Fourth, if something appears unusual, such as conflicting information about whether an application has been lodged, verify the position through official Department of Home Affairs channels rather than relying solely on documents forwarded by another person.
5. Finally, act quickly if you believe something has gone wrong. Consumers can make a complaint about a registered migration agent to OMARA, while suspected unlawful immigration assistance or migration scams can be reported through Border Watch.

OMARA also states that lodging a complaint against a registered migration agent will not affect a visa application already lodged with the Department.

The MARN is the starting point, not the final check

Australia’s migration system is complex, and applicants often place enormous trust in the professional helping them navigate it. A registration number is designed to provide reassurance that the person giving advice has met professional requirements and is accountable to a regulator.

The latest OMARA action demonstrates why that protection depends on more than a number appearing on a website or document. For visa applicants, the practical lesson is straightforward: check the registration, check the person and know who is actually handling your matter.

The overwhelming majority of registered migration agents may operate professionally, as OMARA itself stresses. But when an application can affect a person’s ability to study, work, reunite with family or remain in Australia, knowing exactly who is providing the advice is not an administrative detail.

It can be one of the most important checks an applicant makes.