Mrs Angela Chan of Migration Institute of Australia (MIA), the peak body for Australian migration advice professionals, said the organisation has been made aware, after discussions with a journalist who obtained documents under the FOI Act, that the Department of Immigration prepared two Blacklists A and B of migration agents.
These lists related to lawyers and agents lodging partner visa applications. The MIA understands that they are no longer used by the Department.
“The Department has assured the Institute that there is no need for lawyers or agents to be concerned about being included on any list, as any lists have now been destroyed,” said MIA National President, Ms Angela Chan FMIA.
The Institute recognises that while it is of utmost importance that the Immigration Department ensures integrity of processing for all visa applications, it must also ensure that any processes of screening applications received from lawyers and agents be done in an open and transparent manner.
“If any list is developed by the Immigration Department in the future, then any person who is on the list must be given the opportunity to respond to any negative comments. There must also be proper oversight and governance of any list,” said Ms Angela Chan.
“There are some areas of migration that are more vulnerable to integrity issues which Immigration must monitor as a matter of public interest, but there must also be a balance in how this is achieved,: said Mrs Chan.
“The Institute has proposed to the Department that now is the time to work with the Institute to develop processes which ensure integrity while providing greater accessibility for lawyers and agents who do the right thing,” said Ms Chan.