Preparing for migration advice

When a visa question comes up, many of us know exactly where to start: the family WhatsApp group.

Within minutes, someone’s cousin has the answer. An uncle remembers a rule from 2009. A friend says, “Just do what I did—it worked for me.”

They usually mean well. But a successful application in someone else’s circumstances is not a personalised assessment of yours. Your cousin’s visa grant letter is good news for your cousin; it is not a migration qualification.

Friends and relatives can provide valuable support. A better question to ask them is: “Can you recommend a registered migration agent or Australian lawyer you had a good experience with?”

Then make your own checks.

A recommendation is a starting point not a credential

Before engaging a registered migration agent, ask for their Migration Agent Registration Number, or MARN. Search the official OMARA register and match the individual’s name, registration details and business information.

If you are engaging an Australian lawyer, check their current practising status through the relevant state or territory legal regulator. Lawyers do not need a MARN to provide immigration assistance as Australian legal practitioners. In Victoria, the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner provides a public Register of Lawyers.

Registration checks establish professional status. You should also ask about the person’s experience with matters like yours, who will handle your work, the scope of assistance, fees and communication arrangements.

A polished social-media profile and a wall of success stories should never replace these checks. Nobody can guarantee a visa outcome. A thousand followers may be impressive; they are still not a registration number.

Read the consumer guide before you get started

Under section 38 of the Code of Conduct, an RMA must give you a copy of the consumer guide before providing immigration assistance. If you have not received it, ask for it.

Take time to read and understand the OMARA consumer guide. It explains professional standards, services, agreements, fees and invoices, and how to complain if something goes wrong. Ask your RMA to explain anything you do not understand. This is one document worth opening before clicking “I have read it”—your visa plans deserve more attention than an app update.

Know what you want to achieve

You do not need to know the correct visa subclass before seeking advice. You should, however, think about your goals.

Are you hoping to study, join your partner, explore employer sponsorship or understand your longer-term options? What matters most: staying together as a family, pursuing a particular occupation or beginning a course?

Explain your priorities and constraints honestly. If your goals conflict, say so. A proposed pathway needs to fit your circumstances, rather than simply sound attractive.

Write down your three most important questions before the appointment. That small step can stop the conversation becoming a tour of every visa someone has mentioned to you. “Whatever my cousin applied for” is a conversation starter, rather than a personal goal.

Prepare a timeline not a mountain of screenshots

A one-page timeline can be more helpful than hundreds of messages with no explanation. Your adviser should not need an archaeological dig through your camera roll to work out what happened in March.

Record important dates for your visas, travel, studies, employment and relationships. Separate confirmed facts from estimates, and identify documents you still need to locate.

Keep complete decision notices and relevant correspondence available. Tell the practice about urgent dates when booking. Do not assume that an appointment pauses a deadline.

You do not need to create a perfect application before asking for help. The aim is to give your adviser a clear starting point.

Have your identity documents ready

Before the appointment, ask which identity documents the practice needs and have them ready, such as your passport. Follow its secure process for showing or supplying them. “My cousin can confirm it is me” may be reassuring at a family wedding; it is not an identity document.

Section 36 of the Code of Conduct for registered migration agents generally requires an RMA to take all reasonable steps to verify a client’s identity and be reasonably satisfied of it before giving immigration assistance. Section 36(2) provides an exception for advice during an initial consultation. Having ID ready is still sensible preparation.

Bring support with your written consent

A friend or relative can be useful company, but tell the RMA beforehand if you want them to join your consultation. Give written consent identifying the person and confirming that you agree to your personal information being discussed in their presence. Being your designated driver does not automatically make someone your designated listener.

Under section 35 of the Code of Conduct, an RMA must not disclose or allow disclosure of a client’s personal information to a third person without the client’s written consent, except where disclosure is required by law. A family relationship does not remove that duty.

Be clear about what you are comfortable discussing, and ask for private time if needed. Consent to someone attending is not blanket permission for future updates or for them to give instructions on your behalf.

Give your adviser the whole picture

An adviser can only assess the circumstances they know about. Do not hide information because it feels embarrassing, seems unimportant or might complicate the conversation. Think of it as sharing the full story, rather than the highlights reel.

Discuss your complete relevant history, including:

• Previous visa applications, grants, refusals, cancellations and any compliance concerns.
• Travel history, including periods or dates you are unsure about.
• Police matters, charges, convictions, pending proceedings or other concerns.
• Previous and current relationships, marriages, separations and relevant family circumstances.
• Study history, including incomplete courses, changes and gaps.
• Employment history, actual duties, qualifications and periods without work.

These matters do not all have the same significance. Disclosing something does not automatically mean that it will prevent an application. Its relevance needs assessment.

“I didn’t think it mattered” is a difficult sentence to hear after documents have already been prepared. It is much more useful at the first consultation, followed by: “Can we check?”

If an earlier application contains a mistake, tell your adviser and provide the available records. Do not repeat an inaccurate answer simply to keep the paperwork looking consistent. Ask how the issue should be addressed.

Share sensitive information privately through the practice’s secure channels—not in a public comment or community group.

Leave knowing what happens next

Before finishing your consultation, ask:

• What options need further assessment?
• What information is missing?
• What are the main uncertainties and risks?
• What does the proposed service include, and what will it cost?
• What should I do next, and by when?

Useful advice may identify further questions rather than provide an immediate solution. The goal is a clearer understanding of your position and the next informed step. If your next step is to ask your cousin what the adviser meant, ask the adviser before you leave.

Seek clarity rather than collecting competing answers

Speaking to several professionals until someone gives the answer you want can create confusion. One adviser may have seen your complete records; another may have heard only a five-minute summary. Their comments may also concern different pathways or different stages of a matter. Five different answers do not become a plan simply because they fit into one WhatsApp screenshot.

Before changing advisers, ask what is causing your concern. Is the advice unclear? Has the scope changed? Are messages going unanswered? Ask for an explanation and a written outline of the proposed next steps.

You are entitled to seek a second opinion or change representatives. You should not remain with someone you do not trust or whose conduct concerns you.

If you do change, arrange an orderly handover. Clarify who is responsible for deadlines, correspondence and outstanding work, and make sure the new adviser receives the relevant history. Avoid leaving several professionals working on conflicting instructions.

Your friends can help you find a professional. Your adviser needs the facts. And your family WhatsApp group can return to its other important responsibilities—birthday wishes and deciding who makes the best biryani.

General information only. Individual advice requires an assessment of your circumstances. Visa outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

Author biography and resource links

Mmanu Bhardwaj is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2518871) and Director of Tilsavv: Education and Migration. Based in North Geelong, he assists clients across Australia with migration matters, including student, partner and employer-sponsored visa pathways. TILSAVV also provides education counselling.

OMARA migration agent register

Victorian Register of Lawyers

TILSAVV consultation preparation guide

Code of Conduct for registered migration agents sections 35 and 36

OMARA consumer guide and translated versions