In short
How to check that a migration agent or immigration consultant is properly registered in Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand, plus the warning signs to walk away from.
In this article
Anyone can call themselves a "consultant". Only some people are legally allowed to give immigration advice for payment, and in most study-abroad destinations there is a public register that proves it. Checking takes a couple of minutes and should happen before you share documents or pay a fee.
Why registration matters
Registered advisers are bound by a code of conduct, must hold their registration to practise, and can be disciplined by a regulator. If something goes wrong with an unregistered person, you usually have very little recourse, and a poorly prepared application can also leave a refusal on your record that affects later applications.
Where to check, country by country
| Country | Who can advise for a fee | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Registered migration agents (MARN) and Australian legal practitioners | Register of Migration Agents run by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA), at mara.gov.au. Search by name or MARN. |
| Canada | Licensed consultants (regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, CICC), lawyers and Quebec notaries | CICC public register for consultants; the provincial law society for lawyers |
| United Kingdom | Advisers regulated by the OISC, and solicitors regulated by the SRA | OISC register of regulated advisers; the SRA register for solicitors |
| New Zealand | Licensed immigration advisers, plus lawyers and certain exempt people | Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) public register |
How to run the check in Australia
- Go to mara.gov.au and choose to search for a registered agent.
- Enter the agent's MARN if you have it. You do not need to fill in the other fields.
- Open the agent's record and confirm the name, business and status match the person you are dealing with.
- If there is no result, ask the person to explain, and do not proceed until you are satisfied.
Want advice for your own profile?
Leave your details and a counsellor will get back to you, usually within 2 hours.
Warning signs to walk away from
- A guaranteed visa or a guaranteed admission. No adviser controls the decision.
- No registration number, or one that does not match the name on the register.
- Pressure to pay in cash, or to pay quickly to "hold a slot".
- No written service agreement or fee schedule.
- Offers of fake bank statements, inflated experience letters or other false documents.
- Asking to keep your original passport or documents.
What a good adviser will do
A reputable adviser gives you their registration number without being asked, puts the scope and fees in writing, explains risks as well as opportunities, and tells you plainly when a plan is unlikely to work. Ask for the registration number of the person who will handle your file, not just the company's name.
Check us the same way
We encourage every student to do this with OEVS too. Ask your counsellor for the MARN of the agent handling your file and look it up yourself before you decide.