The Department of Immigration and Border Protection announced over Christmas that the Perth Magistrates Court sentenced a 51 year old man after he was convicted for a string of criminal and migration fraud offences which cost his victims over $730,000. Paul Harrison is the second Western Australian in recent months to be convicted of migration fraud, after Mr Charanvir Charanvir was also jailed for four years and was ordered to repay $39,000 in costs to his victims. Unfortunately, for many victims, while legal costs and damages can be awarded, no remedy can restore the time that may have passed, rendering them ineligible for visas they once hoped to gain.
Both the Department of Immigration and the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) have taken the opportunity to remind the public that migration fraud is a very serious offence and that only a registered migration agent may provide migration advice. To check the registration details of your migration agent, you can search the register of migration agents on the MARA website here – https://www.mara.gov.au/search-the-register-of-migration-agents/
At The Migration Place, our team are not only registered migration agents, but also currently practicing solicitors. Our Migration Agents Registration Certificates are available at all times, as well as our current practicing certificates issued by the Queensland Law Society. Our duties of client confidentiality, ethics, and professional standards are not only required by law, but a fundamental cornerstone of our relationships with our clients. To avoid becoming a victim of migration fraud, ensure you only consult with the highest standard of immigration lawyer – you may only have one shot at your Australian future! Call The Migration Place on +61 7 3229 4025.