Migration Agent

A migration agent works with individuals, families, and sometimes employers to manage visa applications and immigration matters. This includes assessing a client's eligibility for various visa types, gathering supporting documents, lodging applications, and responding to requests from the Department of Home Affairs. Agents may also represent clients in review proceedings before the Administrative Review Tribunal. The work sits at the intersection of law, client service, and bureaucratic process. It is not legal practice in the traditional sense, but it does require a solid understanding of migration legislation and policy, which changes frequently.

A typical day could involve reviewing a new client's passport and work history to assess visa options, drafting a submission for a partner visa application, or responding to a case officer's request for additional evidence. Agents often manage a caseload of multiple clients at different stages of the application process. There is a fair amount of written communication, both with clients and with government departments. Keeping up with changes to the Migration Act, visa regulations, and departmental policy is a regular part of the role, not an occasional task.

To work as a registered migration agent in Australia, you need to complete a Graduate Diploma in Migration Law (or an equivalent qualification recognised by MARA) and then register with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). Registration requires a character check, professional indemnity insurance, and ongoing continuing professional development. Some people enter this field after working in law, human resources, or community services, using their existing skills as a foundation before completing the required study. You can search for approved courses at yourcareer.gov.au or check dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for any subsidised training options that may apply in your state.

The real challenge in this role is the regulatory and policy environment. Australia's migration law is among the most complex in the world, and it changes regularly. A visa subclass that exists today may be modified, capped, or abolished within a year. Agents carry professional responsibility for the advice they give, and errors can have serious consequences for clients, including visa refusals or cancellations. MARA can suspend or cancel an agent's registration for misconduct or poor practice. If you are considering this as a career change, the Graduate Diploma is a substantial commitment, and the registration process is not a formality. You also need to be comfortable managing clients who are often under significant stress about their immigration status, which adds an emotional dimension to the work that goes beyond paperwork.

Some agents work regionally, often supporting employer-sponsored visa programs in industries such as agriculture and hospitality.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2249, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adhere to organisational code of ethicscore
• Administer oathscore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Case Note Documentationcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Court Filing and Deadline Managementcore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Eligibility Assessmentcore
• Legal Document Preparationcore
• Participant or Client Advocacycore
• Policy Interpretationcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Advise on legal decisions
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Correspondence Drafting
• Electronic Document Management
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
• Interpreter and Accessibility Coordination
• Legal Research
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Negotiation
• Risk Identification
• Time Management and Prioritisation

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026