Government warns migrants about rogue advisers amid rise in fake protection-visa advice

In a 12 May SBS News bulletin, Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill issued a stark warning to temporary residents to avoid unregistered migration agents encouraging them to lodge false protection claims. Hill said some unscrupulous advisers were “selling hopeless asylum applications” that leave clients destitute and liable for removal. The statement follows last month’s legislative amendments that raised ethical standards for migration advisers and granted the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) stronger audit powers. OMARA can now suspend or deregister agents for high refusal rates or misleading marketing.



For applicants who do need legitimate visa and travel-document support, services such as VisaHQ offer a transparent, fully online alternative; its Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) lists required documents, fees and processing times in plain language, helping migrants prepare accurate submissions without risking unregistered advisers.

Stakeholder groups, including the Migration Institute of Australia, welcome the tougher stance, noting that the number of on-shore protection applications jumped 38 percent in 2025 even as global conflict levels remained steady. Genuine refugees face longer waits as officers sift through poorly prepared or fraudulent claims. Hill urged visa holders to verify advisers on OMARA’s public register and warned that lodging a non-genuine protection claim leads to a permanent re-entry ban if refused. Employers should remind foreign staff that falling out of lawful status jeopardises any future skilled-migration pathways. The government is also funding a multilingual outreach campaign to steer migrants toward free community legal centres for reliable advice.