Every step, in writing.

The six steps

1. Enquiry

   You contact us by phone, email or the enquiry form. We reply with the next sensible step. An enquiry is not immigration advice, and it does not make you a client.

2. Initial consultation

   A first conversation with Sukh Sandhu, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1384130. Before it starts we tell you Sukh's MARN and whether there is a fee. If there is a fee it is a reasonable, fixed amount, you receive an invoice and a receipt, and we keep a written note of the advice given.

3. Service agreement and Consumer Guide

   If you want us to act for you, we give you a written service agreement and the OMARA Consumer Guide. You and Sukh both sign the agreement before any further work starts. We do not take money for visa work before the agreement is in force.

4. Identity and documents

   We verify your identity, and the identity of any sponsor or other person involved, as the Code requires. We give you a document checklist and check each document before it is used.

5. Preparation and lodgement

   We prepare the application with you. You read and approve every form and statement before it is lodged. Nothing false or misleading goes in. If we think an application has little prospect of success, we tell you so in writing before you decide.

6. Decision and next steps

   The Department of Home Affairs makes the decision. We tell you the outcome promptly, explain any conditions on your visa, and, if the decision is a refusal, explain your review options and their time limits.

Your service agreement

The agreement is a written contract between you and the agent. Under the Code of Conduct it must set out:

• your details, and the name, MARN and contact details of the agent signing it and of each agent expected to work on your matter;
• the work we will do for you;
• a statement that you have been given the OMARA Consumer Guide;
• our fees, as a fixed fee or an hourly rate with a reasonable estimate of time, including GST, and the likely disbursements;
• payment terms, our refund policy, and what happens to your file when the work ends.

Fees and client money

• Quoted in writing. Our professional fee depends on the visa and the work, so we quote it in writing after the first conversation. See Fees for the approach and current government charges.
• Invoices and receipts. You receive an itemised invoice before we charge you, and a receipt after you pay.
• Client account. Money you pay us in advance for work not yet done, or for government charges, is held in a separate client account with a financial institution and only withdrawn as the rules allow.
• Refunds. Your agreement includes a fair and reasonable refund policy. Any refund that becomes payable is paid within 14 days.
• Conflicts and commissions. If we have a conflict of interest, or receive a commission or fee from someone else connected to your matter, such as an education provider, we tell you in writing, with the amount or an estimate, before we act.

Records and privacy

We keep a written record of advice and instructions, including advice given by phone, email, web form or messaging app. Your client file is kept for at least 7 years after the last action on your matter, as the Code requires, and then securely destroyed. We keep your information confidential and do not disclose it without your written consent, unless the law requires it.

Read our Privacy Policy for how we collect, use, store and protect personal information.

Other countries

For Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States we give general information only. When you need advice, we refer you to a professional licensed in that country and give you their name and registration details in writing before you engage them. We do not charge for that referral unless agreed in writing, and the overseas professional's own terms and fees apply to their work.