Written by Immigrad · Registered Migration Agent · MARN 1805710 · Last updated September 2026
Search the public register kept by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) at portal.mara.gov.au. Enter the agent’s MARN, or their given and family name, and check the result. If the agent does not appear in the search results, they are not registered and cannot lawfully provide immigration assistance in Australia.
Registration is not a marketing badge. Under the Migration Act 1958, giving immigration assistance in Australia is restricted to registered migration agents and to Australian legal practitioners who hold a current practising certificate. Checking the register is the single most useful thing you can do before paying anyone, and it takes about a minute.
What is a MARN, and where do I find it?
When a person becomes a registered migration agent, OMARA issues them a unique Migration Agent Registration Number, known as a MARN. Agents normally display it on their website, email signature and service agreement. If you have the MARN, you can search the register on that alone — OMARA advises that no other search field needs to be completed when you search by MARN.
What can I search if I do not know the MARN?
The register lets you search by the agent’s given name, family name, business name, or business location by country, state, suburb or postcode. OMARA suggests entering only the first few letters of a name if you are unsure of the spelling, and warns against completing every field, since an over-specified search can return nothing. You can also filter for agents working for voluntary organisations.
Does being registered mean the agent is right for my case?
No. Registration establishes that a person may lawfully act, not that they are suited to your matter. An employer-sponsored nomination, a partner visa and a refusal appeal call on quite different experience. It is reasonable to ask how often an agent handles your visa type, who will actually do the work, and to request a written service agreement setting out professional fees, government charges, inclusions and refund terms before you commit.
What should make me cautious?
Treat a guaranteed outcome as a warning sign: no registered agent can guarantee a visa grant or a processing time, and both are matters for the Department of Home Affairs. Be equally wary of anyone asking you to pay for a job or for sponsorship itself, of advertised success rates you cannot verify, and of an agent who will not give you their MARN in writing.
If you are weighing up an employer-sponsored application and want a considered view of the pathway before you commit to anything, get in touch with Immigrad.
General information only, current as at 15 September 2026. It is not personal migration advice and does not take your circumstances into account. Requirements change; always confirm current information with the Department of Home Affairs or OMARA. Complex cases should be discussed with a registered migration agent. Immigrad is operated by Oceans Consultancy Pty Ltd. Gaurav Duggal, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 1805710.