How to Verify a Migration Agent Is Legit (5 Checks Before You Pay)
How to check whether an Australian migration agent is genuinely MARA registered before you pay them anything — the MARN check, the OMARA register, and the red flags that mean stop. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 5 checks
- 0:11 The 5 checks,
- 0:31 Check 2:
- 0:42 Check 3:
- 0:52 Also watch for
- 1:03 Check 5:
- 1:15 Nobody can guarantee
- 1:25 Compare agents'
- 1:36 Where to read more
Transcript
There are 5 checks to run before you pay a migration agent anything — and the first one takes under 2 minutes.
The 5 checks: get their MARN, search the OMARA register, check the result, watch for red flags, and know the lawyer exception.
Check 1: every registered agent holds a MARN — a unique 7-digit number. Every legally operating agent has exactly one.
Check 2: search by their name first, not the MARN alone. That stops a scam where someone hands you a real MARN belonging to a different agent.
Check 3: in the result, confirm three things — current status reads Registered, the MARN matches exactly, and the firm name matches what they told you.
Next, watch for red flags: refusing to give a MARN, wanting a large upfront payment with no written agreement, and claiming special connections at the Department.
Check 5: Australian-registered lawyers can give migration advice without a MARN — their legal practising certificate covers them instead, through their state Law Society.
Nobody can guarantee a visa will be approved — not the Department, and not an agent. A promise like that is one of the clearest red flags.
Every agent on Migratio has been checked against the OMARA register, and every profile links straight to it — and you can compare agents' consultation fees before you book.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
Short versions
- The 7-digit number every real agent has (0:34)
- 3 steps to check any agent (0:29)
- Nobody can guarantee your visa (0:29)
Talk it through with a registered agent
Every agent on Migratio is on the official OMARA register. Compare agents and their consultation fees.