Louise Harding
Migration content author
Louise is the migration content author at migrationagent.review, based in Brisbane. She spent over a decade writing client information for community legal services before moving to consumer guides, and now writes plain-English guides on choosing, checking and working with registered migration agents, and on how agencies get found and reviewed. Every guide is checked against official OMARA and Department of Home Affairs sources before it is published or updated.
11 guides by Louise Harding
Guides for visa applicants
How to check if a migration agent is registered
Search the free public register by name or MARN before you pay anyone for migration assistance.
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Migration agent vs immigration lawyer — which do you need?
Both can lodge your visa application. The difference shows up if your case gets complicated or goes to a tribunal.
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What migration agents charge in 2026
Fees vary by visa type and complexity, not by luck — here is the range you should expect to see quoted.
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Ten questions to ask before you hire a migration agent
A short list that surfaces the answers that actually predict a good experience.
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What to do if an agent's MARN doesn't check out
A MARN that fails to match isn't proof of fraud, but it changes what you should do next.
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Can you apply for an Australian visa without an agent?
Yes — for many visa types, self-lodging through ImmiAccount is completely normal. Here's when it makes sense.
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How to make a complaint about a migration agent
There is a formal, free complaints process, separate from any dispute over money already paid.
Read the guideGuides for agencies
How to get more client reviews as a migration agency
Ask every client at the same point in the matter, make it a one-minute job, and keep it clean under the Code and consumer law.
Read the guideHow to respond to client reviews as a migration agent
A good reply is short, calm and says nothing about the client's matter. Here is how to handle praise, criticism and reviews that cross the line.
Read the guideHow migration agencies appear in directories
Where your listing comes from, what decides the order of results, and which parts are actually in your control.
Read the guideHow to get more enquiries as a migration agency
Be findable for the work you want, answer fast, and never promise an outcome. What actually turns directory visitors into clients.
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