Some visa classes are certainly simple enough to apply for yourself, but many, particularly permanent residency applications, are far more complex.

Australia's Migration Regulations are subject to constant legislative change in response to the changing needs in the migrant mix. This means that the more complex visa classes require not only a detailed understanding of current legislation, but familiarity with recent changes to the particular visa requirements.

Unlike most countries, Australia requires that all migration agents pass a university course in Immigration Law before they can become registered. For their annual registration to be renewed, migration agents must attend professional development course and maintain a professional library.

Furthermore, the professional conduct of agents is monitored by MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority), the independent professional body appointed to ensure that standards in the profession are maintained and that all agents strictly adhere to the statutory Code of Conduct.

You can be assured that MARA will protect your interests and ensure that the conduct of your agent is at all times professional and objective (and that for example, all client fees are held in a client trust account until an agreed event has occurred).

Finally, many visa classes are now handled by Immigration Department branches in Australia rather than in the various overseas posts (for example with the exception of Hong Kong and Taiwan, all overseas business visas are now processed in Perth, whilst all skilled visas are dealt with in Adelaide). This means that an Australian migration agent is in the best position to communicate directly with Immigration Department officers about a particular case.