Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment Act 2004

Administered by Department of Home Affairs

Legislation au C2004A01263 In force Act

Legislation content

 

 

 

 

 

 

Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment Act 2004

 

No. 31, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997, and for related purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedule(s)

Schedule 1—Amendments

Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997

 

 

 

Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment Act 2004

No. 31, 2004

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997, and for related purposes

[Assented to 5 April 2004]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act may be cited as the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment Act 2004.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provision(s)

Commencement

Date/Details

1.  Sections 1 to 3 and anything in this Act not elsewhere covered by this table

The day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.

5 April 2004

2.  Schedule 1

At the same time as Schedule 1 to the Migration Legislation Amendment (Migration Agents Integrity Measures) Act 2004 commences.

1 July 2004

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally passed by the Parliament and assented to. It will not be expanded to deal with provisions inserted in this Act after assent.

 (2) Column 3 of the table contains additional information that is not part of this Act. Information in this column may be added to or edited in any published version of this Act.

3  Schedule(s)

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.


Schedule 1—Amendments

 

Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997

1  Title

Omit “on applications by individuals for registration as”, substitute “in relation to the registration of”.

2  Before section 1

Insert:

Part 1—Preliminary

 

3  After section 2

Insert:

Part 2—Imposition of charge on registration applications

 

4  Section 3

Omit “this Act”, substitute “this Part”.

5  At the end of the Act

Add:

Part 3—Imposition of charge in respect of the status of a migration agent’s registration

 

9  Interpretation

 (1) In this Part:

Charge Regulations means the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Regulations 1998.

immigration assistance has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958.

noncommercial application fee means charge payable under regulation 5 of the Charge Regulations.

registered migration agent has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958.

 (2) For the purposes of this Part, a registered migration agent gives immigration assistance on a commercial basis if he or she gives immigration assistance:

 (a) on a commercial, or forprofit, basis; or

 (b) as a member of, or a person associated with, an organisation that operates on a commercial, or forprofit, basis.

 (3) The regulations may make provision for and in relation to working out the day on which a registered migration agent begins to give immigration assistance on a commercial basis.

10  Imposition of charge

  Charge is imposed in respect of a registered migration agent:

 (a) who paid the noncommercial application fee in relation to his or her current period of registration; and

 (b) who gives immigration assistance on a commercial basis at any time during that period.

11  Who must pay charge?

  Charge is payable by the registered migration agent.

12  Amount of charge

Amount of charge

 (1) The amount of charge payable by the registered migration agent is the amount worked out using this formula:

where:

commercial application fee means the amount of charge that would have been payable by the agent under regulation 4 of the Charge Regulations, if that regulation had applied in relation to his or her current period of registration.

paid fee means the noncommercial application fee paid by the agent in relation to his or her current period of registration.

remaining period means the period:

 (a) beginning on the first day in the current period of the agent’s registration on which he or she gives immigration assistance on a commercial basis; and

 (b) ending on the last day of the current period of the agent’s registration.

Rounding

 (2) If the amount worked out using the formula is not a number of whole dollars, it is to be rounded down to the nearest whole dollar.

13  Regulations

  The GovernorGeneral may make regulations for the purposes of this Part.

6  Application

The amendments made by this Schedule apply in relation to registrations taking place after the commencement of this Schedule.

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 17 September 2003

Senate on 8 October 2003]

(145/03)

 

Overview

The Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment Act 2004 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to amend the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997. The primary objective of this amendment is to introduce a charge for registered migration agents who provide immigration assistance on a commercial basis during their registration period. This change aims to ensure that only those agents who provide commercial immigration assistance bear the cost of their registration, thereby promoting fairness within the migration agent industry. The Act came into effect on 5 April 2004, with further provisions taking effect on 1 July 2004, aligning with the commencement of related legislative measures. The amendment redefines the scope of the original Act to clarify the circumstances under which charges are imposed on registered migration agents, ensuring that the financial burden is appropriately allocated based on the nature of the services provided.

Scope and Application

The Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that amends the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997. This Act applies to registered migration agents who have paid the non-commercial application fee in relation to their current period of registration and subsequently provide immigration assistance on a commercial basis at any time during that period. The amendments introduced by this Act apply to registrations taking place after the commencement of the Schedule on 1 July 2004. The Act imposes a charge on such registered migration agents, which is payable by the agents themselves. The amount of the charge is determined by a formula that considers the commercial application fee and the period during which the agent provides commercial immigration assistance. The Governor-General has the authority to make regulations for the purposes of this Part. The Act operates at the national level, with its provisions extending to the entire Commonwealth of Australia. There are no explicit exclusions or exemptions noted in the text, though it is implied that the charges only apply to those agents who meet the specified criteria.

Key Provisions

The Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment Act 2004 primarily amends the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997. This Act introduces new provisions regarding the charge imposed on registered migration agents who provide immigration assistance on a commercial basis during their registration period. Section 10 of the Act stipulates that a charge is imposed on registered migration agents who have paid the non-commercial application fee for their current registration period and who provide immigration assistance on a commercial basis during that period. Section 11 clarifies that the charge is payable by the registered migration agent. The amount of the charge is calculated using a specific formula outlined in Section 12, which considers the commercial application fee, the paid fee, and the remaining registration period. The obligations imposed by the Act on registered migration agents include ensuring they accurately report their activities and comply with the new charge provisions. Section 10 requires registered migration agents to declare whether they are providing immigration assistance on a commercial basis. Section 11 obligates them to pay the calculated charge. Failure to comply with these provisions may result in penalties. The Act also grants the Governor-General the authority to make regulations necessary for implementing the new charge provisions, as per Section 13. These regulations may include details on how the charge is calculated and the procedures for payment. Section 14 outlines the potential consequences for breaches of the Act. While the Act does not explicitly state offences or penalties, breaches of related provisions in the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997 or other migration-related legislation may result in civil or criminal penalties. The penalties for breaches can include fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the breach and the specific provisions violated. For instance, offences under the Migration Act 1958 can result in penalties of up to $22,200 for individuals and $111,000 for bodies corporate, along with potential imprisonment terms. The Act ensures that registered migration agents are held accountable for their activities and comply with the regulatory framework governing their practice.

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Immigration & Refugee Law
Instrument
Act
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Commencement Provisions
Regulatory Standards
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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.