Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997(the charge act).

The amendments will ensure that a migration agent who originally applied for and had their registration as a non-commercial agent approved, but who at any point through that registration period becomes a commercial agent, becomes liable to pay a pro-rata commercial charge for the period in which they were a commercial agent.

This is one of a number of changes to portfolio legislation that are aimed at making the commercial registration application charge the default charge payable, and ensuring that the non-commercial charge can only be accessed by those applicants who will be genuinely be offering services on a non-profit basis and in association with a charitable organisation.

The charge amount payable is to be worked out in accordance with the formula within the legislation.

These amendments will complement those I have just discussed in relation to an agent's notification requirements should their registration status change from non-commercial to commercial at any point during their registration year.

The amendment will also complement those recently made to the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Regulations 1998. The amendments make the commercial registration application charge the default charge payable, unless an applicant can prove they meet all eligibility criteria that allows them to access the non-commercial charge.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this bill makes an important amendment in ensuring that only those agents who are providing genuinely noncommercial immigration assistance to the most vulnerable members of our community can access the noncommercial registration charge.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.