"On 20 March 1998 The Migration Institute of Australia Limited was appointed by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, The Hon Philip Ruddock MP, to undertake the role of the Migration Agents Registration Authority ("the Authority"). The Authority replaced the Migration Agents Registration Board and moved the profession from statutory regulation to statutory self-regulation.
The statutory self-regulation scheme is expected to improve the quality of the advice that Australia's 3000 (as at March 2003) registered migration agents provide to their clients, through a strong emphasis on education and development processes.
During the period of statutory self-regulation the Federal Government will review the new regulatory arrangement. It is hoped that the profession will mature sufficiently within that time to successfully move to voluntary self-regulation."